Carly McBride: Cadaver dogs, police divers resume search

And they have done it from the air, neck deep in water, on trailbikes and with the use of cadaver dogs.

Police searching for the remains of suspected murder victim Carly McBride, or any evidence of her fate, will continue to expand their search areas in and around Muswellbrook until at least Friday.

Strike Force Karabi investigators have utilised specialist units including the police divers, sniffer dogs, a police helicopter and the operational support group as they continue their hunt for anything that points to Ms McBride’s killer.

It was Monday when they began their second major search near where she was first reported missing in September, some open space with a dam and bushland at the back of the Ironbark Ridge Estate on the edge of town.

Ms McBride’s mysterious disappearance has been compounded by her  former partner telling police that the 31-year-old had left his home to walk to Muswellbrook McDonald’s, a kilometre or so from the house, to be picked up by her partner of three months, Sayle Newson.

Mr Newson has told police he has not seen her since dropping her off at the house.

It was revealed before December’s search that investigators believed they were investigating her murder and were searching for her body or evidence that pointed towards what had happened to her.

The head of Strike Force Karabi, Detective Sergeant Ian Wright, said on Tuesday that investigators had theories on what had occurred to Ms McBride.

But he said it was inappropriate to elaborate.

‘‘We are obviously looking for her but we are also looking for anything which was in her possession at the time she went missing and anything which may help us determine exactly what happened to her,’’ Detective Sergeant Wright said.

‘‘We have always said we had a pretty open mind and that position remains the same, other than we are looking at it as a homicide rather than a missing persons case.’’

When she disappeared, Ms McBride was wearing a yellow-coloured top, denim jeans and beige sandals, and was carrying a beige handbag.