Racism hindered NSW police investigation into the 1988 death of Indigenous teenager Mark Haines, inquest found

Lead

A coroner has found that racism played a role in the flawed police investigation into the 1988 death of Indigenous teenager Mark Haines in northern New South Wales, nearly four decades after his body was discovered on railway tracks near Tamworth.

Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame handed down her findings on Thursday after a fresh inquest that began in April 2024 and concluded in October 2025. The inquest heard 24 days of evidence into the death of the Gomeroi teenager, whose body was found on a barren stretch of train tracks a few kilometres south of Tamworth on 16 January 1988.

Coverage Comparison

The findings were reported by multiple Australian and international outlets. ABC News covered both the coroner's conclusions and the family's long-held belief that Mark did not place himself on the tracks. The Guardian reported extensively on the coroner's criticism of the initial police investigation, highlighting that it was “deeply flawed, superficial and inadequate from the outset.”

All reports converge on the central finding that racism was a significant factor, although they differ slightly in emphasis. ABC News focused on the ongoing mystery of how Mark's body came to be on the tracks, while The Guardian's coverage was more critical of police conduct. There were no major disagreements between sources on the facts of the case.

Key Claims

• Mark Haines's body was found on railway tracks near Tamworth on 16 January 1988. Police initially concluded that the 17-year-old was responsible for his own death, suggesting he had lain down on the tracks either deliberately or in a dazed state.

• The Haines family has always maintained that Mark did not lie down on the tracks and wait to die, but was put there. They have long suspected foul play and believed the police investigation would have been different if Mark had been non-Indigenous.

• Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame found that the initial investigation was "deeply flawed, superficial and inadequate from the outset." She noted that Mark's body was moved soon after it was discovered, and that a car and the train were not forensically tested.

• Grahame said it was "highly likely that people in the community have knowledge of this case and have not shared it with police." She expressed regret that the inquest had not provided greater clarity, saying: "I had hoped in conducting this inquest, we would have a point of greater clarity. It is a matter of personal regret this hasn't been achieved."

• A stolen white Holden Torana was found crashed near the scene. The coroner also noted that a towel was placed under Mark's head, which she said contradicted the initial suicide finding.

• Glen Mannion, a close friend of Mark's, denied in court any involvement in his death. The coroner found his evidence "unusual," but did not make any finding against him.

Perspectives

The Haines family, represented in court by Mark's uncle Don Craigie, has long believed that racism played a role in the investigation. Their view is supported by the coroner's finding that the attitudes of the town of Tamworth, where Mark lived in the Coledale area — sometimes referred to by a derogatory term for its large Indigenous population — were central to the police response.

Coroner Grahame said it was "inconceivable that such a superficial investigation would have taken place … had a young white teenager from the right side of town been found on the train tracks in similar circumstances." She accepted that the investigation took place against a backdrop of "deeply entrenched racism" in the region.

The original police investigation concluded that Mark's death was a suicide, a finding that the coroner has now ruled out. The case remains open, with the coroner appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

The inquest also examined a theory about the possible involvement of a local boxer, Eddie Davis, which Grahame dismissed as an "unsubstantiated rumour." The exact circumstances of Mark's death remain unknown, and the coroner acknowledged that the lack of a breakthrough offered little comfort to his family.

This case is part of a broader pattern of historical mistrust between Indigenous communities and police in Australia, and it highlights ongoing concerns about systemic racism in the justice system. The coroner's findings are likely to intensify calls for reform, although no specific recommendations have been made public at this stage.