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Serena and Thomas Speath | Harry Speath | Source:Facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol
Serena and Thomas Speath | Harry Speath | Source:Facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

2 Kids Disappear without a Trace – Grieving Dad Sees Them on His Doorstep 3 Years Later

Lois Oladejo
Oct 28, 2023
05:00 P.M.

A man whose two kids disappeared from school without a trace one day was shocked and delighted to be reunited with them after three years. The doting father had never given up hope, even though false sightings often hampered the search.

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Christmas is a blissful period for many, especially kids who know they will soon open their stockings to find what Santa left them. That discovery is usually followed with delight, and that is precisely how a Brisbane father, Harry Speath, felt when he discovered his gifts waiting for him on his doorstep.

No, it was not candy; it was his kids, who had vanished without a trace three years earlier so that no amount of searching revealed them to him or the police. Keep reading to find out what truly happened.

They Vanished into Thin Air

In December 2014, Harry Speath was a single dad caring for his two kids, Serena and Thomas Speath. He had been a proud father who loved his kids dearly and catered to them just as passionately.

Serena and Thomas Speath smiling. | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

Serena and Thomas Speath smiling. | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

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One day, he went to pick the pair up at their school only to discover that they had disappeared. He had waited a long time for them by the school gate; however, it soon became apparent that the pair would not join him.

When he inquired about them, he was told they had been absent from school for three days. That began the harrowing search and a long-lasting nightmare for years.

The last time the doting father had seen the two kids, they had been with their mom, who used to be his wife. This made him scared as he feared the woman, who had dual citizenship in Europe, had fled there with the kids.

His life swiftly turned upside down, and he started channeling all his resources into finding his two kids. He hired professionals, opened a Facebook page where he solicited help, and also flew all over the country in hopes of finding a trail that would lead to them. However, all he met were dead ends.

Serena and Thomas Speath playing with toys together. | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

Serena and Thomas Speath playing with toys together. | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

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Serena and Thomas had not been checked into new schools, and their medicare cards had not been used. It was a difficult period in his life, but Harry never gave up even though it seemed like his two kids had vanished into thin air.

Dealing With Their Disappearance

As time passed, Harry started losing hope; his search had turned up nothing, and he did not have unlimited resources to keep searching, not to mention his life slowly lost all color as he tried to track down his kids.

Christmas held no cheer, and his birthday left him feeling like a failure because of his inability to find Serena and Thomas. Nevertheless, each year, on International Missing Children's Day, Harry would light candles for his two children with the hope that they would find their way back to him one day.

Candles Harry Speath lit for Serena and Thomas Speath on International Missing Children's Day. | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

Candles Harry Speath lit for Serena and Thomas Speath on International Missing Children's Day. | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

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The distraught father never gave up on the hope of reuniting with his children. He still bought them presents and put up a Christmas tree, but the pain of spending the holidays without them got worse each time. "Just not having them around is a bit difficult," he confessed.

Harry wondered if his children were well cared for and receiving an education. All the questions that flooded his mind about his kids made the waiting more and more distressing.

Before he realized it, three years had passed without any change. His hope dwindled even more. In May 2017, U.S. experts developed a photo manipulation that reflected the change that must have happened physically to Serena and Thomas in the three years they had been gone.

Serena and Thomas Speath in different costumes. | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

Serena and Thomas Speath in different costumes. | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

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The images were broadcast on national TV. It renewed efforts to track down the two kids. Then, on the anniversary of their disappearance, Harry took to Facebook with an emotional tribute he wrote for his kids.

In it, he boldly asserted that the kids had been abducted and revealed that it had been three years since he last saw or heard from them. He also reportedly wrote:

"It's been three sets of birthdays (both theirs and mine), Christmases, Easters, Father's Days, three years' worth of holidays..."

He ended the heart-wrenching tribute by declaring his love for them and writing, "In the meantime. I love you both very, very much. I'm sending you guys many, many, many hugs & kisses across the miles between us, no matter how far."

He Never Stopped Hoping

As more time passed, Harry started to fear that he would never get to meet his kids again, and he grew increasingly concerned about their health and wellbeing. He had even begun to resign himself to the fact that he would have to spend yet another Christmas without them when he heard a knock on the door.

Harry Speath searching for this children | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

Harry Speath searching for this children | Source: facebook.com/NewsnerEspanol

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It was the Australian Federal Police, and with them were his two kids. They had been found in the Sunshine Coast hinterland with their mother about 150 kilometers from where they went missing years before.

While Harry caught up with his kids, their mother, Ms. Adare, was arrested and taken to court to stand trial before the Federal Circuit Court of Australia in Brisbane. But, as far as the devoted father was concerned, it was the best Christmas gift he had ever received, and suddenly, his life was great again.

Although the father admitted that he slowly lost hope, having his children back with him meant the world. "It is the most important thing in my life to be involved in raising my children. What's more important than your children?" he said.

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Harry was also grateful for the authorities' work to find his children. He said they did everything they could to ensure that Serena and Thomas were reunited with him despite the difficult circumstances.

His story proves that it is important never to give up, especially when fighting for the people you love. Share the story if you believe that a father's love is capable of everything.

Here is a story about a stolen car with a baby inside. The father found the car with a note left in the car seat.

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