A woman's dress and underwear found buried under a Blue Mountains home are being forensically examined as part of the investigation into the suspected murder of a young mother more than 20 years ago.
New South Wales Police found the clothing while digging underneath the former home of Belinda Peisley, who was last seen leaving Katoomba Hospital in September 1998.
Leading up to her disappearance, Ms Peisley had inherited a significant amount of money from a distant relative, told family she was fearing for her life, and became involved in the local drug community.
The clothing was found hidden deep in soil under the Trow Avenue property yesterday afternoon.
Ms Peisley's father, Mark Wearne, said it appears that the clothing was buried in a less accessible area under the house.
"It seems highly unusual to have clothing buried under the house like that," he said.
"I feel optimistic and it is progress, but it remains to be seen what the forensic testing results will be."
Investigators believe the clothing matches the size worn by the 19-year-old, but said it is still too early to claim any sort of breakthrough in the cold case.
Detective Chief Inspector Grant Taylor said the items will be taken to police laboratories for forensic examination.
"We will await the results of the forensic analysis, which includes DNA testing, to determine whether new lines of inquiry can be explored," he said.
"While we remain focused on the excavation under the house, we are renewing our appeal to the community for information that may assist our investigation."
The disappearance of Belinda Peisley is the focus of Unravel season three, Last Seen Katoomba, coming in February 2019.
