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Disappearance of Niamh Maye

Niamh Maye, an 18-year-old on a gap-year fruit-picking trip, disappeared on March 30, 2002, after leaving a camping trip near Jingellic, New South Wales, with another fruit picker. She was never seen again, and her case remains unsolved.

UNSOLVED2002

Near Jingellic, New South Wales, Australia

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Niamh Maye, originally from Armidale, New South Wales, was 18 years old and on a gap year before starting university when she disappeared in 2002. On February 16, 2002, roughly six weeks before she vanished, Maye and two friends traveled to Batlow, New South Wales, for a fruit-picking working holiday.

On March 29, 2002, Maye went camping near Jingellic. She was accompanied by another fruit picker, Jason Nicklason, who traveled in a distinctive black hearse. The pair left Jingellic together on March 30, 2002. Maye had been planning to catch a bus from Batlow to the train station at Cootamundra, but she never made that trip. She was not seen again after March 30, 2002, and Nicklason is identified as the last person to have seen her alive.

Six months after Maye's disappearance, in September 2002, Nicklason was arrested in Brisbane in connection with the rape of a 19-year-old woman. While he was in police custody outside Brisbane police headquarters, Nicklason jumped from a third-storey car park and died as a result. Because Nicklason died before facing any legal process related to Maye's disappearance, he was never charged in connection with her case, and no named individual has been charged, convicted, or otherwise adjudicated in relation to her disappearance.

The case remained unresolved for more than two decades. On June 21, 2023, the Riverina Police District announced an AU$250,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in relation to Maye's disappearance, an effort aimed at generating new leads. In 2024, a podcast covering her disappearance was released in the hope of prompting further public information.

As of the most recent available reporting, Niamh Maye's whereabouts remain unknown, and her disappearance is classified as unsolved. The circumstances of her final movements after leaving Jingellic with Nicklason on March 30, 2002, have not been publicly established, and no further named individuals have been identified as charged or convicted in connection with the case.

Key facts

Victims
Jason Nicklason, Niamh Maye
Date
2002
Location
Near Jingellic, New South Wales, Australia
Case status
unsolved

Case timeline

  1. 2002-02-16

    Niamh Maye and two friends travel to Batlow, New South Wales, for a fruit-picking working holiday.

  2. 2002-03-29

    Maye goes camping near Jingellic, accompanied by fellow fruit picker Jason Nicklason, who traveled in a distinctive black hearse.

  3. 2002-03-30

    Maye and Nicklason leave Jingellic together. Maye is not seen again after this date; she had planned to catch a bus from Batlow to Cootamundra train station but never made the trip.

  4. 2002-09

    Jason Nicklason is arrested in Brisbane for the rape of a 19-year-old woman; while in police custody outside Brisbane police headquarters, he jumps from a third-storey car park and dies.

  5. 2023-06-21

    Riverina Police District announces an AU$250,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction regarding Maye's disappearance.

  6. 2024

    A podcast on Maye's disappearance is released in an effort to generate new information.

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People

  • Jason Nicklason

    VICTIM

    Fellow fruit picker and last known person to see Niamh Maye alive; he was never charged in connection with her disappearance. He died in September 2002, six months after Maye's disappearance, after jumping from a third-storey car park while in police custody in Brisbane following his arrest for the rape of a 19-year-old woman.

  • Niamh Maye

    VICTIM

    18-year-old woman who disappeared on March 30, 2002, near Jingellic, New South Wales, while on a gap-year fruit-picking trip; her case remains unsolved.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Near Jingellic, New South Wales, Australia

-35.9000, 147.6833

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Niamh Maye, an 18-year-old on a gap-year fruit-picking trip, disappeared on March 30, 2002, after leaving a camping trip near Jingellic, New South Wales, with another fruit picker. She was never seen again, and her case remains unsolved.
Where did the disappearance happen?
Near Jingellic, New South Wales, Australia.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: unsolved.
More cases in New South Wales

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICDisappearance of Niamh MayeWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ABC News (Australia)ABC News (Australia) · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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