A CLOSED Facebook page could hold the key to solving the case of a Hunter mother of two who has been missing since September last year and feared murdered.

Carly McBride, 31, was last seen in the Hunter town of Muswellbrook on Tuesday 30 September 2014 and police fear she has met with foul play.

Shortly after she vanished Carly’s Facebook page, which she regularly posted to, was deleted by an unknown person.

Investigators believe this person could provide vital information about Carly’s whereabouts and what happened to her.

“Given the timing of the Facebook page being shut down - we believe it was shut down within 24 hours of her disappearance - and in the context of the disappearance, we think it’s hugely suspicious but it’s also something that could hold some vital information about what happened to Carly,” Det Sergeant Wright said.

Detectives also want to speak to anyone who was in touch with Carly on social media channels in the days before she disappeared.

“We’re asking if anyone may have been in contact with Carly via Facebook or any other social media in the days leading up to her disappearance - if anyone noticed anything unusual - if they could come forward and let us know.,” Det Sergeant Wright said.

Experts from the US Department of Justice, who have extensive experience in forensic analysis of social media, have been called on to help shed light on who closed the account.

As all of Facebook’s data requests are co-ordinated from the social media company’s California base, the legwork needs to be done by authorities in the US.

“It’s quite a complex process so there’s a number of steps we need to go through here through the Australian government first and various government departments to take those steps and ultimately it goes over into the hands of the US authorities which is where it’s at now,” he said.

While Det Sergeant Wright was unsure of which part of the Justice Department was handling the investigation, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section regularly works with foreign counterparts to assist in cross-border investigations and also advise on local matters.

Carly was last seen after being dropped off at her ex-boyfriend’s house on Calgaroo Avenue before she is said to have set out to walk to a nearby McDonald’s.

But police don’t believe she ever made it to the restaurant.

Witnesses have placed Carly at the Ironbark Estate after her last confirmed sighting and Det Sargeant Wright called on any others who may have seen her to contact police immediately.

Extensive searches at the estate, using the dog squad, police divers, aerial patrols and trail bikes, failed to turn up any sign of the missing mum.

Detectives from Hunter Valley Local Area Command are investigating the disappearance with assistance from the Homicide Squad and have set up Strike Force Karabi.

“The inquiries and our investigation so far would certainly lead us to believe that she has met with foul play so we are treating it as a homicide investigation,” he said.

A Facebook page has been set up by family and friends to raise awareness of Carly’s case and police want to hear from people who may have provided information on that page.

Witnesses are believed to have posted information on this page and Det Sargeant Wright urged those who have information or provided details on the page to get in touch with them.

“We believe people have reported some information to that particular page but we just want to remind people that if they do have any information if they can come forward and report it to police, not necessarily just to that Facebook page,” he said.

“It’s not something that we’re operating so the fact that it’s reported to that page doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes its way through to us.”

Investigators have a number of persons of interest in Carly’s disappearance and remain in touch with the family.