The Missing Australia

Crimes against children horrify us. Australia has a tragic history of children going missing. From the Beaumont children in 1966 to toddler William Tyrell more recently. In this episode Meni examines three chilling child kidnappings that remain unsolved.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Former Detective Paul Gordon speaks for the final time in this second interview, recounting the dramatic arrest of Ivan Milat. Unexpectedly placed on the arrest team, he recalls the moment he handcuffed Milat, the terror he felt, and the overwhelming media attention that followed. Paul reflects on the evidence found, his belief that Milat had many more victims, and the lasting impact the case had on his life.

Our thanks to Detective Gordon, who died shortly after he recorded this episode.

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Trapped beneath a caravan with a killer nearby - former undercover cop Roy speaks publicly for the first time about his covert mission inside Ivan Milat's property. Tasked with planting listening devices, he discovered a caravan filled with weapons before being forced to hide beneath it as Milat returned home. In this gripping account, Roy reveals the dangers of the operation, his belief that Milat didn't act alone, and the lasting toll it took on him.

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What crucial clues does a killer spill to their pen pal? Criminologist Amanda Howard spent two decades communicating with jailed serial killer Ivan Milat, gaining his trust through years of letters. She uncovered his claims of innocence, his disdain for lead investigator Clive Small, and rare glimpses of his human side. In this episode, Amanda shares excerpts from Milat's letters, his chilling mindset, and why she also believes he may have had more victims than officially recorded.

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Two women set off on an adventure, never to be seen again. 

Former Detective Neville Scullion speaks publicly for the first time about leading the investigation into the disappearance of British backpackers Joanne Walters and Caroline Clarke, whose bodies were found months after their April 1992 disappearance in the Belanglo State Forest. He coordinated with British authorities and faced the heartbreaking task of informing the victims' families.

Neville reflects on the brutality of the case, the unprecedented efforts to find the girls, and the lasting impact it had on his life. 

He believes Milat left far more victims in unmarked graves than he was ever held to account for.

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Acting on a desperate plea from her family, retired Detective Hugh Hughes has spent years investigating the unsolved 1971 murder of Keren Rowland, his wife's cousin. He believes Keren was one of Ivan Milat's earliest victims, citing Milat's presence in the area and key similarities to his known crimes. Frustrated by what they see as police inaction, the family is still fighting for answers more than half a century on. 

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Former Detective Paul Gordon uncovered the Paul Onions report - the lead that should have cracked the case wide open. But within weeks of joining Task Force Air, he was told to look for reasons why Ivan Milat wasn't the killer, despite the evidence. In this interview, Detective Gordon recalls the moment he named Milat as a suspect, the frustrations inside the taskforce, and the six square metres of files he sifted through to find the truth.

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Serial killer Ivan Milat died in prison in 2019… but for those left behind, the horror may never end.

How many more victims lie in unmarked graves?

Investigative journalist, former police officer and host of blockbuster, award winning The Missing Australia podcast, Meni Caroutas uncovers stories never heard before from key figures involved in the Milat task force.

From the cops who caught him (and were broken in the process), to Milat's prison pen pal, guests share new information, taking us inside one of Australia's darkest minds.

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Meni answers your questions and tells the behind-the-scenes stories from the last season of The Missing Australia

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Confronting claims are made about the abduction of two children, Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon

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A detective wishes things could have been different in the case of 12-year-old Rhianna Barreau

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An unidentified man last seen catching a train in suburban Melbourne has left unanswered questions

If this episode raises any issues for you, call Lifeline on 13 11 14

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Joining the search for Warren Meyer, who disappeared while hiking in the Victorian High Country

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Mother-of-five Lorrin Whitehead was last seen at a shopping centre in Geelong and her children do not believe she ran away

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New witnesses come forward with new evidence about the disappearance of 16-year-old Gordana Kotevski

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Season 3 of The Missing Australia launches on the 25 February. Series host Meni Caroutas has news of breakthroughs in cases that featured in Season 2.

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In 2012 Paul Stevenson vanished without a trace. One morning he got up to go on a motorcycle ride and he was never seen again. A decade later his family is still searching for answers.

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Science, art and chance combine to identify an unnamed man’s body found at the bottom of a cliff in the Blue Mountains.

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Mum-of-five Katie O’Shea disappears and her family face a terrible decision over who to suspect.

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A breakthrough on the baby in the post episode. False leads and fresh hope in the case of missing teenager Gordana Kotevski.

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A clerk makes a grim discovery in a Darwin post office, uncovering a mystery that spans the continent. 

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Sixteen–year-old Debbie Ashby goes missing a few footsteps from her home, leaving her family to fear the very worst.

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Introducing series two of The Missing Australia.

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Two years ago Detective Inspector Glen Brown established the NSW Police Missing Persons Registry, revolutionising the way police investigate missing persons cases. I speak to Glen about the stunning success of the Registry, and how police are now not only finding people who disappear faster, but also saving the lives of people who are vulnerable by using the latest technologies to locate them before it's too late.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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You have seen my face on a poster, and heard my name. I am a mother, a father, a brother or sister, someone's dearly loved relative and friend. We are nearly 3,000 of us. We are missing, and we must be found. Please Don't Forget Us.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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A man reports to police that his wife has gone missing. 17 days later her crumpled body is discovered inside a bag buried in a popular suburban park. As police follow every lead to catch her killer, they stumble upon a shocking and gruesome find.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Bill Roach was a loving son and brother who disappeared suddenly in 1993. Police are convinced the outgoing university student was murdered, and a large team of forensic experts and police divers descend on the remote farmhouse where Bill lived to search for his remains. Police discover a potential crime scene inside the farmhouse. Follow the police investigation as they eagerly await the results of blood tests to confirm if it is Bill's blood or not.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Mother of four Joanne Butterfield disappeared from far North Queensland in June, 1998, after visiting a friend. Three days later personal property belonging to Joanne including the dress she was wearing when she was last seen alive, was found near a railway track 150 kilometers away. This month Police renewed an appeal for information into Joanne's disappearance.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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In Episode 18, “A Faceless Man. A Missing Tourist”, we crack not one but two long-term missing persons cases. Learn how a call from a listener, helped shed light on the unsolved cases that have baffled police for nearly 20 years.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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We have seen images of missing people on posters and on tv. We feel sad, but we have no idea of the heartbreak and trauma suffered by the families left behind. In this episode Meni explores this unresolved grief, through the eyes of the family of murdered schoolboy, Daniel Morcombe.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Steven Goldsmith appeared to have the perfect life. A close loving family, a fantastic circle of friends and a great job, but one night he went missing after withdrawing money from an ATM. The disappearance of the 28 year old left his family and friends devastated, and the police baffled. Steven's parents David and Leslie have never stopped searching for their son.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Christine Redford was a friend to everyone, who devoted her life to helping others. A grief counsellor and Salvation army volunteer, Christine was dearly loved by her family and friends. One day she walked out of her flat and vanished forever. Her disappearance in 1998 has baffled police and bewildered those close to her, who now fear the worst.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Detective Inspector Glen Brown heads the NSW Police Missing Person's Registry, which has revolutionised the way police investigate missing persons cases. Since it's inception the registry has solved 30 long term missing persons cases. I talk to Glen about the new technologies and processes being used to find people who disappear.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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'Niamh' Neeve Maye took a gap year before University to go fruit picking in the NSW Riverina area, and then suddenly disappeared. What happened to 18 year old Niamh? Her parents make a heartfelt plea for answers.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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French tourist Antoine Herran faked his death 22 years ago, to start a new life in Australia. In Part 2 of this fascinating mystery, I speak to his sister Sophie from France about the devastating impact his decision had on their family. Despite the pain her brother has caused, Sophie still loves Antoine and just want to know that he is alive and well.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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A triple 0 call from a notorious suicide spot, sparks a nationwide search for a missing French tourist. Did Antoine Herran leap to his death, or did he fake his death in an elaborate hoax to begin a new life.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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In Part 2 of the Lynette Melbin disappearance, a dogged ex Detective excavates a Sydney Park searching for the missing 15 year old girls remains. After 48 years of searching, and not knowing what happened to Lynette, will her family finally get closure.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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15 year old Lynette Melbin vanished in 1972. Now 48 years later her families unrelenting search for answers and the dogged determination of an ex cop may finally solve her disappearance.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Not every case we cover has to end in despair or an ongoing sense of confusion - loved ones never having the answers they crave. An elderly man in Sydney, who suffered from a chronic heart condition had a race against time, and remarkably he survived. This episode is about incredible survival against incredible odds.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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One night in July 1979 two teenagers in the Illawarra told their families they were going out to the movies. They never came home. Four decades later, ex-classmates at Lake Illawarra high school caught up for a sobering 40-year reunion. Meni attended the event and spoke to those who knew Kay Docherty and Toni Cavanagh about how their disappearance has changed everyone's lives forever.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Someone, somewhere, knows something. There simply must be an answer out there for desperate families, and parents. It’s particularly hard for them when young people in their lives vanish. In South Australia, a German-born girl goes missing in suspicious circumstances, taking belongings with her. Meanwhile, further north in Brisbane’s outer suburbs, two siblings disappear on their way to school.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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The elderly are among the most vulnerable in our community, and when they go missing, it becomes a race against time to bring them home. They can be frail, and dementia can take a toll. On New South Wales’ South Coast, a much-loved veteran, father and grandfather has wandered off from his aged care facility, seemingly without a paper trail. Meanwhile, further north, police search for another elderly man after his yacht was found abandoned, drifting in the water.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Of all types of people to go missing, teenagers - and particularly girls - are the most vulnerable, in danger of exploitation by predators. This episode tells the baffling stories of two teenage girls who went missing from the ACT and Northern Territory without a trace, and have not been seen or heard from since.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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When someone goes missing, the first 24 hours are crucial in bringing that person home. In Tasmania, a desperate family are continuing their search for elderly man Nicola Sallese after his baffling disappearance. This episode tracks their progress, first featured on Missing Persons Unit. Meanwhile, police use key technologies in an attempt to identify a faceless man.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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Missing can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, social status or age. The reality of that fact hit Australia hard when Queensland boy Daniel Morcombe vanished from a bus stop in 2003. This episode revisits the infamous case, detailing the harrowing years between Daniel’s disappearance and the discovery of his remains. Meanwhile, in the Northern Territory, police search for a needle in a haystack.

Please note: this is an older episode of The Missing from a few years ago. The audio quality is better in series 2 (from June 2023), but the content and story is just as important.

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