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The NSW Government today (Wednesday 13 August 2014) announced that a $100,000 reward would be offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the unsolved death of a man more than 20 years ago.

Back in December of 1993, Crispin Dye, a 41-year-old from Far North Queensland, was visiting friends and family in Sydney.

On Wednesday 22 December 1993, Mr Dye was out socialising and drinking with friends in Surry Hills and Darlinghurst.

Around 4am on Thursday 23 December 1993, Mr Dye, who was intoxicated, was asked to leave a hotel on the corner of Oxford and Bourke Street, Surry Hills.

A short time later, around 4.30am, Mr Dye was assaulted and robbed of his wallet on the northern side of Campbell Street, near the intersection with Little Oxford Street.

A witness reported seeing three males – of Pacific Islander appearance and aged in their late teens or early twenties – standing over Mr Dye’s unconscious body, before they ran from the scene in a northerly direction towards Goulburn Street. Two of the males were wearing baggy long pants and t-shirts while the third man was dressed in baggy knee-length shorts, a white t-shirt, joggers with white socks and a dark baseball cap.

Police and ambulance paramedics were called to the scene and Mr Dye was transported to St Vincent’s Hospital suffering major head injuries. He was later transferred to St George Hospital for specialist treatment but succumbed to his injuries and died on Saturday 25 December 1993.

A number of investigations – and one coronial inquest (in 1995) – have been conducted in an attempt to find those responsible for Mr Dye’s death, however, as yet, no one has been charged.

The Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide Team has carriage of the investigation into Mr Dye’s death, and Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Mick Willing, has welcomed the Government reward.

“There are people out there who know those responsible for Mr Dye’s death and we’re hoping this reward may prompt them to get in touch with police,” Detective Superintendent Willing said.

“By all accounts, Crispin Dye was a fun-loving, friendly and decent man, who was robbed of his life far too soon.

“We are absolutely committed to getting to the bottom of this case and bringing those responsible for an innocent man’s violent death to justice, but we won’t be able to do it without assistance from the public.

“If you have any information that may help us find and catch the people responsible for Mr Dye’s death, please do the right thing and call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Stuart Ayres, said Mr Dye’s family and friends had been suffering for more than 20 years, and deserved to see Crispin’s killers brought to justice.

“It’s now been more than two decades since Mr Dye was killed, and yet his poor friends and family still don’t know who is responsible,” Minister Ayres said.

“We know detectives are doing everything they can to solve the case, and we are hopeful that this $100,000 reward offer will help them in their pursuit of Mr Dye’s killers.

“If you have any information that can assist the investigation, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, please contact Crime Stoppers.

“Your information could be the missing link police need to make an arrest.”

Police are urging anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/. Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.