Search Ends in Tragedy: Family of Melbourne Musician Eimable Manirakiza Seek Answers After 72-Day Disappearance
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A desperate 72-day search for Melbourne soul singer and musician Eimable Manirakiza ended in heartbreak in September 2021, but the circumstances surrounding his death are now under renewed scrutiny as a Victorian coroner prepares to examine the case. The discovery of Manirakiza’s backpack, containing his mobile phone, by two teenagers canoeing along a river in Melbourne’s west, ultimately led to the tragic outcome, but also raised critical questions about the initial police response and the use of technology in missing persons investigations.
A Breakthrough Clue, A Mother’s Foreboding
The breakthrough came on day 72 of the search. A voice on the other end of the phone delivered the news to cybersecurity expert Mike Monnik, who had volunteered his expertise to help the Manirakiza family. Monnik had proactively sent a missing device recovery alert to Eimable’s phone, a measure designed to contact anyone who might find the device. When the teenagers who discovered the backpack called the number, Monnik immediately pinpointed the location, recognizing the crucial area for the search.
However, for Eimable’s mother, Benine, the discovery of the phone brought not hope, but a chilling premonition. “In my heart, I say, ‘no, he’s no longer,’” she recalled, instinctively fearing the worst after more than two months of uncertainty.
The Search and the Discovery
The following day, Monnik and Eimable’s brother, Bien, launched a search along the river in a dinghy. In the calm waters, they found Eimable’s body, more than ten weeks after he had vanished. The location was a mere five-minute drive from his mother’s house, where he had fled during what his family believes was a mental health crisis.
The circumstances surrounding Eimable’s death remain unanswered, and a Victorian coroner will next week consider the scope of an upcoming inquest to determine the facts. Benine is determined to understand what happened and is pushing for a thorough investigation into the police handling of the case.
Questions for the Inquest: Phone Data and Police Response
Benine hopes the inquest will address critical issues, including how police made decisions regarding the use of phone triangulation data and their overall response to Eimable’s disappearance. She believes a more proactive approach could have altered the outcome. “Without the help of Monnik, Eimable ‘could still be rotting in that water by himself’,” she stated.
The case highlights the challenges faced by families of the more than 50,000 Australians reported missing each year, and Benine hopes the inquest will help limit the trauma experienced by these loved ones.
A Difficult Disappearance and Communication Barriers
The day Eimable went missing, his housemates alerted his family to his deteriorating condition, noting he was struggling with sleep, appetite, and speech. Bien drove him to their mother’s house, where Benine immediately recognized the signs of a mental health episode. Eimable had been hospitalized for a manic episode approximately five years prior, and his current behavior mirrored that experience.
As Benine called for an ambulance on June 23, 2021, Eimable fled to Gordon O’Keefe Reserve, with Bien in pursuit. When Bien briefly turned to flag down the approaching paramedics, Eimable was gone. “I was panicking. I knew he wasn’t OK,” Bien said. Repeated attempts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful, and the phone eventually stopped ringing after 45 minutes.
Benine initially assumed police could easily track Eimable using his mobile phone, but quickly discovered the process was far more complex than she imagined. As a Burundian migrant with English as her second language, she found it particularly challenging to obtain clear answers from law enforcement.
The Role of Civilian Expertise and Technological Innovation
Eimable’s friend, Kendra Keller, who acted as a liaison with the police, repeatedly requested access to phone data but was not provided with details about the phone’s last known location until August 17, 2021 – over seven weeks after his disappearance. Despite conducting multiple ground searches and a flyover, police were unable to locate him.
Approximately a week before Eimable was found, Keller connected with Mike Monnik through The Missed Foundation (formerly Missing Person Advocacy Network). Monnik, who runs a drone open source intelligence company, and his wife, Fedora, a cybersecurity expert, accessed Eimable’s laptop and sent a customized safety beacon to his phone, alerting anyone who found it that he was a missing person.
Monnik and his wife utilized the phone tower ping information provided by police, combined with their own research on tower range and call timing, to estimate Eimable’s possible travel route – whether by vehicle or on foot. While this narrowed the search area, it was the device recovery alert that ultimately provided the crucial lead to the backpack’s location.
Calls for Police Reform and a Mother’s Grief
Slater and Gordon lawyer, Naty-Guerrero-Diaz, representing Benine, believes the inquest should investigate whether police should have attempted to access Eimable’s phone location data sooner after his disappearance. A Victoria Police spokesperson stated the agency is unable to comment on the case pending the inquest’s findings.
The case comes amid broader scrutiny of police procedures regarding missing persons, particularly concerning access to location data. Recent changes to the Commonwealth Telecommunications Act have removed the “imminent” threat qualifier for accessing such data, prompted by recommendations from a New South Wales coroner. However, civil liberties groups have cautioned against potential misuse of this information. A Victorian coroner, investigating the death of transgender woman Bridget Flack, last year called for a comprehensive overhaul of police procedures in missing person cases, including the implementation of a risk assessment matrix to clarify the definition of a “serious threat” when considering triangulation. Police have since accepted this recommendation and redesigned the request form.
As Benine prepares for the inquest, she is left with unanswered questions but clings to cherished memories of her son. “I remember his laughter, his gentle touch, his beautiful words,” she said.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
