FORWARD INVESTIGATION SHIFT: Farm logs confirm at least 3 authorised entries to Richard Wills’ property in the weeks before the incident — detectives now focusing on individuals who had access during a narrow 90-minute window before all activity stopped 👀

Victoria Police have dramatically narrowed the focus in the homicide investigation of 65-year-old Ouyen farmer Richard “Rick” Wills, turning attention to a small number of people who had legitimate, logged access to his remote 1,600-acre property in the weeks leading up to Easter Sunday 2026. Farm records reviewed by detectives show at least three authorised entries prior to the fatal incident, with investigators now zeroing in on anyone who may have been present — or had the opportunity to be present — during a critical 90-minute window on 5 April before all digital and mechanical activity on the property ceased.

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This shift marks a significant evolution in the probe into the “vicious killing” of the lifelong Mallee farmer, who was fatally shot, dragged behind a vehicle across his own land, and buried in a shallow grave just 38 metres from where he had been working.

Richard Wills left his home on Hughs Street in Ouyen around 8am on Sunday 5 April after kissing his wife Donna goodbye. He told her he was heading to the family farm along the Mallee Highway for a routine paddock check — work he performed almost daily. He never returned for lunch. His ute and phone were later located at the property, but digital records indicate his signal dropped completely around 2:47pm after last activity at approximately 2:07pm. An unexplained 9-minute shutdown on nearby machinery during that same period has also been scrutinised.

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The Narrow 90-Minute Window

Police have reconstructed a tight timeline for the afternoon of 5 April. Within roughly 90 minutes of Richard’s last confirmed movements, all electronic signals, phone activity, and machinery operation on the property went silent. Forensic experts believe the shooting, dragging, and burial occurred in this compressed timeframe, suggesting the perpetrator acted quickly and with some familiarity of the isolated site.

Farm logs — including gate records, visitor logs, or electronic access systems used for the property — have now been thoroughly examined. They confirm at least three authorised entries in the preceding weeks by individuals who had legitimate reasons to be there (such as contractors, family associates, or people assisting with farm operations). Detectives are now cross-referencing these names against witness statements, vehicle movements, and forensic evidence to determine who may have had the means, knowledge, and opportunity during the fatal 90-minute window.

Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Trewavas of the Missing Persons Squad has previously stated that police “suspect that a person who knows Rick is responsible for this crime.” The focus on logged visitors reinforces the theory that the killer was not a complete stranger but someone with prior access to the property.

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Forensic Evidence: Tyre Tracks and the Drag

Earlier forensic findings revealed tyre impressions in the eastern paddock showing a 27-metre track consistent with a vehicle dragging a heavy load, followed by a second overlapping pass that partially erased the first. Analysts described this as deliberate movement control, likely an attempt to obscure evidence or reposition the vehicle along the same route. The body was dragged before being placed in a shallow grave covered by a thin layer of dirt.

An autopsy confirmed Richard died from gunshot wounds. The combination of the narrow timeline, the deliberate tyre pattern, and the authorised access logs has allowed investigators to significantly tighten their suspect pool.

Possible Links to Sheep Thefts — But Family Pushes Back

Police remain “mindful” of reports that Richard had experienced sheep thefts on the property in the period before his death — a persistent rural crime issue in Victoria that has sometimes been linked in media speculation to organised networks. However, the Wills family has strongly rejected any suggestion that Richard was involved in disputes or criminal activity himself, describing him as a gentle, hardworking man who would help strangers and focused solely on his land and livestock.

Detectives continue to examine whether the thefts provided a motive or simply created an opportunity for someone already familiar with the property to return under false pretences.

A Devoted Grandfather and Pillar of the Mallee Community

Richard Wills was remembered by those who knew him as a quiet, resilient farmer who embodied the spirit of north-west Victoria’s wheat and sheep country. Married to Donna for 32 years, he was a proud grandfather who spent his days tending sheep, maintaining equipment, and performing the relentless daily tasks required to keep a mixed cropping and grazing operation running in the harsh Mallee environment.

Donna has spoken publicly through tears, pleading for anyone with information to come forward. “He just got up and had breakfast and left the house,” she recalled. The family has also highlighted a separate personal tragedy they are enduring alongside the loss of Richard, underscoring the depth of their grief.

The small town of Ouyen (population around 1,100) and the wider Mallee district have been profoundly shaken. Tributes have flowed in, and a fundraising campaign has been established to support the Wills family.

Ongoing Appeal for Information

Victoria Police continue to treat the case as a homicide investigation and urge anyone with details — no matter how small — to contact them. This includes sightings of vehicles or people near the Mallee Highway property on 5 April, knowledge of recent visitors to the farm, or any information about the authorised entries logged in the weeks prior.

Tips can be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers Victoria on 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersvic.com.au.

As detectives narrow their focus to those who had documented access and were potentially present in the critical 90-minute window, the overlapping tyre tracks, the sudden digital silence, and the shallow grave all point toward someone who knew the land — and knew Richard Wills.

Richard went out that Easter Sunday to do what he had done for decades: work his beloved farm and check on his paddocks. He left behind a devastated family and a rural community demanding answers. The farm logs and forensic timeline may yet provide the breakthrough needed to bring justice for a gentle farmer killed on the land he devoted his life to. 💔