A police investigation spanning several years, and now a lengthy inquest, has failed to find who killed NSW teenager Belinda Peisley 15 years ago.
But her father Mark Wearne is convinced someone knows what happened to the 19-year-old on or just after September 26, 1998, and "a guilty conscience, something said out of place" could be enough to deliver closure at last.
Flanked by family members, he spoke to reporters outside Glebe Coroners' Court on Friday after Deputy State Coroner Paul MacMahon declared Ms Peisley probably died as a result of the actions of person or persons unknown.
"Someone will one day come forward and give enough truth for an investigation to go all the way, and Belinda will finally get the justice she deserves," Mr Wearne said.
"It would give us peace both to know what happened and particularly to have a body that we could bury, a funeral to remember and respect, and somewhere to go to grieve."
Though she was wracked with drug addiction in her final years, Ms Peisley was a "beautiful girl who loved life", her father said.
Mr MacMahon said that although he was satisfied Ms Peisley was dead, and that it was "more likely than not that her death was a consequence of the actions of some third party", he was unable to make a finding about how she died or who might have been responsible.
He said he was referring the case to the NSW Police unsolved homicide unit rather than the Director of Public Prosecutions because there was not enough evidence to recommend criminal charges be laid.
But testimony given during the lengthy inquest "did raise considerable suspicion" that three people had some knowledge of or involvement in the teen's death, he said.
These were her best friend Heidi Wailes, Wailes' then-boyfriend Jeremy Douglas and his then-mate Saxon Holdforth, both of whom Mr MacMahon described as having a reputation for violence against women.
But he said he did not want to jeopardise any future investigation by going through their evidence.
The coroner also recommended the NSW Police Force change its procedures so that where there is a high risk that a missing person has died in suspicious circumstances, the homicide squad be informed immediately of the circumstances.
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