For almost two years the family of a young Aboriginal father from a small town in the Northern Territory, who was found decomposed by a river days after he died, has been waiting for answers.
WARNING: This story features the names and images of deceased Aboriginal people, which have been used with the permission of their families.
An autopsy report released to the family showed that Shane Tapp, 43, was discovered laying on his back next to the Katherine River, his clothes still wet, with a roll of cash in his pocket.
The discovery was made by a fisherman on April 12, 2021 and Mr Tapp was in an advanced state of decomposition.
A forensic pathologist's examination was "severely hampered" by the decay, and limited to a piece of deep muscle.
The possibility of "trauma, especially blunt force trauma," could not be ruled out, but neither could drowning nor a death associated with long-term drug use.
The examiner concluded the cause of death remained undetermined and various possibilities existed.
"It's just about consumed my life for the past 18 months," Shane's grandmother June Tapp, said. "It has been pretty difficult."
She said the grieving family had not been able to move forward with so many questions left unanswered and a slew of concerns about the police investigation.
Mrs Tapp said she had written eight letters to the Coroner's Office, which she was told would also be directed to the police, asking for information and a deeper probe.
"The police said that we weren't entitled to any information because we weren't next of kin," she said.
"For the past 18 months, we've just been wondering, 'What did happen to him?'"
It has now been confirmed that an inquest will take place, with matters relating to the evidence and the "appropriateness" of the investigation to be examined by the NT Coroner in October.
'No third-party involvement'
According to police reports Shane Tapp, father to a three-month-old child, was last seen by his partner on April 3 — nine days before his body was found.
He reportedly called a friend at 10pm on the night he'd last been seen, distressed and asking for help, Mrs Tapp said.
A missing person's alert was issued by police on April 11, and just days after he was found officials on the case deemed there were no suspicious circumstances.
In October last year, then Commander Martin Dole told the ABC that "NT Police are satisfied there is no third-party involvement or crime committed in relation to the death".
But Mrs Tapp said her grandson's history couldn't be overlooked.
"I keep on going back to this. There's a desperate call from Shane, a well-known [person] mixed up in drugs, and police themselves who said he was a member of a drug syndicate — you would think that was suspicious," she said.
"I think the police putting out that Shane's death as not suspicious 72 hours after his death has been determined leaves a lot of questions about the police investigation.
"I would find it highly unlikely that he died other than over drug deals of some kind."
Mrs Tapp believes her grandson was killed.
"I want more answers, closure, clarity," she said. "I want to know the truth."
The ABC put questions to NT police about the investigation but a spokesperson said that no comments could be made while the report detailing the coronial investigation was before the Coroner.
Shane Tapp's aunt, Toni Tapp-Coutts, said the murkiness around the simple details of when the death occurred and how, has plagued many in the family.
"It's always a conversation that people are having: the displeasure of how the case was handled, and the lack of knowing anything," she said.
"I would just like to see and hear the truth so that everyone can get on with their lives."
