The family of a man whose two former friends were sentenced this week over his death 16 years ago say years of suffering could have been prevented if his disappearance had been taken more seriously by police at the time.
Jay Brogden, 21, was shot dead on a boating trip over a drug money dispute.
He was last seen in Airlie Beach in April 2007 and his body was never found.
Investigators at the time ruled his disappearance was a suicide, which stalled the case from reaching the Office of the State Coroner until April 2011.
It was only when his case was before the Coroner's Court in 2015 that it was referred to the homicide unit.
In 2019, two of Mr Brogden's former friends were arrested and charged over his death.
In 2022, Gavin Parnell was convicted of murdering Mr Brogden and was sentenced to life in jail.
Earlier this week, his co-accused Braddon Charles Peter Butler pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Butler could be out of jail after serving four years because he was granted immediate parole eligibility.
He was initially charged with murder alongside Parnell in 2019, but just days before his trial began he agreed to plead guilty to the downgraded charge of manslaughter.
A 'fight every step of the way'
Mr Brogden's mother Gina Merritt was too emotional to speak after Butler was sentenced over her son's death.
But she issued a statement expressing frustration and the length of time it took to resolve the case.
"Jay would have turned 37 years old on Wednesday. He was taken from us at 21 when he had his whole life in front of him," Ms Merritt wrote.
"Whilst we are pleased that finally two people have been brought to justice and we would like to thank the efforts of the DPP and the current investigation police, there were many years where there were systemic failings in the Queensland police.
"We feel if this investigation had been taken seriously in the beginning and started immediately, things would have been very different and years of torment and suffering could have been avoided.
"We as a family have had to fight every step of the way for the police to do their job and investigate this matter."
Queensland police were contacted for comment regarding Mr Brogden's family's concerns about the way the initial investigation was handled.
"It would be inappropriate for Queensland Police Service to comment on the matter while it is still subject to the appeal period," a spokesperson said.
Memories still fresh
Ms Merritt said that despite it being 16 years since she saw her son, it still felt like on Monday.
"As a family we speak about Jay often, his beaming smile and his ability to make everyone laugh," she wrote.
"He was not without his troubles, but he was not street smart and came from a loving family.
"Our family will never be the same after this and not a day will go past that we won't remember how much we loved him and what a valued member of our family he was."
