In a further forensic breakthrough in the homicide investigation of 65-year-old Ouyen farmer Richard “Rick” Wills, Victoria Police have revealed that a re-examination of a section in the eastern paddock uncovered subtle but telling signs of post-incident tampering. What initially appeared as undisturbed ground showed overlapping tyre tracks consistent with earlier findings, alongside faint grading marks that forensic experts believe indicate the area was deliberately smoothed or altered shortly after the fatal events on Easter Sunday 5 April 2026.

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This latest detail deepens the picture of a calculated attempt to conceal evidence following 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 that Sunday after kissing his wife Donna goodbye. Dressed in his usual yellow high-vis top and dark cap, he headed to the family’s 1,600-acre (approx. 650-hectare) property along the Mallee Highway for a routine paddock check — a task he performed almost daily. He never returned for lunch. His ute and phone were later found at the property, but digital records show his signal dropped completely around 2:47pm after last confirmed activity at approximately 2:07pm. An unexplained 9-minute shutdown on nearby machinery occurred in the same critical period.

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The Re-Check That Revealed More

During the initial search on Tuesday 7 April, police located Richard’s body in a shallow grave covered by a thin layer of dirt around 1:30pm. At first glance, the surrounding ground in parts of the eastern paddock did not appear significantly disturbed — a common challenge in the dusty, arid Mallee terrain where wind and soil can quickly mask traces.

A subsequent forensic re-examination, however, identified the overlapping tyre impressions previously reported (a 27-metre track with a second pass partially erasing the first) together with faint, linear grading or smoothing marks. Experts interpret these as evidence that someone returned to the area after the initial dragging and burial to alter the surface — possibly using the same vehicle or attached equipment to grade or drag over the site in an effort to make it blend back into the surrounding paddock. Such deliberate post-activity modification is rare in spontaneous crimes and points to someone with time, familiarity with the property, and intent to delay discovery.

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Combined with earlier farm logs showing at least three authorised entries in the weeks prior, detectives are intensifying focus on individuals who had legitimate access and could have been present during the narrow 90-minute window before all activity on the property ceased.

Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Trewavas of the Missing Persons Squad has repeatedly described the killing as “vicious” and “confronting,” noting that evidence strongly suggests the perpetrator was someone known to Richard. “We suspect that a person who knows Rick is responsible for this crime,” he said.

A Kind-Hearted Workaholic Grandfather

Richard Wills was remembered across the Ouyen community (population around 1,100) as a gentle, hardworking man who lived for his land. Married to Donna for 32 years, he was a proud grandfather who spent long days tending sheep, maintaining equipment, and performing the relentless chores of mixed cropping and livestock farming in Victoria’s harsh north-west.

Donna has spoken publicly through tears, recalling how her husband simply “kissed me goodbye” that morning and left as usual. When he didn’t return, she initially thought he might have broken down or gone for a drive with a mate — common occurrences in remote farming life. The family has strongly rejected any notion that Richard was involved in disputes or criminal activity, describing him as the type of person who would stop to help a stranger with a flat tyre or deliver fuel to someone stranded.

Recent reports of sheep thefts from the property have been noted by police, but the family has pushed back against speculation linking the murder to organised livestock crime rings or the so-called “Merino Mafia,” calling such claims untrue.

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A Tight-Knit Community Shaken

The small Mallee town and surrounding district have been profoundly affected by the brutality of the crime on what should have been a quiet Easter Sunday. Tributes and a fundraising campaign have been established to support Donna and the family as they grieve not only Richard but another personal tragedy unfolding alongside the loss.

The dusty nature of the property has complicated evidence gathering, yet the combination of digital silence, the 9-minute machinery anomaly, the deliberate tyre patterns, and now the faint grading marks has allowed investigators to build a clearer sequence: a rapid confrontation, shooting, dragging, burial, and subsequent attempt to obscure the scene.

No arrests have been made. Police continue to examine authorised visitors from the farm logs and cross-reference them against forensic, vehicle, and witness evidence.

Appeal for Information Remains Urgent

Victoria Police urge anyone with information — no matter how minor — to come forward. This includes sightings of vehicles or people near the Mallee Highway property on 5 April, knowledge of recent visitors or authorised entries, or any observations that could relate to the critical afternoon window.

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

“The ground didn’t look disturbed at first,” but the re-check has peeled back another layer of what appears to have been a calculated cover-up. As forensic teams continue their meticulous work in the eastern paddock, the overlapping tracks and faint grading marks may yet help identify who returned to alter the scene — and why.

Richard Wills went out that day to do what he loved: work his land and check on his paddocks. He left behind a devastated family and a rural community searching for justice on the very soil he tended for decades. 💔