Conversations 11.
Sally states that if Marion had gone missing on purpose, she didn't do a very good job. I respectfully disagree. 22 years later, no one has found her yet. Sally's reasons were that we know about the money coming out of her account, and we know about the name change. We only know about the money because someone did not do their job properly and disclosed confidential information. We only know about the name change, which Sally only found out about years later, because of the work of the police. The only other hint the family had was the phone call from the Salvation Army, where Marion's father was told that Marion didn't want contact and was cranky with Sally.
Marion thought she had months to do what ever she was planning on doing. Not calling Owen on his birthday- she had been estranged from him, and had warned family she wouldn't be in contact. It was obviously a big red flag for Sally, but doesn't seem so big to me.
Changing her name- she didn't tell anyone we know of. She only changed it on her passport. It doesn't seem like her new identity, it seems to me to be one step in a plan. She would have had plenty of documentation to obtain identification in any of the four names she had been known by. She was last supposedly known to be in Byron- which is in NSW. I wonder if she applied for a drivers licence in NSW? She had documentation to do so legally under Marion Barter, Marion Brown, Marion Warren, Marion Wilson or Florabella Remakel. You only need your birth certificate and marriage certificate to change to your married name, or your birth certificate and change of name deed. Just because she was divorced from the first two wouldn't stop her getting a licence issued in those names. She could also have easily been living under a completely different name.
The crimestoppers call- I believe it said that the body of Marion, missing from north coast is at a location in Armidale. A number of years later, Gary Sheehan followed up on this with a search. He was looking for Marion Barter. I wonder if the call was followed up by other police? Followed up at the time by Armidale police? Gary Sheehan followed up after digging through years of crimestoppers calls, with the information he now had about the name change. I cant find any information on the search Gary Sheehan conducted. The caller apparently left a name and address- the address was real, but the name not. I'd love to know what the name was, and where the search occurred. The search was apparently near the university, but that doesn't narrow it down much.
Mystery man in the car. Late at night, they went through a McDonalds drive through- not a big romantic date. Why didn't she want Chris to meet him. Very new man, just testing the waters? He was married? He was part of the new life she was embarking on?
It was sad listening to Matt Levison's dad. I understand his point about continuing to push, but there are some big differences here. It appeared obvious, sadly, that Matt had been killed from not long after his disappearance. A key suspect was easily identified. This is not the case with Marion. The little evidence there is points more to her walking away (IMO) than to murder.