THE mysterious death of a Bournemouth woman in Australia has become a quest for the truth.

Deborah Anderson was found dead in a burned out car in a suburb of Perth in January 25, 2000.

Firefighters discovered her charred body in a Ford Laser at 12.20am in the car park of Middle Swan shopping centre. Her family is convinced it was murder.

Her mother Maureen Morris spent three years fighting to know what happened and who may have been responsible, before dying of natural causes.

Now her aunt, who promised her sister she could continue the fight, is appealing for information about an engagement ring that could be traced, in the hope of re-igniting the police investigation.

Debbie was only 24 when she died – she was described by her family as a happy, caring person who one day hoped to own her own restaurant.

She was born in Perth but came to live in Dorset with her mother when aged around 14. Mum Maureen lived in Field Close, Sturminster Newton, then Richmond Park Road in Bournemouth.

Debbie got engaged and they couple ran a pets stall in the old indoor Bournemouth markets in the Dalkeith Arcade – they both had a love for animals.

She returned to Perth six months before she died to live with her father and became a student chef at the Australian School of Tourism and Hotel Management. On the morning she disappeared, she borrowed a friend’s car and told her father she was going to Perth Zoo.

Detectives discovered she withdrew some money and drove to an area called Geraldton where she had no connections but cannot explain the death.

Mum Maureen flew to Perth and took part in police press conferences and appeals for information but died grief-stricken without knowing the truth.

Kathleen Cox, Debbie’s auntie and a Perth resident, is now appealing for help tracing Debbie’s fiancé to see if he will help with appeals and also to get details of Debbie’s engagement ring.

She said: “I believe he lived out in Sturminster Marshall way. He was on Spain on holiday at the time when Debbie was murdered. He loved her and was absolutely devastated.”

Kathleen will use any extra information to generate interest on an Australian missing persons website, in the local press, and also to argue for more police work.

She believes the case has been forgotten and is currently awaiting a reply from the country’s policing minister on several complaints about the way it has been handled.

She said: “On example is that her case is nowhere to be found on the Western Australia Crimestoppers site.

“I told them as far as I am concerned Debbie’s case has been left to gather dust in the archives.

“I am not prepared to have my niece gone and forgotten about. The thought a loved one died in fear through evil means is horrific.”

A detective suggested suicide or Debbie fell asleep smoking – Kathleen said her niece was happy and pointed to missing jewellery and the fact Debbie apparently drove 410km yet no-one saw her stop.

Debbie has another aunt who lives in Poole but she has been seriously unwell and was not able to speak to the Echo.

A spokesman for Western Australia Police said: “The death of Ms Anderson is being treated as a suspicious death and it is an ongoing investigation.

“The investigating officers have been in recent contact with Ms Cox and will continue to liase directly with her.”