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

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Hi- Could Marion’s name change initials have been to access some investment under the name FNMRemakel that RB could have learned about through Monique?
Did the real Fernand have any shares/investments/property/ vehicles/boats stolen during that period? RB may have needed photo ID to claim it, but with a pic that wasn’t recognizable as RB by Fernand if he reported it.

My personal suspicion is that very much Marion's new name was designed to fit in with the initials of the real Remakel name that RB was misusing. It could have been something intended for documentation / paperwork ID only that didn't include the 'Mr / Mrs' prefix. Who knows what on earth scams he had that we can't even imagine.

 

[VisitorDog]

I wonder if the name change was because he was promising her they’d get married abroad, and so she changed her documents ahead of time in Australia, the Florabella maybe because if you’re changing by deed poll vs marriage cert (sorry I don’t know the Australian term for this) why not go the whole hog and have a fun new first name you’d always imagined too for your exciting new life. Leaving the Marion in there somewhere because you don’t plan to leave everything behind forever, you’re just doing something fun and romantic and exciting! You’ll be back to explain to your family, hence being in contact, but for now it’s just a whirlwind adventure, and hey, your incredible (yeah I know!) new guy wants to keep it just to yourselves for now, you can tell people later, he doesn’t want people to say no or put a dampener on your amazing love blah blah. You make his testicles sing songs in French!

Anyway, then he finds out you’ve legally changed your name to his current identity which isn’t great, and maybe that causes a problem with the bank accounts - he wonders if you’ve changed those too - that’s a worry when the ID they have is in the original name. He hightails it back to Australia and maybe Marion does too because she has the same realisation that MO did. Somehow she puts him at risk by becoming a problem and then…

 

[VisitorDog]

Also as creepy and somehow feminine as that new photo is, it reminds me of a certain man from Europe, it’s not an unknown style. It’s a bit of a Swiss / German kind of look.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I personally had less of a 'he looks like a woman' feel by looking at the picture. Maybe cause i'm from Belgium and saw plenty of this style of guys (i automatically get an 'eek, don't trust him' feeling from them, but it's not nice to judge a book by its cover, i know!)

But what stood out for me where his teeth and his shiny lips.
Those teeth seem to white and imo even fake-looking. Maybe he even changed dentures to appear different or for being more attractive for the unfortunate ladies.

When comparing the two 'best' pictures we have of him both show an upperlip that's thicker at his right side. IF we find other pictures where we would wonder if it's him, we can use that for identification.

The picture, to me, looks like a self-promoting picture. Like the ones on datingsites, sites of businesses to show their boss or employee, the picture of a writer of a book (at the backside of a book) or a reporter.

All MOO

Yep I agree with you. I changed my mind re my previous comments about him looking effeminate - he doesn't when you see the photo stand alone. It was just a shock by comparison and looked female but it's not at all.

His hair looks blow dried or straightened compared to it's usual wavy look, his skin is good, and his teeth are in exceptionally good nick. He has been privileged to have expensive treatments.

Obviously he can grow a beard and completely change his look is the main thing

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I wonder if the name change was because he was promising her they’d get married abroad, and so she changed her documents ahead of time in Australia, the Florabella maybe because if you’re changing by deed poll vs marriage cert (sorry I don’t know the Australian term for this) why not go the whole hog and have a fun new first name you’d always imagined too for your exciting new life. Leaving the Marion in there somewhere because you don’t plan to leave everything behind forever, you’re just doing something fun and romantic and exciting! You’ll be back to explain to your family, hence being in contact, but for now it’s just a whirlwind adventure, and hey, your incredible (yeah I know!) new guy wants to keep it just to yourselves for now, you can tell people later, he doesn’t want people to say no or put a dampener on your amazing love blah blah. You make his testicles sing songs in French!

Anyway, then he finds out you’ve legally changed your name to his current identity which isn’t great, and maybe that causes a problem with the bank accounts - he wonders if you’ve changed those too - that’s a worry when the ID they have is in the original name. He hightails it back to Australia and maybe Marion does too because she has the same realisation that MO did. Somehow she puts him at risk by becoming a problem and then…

In response to your last sentence, I guess that every single person someone scams to this magnitude eventually becomes their problem if they are still alive and can ID them?

I reckon RB has scores of cover stories to mess around the authorities so that even if aggrieved victims complain to the authorities, they say 'this is a civil matter' not a criminal issue. For that reason it would behove him to do one of two things - not ever act in any form of violence - or - make sure if you do, that someone is completely dead and never can tell.

 

[mishy66]

He cannot impersonate the real Marion obviously as they were wildly different in height and looks.

However, dressed as a woman, who everyone would clearly see is someone trans, he could certainly play with identity and gender and defy people to call him out, like hiding in plain sight. Also, needs must. If he wanted his hands on money or he urgently needed to travel in a female identity, maybe that's the lengths he'd go to? Let's not forget that Marion is a male name in French. Florabella is an extremely camp name indeed and I can just imagine him putting a flower in his hair and saying he's off to find himself in Bali!

Also I wouldn't be surprised if he's been exploiting vulnerable members of the queer communities.

He isnt dressed as a woman. He might look like one in the photo. He isnt trans dressing or pretending to be Marion.

He is just a clown trying to look sauve. As stated on the Fb page, EVERY passport photo is different to the last, this could be why GGB didnt recognise the photo of him when shown at the inquest..... the man of many facades.

It was also mentioned that at one stage his hair, like we see in the new photo had gone very long and in a pony tail.
There was also mention he had dyed it darker and short back and sides with a wavy top.

The whole Bali flower story told by that Bank manager is all BS IMO - so many holes in her 'recollection' except of course the reward.

 

[MrsWattle]

Coincidences?
1. New witness mentioned plantations.
2. JO mentioned cedar pine plantation in nymboida ?
3. Marion gave Sally a picture of Norfolk pine trees.

 

[mishy66]

If Marion came back, which I am not one of the people who believe she did, she didn't take the same flight as him. So, she would have arrived back in Australia alone, maybe feeling unsettled, needing a rest and a shower and something to eat probably. Without a car and either with a ton of luggage or without much luggage (depending if she'd put her large cases in storage). Where would she stay? What are the most likely things she would have done? I imagine she would have found a hotel near to the airport?

From all we have heard of Marion and also RB's previous victims, I find it hard to believe that MB would have kept falling for his demands. For example the new Belgian woman didn't take any notice whatsoever of the 'don't tell your children' demand. JO went straight to her family member in the UK who quickly pointed out to her something was awry. I personally don't believe Marion would have come all the way back to Australia then failed to make contact with anyone she knew whatsoever, not one of her sisters, not one of her children, and not one of her friends, to discuss the things going on in her life. Most especially if she was feeling suspicious of RB.

It is known 'Marion" stayed at a hotel close to the airport.... its all on her passenger card and told numerous times on the thread. There is a search button up on the right hand side of page ....

We also know that unfortunately Marion also told fibs to her family and friends and was very secretive - coerced by Blum no doubt. We cant assume that Marion would behave in the same manner as any other victim because every victim had their own story as to why and how they got caught in this pigs net.

Marion had a lot going on in her life leading up to Blum so no one knows why she did what she did. She wanted to be loved and loved being in a relationship.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

He isnt dressed as a woman. He might look like one in the photo. He isnt trans dressing or pretending to be Marion.

He is just a clown trying to look sauve. As stated on the Fb page, EVERY passport photo is different to the last, this could be why GGB didnt recognise the photo of him when shown at the inquest..... the man of many facades.

It was also mentioned that at one stage his hair, like we see in the new photo had gone very long and in a pony tail.
There was also mention he had dyed it darker and short back and sides with a wavy top.

The whole Bali flower story told by that Bank manager is all BS IMO - so many holes in her 'recollection' except of course the reward.

I agree. I changed my mind and realised had been too hasty to post but the time had gone past to edit / delete. It was just a shock seeing the two photos next to one another and my knee jerk perception was he was in disguise looking effeminate. However, my mistake. He was just whiter haired, longer haired, clean shaven, and has shiny teeth and lips.

Also I 100% agree with you about the bank manager BS and I have even more nefarious suspicions than her just wanting to claim the rewards but I guess we're not allowed to say those sort of things.

 

[mishy66]

Coincidences?
1. New witness mentioned plantations.
2. JO mentioned cedar pine plantation in nymboida ?
3. Marion gave Sally a picture of Norfolk pine trees.

Yep it is all the small details of his stories that are adding to the bigger picture..

Like how he happened to bring in the story of visiting Musee Flaubert et d'Histoire de la Medecine poisons with his old mate "Alphonse" , the same mate he reckons he went with to the Palavas les Flots..... of course Alphonse is dead so a perfect 'friend' to add into a story or two. Both occasions that Marion was also with him.........

He can say a lot when you sift through all the manure.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

It is known 'Marion" stayed at a hotel close to the airport.... its all on her passenger card and told numerous times on the thread. There is a search button up on the right hand side of page ....

We also know that unfortunately Marion also told fibs to her family and friends and was very secretive - coerced by Blum no doubt. We cant assume that Marion would behave in the same manner as any other victim because every victim had their own story as to why and how they got caught in this pigs net.

Marion had a lot going on in her life leading up to Blum so no one knows why she did what she did. She wanted to be loved and loved being in a relationship.

It's not known that she actually stayed there is it? I don't recall there was any evidence of that having happened.

 

[Estelle]

"I really think it is him, look at the bone structure of the forehead and the crease between the eyebrows."

 

[Estelle]

I agree. I changed my mind and realised had been too hasty to post but the time had gone past to edit / delete. It was just a shock seeing the two photos next to one another and my knee jerk perception was he was in disguise looking effeminate. However, my mistake. He was just whiter haired, longer haired, clean shaven, and has shiny teeth and lips.

Also I 100% agree with you about the bank manager BS and I have even more nefarious suspicions than her just wanting to claim the rewards but I guess we're not allowed to say those sort of things.

I also have more nefarious suspicions about the Bank Manager.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I don't understand the significance of RB asking women to have their livers scanned. I realize poison can show up in results, but why would he want to flag that? Any theories

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

"I really think it is him, look at the bone structure of the forehead and the crease between the eyebrows."

100% it's him. He looks well on his life of crime. Wonder where the colour photo came from?

 

[gymtonic]

It's not known that she actually stayed there is it? I don't recall there was any evidence of that having happened.

I agree. It is not known that »MB » or anyone of interest stayed at the Novotel Hotel in Brisbane written on the card. In fact I think AC made a point of saying in submissions that it is not known where FNMR AKA MB stayed on return (assuming that it was MB that returned IMO)

 

[TootsieFootsie]

But what stood out for me where his teeth and his shiny lips.
Those teeth seem to white and imo even fake-looking. Maybe he even changed dentures to appear different or for being more attractive for the unfortunate ladies.

I first saw the photo before I read that it was him.

And my first throught was, who was this woman. A face that gave me the creeps.

I like "men" with long hair, yes and ponytails, but this man didn't look like a man to me, not in the slightest.

 

[mishy66]

It's not known that she actually stayed there is it? I don't recall there was any evidence of that having happened.

of course not. I think my post said as such.....
Most of what is linked to him, by him is BS, that is how he loves to play the game right.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

of course not. I think my post said as such.....
Most of what is linked to him, by him is BS, that is how he loves to play the game right.

I personally don't believe MB returned to Australia but my original point was, had she done so, where would she have been likely to go and stay after landing?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

This Summary of Chapter 8 is interesting:

I was a bit disappointed.

I was waiting for the singing testicle part