Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, June 1997 #15

[Housemartyn]

I thought she did a decent job. It’s very hard to get up in the stand and give evidence about a work matter that has very little relevance to you personally, let alone recall something from 25 years ago. You’d be surprised how many suspicious looking transactions bank staff come across on any given day. You’d remember it the next week, maybe a few months later. If it was particularly high value, upwards of a couple of hundred grand, maybe you’d remember a year or so later, but not 25 years later. I worked in a similar role, I recall some big multi million dollar cases, some that were connected to very serious crimes at the time, and then a few funny ones. If you asked me about a $80,000 theft case I worked 10 years ago, I more than likely could not recall any detail. I think she’s doing her best to help, but it may not be Marion she is recalling

Yes, what you say here proves my point. You wouldn't remember, there's lots of suspicious transactions etc, etc. How on earth would she remember something so unremarkable? And such a long time ago?? Ridiculous.

 

[sah10406]

The Marion she saw had brown eyes and was tanned.

This, plus the hibiscus flower, being "a bit of a flip", going to Bali "to find herself" and using a different flowery name she prefers, makes this person sound more like Marion's lookalike from the Hermes Far Eastern Shining group, who was investigated in episode 8 of the podcast.

The Lady Vanishes: Missing mum may have joined a cult

A credible tip suggests that Marion Barter, missing for 22 years, may have been lured to a sect based near Byron Bay.

7news.com.au

Those kind of groups are keen on people with plenty of money, and often coerce them into financial exploitation. If Marion did have a lookalike in that group, she may well have been making regular withdrawals in Byron Bay.

 

[Mjjj14]

This, plus the hibiscus flower, being "a bit of a flip", and using a different flowery name she prefers, makes this person sounds more like Marion's lookalike from the Hermes Far Eastern Shining group, who was investigated in episode 8 of the podcast.

The Lady Vanishes: Missing mum may have joined a cult

A credible tip suggests that Marion Barter, missing for 22 years, may have been lured to a sect based near Byron Bay.

7news.com.au

Those kind of groups are keen on people with plenty of money, and often coerce them into financial exploitation. If Marion did have a lookalike in that group, she may well have been making regular withdrawals in Byron Bay.

This is a really plausible theory actually!

 

[sah10406]

This is a really plausible theory actually!

All of it, and even the woman reappearing years later in a re-training class, for me points to a mangled memory of someone aligned with (or recently out of) that group, or just a basic Byron Bay hippy lady with money in the bank, rather than MB.

 

[HinterlandObserver]

I’m wondering if the white hibiscus was from the gardens out the front of the bank? Or from a garden she’s walked past on the way to the bank. It would be interesting to try to find photos of around town and the plaza where the bank was at the time. I know there’s an old school motel in town called the hibiscus motel, there may have been some planted in the gardens around town by council at that time?
Also I’m really intrigued by the inquiries about the offices, location of photocopiers and if anyone could see into the offices.

 

[KeenSleuth17]

I thought she did a decent job. It’s very hard to get up in the stand and give evidence about a work matter that has very little relevance to you personally, let alone recall something from 25 years ago. You’d be surprised how many suspicious looking transactions bank staff come across on any given day. You’d remember it the next week, maybe a few months later. If it was particularly high value, upwards of a couple of hundred grand, maybe you’d remember a year or so later, but not 25 years later. I worked in a similar role, I recall some big multi million dollar cases, some that were connected to very serious crimes at the time, and then a few funny ones. If you asked me about a $80,000 theft case I worked 10 years ago, I more than likely could not recall any detail. I think she’s doing her best to help, but it may not be Marion she is recalling

I highly doubt she would remember after ONE occasion meeting a person 25 years ago. If it was a person who came into the branch as a regular customer every day for 3 years I can imagine it would stick but 25 years is still a stretch.

OR if it was an extremely unusual circumstance and your curiosity peaked about it (though this witness really wasn’t curious at all) and you therefore thought about and wondered about it for a long while after because of the degree of weirdness or something they said in particular that was very unusual… (not just that they were going to Bali to find themselves lol) then I can understand you’d know and be able to recall. If she came in and said she’s been scammed by a freak posing as a Special Agent and he’s after her etc etc you’d kind of remember that. But I just don’t think she has been able to recall the detail as significantly as I would imagine one would if someone “stuck out” to you that much. I also think she may have (probably subconsciously) heard things that she’s put together in her head about the case that fit with her narrative. She claims she hasn’t heard details or seen anything but I highly doubt this.

I feel like her memory was playing tricks on her (there’s a very interesting neurological science about this but I don’t have all the terminology!) and digging up old memories and matching them together and convincing her it all fits together.

 

[KeenSleuth17]

I’m wondering if the white hibiscus was from the gardens out the front of the bank? Or from a garden she’s walked past on the way to the bank. It would be interesting to try to find photos of around town and the plaza where the bank was at the time. I know there’s an old school motel in town called the hibiscus motel, there may have been some planted in the gardens around town by council at that time?
Also I’m really intrigued by the inquiries about the offices, location of photocopiers and if anyone could see into the offices.

That was to do with Sally’s testimony about her going into the bank with the photo, wasn’t it?

 

[caitlincurious]

I’m wondering if the white hibiscus was from the gardens out the front of the bank? Or from a garden she’s walked past on the way to the bank. It would be interesting to try to find photos of around town and the plaza where the bank was at the time. I know there’s an old school motel in town called the hibiscus motel, there may have been some planted in the gardens around town by council at that time?

Also I’m really intrigued by the inquiries about the offices, location of photocopiers and if anyone could see into the offices.

It could have been a plastic hair clip/ornament. I had one like that (a hibiscus) in the 2000’s

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Reward billboard triggers new twist in Marion Barter inquest

Billboard offering reward for information about the disappearance of Marion Barter triggers the memory of a former Byron Bay bank manager.

www.abc.net.au

The court is due to hear submissions from lawyers representing the family and NSW Police later this month.

NSW State Coroner, Teresa O'Sullivan, is expected to deliver her findings at the end of November.

 

[Mamasleuthin]

Does anyone think that an investigator for Mr Blum could have dug this witness up?

Yes this is what I was thinking today watching/listening to the live footage!

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

This is a really plausible theory actually!

Is it really plausible that at the exact same time as Marion was conned by a life long fraudster she was also abducted into a cult and then never made any contact whatsoever with her beloved family, I can't believe it.

Is the suggestion that RB is involved with same cult or even misappropriates them by name? What if he told Marion that he is a member and they could live together in Bali?

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Yes this is what I was thinking today watching/listening to the live footage!

100% this has sowed the seed of 'reasonable doubt' and that would be fair enough if the whole thing didn't sound totally phoney and dishonest.

 

[sah10406]

Is it really plausible that at the exact same time as Marion was conned by a life long fraudster she was also abducted into a cult and then never made any contact whatsoever with her beloved family, I can't believe it.

Is the suggestion that RB is involved with same cult or even misappropriates them by name? What if he told Marion that he is a member and they could live together in Bali?

Absolutely not plausible, nor is it what I said. I was suggesting that the bank customer the witness remembers was *not* Marion, not that it was Marion after a cult makeover.

 

[FullMinder]

Someting interesting to note from today's inquest witness that might relate to the errors found in Marion's police file.

Question by AC: "Did you see anything prior to February of 2022 in any newspaper relating to the disappearance of Marion Barter?"

Answer by JH: "I may have, but it didn't click with me. I even called her -- I thought her name was Marion Baxter or something. I didn't really take that much interest in it."

According to the April 2020 episode "Baby Steps" of TLV, the following errors were found in Marion's police file and were repeatedly used by investigators checking for documents at government agencies, financial institutions, other companies, etc.:

• Her former surname is written as “Smith” many times instead of Brown
• Wilsin (spelling)
• Baxter (wrong name or spelling)
• Bartor (spelling)
• Bathreta (wrong name)
• Wrinkle (wrong name)
• Marjahn (wrong name)
• Warren Barter (not only the wrong name, but this indicates that the investigator was looking into a male’s disappearance)

 

[katwingbat]

It’s not at all believable that police in 2020 didn’t show her a photo. They must have records of that visit?

 

[Belleandsebastian]

100% this has sowed the seed of 'reasonable doubt' and that would be fair enough if the whole thing didn't sound totally phoney and dishonest.

Even though Blum claims he's a poor pensioner, I don't doubt that he has access to money and able to hire an investigator, or perhaps his children are supporting him and paying for this. Surely it would be highly illegal for an investigator to entice this woman to come forward? I feel they are trying to plant the seed of reasonable doubt... just like that dodgy guy was doing in the Lyn Dawson (Teacher's Pet) case.

 

[KiwiNZ]

Does anyone think that an investigator for Mr Blum could have dug this witness up?

personally no

I think they were looking to place Marion back in Aus, as of yet they can't do that, I think her statement was probably pretty convincing and it would have been amiss of them not to include someone who claims to have seen Marion post her departure to the UK, I think her recollection / story fell apart under probing / pressure.

 

[caitlincurious]

It’s been so long since I listened to that episode. Were these discrepancies ever explained? I mean, wrinkle!?!??!?

Someting interesting to note from today's inquest witness that might relate to the errors found in Marion's police file.

Question by AC: "Did you see anything prior to February of 2022 in any newspaper relating to the disappearance of Marion Barter?"

Answer by JH: "I may have, but it didn't click with me. I even called her -- I thought her name was Marion Baxter or something. I didn't really take that much interest in it."

According to the April 2020 episode "Baby Steps" of TLV, the following errors were found in Marion's police file and were repeatedly used by investigators checking for documents at government agencies, financial institutions, other companies, etc.:

• Her former surname is written as “Smith” many times instead of Brown
• Wilsin (spelling)
• Baxter (wrong name or spelling)
• Bartor (spelling)
• Bathreta (wrong name)
• Wrinkle (wrong name)
• Marjahn (wrong name)
• Warren Barter (not only the wrong name, but this indicates that the investigator was looking into a male’s disappearance)

 

[Martinie]

so she *thought* she saw when silverchair were playing in 97 but was really 96, has it been checked if she withdrew that many times in branch in 96? that could narrow that down.

 

[mishy66]

Even though Blum claims he's a poor pensioner, I don't doubt that he has access to money and able to hire an investigator, or perhaps his children are supporting him and paying for this. Surely it would be highly illegal for an investigator to entice this woman to come forward? I feel they are trying to plant the seed of reasonable doubt... just like that dodgy guy was doing in the Lyn Dawson (Teacher's Pet) case.

agree.

This witness was a huge letdown to the case. She had no idea what she was talking about! Her interest in the reward far outweighed the need to help in a missing person case IMO. She cant recall significant details about Marion and her time at the bank but remembers a flower behind an ear. I mean, seriously! After 25 years someone can remember a flower behind an ear WTF.

I agree with the theory put here that this has only assisted RB in that Marion was 'seen" here in Aust after "she flew back". But this 'new witness' as pointed out by MBFB, is not new at all.

The REALLY UNFORTUNATE thing about this whole case now is the fact that J pointedly spelt out quite openly on the MBFB that WS was doing an injustice to the case, yet MANY leads came from this thread and she wanted it shut down.

She pretty much got her wish. No one posts or rehashes theroies since that pearler.
The case is still screaming for witnesses to come foward but no one seems to be interested in doing so .....why is that ?

It is so obvious to many that J herself has been the catalyst for closure here as she doesn't seem to remember that it was the TLV team themselves and her, that led the pack...........from her post on the FB page ...."""""everyone has a right to live their lives as they normally would without strangers invading their inboxes & social media or being "researched" & theorized about on public forums or threads """" ............ ahem, hello FR in Luxembourg

Reminding WS to be quiet no?



It takes a village, not one person to solve anything.