Detectives investigating the suspicious disappearance of a 58-year-old man from Goodna, west of Brisbane, have unearthed a freezer during an excavation of the man's backyard.
David Thornton was last seen on the morning of February 22, at Colvin Street, North Ipswich.
He was reported missing by family members the following month, sparking a police investigation into his whereabouts.
Forensic officers spent the afternoon examining the freezer and hope the findings will lead to a breakthrough in the case.
Detective Inspector David Briese said police set up a crime scene at Mr Thornton's Goodna home on Friday as a result of new information.
"We're waiting for scientific [officers] to arrive and from there we will further examine the house itself, as well as an area out the back of the property," Detective Inspector Briese said.
"On Saturday evening we had an excavation conducted and as a result of information that was received … we are now doing a further excavation of that yard.
"We're dealing with a missing person, so we're looking for any evidence in that area that may assist us in locating him."
Detective Inspector Briese said officers, including homicide detectives, have conducted an "intense investigation", particularly over the last 72 hours, and said it had been a distressing time for his family.
"We really hope the inquiries that we conduct, especially over the next 24 to 48 hours will give us a better idea of where this man is," he said.
"We are treating it as suspicious and we are concerned for his wellbeing and where he may be."
Brian Nicholls, who lived next door to the missing man, said he had seen a group of people digging on the property about three weeks ago.
"There was an excavator in the backyard digging a hole all day Saturday and apparently they had buried a freezer of rotten meat in it," Mr Nicholls told the ABC.
"I didn't see them bury the freezer, all I saw was the excavator working. They worked from 11am Saturday morning through to the evening."
Mr Nicholls said he only reported what he had seen to police on Friday, prompting detectives to declare a crime scene and start excavating the site.
"[It] didn't really phase me — the reason being is because when police came the first time, they were here on a missing persons report," he said.
