Police have vowed they will never give up chasing Australia’s most wanted man, who has changed names as well as his appearance and may now be in hiding as a fruitpicker in northern Victoria.
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Graham Gene Potter, a convicted killer and accused drug smuggler, failed to appear in a Melbourne court on conspiracy to murder charges on February 1, 2010, and has evaded capture ever since.
The former Wollongong coalminer spent 14 years in prison for the 1981 murder of Corrimal teenager Kim Barry.
Following his release from jail, Potter moved to Tasmania in 2002.
In 2008, Potter was arrested over his alleged part in the importation of $440 million worth of cocaine and ecstasy. He was extradited to Victoria but granted bail before he was allegedly hired to kill a guest at the wedding of Melbourne identity Mick Gatto’s son in 2008.
He fled while on bail for these charges and was last seen in Tully, in far north Queensland.
But Victoria Police now believe he is working as a fruitpicker or labourer in the Riverina district, having left Queensland on a train.
Detective Superintendent Gerry Ryan says police are determined to find the elusive fugitive.
‘‘We also say to Graham Potter, we’ll never give up chasing you,’’ he told reporters at Cobram, near the NSW border, on Thursday.
‘‘Give yourself up and we will make sure you’re looked after.’’
Potter is likely to be living at a campsite or at a farm and has embedded himself in a number of country towns in the past, Det Supt Ryan said.
‘‘We know that he befriends local areas and certainly becomes part of the community,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ve been told that he is still in this particular area.’’
Potter is described as Caucasian, 175cm tall, of medium to solid build, with brown eyes, a fair complexion, brown greying hair and a ginger beard.
But that description may not be very helpful.
Det Supt Ryan said Potter had previously used a number of wigs, hats and even a fatsuit to disguise his appearance.
He’s also used the aliases Josh Lawson, John Page, Jim Henderson and Peter Adams.
‘‘His general appearance - if you’re a good observer, you could identify him,’’ he said.
Det Supt Ryan said given Potter’s history, residents should ring police or Crime Stoppers rather than approaching him.
‘‘You’ve got to treat him as a dangerous person, He has got prior convictions for murder,’’ he said.
A $100,000 reward is still on offer for information leading to his capture and conviction.