Richard Wills was last seen on the morning of Sunday, April 5, before his body was found two days later

Richard Wills.Credit : Victoria Police

Police are searching for answers after a 65-year-old man was fatally shot before being buried in a shallow grave on his farm in rural Australia.

Richard Wills was reported missing after last being seen leaving his home on Hughs Street in the town of Ouyen in Victoria at around 8 a.m. local time on Sunday, April 5. His body was found two days later, Victoria Police said in a release.

The release stated, “Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad are appealing for public assistance as part of their investigation into the suspicious death of Ouyen man, Richard Wills.”

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It continued, “Police have been told he went to work on his rural property on the Mallee Highway around 8 a.m., which was his usual routine.”

“He failed to return for lunch, and family members searched the property for him later that day,” police said. “His wife reported him missing on Monday morning when he still hadn’t returned.”

The release noted, “Richard’s body was found during a police assisted search of the property around 1.30 p.m. on Tuesday (7 April).”

“He had been fatally shot and buried in a shallow grave on his farm,” police confirmed.

Richard’s wife of 32 years, Donna Wills, last saw him at about 8:00 a.m. local time on Easter Sunday when he headed out to work on his 1,600-acre farm as usual. “He just got up and had breakfast and left the house,” she said, according to 7News. “I was still in bed.”

She became concerned when he didn’t return for lunch, so she went to look for him in the afternoon and returned with a family friend for another search in the evening, the outlet reported, citing Victoria Police Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Trewavas.

“I thought it was odd that he didn’t have his phone with him,” she said, per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). “And then the next morning when he hadn’t come home, I was really concerned.”

Donna then contacted Victoria Police to report her husband missing, and the State Emergency Service (SES) helped friends, family members and members of the community within the farm search for him, 7News reported.

After Richard’s body was found in the shallow grave, an autopsy confirmed that he’d been shot dead, the outlet stated. However, the identity of the perpetrator, and their motive, remains unknown.

A vehicle and a phone belonging to Richard were found at the property, which has multiple entrances, contains sheep and pigs, and is used for sharecropping, per the ABC.

Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Trewavas, from the Missing Persons Squad, said, per the police release, “Sadly, Richard has clearly met with foul play. What is still unclear is exactly who was involved, and why.”

“We are very keen to speak to anyone who may have any knowledge of the circumstances which led to his death and who was responsible,” he added. “We’re hoping that this appeal leads to someone coming forward and doing the right thing – it can be done anonymously – so that we can hold those responsible to account.”

Trewavas added, per 7News, “This is a vicious killing. There is some evidence that Ric’s body has been dragged behind a vehicle on that farm.”

“Why would they want to do [this] it to him?” Donna questioned, describing Richard as “one to help anyone, kind-hearted, he’d give you anything,” according to the outlet.

The couple shared five children as well as “lots of grandkids that are going to miss him,” she added.

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The Australian newspaper reported that police said they are “mindful” of theories suggesting that the killing could be related to reports of stolen livestock in the region.

It had been claimed that Richard had reported a number of sheep stolen from his property shortly before his death, per the outlet.

Trewavas has also said that, while the farm is in a remote area, it’s accessible to passersby via a highway. However, “we suspect that a person who knows Ric is responsible for this crime,” he said, per 7News.

Investigators in the region have been speaking to locals, checking CCTV and going through evidence, the outlet noted. Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.