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

[TootsieFootsie]

Do we know if the photo from the 80's in the Lux Post was ever established that it was actually RB? IMO this looks very much like him in comparison to the newest photo that has been shared.

Same big nose

 

[mishy66]

R

View attachment 379108

Them in all their glory.

I'm more interested in his mate who shared the space with him...

 

[Deleted member 249471]

The man in the photo is the right height for RB. And the woman next to him is DdH, of that I’m sure! Spitting image of who we saw in court. When I saw it I gasped.

But what also struck me was DdH’s body language - it looks very codependent to me.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

I don’t think even Agatha Christie could have invented a plot line to match this case. He is such a coward preying on vulnerable women that poisoning would fit in with his overall behaviour. His wife said he was never physically violent should we happen to believe her. Would there be a market in harvesting middle aged organs? Let’s hope not!

 

[Deleted member 249471]

Do you know who the right couple in the newspaper photo reminds me of? David and Louise Turpin! Same dynamic.

 

[MrsWattle]

Do you who the right couple in the newspaper photo reminds me of? David and Louise Turpin! Same dynamic.

Yes true they look like the Turpins
But was it ever established who the 3 people on the left are? The other furniture factory owners or his mother Maria?

 

[Deleted member 249471]

I’m reposting @mishy66 post from July 2022 in which she says it’s ‘Mr & Mrs Bitnz in middle and "Mr David" on right’

Australia - Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, June 1997 #14

Those items were stolen in 1976 shortly after he married DdH. Some may have made their way into his home but I imagine most would be sold on for cash. I doubt they had a permanent home at that time. As to Mr.C's comment - IMO it was very deliberate for whatever reason. wish we had a photo of...

www.websleuths.com

 

[Maddieb]

We did a deep dive on the real FR ages ago, after the podcast went to Luxembourg and when we still knew nothing of RB.

It was clear FR and his family ran a property investment business. There’s plenty of documentation on it online and within this forum.

But thank you for reminding me because I forgotten this next bit!!! During inquest we did wonder about the purpose of Marion changing her name to FNMR initials and theorised RB was trying to get his hands on some of FR’s property. Or FR had something of value RB wanted.

MC could’ve let slip details of his ex husband’s finances and belongings, and RB thought he’d help himself to it.

We previously discussed if RB used Marion to walk into a bank, for instance, and empty a safety deposit box, that contained property deeds or valuables?

Or perhaps he tried to do it himself (or used an accomplice) using Marion’s passport. In that case, the theory is RB scammed Marion for her valuables but the name change was simply to get a legal passport he could use to rob FR as well.

Yep! Exactly what I’m thinking. No other explanation for name change and exact initials.

 

[Maddieb]

My thoughts now:
-Name change purely related to RB acquiring alternate photo ID with FNMR initials for fraud unrelated to MB.
-I’m now thinking MB returned due to issues accessing her funds from overseas without 2 matching types of ID in same name as account. Had FNMR passport and MB Aus licence and bank card.
-I’m thinking it’s feasible she returned without contacting relatives because it’s a quick trip and embarrassing reason (due to them not knowing about name change yet). I do think she planned to share news once officially married overseas.
-I think it’s possible she called Sally during her travel back (but pretending still in uk) so Sally wouldn’t worry she hadn’t heard from her for a bit.
-I think postcard that she’d be out of touch a bit was just about quick secret trip back to Aus.
-I think furniture shop is just a front for dodgy dealings, as was coin business
- I don’t think RB meant to kill MB. Think it was either an accident or related to inducing illness and abandonment somehow.
- I think seperate travel both ways could just be related to not exposing MB to his other passports/identities …. Used business dealings or flight credit excuses to justify seperate flights.
- I suspect every overseas episode relates to a new scammed victim

Open questions…..
-Why wouldn’t MB change name on her other bank accounts, superannuation, uk account for convenience and consistency while she’s here?
-Why would RB not try to access those funds also (if they were ‘to be married’ and planning their forever)….
- Could medical tests be for life/disability insurance policy to prove no pre-existing liver issues before untraceable poisoning?
- did RB travel separately from the other women he scammed?
-Are RB’s assets hidden under the names of all his other identities? Accounts, property?
-Have any searches been done for “missing husbands” using any of his aliases? Could he have abandoned other victims and they are oblivious to scam and reported him missing? Possible innocently believing he was mugged and murdered for his money? Or because he was an undercover agent working in dangerous secret missions?
-would intelligence agencies keep records of people impersonating agents?

 

[Maddieb]

Can facial recognition technology be used to search for RB pics online to identify other possible aliases?

 

[Maddieb]

I think it’s feasible DdH is innocent-ish (albeit blindly), and it’s possible RB has multiple partners around the world who he can only visit for a few weeks a year each….. they all think he is working overseas to support their families….. and accept him as an absent partner. Then his assets could also be under multiple wives names making them harder to find….. or maybe it’s all been spent…. Would be expensive financing multiple families…..

 

[Maddieb]

Does passport office or police have facial recognition to search passport/licence photos for duplicates/matches? Kind of like dna database but face dimensions….

 

[Maddieb]

Wonder if any of RBs children have done ancestry dna? Might find other families that way……

 

[Maddieb]

I also think bank manager is dodgy.
I can’t remember what I did or what people looked like from last week let alone 20 yrs ago! Even for significant things….. other drivers in car accidents I’ve been in, gynecologist, former workmates, etc….
Perhaps MB was nervous for withdrawals and so RB paid her to not investigate.

 

[Maddieb]

If MB was convinced RB was starting new life overseas with her, it would make sense to her that he didn’t have any assets in Aus including a car, hence the need to pretend he needs a cheap car temporarily during use during return trip….. to avoid questions like “how come you kept your house and car but expected me to sell mine?”

 

[Maddieb]

I think bank manager Bali comment is BS- a red herring. I dont think MB would be interested in a Bali trip when she’s focused on her new European adventure….

 

[DerZuschauer]

French version of latest article (no paywall):

Informations du Luxembourg et de la Grande Région - Virgule.lu | Virgule

Toute l'actualité du Luxembourg et de la Grande Région est à retrouver sur Virgule.lu, le site d'informations qui traite de votre quotidien que vous soyez résidents ou frontaliers.

www.wort.lu

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Google translation of the above link. You'll see the translated version when you click the link.

The heading is

How a Belgian pensioner lost everything to a scammer​

Informations du Luxembourg et de la Grande Région - Virgule.lu | Virgule

Toute l'actualité du Luxembourg et de la Grande Région est à retrouver sur Virgule.lu, le site d'informations qui traite de votre quotidien que vous soyez résidents ou frontaliers.

www-wort-lu.translate.goog

 

[Deleted member 249471]

To me it seems like the bank manager was blackmailed into changing her story to say she saw Marion so it would stop the speculating and digging around, and ‘prove’ Marion returned.

Which now has me convinced it was NOT Marion who returned but an imposter.

I believe he (allegedly) killed her on purpose. I think the moment he realised Marion would agree to the name change, he knew he couldn’t let her live.

Because if she lived, she would eventually realise she’d been scammed and would go to police, just like the others.

She would tell police what he looked like and that his name was FR. And at the time, this would’ve been enough to find RB due to his FR driver’s license! But that would not have his current address.

So I am also somewhat convinced Marion learned where he lived in Ballina, which is why they moved to Wollongbar until she was no longer a threat (dead).

MOO. Just theorising.

 

[Maddieb]

Knowing what we know now, I believe Marion resigned purely to be with RB. The work issues may have been a decoy as she wasn’t ready to admit to family that she was trusting a virtual stranger.
Her stress at the time may have been related to her internal battle been truth and transparency vs a sneaky titalating adventure.. head vs heart.
From what I recall, no one at TSS had any insight into any work dramas.
And I’m baffled by her supposed anxiety about being accused of stealing school property…… especially if she knew she was moving overseas permanently and there’d be no need to see anyone there ever again.
I wonder if she was just feeling guilty and worried about leaving a job and colleagues and kids she loved…knowing that the risk she was taking was a bit silly….