I’m replying to some posts from the last thread as well as this one.
Thanks 7SJ I also think it was his first step up into the big time, the “apprentice”, but my with theory I think there may have been a “mentor” and a “patsy” as well. I also agree KT was an opportunistic abduction by him, and possible the next victim.
Looking at the severe crush damage to the car, I don’t think it would be able to be driven once the damage occurred. I still am looking for the image I’ve seen before on webslueths showing it further up on the white sand the sand and ocean in the background,
it may be a different one than is shown in the thumbnail.
I only remember hearing radio reports of the car recovery at the time and accepted the suggestions of the media or police that it seemed someone had driven it into the ocean and walked home or to their car or the appalling suggestion made that somehow this was a suicide. The suicide suggestion was retracted by police and reports were made that no one was in the car when it entered the ocean.
It wasn’t until viewing the photos of the damaged car and reading more detailed accounts of what is known about JC going missing, that I now question this scenario.
Thanks to “
no name” for printing tide charts and summer picture of Cott groyne.
21Jun88 Low tide .73m 8.27pm
22Jun88 High tide .97 10.07am
Tide was coming in at the rate of 25cm over 13 ½ hours when the car was put into water.
Being uni-tidal (1 high and 1 low tide in approx 24 hours ) means we have little if any at times tidal movement. There are exceptions, days when Perth is bi-tidal and when combined with wind, moon phases and swell that we get a tide up to the boat ramp but it was not over these couple of days. If somebody can please find the photo of the car pulled up on the white sand with ocean in background it would save 1000 words!
Protected by the groyne there is no noticeable current, and no waves in the picture only a small chop on the ocean surface indicating a light wind.
Below is an excerpt from article from 2000 (time of when car was found is wrong) discussing how headlights were on and front window open. Doesn’t say about how crushed the car was! Other reports have said the headlights were still on and the car upside down, as well as the back seat taken out before the car entered the ocean and was found at another beach (not sure how far).
Source: The Sunday Times (Perth, Western Australia, Australia). (July 9, 2000): News: p004 From Infotrac Newsstand.Document Type: ArticleCopyright: COPYRIGHT 2000 News Limited
http://sundaytimes.com.au/
“
At 12.30am on June 20, 1988 Ms Cutler left the Parmelia Hotel, after a staff function. She was never seen again.
Weeks later (inaccuracy it was early Mon22nd the car was spotted), Ms Cutler’s empty two-tone grey 1963 Fiat was spotted in the ocean off Cottesloe Surf Club boatsheds.
Forensic tests showed that the ignition and headlights had been on when the car entered the water, the front driver’s side window was open, the rear doors were locked and both front doors were unlocked.
Police ruled out suicide because Ms Cutler’s body would have been washed ashore if she had driven the car into the surf.”
“No name” thanks also for your descriptions of how the sand stepped to the paths and how this changed at different times, I also remember it being like this. However I only remember the path going along part way to the groyne and then going up to the surf club. I think this pathway was only extended later when they upgraded the groyne. I did walk this pathway many times as a Cott SLSC member. Boards and skis were stored in the clubhouse at the top of the hill at the time.
From memory the only way possible for a vehicle to get on the groyne was to drive along the sand, and this is what the beach life guard’s 4WD did occasionally. It was also the only vehicle that I ever remember going on to the groyne. Sometimes the 4WD had to use the boat ramp and other he could drive straight off the beach access road, to get onto the sand. There was also a decent lip from the sand to the groyne which couldn’t always be negotiated.
I don’t think it is possible at all for car to be driven directly into the water and end up damaged like it was.
I only think there is a slight possibility the car could access the groyne, but then in a driverless state and possibly having to use a ramp, as the rocks would still be 50 to 60 cm high, that it could be launched off the groyne, bounce on the rocks causing the roof to be crushed almost to the bonnet and then bounce into the ocean, is not a possibility for me. A crash of that significance would be heard by many nearby residents, but wasn’t.
Disposing of the car in water could have been a good way of destroying evidence but lots of other ways to do that. I agree with other suggestions that the car was a sign or IMO a West directional beacon, important enough for someone to go to the extraordinary amount of trouble to dispose of it in the ocean at Cottesloe beach.
etedavo,
