By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
MONDAY 29 February marks the 40th year since the disappearance of one of Australia’s first celebrity chefs and owner of the Cuckoo restaurant in Olinda, Willi Koeppen.
Willi disappeared without a trace in 1976 and his Kombi Van was found in the car park of his restaurant early in the morning.
Victoria Police have not given up on finding out what happened to him and they are currently preparing a brief for the state coroner.
Andrei Keoppen was in his mid-teens when his father went missing and he has said he is glad police have kept the investigation alive after all these years.
“I’m confident there will be closure,” he said.
“It’s something we’ve been looking for for 40 years. (Police) go over it over and over again and always find new bits of information.
“Gradually, I think the truth will come out eventually.”
Willi is believed to have been murdered but the main suspect in his disappearance, Alex Tsakmakis, was beaten to death in prison in 1988.
“We believe he met with foul play on night he disappeared,” Andrei said.
“There was a window of four hours where he disappeared early in the morning until the realisation something might have happened.
“The cleaner at the time saw cars heading down the hill and these little pieces of the puzzle come together and then we find new pieces,” he said.
All these pieces of the puzzle haven’t shed much light on Willi’s disappearance for the family but Andrei believes the full story will be revealed.
“I think we will get the complete story. I have confidence in Victoria Police and I think they will unearth what happened.
“I admire their tenacity. It’s been 40 years and they are still determined to resolve it.”
Andrei said it would give the family some relief to finally know what happened to his father and is very hopeful the latest investigation by police will be the last.
“We have not had an opportunity for closure and we have always carried this doubt and suspicion.
“There are so many potential people who are suspects, some still alive, some moved on, and new theories coming forward all the time.
“I think that it would make a big difference, like being able to go to his funeral.”
