The baffling case of a missing Irish laborer in the rural town of Larrimah in Australia's rugged outback is being treated as a homicide.

Paddy Moriarty, who emigrated from Ireland to Australia in the 1960s, seems to have disappeared without a trace - in a town of only 11 inhabitants

The 70-year-old Irishman attended the Pink Panther bar after work in December 2017, the only bar in the small village of Larrimah. According to eye witnesses, Moriarty drank eight beers before setting off home with his kelpie, Kellie. 

Moriarty was never seen or heard from again. Police in the Northern Territory town checked his home, finding his cowboy hat and a chicken still in the microwave, and immediately called foul play. In recent months, the case has gripped the imagination of Australians, as everyone of the town's few inhabitants has been labeled a suspect.

According to the New York Times, a former Pink Panther bartender and a gardener with whom Moriarty has fought with are the major suspects. The paper outlines that police have also questioned the owner of Fran's Devonshire Tea House.

Reporter Jacqueline Williams describes the dusty town as "about the size of a city block and surrounded by head-high, impenetrable thick scrub."

She noted that the main road through the town "has long been notorious for murders and mysterious disappearances, including a British backpacker who vanished 17 years ago."

Owner of the Pink Panther hotel, Barry Sharpe, said he misses his "best friend" who used to stop by "almost everyday".

Sharpe (76) is noted as keeping rare and exotic animals such as snakes, birds, and a huge crocodile named Sam - whom some suspect as being a part of this murder mystery.

Sharpe said he was first alarmed when Moriarty did not show up for "church". By "church", he means an informal gathering of the town's residents to watch a rural affairs tv program named "Landline" every Sunday.

Police ruled out death by misadventure, as no signs of Moriarty or his dog have been uncovered.

According to ABC, some members of a Limerick-based Moriarty family have come forward claiming links to Paddy. An Garda Siochana are reportedly trying to find out more about Moriarty's roots. 

To read more into the fascinating story and the suspects, view the piece on the New York Times here or listen to the award-winning podcast by ABC reporter Anna Henderson here.