Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, June 1997 #12

[TootsieFootsie]

He seems to be a nasty Walter Mitty type character.

Not meek and mild like the character in the book and movies.

Always found that part of his tale hilarious.
The only part of that talltale I can imagine is a forged press photography lanyard to help get him in through customs so often, without too many questions NOT coo cooing at babies and whipping up romantic wedding images on his polaroid

 

[Nnbee]

I was thinking earlier today about the real FR and the reference to him in the latest episode of the podcast. It felt to me like they harbour resentment towards the real FR. I try to keep in mind they probably know a lot more than us in reference to his involvement. I think there is more to the story with that.
I think that FR knew when Sally and co turned up to his house what it was all about. I think he wouldn't even entertain the idea of commenting. Perhaps the real FR used to be involved in some sort of dodgy activity with RB or perhaps he is actually scared of RB? Well not RB himself, but the consequences of speaking about the whole scam ring.
Then again, he might of sent a statement to LE and TLV team just aren't aware of that?

 

[BonnieB]

I was thinking earlier today about the real FR and the reference to him in the latest episode of the podcast. It felt to me like they harbour resentment towards the real FR. I try to keep in mind they probably know a lot more than us in reference to his involvement. I think there is more to the story with that.
I think that FR knew when Sally and co turned up to his house what it was all about. I think he wouldn't even entertain the idea of commenting. Perhaps the real FR used to be involved in some sort of dodgy activity with RB or perhaps he is actually scared of RB? Well not RB himself, but the consequences of speaking about the whole scam ring.
Then again, he might of sent a statement to LE and TLV team just aren't aware of that?

Or perhaps it wasn't the first time investigators had been knocking on his door. Remember those 3 or 4 trips OS in 1995/6 after the Le Courrier ad was published?

 

[Nnbee]

Interesting idea BonnieB! Maybe he had gone through it before and that is why he was immediately shutting them down.
I know there has been mention that the way they approached him was not in line with the local way of doing things, but I think if they approached in a calm, polite and softer manner, they would have still received the same response from him.


I am looking forward to tomorrow. I have a bad feeling that RB is going to waste the courts time with stupid stories and give nothing away. His lips will stay sealed forever. He will make this as difficult as possible because he is a self indulgent twat.

 

[KiwiNZ]

I am looking forward to tomorrow. I have a bad feeling that RB is going to waste the courts time with stupid stories and give nothing away. His lips will stay sealed forever. He will make this as difficult as possible because he is a self indulgent twat.

I am hoping his family have had some influence on him in these months between taking the stand, unlikely I know, but he has clearly lied to them since day 1, I cant imagine he has had an easy ride from his daughter and son in this time, hoping that they can convince him to tell some truths, but i doubt he even has it in him to do that

 

[BonnieB]

Interesting idea BonnieB! Maybe he had gone through it before and that is why he was immediately shutting them down.
I know there has been mention that the way they approached him was not in line with the local way of doing things, but I think if they approached in a calm, polite and softer manner, they would have still received the same response from him.


I am looking forward to tomorrow. I have a bad feeling that RB is going to waste the courts time with stupid stories and give nothing away. His lips will stay sealed forever. He will make this as difficult as possible because he is a self indulgent twat.

Websleuths really should add a button. Those last 3 words made me laugh out loud!

Putting myself in FR's shoes...if I'd previously been questioned about some fraudster/imposter using my name and had gone through the mill proving it wasn't me, then years later a rather pushy journalist with a cameraman in tow knocked on my door, I know what my response would be...just two words, loud & clear!

 

[Itsapuzzle]

Err, a bit of editing, per chance - they really don't want us to like FR, do they; or is it just my imagination?
Podcast at 28.21 - "34 -Digging up Answers":
(Door knock)
(Door opens)
SL: Hello, I am Sally, Fernand.
FR: Yeah. What do you want?
SL: Nice to meet you.
FR: (foreign language).
SL: My name is Sally. I've come from Australia. Do you understand English?
FR: No. (speaks foreign language to journalist)
SL: What does that mean?
JOURNALIST: Okay, he doesn't want to talk and we should leave, he says.
SL: Okay, well, this is my mum, her name - - -
FR: (foreign language between journalist and FR)
FR - Okay, thank you.
SL: Thank you.

So I went back to the actual footage of what occurred. The video is on TLV Facebook page: "TLV team goes to Luxembourg, timestamp 9.17

(Door knock)
(Door opens)
SL: Hello.
(FR greets visitors at door with something like hello).
SL: I am Sally, Fernand.
FR: Yeah, what do you want?
SL: It's nice to meet you.
FR: (Sounds like "nice to meet you"), not sure though, a greeting in any event.
SL: My name is Sally. I've come from Australia. Do you understand English?
FR: No
SL: Okay.
JOURNALIST: Okay.
SL: So - - -
JOURNALIST: What do you want to ask?
SL: So, I have - I found an ad that you put in the newspaper in Australia in northern New South Wales back in 1994 and I was just wondering if you can tell me how long you were in Australia.
(Journalist interprets)
FR answers in foreign language (*I can hear the word Australia)
JOURNALIST: He says he hasn't been - - -
(FR interrupts and says more in foreign language.)
JOURNALIST: He wants to stop.
SL. Oh. So this is my mum.
(FR speaks in foreign language to journalist - (*I can hear the word "question" only)
SL: "What does that mean?", turning to Sarah

(Now we get a booming voiceover from Bryan basically criticising FR and blocking out what else they say at the door. At the end of voiceover Bryan says "he slams the door".)
(Now we can hear them back at the door again)

JOURNALIST: "He doesn't want to talk and we should leave, he says."
SL: "Okay, well this is my mum."
(FR talks in foreign language with journalist)
Then in English he says:
FR: "Okay, thank you."
SL: Thank you.
(Then we see the door quietly close, no sign of slamming shut as far as I can see.)

H'mmm ..............

 

[BonnieB]

Err, a bit of editing, per chance - they really don't want us to like FR, do they; or is it just my imagination?
Podcast at 28.21 - "34 -Digging up Answers":
(Door knock)
(Door opens)
SL: Hello, I am Sally, Fernand.
FR: Yeah. What do you want?
SL: Nice to meet you.
FR: (foreign language).
SL: My name is Sally. I've come from Australia. Do you understand English?
FR: No. (speaks foreign language to journalist)
SL: What does that mean?
JOURNALIST: Okay, he doesn't want to talk and we should leave, he says.
SL: Okay, well, this is my mum, her name - - -
FR: (foreign language between journalist and FR)
FR - Okay, thank you.
SL: Thank you.

So I went back to the actual footage of what occurred. The video is on TLV Facebook page: "TLV team goes to Luxembourg, timestamp 9.17

(Door knock)
(Door opens)
SL: Hello.
(FR greets visitors at door with something like hello).
SL: I am Sally, Fernand.
FR: Yeah, what do you want?
SL: It's nice to meet you.
FR: (Sounds like "nice to meet you"), not sure though, a greeting in any event.
SL: My name is Sally. I've come from Australia. Do you understand English?
FR: No
SL: Okay.
JOURNALIST: Okay.
SL: So - - -
JOURNALIST: What do you want to ask?
SL: So, I have - I found an ad that you put in the newspaper in Australia in northern New South Wales back in 1994 and I was just wondering if you can tell me how long you were in Australia.
(Journalist interprets)
FR answers in foreign language (*I can hear the word Australia)
JOURNALIST: He says he hasn't been - - -
(FR interrupts and says more in foreign language.)
JOURNALIST: He wants to stop.
SL. Oh. So this is my mum.
(FR speaks in foreign language to journalist - (*I can hear the word "question" only)
SL: "What does that mean?", turning to Sarah

(Now we get a booming voiceover from Bryan basically criticising FR and blocking out what else they say at the door. At the end of voiceover Bryan says "he slams the door".)
(Now we can hear them back at the door again)

JOURNALIST: "He doesn't want to talk and we should leave, he says."
SL: "Okay, well this is my mum."
(FR talks in foreign language with journalist)
Then in English he says:
FR: "Okay, thank you."
SL: Thank you.
(Then we see the door quietly close, no sign of slamming shut as far as I can see.)

H'mmm ..............

And that's why people hate talking to journalists...
Sadly, I predict things will begin to take a downward spiral from now on

 

[BonnieB]

I wonder how much it would cost to hire an oxygen tank and nasal prongs for 3 days?
Asking for a friend

 

[KeenSleuth17]

I wonder how much it would cost to hire an oxygen tank and nasal prongs for 3 days?
Asking for a friend

Haha, yeah he could certainly step up the vulnerability/victim card this time around. Although I don’t think AC will have much of a bar of it, I predict AC will come in quite firm and forceful.

 

[poppypopcorn]

Just listened to last ep of the podcast - that's 45 minutes of my life i'm not getting back. We've found out things about Andree Flamme - but can't tell you. We've interviewed your bellydancing woman - but can't broadcast it. Ditto her cousin. We'll give a half-hearted apology to FR in Lux, and then harrass the poor man again. And harass his ex-wife, and let's harass the daughter of the suspect for good measure.

And because we have NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL to say, we'll fill an episode with the admittedly interesting DNA chat, and 20 minutes of chat from Joanie, saying zero which is new.

What a waste of time.

 

[poppypopcorn]

Oh and also, I really hope we do get answers about what happened to Marion.

But we also saw the performance Mr Blum put in at the last inquest appearance. He lied, blustered, deviated, contradicted himself, went off in tangents. He will do exactly the same this time and we'll all be very frustrated by him once again.

 

[BonnieB]

Oh and also, I really hope we do get answers about what happened to Marion.

But we also saw the performance Mr Blum put in at the last inquest appearance. He lied, blustered, deviated, contradicted himself, went off in tangents. He will do exactly the same this time and we'll all be very frustrated by him once again.

Let's hope he'll be confronted by some unexpected questioning and that AC's patience runs thin. With only three scheduled days, I can't see AC tolerating too much from Mr. Blooooom!! TBH I think he's already lied himself into a corner.

 

[Bagpus]

I agree and I'm also fascinated by his "Forest Gump like" involvement in so many historic events - the Belgian king's marriage celebrations, the revolutionary protests in Belgium where the people tore up the rails and the 'melee' of the Vietnam War demonstrations in Sydney. Almost unbelievable!

Perhaps it's because these are all things he has read about in the papers. He anchors his stories on true events.

 

[Meligator]

Let's hope he'll be confronted by some unexpected questioning and that AC's patience runs thin. With only three scheduled days, I can't see AC tolerating too much from Mr. Blooooom!! TBH I think he's already lied himself into a corner.

Right, we aren’t going to get to the bottom of this by listening to RB. He’s shameless with his lies. I really can’t wait to hear who else will be testifying.

 

[sunnybree]

Err, a bit of editing, per chance - they really don't want us to like FR, do they; or is it just my imagination?
.....

I have the same impression, I’ve felt that generally the podcast team are critical of people who they feel are not helpful enough. It’s like they believed FR owed them something (FYI, he doesn’t. They aren’t the police after all). They were just so certain they were right about him being involved in some way and chose a very confrontational manner of “interviewing” by showing up early in the morning at his front door with a camera crew making accusations in a foreign language. I understand that they are trying to help Sally and get answers but people are not obligated to speak to them or participate in interviews.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Inquest into the disappearance of Marion Barter (aka Florabella Natalia Remakel) - Day ten

Live in 11 hours.

April 27 at 10am

 

[Eyespywithmylittleeye]

Websleuths really should add a button. Those last 3 words made me laugh out loud!

Putting myself in FR's shoes...if I'd previously been questioned about some fraudster/imposter using my name and had gone through the mill proving it wasn't me, then years later a rather pushy journalist with a cameraman in tow knocked on my door, I know what my response would be...just two words, loud & clear!

Yep mine would be the same.

To me it’s not about what is the right way to approach people in Luxembourg it’s about the right way to approach people anywhere in the world.

opening your front door to strangers and a camera in your face is never going to warm anyone to talking to you.

Nor will it now - first impressions matter. Why would he speak now to TLV about his identity being used when all he saw was sensational journalism IMO a big difference to investigative journalism.

There was a time that TLV didn’t release an episode if they had nothing to add nor say.

Atm to me it feels like an episode was released for their own reasons/ gain/ratings… or whatever.

That includes their post on FB re: The Prosecutors - heaped much praise on our investigation’…

What I’d love to say to them is…

TLV this just isn’t about you!

This isn’t your story you were the vehicle that gave SL the opportunity to be heard, it’s time to sit back because your job is done.

Now it’s up to the coroner.

JMO

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I have so many -- probably unpopular-- thoughts at this point of the case. My deepest sympathy is with Sally and her long-suffering family. Marion's actions, as innocent as they may have been, made her daughter's and grandchildren's lives a kind of hell. It makes me think of a therapist I had years ago, who told me, be careful what you pursue, because it will become your life. In my case, it was about writing about my childhood abuse. He warned me that forever, I would be known as that abused child if I chose to write publicly about it. He is right. Sally will forever be THE LADY VANISHES's daughter, Marion Barter's daughter, and that will be a burden to bear no matter what the outcome of this inquest. I pray for her that whatever outcome there is, she can find peace in the last half of her life.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

As for Ferdinard Remakel, Luxembourg -- if I were to open MY door to cameras and a daughter looking for her mother, I would do everything I could to help. That is, if I were innocent. IF I had nothing to hide. The world is a tough place. If facing a film crew is the hardest thing he's ever done, then he's lived a peach of a life.