By Dan Proudman
Christopher Daunt was a well respected young builder with close and loving ties to his family and friends when he disappeared halfway through a job five months ago.
And that is what is frightening the hell out of his relatives and investigators.
Missing: Christopher Daunt.Credit: NSW Police Force
A police strike force has been set up to investigate the suspicious disappearance of the 27-year-old man from the Lake Macquarie suburb of Gateshead, with one obvious line of inquiry centring around Mr Daunt being murdered.
He was last seen at a North Lambton address on Sunday, March 29, and was quickly reported missing by family.
Builder Christopher Daunt was halfway through a job when he vanished.Credit: NSW Police Force
"It is concerning and being treated as suspicious because he has literally dropped off the face of the Earth," Lake Macquarie crime manager Detective Inspector Craig Davis said on Monday.
"Here is a self-employed man who was there one minute and gone the next."
Mr Daunt was a builder who specialised in kitchens and was halfway through installing one in Lake Macquarie when he vanished.
His bank accounts have not been touched, there has been no activity on his mobile phone and no contact with his family or friends.
There is no evidence he had travelled interstate.
"Obviously one of the lines of inquiry is that something sinister has happened," Detective Inspector Davis said.
"He may have taken some time out, but that is out of character and we have found no evidence of that."
Strike Force Retractor, comprising Lake Macquarie detectives, has been set up to look into the disappearance.
Mr Daunt is described as being Caucasian, about 180 centimetres tall, of thin build, brown hair and green eyes.
Mr Daunt's family and friends have turned to social media to try to find him.
The Facebook page Help us find Chris Daunt was launched soon after his disappearance on March 29 and has attracted 2450 likes and been shared hundreds of times.
The posts record the family's heartbreak as they hope Mr Daunt is "happy and some place warm" and share their disappointment that he did not reach out to his mother to wish her happy birthday.
"Wherever he may be, he is always in our thoughts and prayers, and we cherish all the special times we had with him over the years," the page says. "Not knowing is so difficult for us, and all we want is to have him home."
Anyone with information is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Newcastle Herald