Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, Jun 1997

[poppypopcorn]

Agree that the psychic stuff is tosh. Sally is clearly desperate and these leeches prey on the vulnerable.

The one thing that stuck out to me was the clarification on the date that her passport came back to Australia as the 3rd Aug and not the 2nd as previously stated. That does give time for Marion to make the call to Sally from the UK in the evening of 31st July (by which time it was the morning of 1st Aug in Australia), then make the journey home. It's do-able. But doesn't of course answer the question of why.

I also got the impression there was lots they were holding back about the tip in German, probably hear more about that as time goes on.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Yes I think the tip in German is most likely being investigated by the team right now and I imagine we will hear more about it as time goes on.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Ballina has been mentioned in the podcast somewhere - was that where they did the dig following the crimestoppers call??

The Ballina link is to the phone number in the Le Courrier Australien and the close proximity to Byron Bay/Lennox Head/Grafton.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Episode 14 ..... Really enjoyed hearing from Lesley, seems like a sweet, lovely lady. Good to hear from Mandy too, very enlightening. The mention of the dentist and Marion's fondness of him caught my interest .... so, the police know the name of the dentist who signed the photo but are keeping it to themselves .... why ... what's that all about! Do they know who Marion's regular dentist was at the time, and is the photo signed by him .... that is the question. If it's another dentist, maybe it was a friend/associate of the dentist they spoke to in the interview - (he says he wasn't spoken to by the police about it) and apparently the police have spoken to the dentist who signed photo - so that rules him out, it would seem - but could Marion have known an associate of his? A quick google of this fellow in Trove and online is pretty interesting to say the least, but I'll leave that there. The character assassination of Fernand was back in full swing ..... I can only think they really have something on him because otherwise it's just cruel - just my thoughts. Hard to believe the police haven't checked who that phone number was registered to yet .... for shame ... who could resist looking straight away and finding the answers!! Ah well, there it is .... it was a really good episode and covered a lot of topics, hope it all leads to something soon.

 

[sunnynz]

Ballina has been mentioned in the podcast somewhere - was that where they did the dig following the crimestoppers call??

Interesting that Ballina is the closest airport to Byron bay right? It’s very feasible that Marion could have been in Ballina as a departure point following her time in Byron.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

The Lady Vanishes: Video of Marion Barter's final dance uncovered by school colleague


https://7news.com.au/news/the-lady-...-dance-uncovered-by-school-colleague-c-443099

 

[StarrChance]

The latest episode of the podcast was very worthwhile listening too with the latest updates. Again it seems Marion is described as a very private person which is a dichotomy with the afternoon teas etc she had with the children and parents. With Marion missing or possibly deceased I have to wonder if some people questioned are saying she was “little house on the prairie” type person to be kind to family and Marion. Just in my experience with people like that you can never really get to “know” them, only the first layer, never really able to meet the deeper person. Marion obviously had many layers as an ex husband, sister and ex boyfriend has alluded to. I am surprised at the number of “flirting” references with children’s fathers, Marion was older and seems unprofessional to me. I do believe she was vulnerable to the wrong type of person to manipulate her unfortunately. Also some kind of mental disorder could have been at play. Time will tell and I sincerely wish for answers for Sally who is also struggling at the moment.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Agree that the psychic stuff is tosh. Sally is clearly desperate and these leeches prey on the vulnerable.

The one thing that stuck out to me was the clarification on the date that her passport came back to Australia as the 3rd Aug and not the 2nd as previously stated. That does give time for Marion to make the call to Sally from the UK in the evening of 31st July (by which time it was the morning of 1st Aug in Australia), then make the journey home. It's do-able. But doesn't of course answer the question of why.

I also got the impression there was lots they were holding back about the tip in German, probably hear more about that as time goes on.

Poppypopcorn, have a listen at 12.10 and 14.41 (Episode 14), the arrival date of the passport is confirmed as 2 August 1997 - the 3 September arrival date has been declared a mistake. Arrival at Brisbane airport 2 August 1997. I wonder what time the passport went through customs, maybe if it was around the midnight hour that'd buy some more time ...... h'mm, so we still have that mystery of the postcard to solve, the one that arrived end of August. Wonder if that's the postcard they ran the DNA test on the stamp, and had the handwriting analysis done. Interesting. Cheers

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Just thinking ... so the Threadbo disaster happened on 30 July 1997 at 11.35 pm Australian time. Marion left a message on the answering machine - UK are 9 hours behind us, is it, so she would have rung on the 30th UK time in the afternoon. Did she ring the next day, the 31st? Or could August 1 in Australia have still been July 31 over in the UK? Not good with numbers, can't add to save myself, hee, just having a think about it though, just re the phone calls.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Spontaneous thought ... was Marion dating Greg E in December 1994, early '95? Does anyone know? If she was, she wouldn't have answered this ad, and it seems it only appeared once in print. So, if she met this 'Monsieur Remakel' then it would have been somewhere else, you would think, perhaps at the art centre or around the place. End of spontaneous thought.

 

[sunnynz]

The latest episode of the podcast was very worthwhile listening too with the latest updates. Again it seems Marion is described as a very private person which is a dichotomy with the afternoon teas etc she had with the children and parents. With Marion missing or possibly deceased I have to wonder if some people questioned are saying she was “little house on the prairie” type person to be kind to family and Marion. Just in my experience with people like that you can never really get to “know” them, only the first layer, never really able to meet the deeper person. Marion obviously had many layers as an ex husband, sister and ex boyfriend has alluded to. I am surprised at the number of “flirting” references with children’s fathers, Marion was older and seems unprofessional to me. I do believe she was vulnerable to the wrong type of person to manipulate her unfortunately. Also some kind of mental disorder could have been at play. Time will tell and I sincerely wish for answers for Sally who is also struggling at the moment.

She reminds me a lot of Lori Kennedy with her quirky old fashioned ways - coupled with being slightly worldly too with the flirting etc. I think you used to be on that thread too which is why I’m pointing it out to you?

Both women quite an enigma - very straight laced personas but maybe with secrets underneath.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

If they can get the phone records of Marion's phone, if they kept them, they could see if Marion dialed the number in the advertisement, or if she was dialing any mysterious overseas numbers .... be good if they still have the itemised accounts.

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

The Ballina link is to the phone number in the Le Courrier Australien and the close proximity to Byron Bay/Lennox Head/Grafton.

Great. Thanks itsapuzzle!!

 

[StarrChance]

She reminds me a lot of Lori Kennedy with her quirky old fashioned ways - coupled with being slightly worldly too with the flirting etc. I think you used to be on that thread too which is why I’m pointing it out to you?

Both women quite an enigma - very straight laced personas but maybe with secrets underneath.

Hadn’t thought about that but yes there are parallels to them both!
Hiding secrets, name change, moving.
Interesting that after all the theories on Lori eg. Hiding from abusive ex/drug debt/cult, and many more the KISS principle was the answer. She for reasons to her wanted to leave her family connections. Now I’m thinking more about a suicide. Some things fit, suddenly resigning, giving away things, being stressed, travel could be a cover if she felt she didn’t want to burden the family, although I can’t fit in the money angle.
Under the KISS principle again in this case, Marion for reasons only known to her wanted to leave her family connections.
Whilst she was under stress someone took advantage of her is one of many questions I hope Sally gets some answers too.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Wednesday morning thought .... Episode 14 revealed that Marion had a lot of luggage heading off to the UK, probably excess luggage, you have to pay for that .... would there be a record of how much luggage came back, the weight - excess? Was thinking this three day visa custom card that was filled out, could that have been to explain away why they were travelling light, perhaps just the one bag .....

 

[Meligator]

Wednesday morning thought .... Episode 14 revealed that Marion had a lot of luggage heading off to the UK, probably excess luggage, you have to pay for that .... would there be a record of how much luggage came back, the weight - excess? Was thinking this three day visa custom card that was filled out, could that have been to explain away why they were travelling light, perhaps just the one bag .....

The amount of luggage caught my attention too. Marion’s letters and postcards sound more like someone hoping from town to town (not someone with a rented apartment or home base). Not something you’d want to do with so much luggage.

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

The amount of luggage caught my attention too. Marion’s letters and postcards sound more like someone hoping from town to town (not someone with a rented apartment or home base). Not something you’d want to do with so much luggage.

Yes I wondered if she actually took all that stuff with her or if some of it was going to be stored away somewhere for her return.

She does say in one of her postcards she had hired a car - perhaps this was to help lugg all her bags around.

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

Instead of chest-beating at the police making demands for information he knows they cant have, I want to see Brian look into aspects of Marion's life the police haven't investigated which could provide new information.
Who was the guy in the car at Maccas? Marion said he was from the 'art centre'. Did Marion have membership? Did the centre have social get togethers/outings? Where there other patrons Marion was friendly with and are any of them tall dark males? Marions social circle was very small so how did she get involved at the art centre in the first place? Why haven't any of her friends, family, work colleagues been asked about it? Why haven't they discussed mail and the storage container with Lesley?

I want to see Alison step up too. She is a freedom of information expert and knows better than anyone why the police cant share the details of the dentist who witnessed Marion's passport photo. So why the sarcastic remark that "the police know who he is but wont tell us"?

Alison and Brian have a professional and social responsibility toward Sally's wellbeing. They should be helping Sally understand the limitations they face (privacy etc) and exploring the options they have, not encouraging her to be resentful by constantly focusing on what they cant have.

 

[Seabreeze1]

I would like to see them interview people who may have been a part of the art centre community back then.

 

[poppypopcorn]

Also more investigation into the exchange teacher who Marion was reportedly visiting. We had an Australian teacher come to my child's school on an exchange - they don't just turn up one day and start working. It's all organised centrally, with offices in Australia and the UK matching applicants. Someone must remember who this woman is.

Of course, Marion was perhaps telling lies about going to visit the exchange teacher and was visiting Sussex for another matter entirely.

I also think the "going to the UK for a year and maybe get a job over there" - Marion was a bright woman. She would have known you can't just arrive in another country and get a job without sorting the right paperwork and visa from your home country first. Unless you're planning on marrying an EU resident and then that's a different matter.