From day two police/detectives were door knocking and interviewing residents in Kendal. I was in Albert st minding all my friends kids, while they were all out looking. Over three days detectives/police knocked on houses thee times. Asking questions and re-asking.They took down all peoples names that lived the households, cars, asked residents to name anyone they thought was odd. Asked if they'd seen anything strange the day at went missing. Wt went missing Friday, 4 days later was bin pickup day. The council was told not to pickup anyone in kendalls bins to given the ok. Police come and searched everyone's bins. During the next week someone I know was asked to take his digger (like a tractor for non Aussies) to the rubbish tip at Dunbogan and had to move rubbish piles that had recently been placed there do police could sift thru.
So from day two police were definitely looking into the possibility he had been taken. Even they they didn't say publicly at the time, they definitely were. Police physically searching people's yards in surrounding areas