Warning: this article includes the name and image of an Aboriginal person who has died.
The coronial inquest into the death of Mark Haines has heard a shocking admission was allegedly made by one of the Gomeroi teenager's friends on the morning his body was found.
Mr Haines was discovered on train tracks outside of Tamworth more than 35 years ago. Police declared he was responsible for his own death.
Mr Haines' family, led by Uncle Don Craigie, have been campaigning for another investigation since that time.
On Tuesday, the coroner's court in Tamworth heard of the alleged admission made by Glenn Mannion, in testimony given by his then-friend Rodney Lavender.
"[Mark Haines] is dead, and I think I killed him," Mr Mannion told Mr Lavender, according to the latter's testimony.
Mr Mannion had "cuts and bruises" Mr Lavender testified, and told him he had been in a car accident.
A white Holden Torana which had evidently been in an accident was discovered 1.5 kilometres from Mr Haines body on the same day.
Accusations denied by Mannion
On Tuesday, Mr Mannion, appearing in the witness box, refuted the claims made by Mr Lavender.
Mr Lavender said the alleged interaction happened on a weekend. However Mr Mannion said he then only worked during the week.
When asked by his lawyers about the interaction, Mr Mannion flatly denied it.
"It did not happen," he said.
Uncle Don was living in Moree, 250 kilometres away, when the body of his 17-year-old nephew, whom he describes as like "a special son", was found on a lonely stretch of railway on the outskirts of town.
Mr Craigie has always maintained his criticism of the police investigation.
"As I said way back at that time, if our boy was not Aboriginal we believe that every attempt would have been made to unearth what has happened to him," he told reporters outside the station.
"Subsequently there's been other murders in this township and the police were all over them, they resolved them."
The family is being represented by the National Justice Project.
Uncle Don has strong words for the police, who he says failed to properly investigate the case from the outset.
"I am very disappointed in the way the investigation... started out and how it was performed," he said.
The unanswered questions have continued to haunt him. But he remains hopeful it is just a matter of time until the truth emerges.
"There only seems to be one piece of this puzzle that's missing," he said.
"That will tie everything and everyone together.
"I believe we are getting very close to that piece of that puzzle."
