Australia Australia - Marion Barter - Missing After Trip to UK - June 1997 #16

[BabeBlues]

What I wonder though is what is the point of having all the money from the scams if he isn’t using it to live in a bit more luxury? Per the neighbour in recent episodes they lived very simply in a rented apartment with no fancy art or furniture etc… does he just have it all stashed somewhere and hasn’t spent it? I hope so so that it can be returned to the people he has ripped off.

On the surface he certainly appears to have lived an impoverished life, Centrelink definitely think he has. But I wonder if he may have had (and potentially still has) a gambling addiction.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

What I wonder though is what is the point of having all the money from the scams if he isn’t using it to live in a bit more luxury? Per the neighbour in recent episodes they lived very simply in a rented apartment with no fancy art or furniture etc… does he just have it all stashed somewhere and hasn’t spent it? I hope so so that it can be returned to the people he has ripped off.

I'll bet him and his children have lived extremely comfortably, eaten well, wanted for nothing, and maybe taken luxury holidays? All done in the guise of being a simple regular family. I used to work for wealthy people in the finance sector who made it a protocol to not ever put their money on show, they don't drive flashy cars or wear showy jewellery and they worked from shabby down at heel offices because it was how they chose to present themselves, like an act, but they were off to Monte Carlo several times a year and lived differently over there.

 

[Deleted member 83851]

Yes I agree there could be great comfort and frequent travel behind the shabby front.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

On the surface he certainly appears to have lived an impoverished life, Centrelink definitely think he has. But I wonder if he may have had (and potentially still has) a gambling addiction.

I have wondered this too. He has dropped horses into his stories more than once and made a brief reference to horse racing at the inquest. Incidentally Marion lived very close to a racecourse (7 mins by car to be precise).

You would hope someone from the horse racing or bookmaking fraternity might remember him if that’s the case should they even know about the story.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

What I wonder though is what is the point of having all the money from the scams if he isn’t using it to live in a bit more luxury? Per the neighbour in recent episodes they lived very simply in a rented apartment with no fancy art or furniture etc… does he just have it all stashed somewhere and hasn’t spent it? I hope so so that it can be returned to the people he has ripped off.

If he has sold the stolen items how would he go about it if he is acting alone? It’s another of those unanswered questions.

I doubt if he can lift tea chests on his own so someone has delivered them. I know it’s been discussed many times with Marion’s paintings etc but does he have locked up garages in Australia and in Europe well away from where he has lived?

 

[Carovb5]

I think you are onto something with these missing Belgium women Mrs Wattle!

@KittensAugustus you looked into Georgette Van Acker a few months ago. Found smth?

 

[KittensAugustus]

@KittensAugustus you looked into Georgette Van Acker a few months ago. Found smth?

I did but unfortunately I didn't find anything further. I really hope that by linking her case here, the authorities may find this and consider whether there is any connection.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Yesterday in my mind's eye I saw myself with both arms raised and pointed forward, talking to the police and the court, trying to hypnotise them.

I was saying "there is new information" Investigate! Investigate! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[hahahils]

Very little is heard about his first 2 wives and AKA struggled at the inquest with the timeline of those marriages. Apologies if this has been mentioned before but are they both deceased now? Surely they would have family who have potentially useful information? I would like someone to come forward to prove his horse accident in the 60s is BS.

I too would love someone to provide actual proof of the "horse incident"....

 

[BabeBlues]

I did but unfortunately I didn't find anything further. I really hope that by linking her case here, the authorities may find this and consider whether there is any connection.

Is it the connection to Lille that makes you think there may be a link to RB? It is amazing how many people (women) are missing in similar areas and there is no information to be found online. It seems people have given up looking, or feel they've exhausted all avenues.

I came across this woman missing in Belgium Ginette VANDEVELDE and there is nothing else online about her disappearance that I can find. I know we can't link every missing woman in Belgium/France/Luxembourg of a similar age to RB but who knows what is yet to be uncovered? Thankfully Sally didn't stop looking for her mum!

 

[brjakj]

I have wondered this too. He has dropped horses into his stories more than once and made a brief reference to horse racing at the inquest. Incidentally Marion lived very close to a racecourse (7 mins by car to be precise).

You would hope someone from the horse racing or bookmaking fraternity might remember him if that’s the case should they even know about the story.

Ironically there was a racehorse in the uk around 1999 called florabella. Florabella

Google tells me more recently around 2008 there was also one here in australia. Florabella Racehorse Profile, Stats, Form Guide, News & Results | Racenet

 

[BabeBlues]

Ironically there was a racehorse in the uk around 1999 called florabella. Florabella

Google tells me more recently around 2008 there was also one here in australia. Florabella Racehorse Profile, Stats, Form Guide, News & Results | Racenet

It looks like the UK horse Florabella was a show jumping horse not racehorse. Ironically the Florabella racehorse in Australia was trained by a Gold Coast trainer, definitely not suggesting any links here but it's just one of those bizarre coincidences.

 

[BabeBlues]

TLV FB page has just posted more photos of RB, this time at his daughters wedding in 2011. Also pic of DhD

edited to add more info

 

[HinterlandObserver]

New photos posted on TLV Facebook

 

[insanity]

So ASIO. If I can ask... What do they investigate?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I remember in the inquest he was asked why on none of the overseas trips, did his wife or family go with him.

He seemed totally taken aback by the question. I think he answered that "she had to look after the kids" and he said it
like it was a taken for granted thing, that wife and children couldn't have a holiday.

In my opinion, he never once thought that his wife and/or his children might like to have a holiday too.

IMO, he's lived his life looking out for number 1

Of course they would have gotten in the way of his scams. You can't actually show up with your family if you're acting the part of a single man.

Though he slipped up once with Monique seeing who she thought was his son.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Those photos, not a care in the world

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I wonder if some family member provided the photos, or was it someone else who attended the wedding.

Edited it to say, was it from someone's Facebook page.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I say post away, any missing woman, from possible countries where RB may have been.

More women keep turning up and I'd say there are more out there.

Also there may have been women that sussed him out before he got anything from them.

 

[MrsWattle]

RBs (FR) ad in Le Courrier published 10/12/94. Although at the inquest he said he didn’t have any responses at his PO Box he was a bit more cagey when it came to any telephone responses.

In 1995 he went to Europe 4 times starting in Feb 1995. This was more than usual and I suspect that ad netted him at least one French speaking victim in Australia who he took to Europe. Whilst in Europe he probably found one or two more victims that year.

Do we know the length of those visits in 1995?

I just keep wondering about Oslo case Jennifer Fargate and Lois Fargate checking in on 30th May 1995.
Staff seeing Jennifer with an older man, The Belgian couple who checked out on 3rd June 1995. Jennifer had dyed short dark hair. Flemish speaking etc.

The other Isdal case in Oslo 1970 is similar too with name changes, suit cases with silver cutlery left somewhere and sleepy pills/ monoxide poisoning cause of death.

Since reading about Ghislaine there are some similarities in both Oslo mysteries to RB's MO.