The counterculture family of Chilo Pike, the "on-off" boyfriend of missing Australian woman Stephanie Cordery, has broken its silence a month after she disappeared and her car was discovered abandoned at their rural property near Nimbin in northern New South Wales. The case has drawn intense public interest partly because of the family's link to the region's cannabis subculture, though it is not suggested Mr Pike had anything to do with Ms Cordery's disappearance, and he is said to be assisting police with their inquiries.

Ms Cordery, 42, vanished on 5 August after being seen on CCTV leaving temporary accommodation in Ballina at around 5am; her white Hyundai i30 was later spotted on roadside cameras passing through Lismore and Nimbin before being found abandoned, with her bag and keys inside, at Mr Pike's family compound near Mount Nardi. Police launched a search of nearby Nightcap National Park, and a relative of Mr Pike criticised media "gossip" while confirming he had joined the search efforts. Ms Cordery's father, Barry, 80, said the family had no contact with Mr Pike and described her disappearance as "the worst thing to ever happen" in his life, vowing not to give up hope of finding her, "even if it's a body".