Family of Nathan Booth calls for witnesses ahead of coronial inquest

"This is day one," coroner Ken Archer said during a preliminary hearing in the ACT Coroner's Court on Tuesday.

Present for the hearing, held three-and-a-half years after Mr Booth's body was found, were the man's sister, mother, cousin, two aunties and pastor.

The 40-year-old Indigenous Kambah man was found in the Murrumbidgee River south of Kambah Pool in December 2019 by two schoolboys, about six months after he was reported missing.

How and why he ended up in such a remote place remains a mystery.

Speaking to media on Tuesday, Mr Booth's sister Deanne Booth said she finally felt involved in the investigation process after years of being left in the dark.

"This feels like it's going in a good direction," she said.

"Because before it feels like we were just given information and nothing was happening with it."

Ms Booth described her family as a "force to be reckoned with" in their search for answers.

"Someone needs to make a change for the Aboriginal community and we want our people treated with the same respect as everybody else," she said.

"We know that we want to prove something, we believe that Nathan was murdered. We want some justice for Nathan, so that energy has never flatlined."

The coroner told the family the key findings he expected to make included identifying Mr Booth's body, where he died and how he died.

"I've got an open mind in relation to how it was that Nathan passed away," Mr Archer said.

"You've put a view strongly to me about how you think Nathan died."

Ms Booth expressed the family's continued concerns of witnesses being scared to come forward with key evidence.

She told the court some community members had recounted half stories about what they knew of the incident.

"They're scared to go any further with conversation," Ms Booth said.

"This is the stuff we have to deal with over and over in this community."

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Mr Archer said he was open to any proposed initiatives and "doing things a little differently to encourage people coming forward".

Speaking more broadly about the coronial inquest process, Mr Archer said he hoped it could provide the family with some information to help them come to terms with Mr Booth's death.

"It brings accountability to me and to the police force in relation to making sure deaths are properly investigated," he said.

Mr Archer said he was hopeful a hearing for the inquest could be held this year.

"There's some bridges to cross before we get there," he said.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Joe Kellaway, said he had identified forensic areas he was interested in exploring throughout the process as well as expert opinions and briefs that were being prepared.

Mr Kellaway also said the family's efforts were a credit to the way they continued to feel about Mr Booth and the circumstances around his death.

"You've been making submissions at times very much in the dark and very much worried about things that might not have been looked at," he said.

The family is set to return to court for another directions hearing on June 27.

A five-day period was also set aside for the inquest hearing, which is set to begin on December 11.

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