60 Minutes Australia

2014-06-15 (2014x19)

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Abduction Game of Drones Abduction This Sunday, a special investigation into the abduction of two teenage girls 17 years ago. Vanessa Conlan and Jessica Small were only 15 when they were taken from the main street of Bathurst, west of Sydney. The girls were driven out of town by an unknown man, until he stopped and they ran for their lives. Vanessa managed to escape, but Jessica hasn’t been seen since. For years, local police did next to nothing about the girls’ abduction and Jessica’s suspected murder. But nearly two decades on, this cold case is finally cracking. 60 Minutes speaks to the key witness who saw Jessica’s final struggle, the person who found crucial evidence eight months later, and tracks down the man who may know where Jessica is. At the middle of it all, is a heartbroken mother, a distraught best friend and one dogged detective. Reporter: Allison Langdon Producers: Laura Sparkes, Grace Tobin Game of Drones Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No – it’s a drone. These small, agile flying machines are revolutionising the way we see the world. Drones are the new frontier in aviation – from sport to policing, wedding videos to war-fare, these incredible gadgets can go anywhere and film anything. Soon, they’ll be able to do anything too. You see, their applications are only limited by our imagination. Charles Wooley visits the high tech nerve centre of drone research where you can play tennis against them and fly them with the wave of your hand. Reporter: Charles Wooley Producer: Stephen Rice