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General News

7 January, 2020

Wife still searching for husbands body

Wife still searching for murdered husbands body

By Phil Brandel

Wife still searching for husbands body - feature photo

Bruce Schuler was murdered on a remote Far North cattle station nearly 8 years ago. His widow Fiona Split is still searching for the remains of his body

Schuler, was prospecting in a dry gully on Palmerville Station with friends when they became separated, his friends heard two gun shots at around the time that he disappeared.

In July 2015 at the Cairns Supreme Court, Stephen Struber and Dianne Wilson-Struber, the station's owners, were found guilty of his murder and with interfering with a corpse.

The trial heard that police found drops of Schuler's blood, burnt patches of grass, and tyre marks matching the Strubers' car in a gully about two kilometres from the homestead.

Mr Schulers body or his prospecting equipment have never been found.

Murdered man Bruce Schuler. Photo QLD Police
Murdered man Bruce Schuler. Photo QLD Police

Late last year his widow Fiona Splitt, along with son Bruce Jnr and sister-in-law Tracey Holland put up four large signs calling for information about the whereabouts of Mr Schuler’s body, with photos of him wearing the clothes he was last seen in.

Ms Splitt said it took her over a year ago to get the signs erected as she had to get approvals from Police, Department of Transport and Main Roads and Cook Shire Council before they could be installed. The signs have been placed at Whites Creek on the Peninsula Development Rd, at the intersection of White’s Creek and Palmerville Rds, on Mt Musgrave Rd  and Palmerville Rd at Laura and were paid for with Ms Splitt’s own money

"Hopefully someone will come forward with some real information," his widow said. ”Someone knows something.”

The signs feature a photograph of Mr Schuler wearing the clothes he was last seen in, along with his gold prospecting equipment. Fiona and her family are hoping to gain permission to search Palmerville station from the new owners in the near feature.

Ms Splitt and her daughter Lisa Schuler were behind the push of "no body, no parole laws" that came into law in Queensland in 2017. Under the laws, Stephen Struber and Dianne Wilson-Struber will serve out their life sentences in jail unless they reveal where Schuler's body is.

However, the pair have always denied they murdered the man.

Ms Splitt said. 'I will not rest until we find Bruce and bring him home. Until we bring him home our family will truly not have any closure.'You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, or by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.

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