Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, June 1997 #13

[KinseyFan]

This MC really has me questioning her involvement in all of this and subsequent letter that she gave up.

What is her reasoning for outing him when he said himself she was his best friend. That is twice now he was really taken aback that she ratted him out. They seemed to have had a very long romance.

IMO They had an affair while she was married to FR - another teacher ( *sidenote - LOTS of teachers in this saga going right back to his arrival in 1971 as Fredy David) - Dianne says they were in Itzig, Lux for around 3 years in the early 80s and M is born in 1981 Lux. And Blum was having an affair with her while Dianne was pregnant looking at the dates of the letter and babys birth...

MC states she and FR divorced 1987 / 88 give or take a yr or two ( going on her age was 38 at the time and she is now 70 odd)

And the relationship between her and Blum is still playing out in 1992 with correspondence he sends her.

WHAT IF the name Marion changed her name to was more about MC and RB - documents in the name of FNMR were needed for an offshore account that FR had and that MC and Blum wanted access to?

He certainly had planned this for a very long time.

And could it be that MC was the one who came back to Aust in 1997? to access Marions accounts???

MC has now certainly distanced herself from anything to do with Blum. That is a weird thing to do after years of being lovers for no reason. Blum must have really done a number on her for her to humiliate him with giving up that letter.
Did he not live up to his side of the deal with her so now she is shifting all focus back to him?

There is something about this union that doesn't sit right with me.

wow

 

[Estelle]

I think the dentist would have said if it wasn't his signature - with the assumption they gave him a copy of it for the inquest

As MB got a new passport in the name of MB the year before, she may have had a copy of the dentist's signature from that and RB forged the signature.

 

[BonnieB]

I personally could never imagine him volunteering for anything let alone helping his kids that he never spent time with on school holidays

Just gives him a credible reason to have been in the Grafton area IMO

 

[KinseyFan]

All of this makes so much sense.

Identity theft (female) bubbles to the top of this cruel labyrinth… JMO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I thinking he may have avoided having his photo taken, especially if it might turn up in a newspaper.

 

[KateM]

He could have manipulated his wife into doing this/things. Especially if she is a long suffering victim.

If he did, than she's just as bad as he is.

 

[Brown Alleycat]

wow

Couldn't agree more. I always suspected she played a role in his cons!

 

[KateM]

I agree I think she believed she was heading back OS and had time to kill on her own and thought I’ll get my eyes checked while I’m in Australia

 

[KateM]

Do we know that it was just for a check up? Maybe she needed driving glasses?

 

[KinseyFan]

I wish we could find earlier photos of RB. Did he say he volunteered at his kids swim meets? I wonder if there are photos. It’s just odd in 2022 to have no online presence.

But not odd for crims. JMO

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

I agree they probably met at the Arts Centre but I'd like to discount the ad theory so I've been planning to look at the Gold Coast Bulletin microfilms locally on the Gold Coast this week if I get time. Although I would have thought this was already checked by LE.

Brilliant. We need to discount Marion put an ad in that publication (very unlikely) and if there any ads using his PO Box or have a suggestion it might be him. I wonder if he was caught off guard very early on in the latest inquest before returning to type.

 

[Brown Alleycat]

Just another avenue of thought as to how MB could have met RB - could be a possibility they met in Norfolk Island when MB & GE travelled there in Dec 1995. Could RB have been on the island the same time and made their acquaintance? - Norfolk Island was very popular for a quick break away with the prospect of duty free goods. Don't think you needed a passport entry for Norfolk Island. Could RB have had a business concern over there? He could then have seen the article in the paper of MB's teaching award not long after in 1996 and decided to reacquaint himself with her!

 

[gymtonic]

I thinking he may have avoided having his photo taken, especially if it might turn up in a newspaper.

LE have earlier photos from passports.

 

[gymtonic]

Do we know that it was just for a check up? Maybe she needed driving glasses?

It has been narrowed down to an eye check because only this service is claimable on Medicare. Glasses would require payment (and claim on private health fund if you wished to get money back) plus it would require time for the glasses to be prepared and a return visit to collect them anyway. The Grafton records show one visit for eye exam only.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

IMO it's only in the papers in UK and Oz at the moment because it's only about MB and the inquest at this stage. What I mean is that we are all "suspicious" (LOL I know that's an underestimate) about AKA but he is not on trial and there is nothing linking MB directly with Belgium. This could change....IMO MOO

Sadly Marion’s story has never been publicised in the National media in the UK but only in small local publications in East Sussex. Considering the utterly bizarre nature of this case it amazes me it hasn’t reached a larger audience across the UK & parts of Europe.

 

[gymtonic]

Having heard the letter and a second references to buying a yacht and sailing around the world also reminded me of a previous post related to Jacques Brel (his fave Belgian musician according to GGB:
Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, June 1997 #11

 

[Nnbee]

The photos from the NAA aren’t great though. I wouldn’t recognize him from them.

I think RB could of easily got DdH to go to the eye appointment in Grafton without her even knowing she was using MB Medicare card. Wouldn’t suprise me if he is the type to tell her to sit down and wait while he fills out forms / pays etc.

Also the Medicare card isn’t needed. You just need the numbers and exp. New clients usually fill out paper forms with questions like name / dob/ address blah blah and you just fill out the Medicare details on the paperwork.

I haven’t had a psychical Medicare card in over ten years, just a photo of it. Never needed one.

 

[KateM]

It has been narrowed down to an eye check because only this service is claimable on Medicare. Glasses would require payment (and claim on private health fund if you wished to get money back) plus it would require time for the glasses to be prepared and a return visit to collect them anyway. The Grafton records show one visit for eye exam only.

 

[gymtonic]

Sadly Marion’s story has never been publicised in the National media in the UK but only in small local publications in East Sussex. Considering the utterly bizarre nature of this case it amazes me it hasn’t reached a larger audience across the UK & parts of Europe.

TBH it's not even that well publicised in mainstream media in Oz either, apart from Channel 7. No one I know has heard of the case yet from MSM.

 

[KateM]

Oh okay, thanks.