A coronial inquest examining the disappearance of Far North Queensland mother Joanne Butterfield has heard further evidence about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance nearly three decades ago.

Butterfield, who was 37 at the time, was last seen in June 1998 while hitchhiking along the Captain Cook Highway near Mowbray, south of Port Douglas. Her disappearance remains unresolved, and a Queensland coroner is examining whether she died and whether the original police investigation adequately investigated the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

The latest hearing, reported on 19 September 2026, included evidence from people who knew Butterfield and remembered events around the time she disappeared. The inquest heard that Butterfield had told some people before her disappearance that her children might be better off if she left Mossman. However, witnesses also described aspects of her life that appeared to be improving.

Butterfield had obtained employment at a local supermarket in June 1998. Earlier that year, mental health services had assessed her condition as having improved sufficiently for her case to be closed. These circumstances have formed part of the evidence being considered by the coroner.

The inquest also heard evidence about Butterfield's interactions with several men in the Mossman area. Witnesses described arguments between Butterfield and Concetto Tati during the months before her disappearance. Tati has denied any involvement in her disappearance and was not accused of wrongdoing.

Two local taxi drivers also gave evidence. One recalled transporting Butterfield and Tati together and described arguments between them. Another recalled driving Tati alone and said he appeared nervous during a trip to a rural area. The witness remembered Tati carrying a duffel bag and asking the taxi to stop before briefly walking into nearby scrub. The witness later told police about the journey, although he could not establish whether it happened before or after Butterfield disappeared.

Butterfield's personal belongings were later discovered approximately 160 kilometres from where she was last seen. Her clothing, handbag and identification documents were found near a lookout and cane railway line close to South Johnstone. Some other personal documents were sent to her daughter.

The location and circumstances in which the belongings were discovered have remained important parts of the investigation. A retired Queensland police search-and-rescue coordinator who gave evidence at the inquest said the circumstances did not fit his expectations of a person who had deliberately taken their own life.

The witness acknowledged that suicide remained a possibility but said he did not consider it the most likely explanation based on the evidence he had reviewed. He also noted that police investigative technology in 1998 was considerably more limited than it is today, with fewer tools such as automated number-plate recognition and traffic-camera networks.

The inquest has also examined the original police investigation. A former detective who worked on the case previously told the hearing that he could not recall why DNA analysis was not conducted on some of Butterfield's personal belongings.

Several possible explanations for her disappearance have been examined during the coronial proceedings, but no finding has yet been made about what happened to her.

The evidence heard at the inquest includes witness recollections from almost 30 years ago, meaning some witnesses have acknowledged difficulties remembering precise dates and sequences of events. The coroner will consider the evidence from the various witnesses, investigative records and forensic information before making any findings.

Butterfield's disappearance has continued to affect her family, with her adult children participating in the coronial process. The inquest is scheduled to continue next week as additional witnesses provide evidence.