The Gold Coast hinterland property where police spent the day searching for the remains of suspected murder victim Novy Chardon is owned by the mother of Australian pop star Ricki-Lee Coulter, it has emerged.
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However police insist Loreto Patricia Sheerin - also known as Loretta Sheerin - is not a person of interest in the case.
Despite early hopes the two-year mystery would be solved with Wednesday's search, the hunt for the suspected murder victim will continue, after a police failed to locate her remains after scouring Ms Sheerin's property.
SES volunteers and police divers also did not find any other items of interest after scouring the unoccupied 3.6-hectare site on Nerang-Murwillumbah Road in Advancetown.
"Although we came up empty-handed today, our determination to solve this case remains as strong as ever," Superintendent David Hutchinson said.
Property records show Ms Sheerin purchased the site in 2007.
"The police interest is in a person of interest that used to reside at the address, not the owner of the property," Superintendent Hutchinson said on Wednesday afternoon.
It is understood Ms Sheerin, the mother of pop star Ricki-Lee, is currently on an overseas holiday with her husband John.
Gold Coast lawyer Campbell MacCallum confirmed that he was representing the property owner, but declined to name his client.
Mr MacCallum said his client denied knowing of any crimes being committed at the site.
"They deny any knowledge of knowing Novy or seeing her. They have no links to [her husband] John Chardon at all," Mr MacCallum said.
Police said Mr Chardon, who was jailed on child sex charges last year, remained a person of interest in the case.
Mrs Chardon, a mother-of-two, was last seen at her Upper Coomera home on February 6, 2013.
Her Volvo SUV was found abandoned five days later near the Nerang train station.
Mrs Chardon was said to be in the midst of divorcing her husband John, 30 years her senior, when she disappeared.
The semi-rural property at the centre of Wednesday's search is located about 10 kilometres west of where Mrs Chardon's car was found abandoned.
Neighbours Vicky and Kevin, who declined to give their surname, said a middle-aged couple and their three young children had previously resided at the property but they had not seen anyone there for a couple of years.
Vicky said in the semi-rural area populated by small, bush-dense acreages, many people did not know their neighbours.
"Everyone sort of lives in their own little world here," she said.
"I wouldn't have a clue what goes on next door."
"If we heard screaming or anything from over there we would have just assumed it was one of the kids, if for instance, something happened," her husband added.
The couple were shocked to find their quiet pocket of the Gold Coast hinterland suddenly at the centre of a police investigation.
"I'd be mortified, absolutely mortified knowing it was right next door, knowing that she was so close by and we didn't know," Vicky said.
Just a week shy of the two-year anniversary of Ms Chardon's disappearance, Superintendent Hutchinson said new information had led police to hinterland property where police, divers and 50 State Emergency Service volunteers were expected to spend the day searching for evidence.
Superintendent Hutchinson left no doubt what they were looking for.
"We are searching for Novy's remains," he said on Wednesday morning.
"I can't go into detail other than to say we have connected this property to a person of interest and the person of interest was connected to the property around about the time of the disappearance," he said.
Superintendent Hutchinson would not confirm if the person of interest was John Chardon.
Asked if this was a major step forward in the investigation, which has led detectives in a number of directions over the past two years, he said it would depend on the outcome of the search.
"We'll have to wait and see what the results are as to how significant it is, but as I say it shows that this is just another step in the investigation," he said.
The search comes nearly a year after the last major breakthrough, in which a Mount Nathan property was excavated and a white ute was found. However the owner of that property, Dave Babbington, was never charged in relation to Ms Chardon's disappearance.
A $250,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, along with indemnity from prosecution, remains on offer, Superintendent Hutchinson said.
He said the investigation had identified a number of suspects.
"We have a number of persons of interest, we are quite convinced there are a number of people in the community who know what happened to Novy and we are appealing for them to come forward," he said.
"The reward is on offer, the indemnity is on offer but they shouldn't wait until we knock on their door."
He said despite the many twists and turns the investigation had taken, he remained hopeful of a resolution.
"Anybody who has followed the investigation will be aware there has been many lines of inquiry followed and this is just another one," he said.
"We hope this will bring a resolution to it but we will have to wait and see what the resolution is."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au
