A BREAKTHROUGH in the 21-year investigation into the disappearance of Mudgee teenager Michelle Bright has provided new hope for the families of missing Bathurst trio Jessica Small, Andrew Russell and Janine Vaughan.
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Detectives arrested 53-year-old Craig Henry Rumsby, 53, in Mudgee on Tuesday night, just 24 hours after NSW Police offered a $1 million reward for information relating to the case.
He was charged with the murder of 17-year-old Michelle Bright, who vanished after a birthday party in Gulgong in February 1999.
Michelle was last seen alive after being dropped off at the Commercial Hotel in the main street of Gulgong. Her body was found three days later.
As news of Rumsby's arrest led the national news on Wednesday, the families of Bathurst's three high-profile missing persons cases were feeling renewed hope that one day they too may get answers.
Kylie Spelde, whose sister Janine Vaughan last seen alive in Keppel Street the early hours of December 7, 2001, said they were excited to see someone charged in a case that was 21 years old.
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"I'm on such a high for the family and all those involved. I am so hoping that we get the same outcome," she said.
Ms Vaughan's disappearance is also grabbing national headlines at the moment thanks to a new podcast, The Night Driver, released last week by The Australian newspaper's Hedley Thomas.
Ricki Small, whose daughter Jessica was last seen in 1997, also said the Mudgee arrest gave her new hope.
Kiara White, sister of missing Bathurst man Andrew Russell, said it "was awesome" that police had made an arrest on a 21-year-old cold case.
"It's so good," she said.
The timing of the arrest, 24 hours after police increased the reward for information to $1 million, was not lost on Ms White.
Andrew Russell's case has a $750,000 reward for information leading to the discovery of his remains and Ms White said she loves in hope the people who know where Andrew is will come forward and tell police.
"It's enough (for them) to make a new start and give our family the closure we need. We know people in Bathurst know, we can only hope they will come forward."
In addition to Andrew's reward, a $1 million reward still stands for information leading to the conviction of both Jessica Small and Janine Vaughan's killers.