1 00:00:05,881 --> 00:00:12,161 Speaker 1: Apodjay Production. Hi everyone, it's sal I just wanted to 2 00:00:12,241 --> 00:00:14,881 Speaker 1: jump on before the next episode and give a massive 3 00:00:14,921 --> 00:00:18,241 Speaker 1: shout out to you all. Thank you for listening to 4 00:00:18,281 --> 00:00:21,241 Speaker 1: the Missing Matter podcast. We have now reached five hundred 5 00:00:21,281 --> 00:00:23,881 Speaker 1: k downloads and that means that more people are hearing 6 00:00:23,921 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: these important stories of missing loved ones all around the 7 00:00:26,841 --> 00:00:29,881 Speaker 1: world in the hope that we find that someone who 8 00:00:29,921 --> 00:00:33,321 Speaker 1: knows something. We're almost near the end of season one 9 00:00:33,361 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: and I'd love to open the opportunity up to anyone 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: who has a story they need to tell. If you 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,441 Speaker 1: or someone you know could benefit by joining me in 12 00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:44,961 Speaker 1: a gentle conversation on the Missing Matter Podcast, please reach 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: out to me at info at the Missingmatter dot com. 14 00:00:50,321 --> 00:00:57,401 Speaker 1: Stay safe. 15 00:00:58,561 --> 00:01:02,561 Speaker 2: This year marks forty years since William Francis Stephan or 16 00:01:02,601 --> 00:01:07,201 Speaker 2: Billy has everyone called him, disappeared. It was June seventeenth, 17 00:01:07,521 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 2: nineteen eighty five, four decades since a young father, brother, 18 00:01:12,521 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 2: and son vanished without explanation. Billy was just thirty two. 19 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 2: He'd grown up in Mount Cravat, Queensland, the only son 20 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 2: in his family, and by all accounts, he was gentle, 21 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 2: funny and kind, the sort of man who loved his kids, 22 00:01:30,161 --> 00:01:41,121 Speaker 2: fiercely and could make anyone laugh. His daughter, Susie, was 23 00:01:41,161 --> 00:01:44,961 Speaker 2: six years old when he went missing, too young to 24 00:01:45,041 --> 00:01:49,001 Speaker 2: understand what it meant at the time, but old enough 25 00:01:49,001 --> 00:01:54,161 Speaker 2: to hold on to some memories, a smile, a voice, 26 00:01:54,921 --> 00:01:58,641 Speaker 2: the way he'd played chess on his old electronic board. 27 00:02:01,961 --> 00:02:05,761 Speaker 2: Now forty years on, Susie sits down to tell her story. 28 00:02:06,841 --> 00:02:11,761 Speaker 2: It's one she's lived her whole life. A story of 29 00:02:11,881 --> 00:02:15,241 Speaker 2: memories that fade in return, of grief that never quite leaves, 30 00:02:17,641 --> 00:02:25,321 Speaker 2: and of quiet hope that someone somewhere still remembers Billy. 31 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:36,241 Speaker 2: This is the Missing Matter. Billy matters. 32 00:02:36,921 --> 00:02:40,641 Speaker 1: Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the Missing Matter today. 33 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,081 Speaker 1: I am again very privileged to have a lady by 34 00:02:44,081 --> 00:02:47,321 Speaker 1: the name of Susie sitting next to me. And Susie 35 00:02:47,361 --> 00:02:52,241 Speaker 1: is the daughter of William Francis Stephen, known to his 36 00:02:52,321 --> 00:02:56,681 Speaker 1: loved ones as Billy. This year was the fortieth anniversary 37 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: of Billy going missing. He went missing on the seventeenth 38 00:02:59,761 --> 00:03:03,601 Speaker 1: of June nineteen eighty five, and devastatingly, this is a 39 00:03:03,641 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: really big number. He's been missing fourteen, seven hundred and 40 00:03:07,281 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: twenty one days. Born on the twenty second of June 41 00:03:10,641 --> 00:03:14,001 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty two. Billy was the third child and only 42 00:03:14,081 --> 00:03:17,201 Speaker 1: son to William and Margaret Stephen, late of Mount Gravat 43 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,081 Speaker 1: in Queensland. In his early twenties, Billy and his partner 44 00:03:21,121 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: had a baby, Adam, before having their second child, Susie. Susie, 45 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,801 Speaker 1: thank you for joining me on the Missing Matter podcast. 46 00:03:29,281 --> 00:03:31,281 Speaker 3: Thank you for having me. I feel very honored. 47 00:03:32,001 --> 00:03:34,641 Speaker 1: We're sitting here in the studio and Jay's just popped 48 00:03:34,721 --> 00:03:39,441 Speaker 1: up a picture of Billy behind you and you got 49 00:03:39,521 --> 00:03:40,201 Speaker 1: quite emotional. 50 00:03:40,241 --> 00:03:40,401 Speaker 2: Then. 51 00:03:41,121 --> 00:03:41,441 Speaker 3: Yeah. 52 00:03:42,721 --> 00:03:45,761 Speaker 4: I guess when you see something like that, you generally 53 00:03:45,761 --> 00:03:48,881 Speaker 4: see something like that at a funeral, right, very true? 54 00:03:49,161 --> 00:03:54,521 Speaker 4: So kind of just for me, it feels like is 55 00:03:54,561 --> 00:03:58,801 Speaker 4: he real? Was he my dad? Like you know, I 56 00:03:58,841 --> 00:03:59,281 Speaker 4: was six? 57 00:04:00,281 --> 00:04:02,601 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is hard, So thank you for joining me. 58 00:04:03,321 --> 00:04:06,681 Speaker 1: Can we start by you you telling us a little 59 00:04:06,681 --> 00:04:09,041 Speaker 1: bit about your dad. You were only six when he 60 00:04:09,081 --> 00:04:12,721 Speaker 1: met missing in nineteen eighty five. Can you share some 61 00:04:12,761 --> 00:04:15,041 Speaker 1: of your precious memories with us about your dad? 62 00:04:16,401 --> 00:04:16,761 Speaker 3: I can. 63 00:04:17,681 --> 00:04:21,081 Speaker 4: I have some pretty amazing memories of dad, Like he 64 00:04:21,241 --> 00:04:24,041 Speaker 4: was a very loving dad. I want to say man, 65 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,801 Speaker 4: because I guess if you're a loving dad, you're honestly 66 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,561 Speaker 4: going to be a loving man, right, very. 67 00:04:29,401 --> 00:04:30,921 Speaker 3: Doting, definitely for me. 68 00:04:31,081 --> 00:04:35,961 Speaker 4: I guess he loved chess because he had a electronic 69 00:04:36,121 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 4: chess board, and I remember quite often that the electronic 70 00:04:40,521 --> 00:04:44,241 Speaker 4: chess board would like bounce and kick the chess pieces 71 00:04:44,281 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 4: off if Dad was winning, okay, which was quite interesting, 72 00:04:48,361 --> 00:04:49,641 Speaker 4: I guess for the early eighties. 73 00:04:50,281 --> 00:04:53,241 Speaker 1: Say that would have been quite unique back then and 74 00:04:53,281 --> 00:04:54,081 Speaker 1: ahead of its time. 75 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:54,561 Speaker 5: Yeah. 76 00:04:54,681 --> 00:04:56,801 Speaker 4: Yeah, So the memories that I have, they're just really 77 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,241 Speaker 4: quite precious, obviously, yeah, being fuel and far between in 78 00:05:00,281 --> 00:05:01,521 Speaker 4: that short six years. 79 00:05:01,841 --> 00:05:03,961 Speaker 1: And I think it's hard when you're so little, too, 80 00:05:04,081 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: because you sort of grab onto those memories and holding 81 00:05:06,481 --> 00:05:08,841 Speaker 1: them super tight. The ones that you do remember, and 82 00:05:08,921 --> 00:05:12,081 Speaker 1: probably you've learnt a lot about your dad through your 83 00:05:12,121 --> 00:05:15,681 Speaker 1: family and through his family and just growing up with 84 00:05:15,761 --> 00:05:18,241 Speaker 1: him being a missing person and them sharing stories of 85 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:18,721 Speaker 1: him with you. 86 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,601 Speaker 4: I have, and I guess I haven't because I'm unable 87 00:05:22,641 --> 00:05:26,081 Speaker 4: to retain anything that I've learned as an adult. I 88 00:05:26,121 --> 00:05:30,041 Speaker 4: can only really know what I know from my own 89 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,281 Speaker 4: self as a child. There's a lot of things that 90 00:05:33,761 --> 00:05:37,481 Speaker 4: are like you know, reading through your notes, for instance, 91 00:05:37,521 --> 00:05:40,601 Speaker 4: and you know things where it's been mentioned and I'm 92 00:05:40,681 --> 00:05:44,361 Speaker 4: like sorry, like what gives you that impression. And you 93 00:05:44,361 --> 00:05:46,601 Speaker 4: know when I spoke to you prior to today and 94 00:05:46,641 --> 00:05:48,761 Speaker 4: you were like, oh, you know, I've got that from 95 00:05:48,921 --> 00:05:51,921 Speaker 4: you know, the book, I was like, oh, okay, yep, 96 00:05:52,001 --> 00:05:55,281 Speaker 4: I've read the book. But yeah, I'm just unable to 97 00:05:55,681 --> 00:05:58,681 Speaker 4: retain anything really that I that I get told. 98 00:05:58,961 --> 00:06:01,521 Speaker 1: Do you think that's like an underlying trauma that you're 99 00:06:01,681 --> 00:06:04,041 Speaker 1: trying to process things and you just can't retain it. 100 00:06:04,561 --> 00:06:06,161 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. 101 00:06:06,641 --> 00:06:10,961 Speaker 4: You know, besides obviously living with the trauma of having 102 00:06:11,521 --> 00:06:15,161 Speaker 4: a parent that is a missing person, I've also had 103 00:06:15,161 --> 00:06:18,681 Speaker 4: a very traumatic life in general, you know, not only 104 00:06:19,281 --> 00:06:22,361 Speaker 4: just as a child growing up with my mother, but 105 00:06:22,681 --> 00:06:25,841 Speaker 4: moving forward, my only sibling, the death of him, and 106 00:06:26,601 --> 00:06:28,921 Speaker 4: a week later my children's dad was killed. 107 00:06:29,281 --> 00:06:33,121 Speaker 1: So yes, that's a lot, that's a lot. Well, you 108 00:06:33,161 --> 00:06:36,721 Speaker 1: just take your time chatting today. So your parents separated 109 00:06:36,721 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: when you were very little, and your dad moved into 110 00:06:39,721 --> 00:06:43,041 Speaker 1: a flat here in Brisbane. Actually, a separation in any 111 00:06:43,281 --> 00:06:46,481 Speaker 1: family is a stressful time, especially for children. What do 112 00:06:46,521 --> 00:06:50,361 Speaker 1: you remember about that time? So I don't actually recall 113 00:06:50,481 --> 00:06:53,801 Speaker 1: dad living in a flat. I just recall my time 114 00:06:53,841 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: with dad when we were in Tasmania. Okay, And then 115 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,841 Speaker 1: what I believe was after Tasmania at Benburg Street, which 116 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:05,001 Speaker 1: is the family home that grandma and grandpa had in Acrobat. 117 00:07:06,161 --> 00:07:09,161 Speaker 3: There is a vague memory of a set of. 118 00:07:09,081 --> 00:07:12,521 Speaker 4: Flats, but they were just up the road from Benburg Street, 119 00:07:12,601 --> 00:07:15,361 Speaker 4: so Ben Cooper would have still been Macropat. 120 00:07:16,041 --> 00:07:20,241 Speaker 1: And just for clarification, Nicole Morris, she is amazing. She's 121 00:07:20,441 --> 00:07:24,281 Speaker 1: helped so much in this space. She actually did a 122 00:07:24,361 --> 00:07:28,601 Speaker 1: chapter about Billy in her first book titled Vanished, and 123 00:07:28,681 --> 00:07:31,241 Speaker 1: it was actually there I read a lot of information 124 00:07:31,521 --> 00:07:34,681 Speaker 1: about your dad and the coopero. You did mention to 125 00:07:34,761 --> 00:07:37,801 Speaker 1: Nicole in your book, a story about your dad and 126 00:07:37,841 --> 00:07:40,961 Speaker 1: a phone box. Can you share with us what you 127 00:07:41,001 --> 00:07:41,961 Speaker 1: remember about that one. 128 00:07:42,441 --> 00:07:46,001 Speaker 4: It's taken me a lot of therapy to perceive this 129 00:07:46,561 --> 00:07:50,841 Speaker 4: in a different light. But I obviously was little, so 130 00:07:51,161 --> 00:07:54,801 Speaker 4: I just had this memory of a phone box. I 131 00:07:54,881 --> 00:07:57,521 Speaker 4: was standing in the phone box with my mother's partner 132 00:07:57,561 --> 00:08:00,241 Speaker 4: at the time, who was making a call, and I 133 00:08:00,361 --> 00:08:04,721 Speaker 4: just remember a lot of sirens screeching past. I got scared. 134 00:08:05,481 --> 00:08:09,881 Speaker 4: I clung onto his leg. Next minute, the police cars stop. 135 00:08:10,481 --> 00:08:13,721 Speaker 4: I'm pulled out of that phone box and put into 136 00:08:13,761 --> 00:08:14,241 Speaker 4: the back. 137 00:08:14,041 --> 00:08:14,721 Speaker 3: Of a police car. 138 00:08:15,161 --> 00:08:19,561 Speaker 4: So for my little head and when Nicole was initially 139 00:08:19,721 --> 00:08:23,161 Speaker 4: doing her research and writing for her book. The interviews 140 00:08:23,161 --> 00:08:25,961 Speaker 4: that she did with us were some years prior to 141 00:08:26,001 --> 00:08:30,441 Speaker 4: the book's release, so obviously that was sort of that memory. Then, 142 00:08:30,921 --> 00:08:34,761 Speaker 4: as I mentioned going into this, I've since done some 143 00:08:34,921 --> 00:08:37,161 Speaker 4: therapy and I've been able to obviously see it a 144 00:08:37,241 --> 00:08:41,281 Speaker 4: lot clearer. So I had always perceived it as I 145 00:08:41,321 --> 00:08:44,521 Speaker 4: was kidnapped. So yeah, it would have also been around 146 00:08:44,561 --> 00:08:48,281 Speaker 4: the time the custody bubble between my parents was happening. 147 00:08:48,841 --> 00:08:52,201 Speaker 4: I with what I can maybe make out, I think 148 00:08:52,201 --> 00:08:54,761 Speaker 4: it would have been after we came back from Tazzi 149 00:08:55,361 --> 00:08:57,201 Speaker 4: and it was Arnie Dye that was actually in the 150 00:08:57,241 --> 00:08:59,281 Speaker 4: car that I was handed to. 151 00:09:00,281 --> 00:09:03,961 Speaker 1: So it was shortly after this, in nineteen eighty that 152 00:09:04,641 --> 00:09:09,161 Speaker 1: Billy's dad passed away, and a call from his mum 153 00:09:09,241 --> 00:09:11,601 Speaker 1: didn't make it in time for Billy to be able 154 00:09:11,641 --> 00:09:14,361 Speaker 1: to get to the hospital before his dad passed. I 155 00:09:14,401 --> 00:09:16,401 Speaker 1: know you're only young, but has your family shared with 156 00:09:16,441 --> 00:09:20,761 Speaker 1: you how those big moments in time affected your dad? 157 00:09:21,961 --> 00:09:23,521 Speaker 3: No, and not as such. 158 00:09:23,761 --> 00:09:26,721 Speaker 4: It was interesting because when I read of these notes 159 00:09:26,801 --> 00:09:30,041 Speaker 4: prior to today, I actually reached out to my aunt's 160 00:09:30,081 --> 00:09:32,641 Speaker 4: and tried to get a little bit more of understanding. 161 00:09:32,961 --> 00:09:36,801 Speaker 4: It was nineteen eighty, so you know, phones were only 162 00:09:36,841 --> 00:09:40,001 Speaker 4: within the house. With what I understand now as an 163 00:09:40,041 --> 00:09:44,321 Speaker 4: adult and someone that has experienced, you know, loss and grief. 164 00:09:44,561 --> 00:09:48,081 Speaker 4: Dad was twenty eight when Grandpa passed away. Dad was 165 00:09:48,161 --> 00:09:51,641 Speaker 4: his only son, so I feel that that would have 166 00:09:51,721 --> 00:09:55,161 Speaker 4: affected anybody of a young age losing a father. 167 00:09:56,241 --> 00:09:59,841 Speaker 1: So then your dad made a pretty big decision to 168 00:09:59,961 --> 00:10:04,321 Speaker 1: relocate from Brisbane to Oatland's in Tasmania and took you 169 00:10:04,401 --> 00:10:08,401 Speaker 1: and your brother Adam with him. Oatlands is located in 170 00:10:08,441 --> 00:10:11,281 Speaker 1: a very old part of Tasmania, positioned approximately eighty four 171 00:10:11,321 --> 00:10:15,281 Speaker 1: kilometers from Hobart, and in twenty twenty one, the population 172 00:10:15,401 --> 00:10:18,321 Speaker 1: there was only seven hundred and twenty eight people. What's 173 00:10:18,361 --> 00:10:20,721 Speaker 1: your memory of living in Oatlands. 174 00:10:21,761 --> 00:10:22,641 Speaker 3: Or where do I start? 175 00:10:22,841 --> 00:10:25,161 Speaker 4: I think that's where I have some of the best 176 00:10:25,161 --> 00:10:29,641 Speaker 4: memories that I possibly could have for my dad. Yeah, 177 00:10:29,681 --> 00:10:32,201 Speaker 4: I think maybe because it brought some stability. 178 00:10:32,401 --> 00:10:33,081 Speaker 3: I'm not sure. 179 00:10:33,241 --> 00:10:36,801 Speaker 4: Maybe it's because I it was just a dad and 180 00:10:36,961 --> 00:10:41,601 Speaker 4: obviously Adam sorry, but I was allowed a cat. 181 00:10:42,481 --> 00:10:43,641 Speaker 3: This is a bit of a sad. 182 00:10:43,441 --> 00:10:45,881 Speaker 4: Story, but I was allowed a cat and we lived 183 00:10:45,921 --> 00:10:50,241 Speaker 4: in like an old convict style house, like was sandstone, 184 00:10:50,281 --> 00:10:53,601 Speaker 4: bricks and whatnot, and you had the house and then 185 00:10:53,641 --> 00:10:56,601 Speaker 4: you opened the back door and there was a hallway 186 00:10:56,721 --> 00:10:59,761 Speaker 4: to the actual back door, but across the back door 187 00:10:59,921 --> 00:11:03,561 Speaker 4: was you would go into the bathroom. Okay, obviously bathrooms 188 00:11:03,601 --> 00:11:07,161 Speaker 4: being all chiled and stuff like that. So Dad was 189 00:11:07,161 --> 00:11:09,641 Speaker 4: pretty adamant that the cat wasn't allowed to be in 190 00:11:09,681 --> 00:11:11,761 Speaker 4: the house and it had to sleep in the bathroom. 191 00:11:11,801 --> 00:11:13,961 Speaker 4: And the next morning I woke up and it was 192 00:11:14,681 --> 00:11:23,681 Speaker 4: solid dead, frozen it was. I believe it pros to death. 193 00:11:24,441 --> 00:11:28,561 Speaker 4: I don't, well that's just my understanding, you know, Tasmania 194 00:11:28,761 --> 00:11:33,201 Speaker 4: being Tasmania very cold. I don't know if he potentially 195 00:11:33,281 --> 00:11:36,001 Speaker 4: died of something else, but in my opinion as a 196 00:11:36,041 --> 00:11:38,201 Speaker 4: little girl, it froze to death. 197 00:11:38,401 --> 00:11:41,481 Speaker 1: That is a sad story, oh goodness. 198 00:11:41,041 --> 00:11:44,121 Speaker 3: To me, a sad story. But I actually can laugh 199 00:11:44,161 --> 00:11:45,401 Speaker 3: about it these days. 200 00:11:45,881 --> 00:11:48,041 Speaker 1: Why do you believe your dad moved you all? There 201 00:11:48,161 --> 00:11:48,961 Speaker 1: were you hiding? 202 00:11:49,961 --> 00:11:53,321 Speaker 4: I honestly have no idea, and I've never really pondered 203 00:11:53,321 --> 00:11:57,521 Speaker 4: that question. I do recall that I've probably asked my 204 00:11:57,721 --> 00:12:02,401 Speaker 4: aunt's like why, and their feedback was just, you know, 205 00:12:02,441 --> 00:12:04,881 Speaker 4: it was the most furtherest that he could be away 206 00:12:06,241 --> 00:12:08,121 Speaker 4: for what reason, I don't know, and I don't know 207 00:12:08,161 --> 00:12:11,521 Speaker 4: if that is connected to then why he went back 208 00:12:11,521 --> 00:12:12,361 Speaker 4: to Tazzy like that. 209 00:12:12,441 --> 00:12:16,921 Speaker 1: Answerer say, it wasn't long after this that your mum 210 00:12:17,001 --> 00:12:19,521 Speaker 1: and your dad had hopes of reconciliation and moved you 211 00:12:19,561 --> 00:12:24,361 Speaker 1: back to Brisbane. Your dad asked his sister, who you're 212 00:12:24,401 --> 00:12:26,641 Speaker 1: actually named after, if she could look after you and 213 00:12:26,681 --> 00:12:29,041 Speaker 1: Adam for a few weeks as he needed a break, 214 00:12:29,361 --> 00:12:30,961 Speaker 1: And that was in Townsville. 215 00:12:31,401 --> 00:12:36,081 Speaker 4: Yeah, so Arnie Sue lived in Townsville. I don't really 216 00:12:36,121 --> 00:12:39,601 Speaker 4: recall too much of that. Again, like I was so little, 217 00:12:39,801 --> 00:12:42,441 Speaker 4: I remember being in Townsville with my Arnie Sue and 218 00:12:43,001 --> 00:12:46,361 Speaker 4: her husband at the time, Uncle Barry. I remember being 219 00:12:46,441 --> 00:12:50,241 Speaker 4: really quite close with Uncle Barry. I guess probably you 220 00:12:50,241 --> 00:12:53,121 Speaker 4: know that little girl father figure type thing. 221 00:12:53,961 --> 00:12:56,961 Speaker 3: Other than that, like, I don't remember much. 222 00:12:58,081 --> 00:13:01,081 Speaker 1: Can you share with us what you remember about this 223 00:13:01,161 --> 00:13:04,961 Speaker 1: time in your life. Your brother lived with your dad 224 00:13:05,281 --> 00:13:07,201 Speaker 1: and you went to live with your mum and there 225 00:13:07,281 --> 00:13:11,001 Speaker 1: was the whole weekend visitations. How did that work for you, guys, 226 00:13:11,001 --> 00:13:12,001 Speaker 1: and what's your memory of that? 227 00:13:12,361 --> 00:13:15,161 Speaker 4: Yeah, so I always thought I was in Tasmania in 228 00:13:15,721 --> 00:13:18,201 Speaker 4: eighty two, but I think I was in Tasmania now 229 00:13:18,281 --> 00:13:20,881 Speaker 4: in eighty three, so this time after we came back 230 00:13:20,881 --> 00:13:23,921 Speaker 4: from Tazi, I'm assuming must have been around eighty four. 231 00:13:24,601 --> 00:13:28,601 Speaker 4: I do recall living with mum, Adam, living with Dad 232 00:13:28,601 --> 00:13:32,641 Speaker 4: at Vanberg Street at the family home. I think we 233 00:13:32,641 --> 00:13:35,721 Speaker 4: were when I say we myself living with my mother, 234 00:13:35,881 --> 00:13:38,841 Speaker 4: I believe we must have been around Karina. Yeah, I 235 00:13:38,921 --> 00:13:43,961 Speaker 4: just recall obviously weekend visitations, so that would be an 236 00:13:44,001 --> 00:13:47,321 Speaker 4: alternate where I would go to Vanberg Street one weekend 237 00:13:47,361 --> 00:13:51,161 Speaker 4: and be with Adam, Dad and my two older cousins. 238 00:13:51,241 --> 00:13:54,921 Speaker 4: I remember just amazing times there, like sitting on the 239 00:13:54,921 --> 00:13:56,921 Speaker 4: top of the back steps with Dad and he would 240 00:13:56,921 --> 00:14:00,121 Speaker 4: cut up watermelon. I remember, you know, like if I 241 00:14:00,161 --> 00:14:03,081 Speaker 4: was upset, Dad would make me milk and honey. But 242 00:14:03,201 --> 00:14:06,921 Speaker 4: I do recall, through my years of going on through 243 00:14:07,001 --> 00:14:11,441 Speaker 4: childhood and teenage, whenever I was upset, whenever I needed comfort. 244 00:14:12,041 --> 00:14:17,161 Speaker 1: So sadly the reconciliation of him and Dad's marriage didn't work. Again, 245 00:14:17,481 --> 00:14:19,721 Speaker 1: something your aunt's mentioned and you said you don't have 246 00:14:19,761 --> 00:14:22,881 Speaker 1: any recollection of it, but I was sort of asking 247 00:14:22,961 --> 00:14:25,281 Speaker 1: the question, would you agree that that was potentially the 248 00:14:25,321 --> 00:14:28,841 Speaker 1: catalyst for your dad's heavy drinking because it was sort 249 00:14:28,881 --> 00:14:31,081 Speaker 1: of noted that that was sort of like the thought 250 00:14:31,121 --> 00:14:35,881 Speaker 1: process behind why he started to drink a lot. But obviously, 251 00:14:35,961 --> 00:14:39,201 Speaker 1: again you were only little and probably don't have memories 252 00:14:39,201 --> 00:14:40,001 Speaker 1: of that. 253 00:14:40,401 --> 00:14:43,441 Speaker 4: Or to be honest, I don't recall ever seeing dad 254 00:14:43,441 --> 00:14:46,721 Speaker 4: with a drink. Like, with what my knowledge is and 255 00:14:46,921 --> 00:14:49,721 Speaker 4: my understanding, I wouldn't suggest that he was a heavy drinker. 256 00:14:49,961 --> 00:14:53,001 Speaker 4: With that said, I wasn't with him twenty four to seven. 257 00:14:53,241 --> 00:14:54,041 Speaker 3: I know he smoked. 258 00:14:54,281 --> 00:14:57,121 Speaker 4: I definitely know that because he definitely smoked around us. 259 00:14:57,401 --> 00:15:00,761 Speaker 1: And it sounds like if this is quite traumatic for 260 00:15:00,761 --> 00:15:03,521 Speaker 1: everyone involved, like listening to your aunties as well, and 261 00:15:04,161 --> 00:15:07,441 Speaker 1: your dad then made a massive decision to leave you 262 00:15:07,481 --> 00:15:09,881 Speaker 1: an adam with your mum and he moved to adelaide 263 00:15:10,441 --> 00:15:14,321 Speaker 1: him saying I just need to go away somewhere, just 264 00:15:14,961 --> 00:15:17,681 Speaker 1: allow them to get on with it. That's a lot 265 00:15:17,721 --> 00:15:20,481 Speaker 1: for you as a little person, to ask you what 266 00:15:20,521 --> 00:15:23,041 Speaker 1: you feel was happening in that time and space. But 267 00:15:23,401 --> 00:15:26,161 Speaker 1: how do you feel about everything of this time as 268 00:15:26,201 --> 00:15:27,921 Speaker 1: an adult and a parent yourself. 269 00:15:28,601 --> 00:15:31,001 Speaker 4: So I've never gone through as a parent, I've never 270 00:15:31,001 --> 00:15:35,561 Speaker 4: gone through custody, so I can't resonate in that space. 271 00:15:35,841 --> 00:15:39,041 Speaker 4: I can resonate in the space that I'm a parent 272 00:15:39,281 --> 00:15:42,201 Speaker 4: that has lost their father, and I can resonate in 273 00:15:42,241 --> 00:15:44,401 Speaker 4: the space that of going through a divorce. 274 00:15:44,481 --> 00:15:45,881 Speaker 3: I went through a divorce. 275 00:15:45,881 --> 00:15:49,841 Speaker 4: And like I loved that man beyond measure, and it 276 00:15:49,921 --> 00:15:54,081 Speaker 4: completely shattered me. And I think it was a catalyst 277 00:15:54,521 --> 00:15:56,841 Speaker 4: me going through my divorce. It was a catalyst for 278 00:15:56,961 --> 00:15:59,641 Speaker 4: me to kind of get a little bit more understanding 279 00:15:59,881 --> 00:16:03,001 Speaker 4: of potentially where my dad's head was at and why 280 00:16:03,081 --> 00:16:06,241 Speaker 4: he has potentially done what he has done. Per se, 281 00:16:07,321 --> 00:16:12,681 Speaker 4: grown up my whole life with three amazing, amazing arts 282 00:16:13,441 --> 00:16:19,161 Speaker 4: who have always maintained and ensured that my brother and 283 00:16:19,241 --> 00:16:23,281 Speaker 4: I were a part of the family, and they've always 284 00:16:23,361 --> 00:16:28,361 Speaker 4: always constantly saying, I guess to both of us. But 285 00:16:28,561 --> 00:16:31,721 Speaker 4: for me personally, you know that they could never understand 286 00:16:31,761 --> 00:16:35,361 Speaker 4: why dad has done what he's done because I was 287 00:16:35,401 --> 00:16:39,001 Speaker 4: the apple of his eye and he loved me immensely 288 00:16:40,441 --> 00:16:40,921 Speaker 4: growing up. 289 00:16:40,961 --> 00:16:42,721 Speaker 3: I can never understand. 290 00:16:42,361 --> 00:16:44,881 Speaker 4: That because if you love someone, why have you done 291 00:16:44,881 --> 00:16:49,241 Speaker 4: what you've done? Going through that heartache of a divorce 292 00:16:49,521 --> 00:16:54,241 Speaker 4: and losing someone that you wholly and solely love, you 293 00:16:54,801 --> 00:16:59,321 Speaker 4: can easily get to a place of desperation where you 294 00:16:59,521 --> 00:17:04,160 Speaker 4: just don't want to be a part of society. You 295 00:17:04,201 --> 00:17:06,201 Speaker 4: don't want to have to the memories. You don't want 296 00:17:06,201 --> 00:17:09,881 Speaker 4: to have to process the memories. In today's society, we're 297 00:17:10,001 --> 00:17:14,361 Speaker 4: very much focusing on men's mental health and getting them 298 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:16,400 Speaker 4: to speak up. But back in the eighties, it wasn't. 299 00:17:16,561 --> 00:17:19,080 Speaker 4: It wasn't the in thing. You had to be a man, 300 00:17:19,201 --> 00:17:21,041 Speaker 4: you had to, yeah, get on with it. You know, 301 00:17:21,120 --> 00:17:25,241 Speaker 4: he had lost his father, being the only boy within 302 00:17:25,321 --> 00:17:29,360 Speaker 4: the family. You know, who did he necessarily have to 303 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 4: turn to. I'm sure he has three amazing sisters, but 304 00:17:34,441 --> 00:17:35,881 Speaker 4: a man to man kind of thing. 305 00:17:37,761 --> 00:17:43,001 Speaker 1: So, sadly your brother has passed away as well. Do 306 00:17:43,001 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: you want to tell us a little bit about Adam? 307 00:17:46,201 --> 00:17:52,561 Speaker 4: Unfortunately, due to our life after Dad, so our life 308 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 4: with our mother, we lived a very traumatic life. So 309 00:17:57,001 --> 00:18:00,120 Speaker 4: because of those sort of circumstances, Adam and I work close, 310 00:18:00,521 --> 00:18:04,920 Speaker 4: Adam turned to drugs. I believe obviously some of what 311 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 4: was the catalyst for Adam to do that. 312 00:18:06,921 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 3: I don't know. 313 00:18:08,281 --> 00:18:10,641 Speaker 4: Was it the fact that there was a letter sent 314 00:18:10,681 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 4: to Adam at some point when I was admitted to 315 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 4: hospital with an ammonia and I got a card from Dad, 316 00:18:18,921 --> 00:18:22,281 Speaker 4: So that would have been a month, maybe a few 317 00:18:22,321 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 4: weeks before he actually. 318 00:18:24,481 --> 00:18:25,161 Speaker 3: Was last seen. 319 00:18:26,201 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 4: So my assumption is that that letter was around that 320 00:18:29,481 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 4: time that Adam received that letter, and it said that 321 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 4: Dad would be back when Adam turned thirteen. At the 322 00:18:36,281 --> 00:18:38,281 Speaker 4: end of the day, I was six when he disappeared. 323 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 4: You go through and you hear all these things, and 324 00:18:41,801 --> 00:18:43,961 Speaker 4: you try and make sense of all of these things, 325 00:18:44,001 --> 00:18:44,721 Speaker 4: and you try and. 326 00:18:44,681 --> 00:18:46,721 Speaker 3: Put puzzle pieces all together. 327 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 4: Because of mishandled police investigations, you then start questioning, like 328 00:18:54,481 --> 00:18:58,041 Speaker 4: what's real, what wasn't real, What did happen, what didn't happen. 329 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,241 Speaker 1: It is hard, you know, when I'm now in my fifties, 330 00:19:01,281 --> 00:19:03,001 Speaker 1: I look back and I think, oh wow, Like I 331 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,681 Speaker 1: see how things happened as a child in our childhood 332 00:19:06,681 --> 00:19:11,161 Speaker 1: that potentially similarly to you has happened in your family 333 00:19:11,441 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: as well. 334 00:19:12,001 --> 00:19:16,521 Speaker 4: So it is hard, and especially like I've attempted suicide. 335 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,360 Speaker 4: I can't remember how many times, But I understand that desperation. 336 00:19:21,961 --> 00:19:26,440 Speaker 4: I definitely understand that desperation, especially when you feel like 337 00:19:26,561 --> 00:19:29,081 Speaker 4: you've got no one to turn to or no one 338 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 4: understands you. Because this space is quite a different space 339 00:19:33,241 --> 00:19:37,161 Speaker 4: to be in. It's not like your parent has passed 340 00:19:37,201 --> 00:19:40,640 Speaker 4: from an illness. It's not like you've lost your child 341 00:19:40,761 --> 00:19:46,761 Speaker 4: through an accident, and especially after Adam's death, which was 342 00:19:47,441 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 4: twenty three years ago, so Adam was quite young. Adam 343 00:19:50,801 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 4: was twenty six. You know, I've had to navigate a 344 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,881 Speaker 4: lot of this by myself. I was twenty three. So 345 00:19:58,321 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 4: for me wanting to bring justice, but it's not really 346 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:04,400 Speaker 4: that I'm bringing justice to Dad per se, but I 347 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 4: think justice to myself as my dad's daughter, to have 348 00:20:09,281 --> 00:20:15,120 Speaker 4: him remembered. And I've done that only in my thirties. 349 00:20:15,201 --> 00:20:17,640 Speaker 4: I think I was when I started wanting to do 350 00:20:17,721 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 4: those things. A lot of that was because, you know, 351 00:20:20,761 --> 00:20:23,801 Speaker 4: like I didn't have somebody that I could rely on 352 00:20:23,921 --> 00:20:25,640 Speaker 4: or talk to as such. 353 00:20:25,721 --> 00:20:26,681 Speaker 3: I was a young mother. 354 00:20:27,481 --> 00:20:31,521 Speaker 4: My daughter actually has a disability. I was a single mother. 355 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:36,640 Speaker 4: So any time that I tried to navigate and understand, 356 00:20:37,561 --> 00:20:44,201 Speaker 4: the overwhelming of emotion and the hoops, the unbelievable hoops 357 00:20:44,241 --> 00:20:46,360 Speaker 4: they make you try and jump just to get a 358 00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:52,401 Speaker 4: bit of understanding and information is absurd, absolutely absurd. 359 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,561 Speaker 1: From what I found. Billy was last seen in North 360 00:20:57,561 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 1: Hobart on or shortly after a doctor's appointment on the 361 00:21:00,481 --> 00:21:03,681 Speaker 1: seventeenth of June nineteen eighty five. Can you walk us 362 00:21:03,721 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 1: through the key moments from when he was in Adelaide 363 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:09,281 Speaker 1: and when he arrived in Tasmania. 364 00:21:09,721 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 4: He was in Adelaide, he was in a mental health facility, 365 00:21:14,961 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 4: he discharged himself from that facility, made his way to 366 00:21:19,281 --> 00:21:23,880 Speaker 4: Tasmania when we do not know, and then he was 367 00:21:23,921 --> 00:21:27,160 Speaker 4: with a Buddhist retreat or something like that. 368 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,640 Speaker 1: Zen Buddhist practitioner. So his name was Robert Walter and 369 00:21:30,721 --> 00:21:34,521 Speaker 1: he lived on a property at Saltwater River. He's now deceased, 370 00:21:35,241 --> 00:21:37,801 Speaker 1: and my notes tell me that he was the last 371 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:39,640 Speaker 1: noted person to see Billie alive. 372 00:21:40,681 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 4: Isn't that interesting though, because you also said that up 373 00:21:44,721 --> 00:21:48,921 Speaker 4: above that he was had a doctor's appointment on the 374 00:21:49,041 --> 00:21:50,201 Speaker 4: seventeenth of June. 375 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 3: So who was the last to see him alive? 376 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: And this is exactly why we talk about these things, 377 00:21:55,281 --> 00:22:00,240 Speaker 1: because I just mentioned his last noted sighting was at 378 00:22:00,241 --> 00:22:03,001 Speaker 1: the doctor's appointment, But then we've also got it noted 379 00:22:03,041 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 1: at his last appointment. Drives me mental in a missing 380 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,920 Speaker 1: person's case because it's not helpful, right, So let's just 381 00:22:10,001 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: put it out there that he went to the doctor. 382 00:22:12,441 --> 00:22:17,281 Speaker 1: That's been verified, has it though? I know is what's 383 00:22:17,321 --> 00:22:18,481 Speaker 1: on the police reports. 384 00:22:18,561 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 4: On the police report, I have not heard a single 385 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,481 Speaker 4: thing from that doctor. If you look through the inquest 386 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,921 Speaker 4: and other information that's out there. There was a phone 387 00:22:27,961 --> 00:22:30,721 Speaker 4: call made to my grandmother where he was sounded dazed 388 00:22:30,761 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 4: and confused. But if he was last seen by the doctor, 389 00:22:35,041 --> 00:22:39,241 Speaker 4: why isn't the doctor's last words of how he perceived 390 00:22:39,281 --> 00:22:41,241 Speaker 4: my dad to be at that appointment? 391 00:22:41,321 --> 00:22:42,521 Speaker 3: Why is that not highlighted? 392 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:47,881 Speaker 1: He was noted to have a tent set up on 393 00:22:48,201 --> 00:22:51,201 Speaker 1: a beach, which apparently is on that property at Saltwater 394 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:55,761 Speaker 1: River that belonged to this Robert Walter guy. We have 395 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,801 Speaker 1: been told that the tent was burnt down and all 396 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: his belongings were burnt. So I have a note here 397 00:23:03,001 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: that on the thirteenth of June at the doctor surgery, 398 00:23:07,041 --> 00:23:11,321 Speaker 1: there was a phone call that you had mentioned about 399 00:23:11,321 --> 00:23:14,360 Speaker 1: the dazed and the confused, right, that's where that comment 400 00:23:14,441 --> 00:23:16,761 Speaker 1: came from. But this phone call was to his mum 401 00:23:16,921 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: and he was asking her for some money so he 402 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,881 Speaker 1: could come back to the mainland, but your grandmother had 403 00:23:23,961 --> 00:23:27,321 Speaker 1: said no. It was noted that your grandmother suffered with 404 00:23:27,801 --> 00:23:31,360 Speaker 1: bipolar disorder for many years and she had her own 405 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:33,680 Speaker 1: mental health that she was dealing with, so she was 406 00:23:33,681 --> 00:23:37,041 Speaker 1: probably struggling to be fair to her at that time herself. 407 00:23:37,281 --> 00:23:39,801 Speaker 1: That's where that report comes in to the police. That's 408 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,361 Speaker 1: highlighted as you said that he was dazed and confused 409 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:45,041 Speaker 1: in that call. Then we have on the seventeenth of 410 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:48,761 Speaker 1: June nineteen eighty five that your dad had destroyed all 411 00:23:48,761 --> 00:23:51,440 Speaker 1: his belongings on this beach and told a friend that 412 00:23:51,481 --> 00:23:54,361 Speaker 1: he was going to see the doctor in Hobart and 413 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:57,961 Speaker 1: then going to his sister Suzanne's in Townsville. That he 414 00:23:58,041 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: burnt all his belongings and the doctor's appointment is marked 415 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,640 Speaker 1: as the last non siding of billing. So there we 416 00:24:04,681 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 1: have that problem with the friend says he's the police 417 00:24:07,441 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 1: have said the friend was the last person to see him, 418 00:24:09,241 --> 00:24:11,880 Speaker 1: who's the doctor. And there's lots that he has said 419 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,001 Speaker 1: as well, right, And I believe he gave evidence to 420 00:24:14,001 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 1: it in the inquest. 421 00:24:15,441 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've got the inquest, okay. 422 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:19,880 Speaker 4: So zero point five of the inquest says that he 423 00:24:20,441 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 4: my dad became involved with a so called Zen Buddhist practitioner, 424 00:24:25,201 --> 00:24:27,281 Speaker 4: which was mister Robert Peter Walter. 425 00:24:27,961 --> 00:24:31,121 Speaker 3: Mister Walter who was now deceased said in. 426 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:33,961 Speaker 4: A statutory declaration he made on the twenty fifth to 427 00:24:34,001 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 4: September two thousand and nine, that he had received several 428 00:24:37,761 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 4: letters from mister Stepan my dad, seeking advice about the 429 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 4: spiritual consequences if any, of suicide. Mister Walter indicated he 430 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:52,241 Speaker 4: had concerns about mister Stephan's mental health during the time 431 00:24:52,961 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 4: mister Stephan stayed at mister Walter's meditation center near Salt 432 00:24:58,001 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 4: River in southeast Tasmania for a week, also shortly after 433 00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 4: his arrival in Tasmania. And then it goes on to 434 00:25:05,281 --> 00:25:08,360 Speaker 4: say ino point six that mister Walters seems to be 435 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 4: the last person to have seen mister Stephane alive. And 436 00:25:11,281 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 4: it was mister Walters that took mister Stephan to Hobart 437 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:19,641 Speaker 4: on about the thirteenth of June nineteen eighty five, and 438 00:25:20,001 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 4: apparently he mentioned to mister Walters that he was considering 439 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 4: climbing Mount Wellington or going to the casino. The coroner 440 00:25:28,681 --> 00:25:33,721 Speaker 4: said that he doubt much of that account is even accurate. 441 00:25:34,961 --> 00:25:36,801 Speaker 1: And this is what it's going to be important for 442 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,400 Speaker 1: you to try and get your dad's medical records. I 443 00:25:39,441 --> 00:25:43,201 Speaker 1: think you can go through freedom of information. So once 444 00:25:43,241 --> 00:25:45,361 Speaker 1: you don't know, you're rolling your eyes at me. I know, 445 00:25:45,521 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry because I know this 446 00:25:47,721 --> 00:25:51,961 Speaker 1: very well too. But I was able to only last year, 447 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 1: so at the twenty eighth year mark, I was able 448 00:25:55,120 --> 00:25:58,001 Speaker 1: to get the records from Medicare because I had a 449 00:25:58,041 --> 00:26:01,721 Speaker 1: grand to probate from that I went through. In that process, 450 00:26:02,321 --> 00:26:04,921 Speaker 1: they made me jump through hoops at Medicare, like, oh, 451 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:06,801 Speaker 1: you have to get that person to say. I'm like, no, no, 452 00:26:07,120 --> 00:26:09,120 Speaker 1: this is I just stood my ground with them, this 453 00:26:09,281 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: is it, this is what I have. It was very traumatic. 454 00:26:12,521 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: But all of mum's medical history just arrived in the 455 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 1: mail oh wow. Like literally, they didn't write to me 456 00:26:18,441 --> 00:26:20,281 Speaker 1: and say hey, we're approving it or anything. It just 457 00:26:20,321 --> 00:26:23,081 Speaker 1: turned up at the mailbox and I'm like, oh, well, 458 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:25,880 Speaker 1: there you go. It's got all of my history and 459 00:26:25,921 --> 00:26:28,321 Speaker 1: all of my mum's history and all the doctor's appointments 460 00:26:28,321 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 1: that she had. That is I've done it myself, because 461 00:26:31,561 --> 00:26:33,881 Speaker 1: you know, we've got that other statement there. Whereas there's 462 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,360 Speaker 1: a pinpoint of well the doctor was the last person 463 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:38,880 Speaker 1: to see him, Okay, well who was the doctor and 464 00:26:38,921 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: why was he seeing him? And what was noted in 465 00:26:41,001 --> 00:26:43,920 Speaker 1: that appointment. What was the appointment for per se? I 466 00:26:43,961 --> 00:26:47,441 Speaker 1: do recall seeing the doctor's name somewhere. I believe it's 467 00:26:47,441 --> 00:26:50,801 Speaker 1: a Richard. It's on Elizabeth Street in Hobart. After the 468 00:26:50,801 --> 00:26:53,761 Speaker 1: inquest came out, actually even looked up the practice and 469 00:26:53,961 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 1: he is or was at that time still practicing. All 470 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:01,201 Speaker 1: of Billy's sisters sent him money. So we've got one 471 00:27:01,201 --> 00:27:04,561 Speaker 1: of his sisters send him money and a woolen jumper 472 00:27:04,681 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: because it was cold down there and she wanted to 473 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 1: give him something warm. The jumper was returned to sender 474 00:27:11,001 --> 00:27:13,921 Speaker 1: in the September, so this is like we're going from 475 00:27:13,961 --> 00:27:18,121 Speaker 1: June to September. And then we've got Diane, he's other 476 00:27:18,201 --> 00:27:22,321 Speaker 1: sister whose money was collected at the Hobart post office, 477 00:27:22,441 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: but Susan's had not been collected. And then we've got 478 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:28,761 Speaker 1: Ray who's his younger sister who also sent money and 479 00:27:28,921 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: that was never collected as well. So he's ringing his 480 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,081 Speaker 1: mum asking for money so that he can catch the 481 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:38,360 Speaker 1: expensive boat back over the ship back over to the 482 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,481 Speaker 1: mainland from Tasmania. There's a complication there, isn't there because 483 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: the shipping company just changed hands just at that like 484 00:27:47,281 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: literally weeks after Billy went missing. So I mean I 485 00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:55,160 Speaker 1: had sort of put down to talk to you about archives. 486 00:27:55,201 --> 00:27:58,921 Speaker 1: But there is a little shining light in archives because 487 00:27:59,561 --> 00:28:02,521 Speaker 1: when they get to a certain time, it falls into 488 00:28:02,561 --> 00:28:06,640 Speaker 1: a thing called open access period, which means that the 489 00:28:06,681 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 1: information is locked down to us. We can't access it 490 00:28:10,001 --> 00:28:13,400 Speaker 1: for many years, sometimes decades, but then once it rolls 491 00:28:13,441 --> 00:28:15,720 Speaker 1: over to that it becomes open access and we can 492 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:16,400 Speaker 1: access it. 493 00:28:16,481 --> 00:28:16,681 Speaker 4: Wow. 494 00:28:16,801 --> 00:28:20,281 Speaker 1: Okay, So that's something else that I wanted to share 495 00:28:20,321 --> 00:28:22,240 Speaker 1: with you because I was like, oh, I wonder if 496 00:28:22,321 --> 00:28:25,080 Speaker 1: you know this, because I didn't. 497 00:28:25,321 --> 00:28:27,321 Speaker 3: I did not know that I do know. 498 00:28:27,481 --> 00:28:31,361 Speaker 4: As it's been mentioned, Nicole from Australia Missing Person did 499 00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:34,521 Speaker 4: a chapter in her first book Finished on Dad and 500 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:38,321 Speaker 4: she found that point of the fact that the shipping 501 00:28:38,681 --> 00:28:41,801 Speaker 4: company had changed hands only like I think a month 502 00:28:42,161 --> 00:28:46,520 Speaker 4: after Dad's last sighting, and prior to it changing hands, 503 00:28:46,521 --> 00:28:51,321 Speaker 4: there was no manifestation list. Once it changed hands, that 504 00:28:51,681 --> 00:28:56,641 Speaker 4: is when manifestation lists started to become a thing of travel. 505 00:28:57,921 --> 00:28:59,441 Speaker 1: So one of the things we are going to touch 506 00:28:59,481 --> 00:29:08,521 Speaker 1: on now is the police and the initial respond investigative gaps, missteps, 507 00:29:09,801 --> 00:29:11,521 Speaker 1: The fact that your dad was last know one to 508 00:29:11,521 --> 00:29:15,361 Speaker 1: be in Tasmania, but he was reported by his younger 509 00:29:15,401 --> 00:29:19,321 Speaker 1: sister Ray as missing here in Brisbane. Let's talk about 510 00:29:19,361 --> 00:29:23,161 Speaker 1: the complications when dealing with two different jurisdictions being in 511 00:29:23,201 --> 00:29:27,201 Speaker 1: this case Queensland and Tasmanian police. And what are your 512 00:29:27,361 --> 00:29:30,881 Speaker 1: experiences as the adult daughter of a missing man who's 513 00:29:30,921 --> 00:29:32,521 Speaker 1: now been missing for forty years. 514 00:29:34,041 --> 00:29:38,081 Speaker 4: So my experience that I have had has been zero 515 00:29:38,361 --> 00:29:44,801 Speaker 4: with regards to any acknowledgement. I do understand from speaking 516 00:29:44,801 --> 00:29:48,041 Speaker 4: with my aunts throughout the years that even back in 517 00:29:48,081 --> 00:29:52,121 Speaker 4: the initial days and months of them reporting Dad missing, 518 00:29:52,841 --> 00:29:56,601 Speaker 4: there was you know, this handball between Queensland and Tasmania 519 00:29:56,721 --> 00:30:01,361 Speaker 4: because you know, like, obviously he's reported here in Holland Park. 520 00:30:01,721 --> 00:30:05,321 Speaker 4: Understandably so because of course we all live in Brisbane, 521 00:30:05,841 --> 00:30:10,561 Speaker 4: no family in Tasmania or any connection to Tasmania. So 522 00:30:10,921 --> 00:30:14,601 Speaker 4: obviously Queensland can't do anything about it. He's not missing here, 523 00:30:14,881 --> 00:30:18,881 Speaker 4: We'll give that to Tasmania. Tasmania's like, well, he was 524 00:30:18,921 --> 00:30:21,361 Speaker 4: a reporter down missing down here, so you know you 525 00:30:21,521 --> 00:30:25,161 Speaker 4: own it, you own it. Well, how does Queensland own 526 00:30:25,201 --> 00:30:29,361 Speaker 4: it when the person hasn't actually gone missing in this state? 527 00:30:29,681 --> 00:30:33,521 Speaker 3: What can Queensland Police actually do about that, not a lot. 528 00:30:34,321 --> 00:30:37,921 Speaker 1: It's difficult. The whole carriage of the case, Sony learnt 529 00:30:37,961 --> 00:30:43,001 Speaker 1: the word carriage during my inquest. An absolute nightmare. And 530 00:30:43,001 --> 00:30:45,601 Speaker 1: when I was going through your dad's story, I was like, Oh, 531 00:30:45,641 --> 00:30:49,121 Speaker 1: here we go again, Like we've got two police in 532 00:30:49,201 --> 00:30:52,281 Speaker 1: different states who don't communicate and one of them is 533 00:30:52,361 --> 00:30:54,001 Speaker 1: just palming it off to the other. Oh, it was 534 00:30:54,041 --> 00:30:58,081 Speaker 1: not our responsibility, it's your responsibility. So I wanted to 535 00:30:58,881 --> 00:31:03,801 Speaker 1: understand how you feel in this position right now, I 536 00:31:03,841 --> 00:31:07,401 Speaker 1: guess and still sort of questioning what's happening. I've noted 537 00:31:07,441 --> 00:31:10,601 Speaker 1: here that the coroner's report stated that there was no 538 00:31:10,681 --> 00:31:14,841 Speaker 1: evidence he returned to Queensland, but yet we've got Tasmanian 539 00:31:14,841 --> 00:31:19,401 Speaker 1: police saying that he definitely left Tasmania, but with no 540 00:31:19,561 --> 00:31:22,641 Speaker 1: facts or proof of that. And that leads you in 541 00:31:22,681 --> 00:31:24,881 Speaker 1: a position, like we talked about it before you touched 542 00:31:24,921 --> 00:31:28,761 Speaker 1: about giving your DNA. There was a problem with that too, 543 00:31:28,841 --> 00:31:30,681 Speaker 1: wasn't there where they didn't lodge it properly? 544 00:31:30,961 --> 00:31:32,161 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was myself. 545 00:31:32,321 --> 00:31:34,921 Speaker 4: It was me going to my local police station and 546 00:31:35,281 --> 00:31:39,121 Speaker 4: trying to ask some questions and get some understanding about 547 00:31:39,561 --> 00:31:42,681 Speaker 4: the case. And it was me that said, well, what 548 00:31:42,721 --> 00:31:45,481 Speaker 4: can I do can I give DNA? So it wasn't 549 00:31:45,481 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 4: them even coming to us as children of a missing 550 00:31:49,241 --> 00:31:52,481 Speaker 4: person once were of age to say, hey, John, to 551 00:31:52,481 --> 00:31:58,441 Speaker 4: give them DNA because it's actually children's DNA, the closest match, Yeah, 552 00:31:58,561 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 4: a stronger match than siblings. So yeah, I provided my 553 00:32:02,561 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 4: DNA thinking that it's going to be still on file 554 00:32:06,201 --> 00:32:09,361 Speaker 4: here and it's going to be stored on file to Tasmania, 555 00:32:09,441 --> 00:32:13,081 Speaker 4: to only learn as they were regathering their information and 556 00:32:13,121 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 4: their investigation to present it to the inquest that yeah, 557 00:32:17,601 --> 00:32:20,841 Speaker 4: my DNA just I don't know what happened to it 558 00:32:20,921 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 4: just wasn't on record. 559 00:32:22,921 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: And so they've lost the DNA. Is essentially two. 560 00:32:25,401 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 3: Thousand and seven DNA that was lost. 561 00:32:27,601 --> 00:32:31,161 Speaker 4: Yes, so I had to redo my DNA in twenty 562 00:32:31,281 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 4: twenty one for the inquest and they assured me that 563 00:32:35,041 --> 00:32:40,321 Speaker 4: it would be here in Queensland and definitely go to 564 00:32:40,361 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 4: Tasmania considering you know, that's where he went missing. And 565 00:32:43,481 --> 00:32:48,241 Speaker 4: all I do know now though Tasmania does own the case, 566 00:32:48,521 --> 00:32:53,361 Speaker 4: but that mishandling in the very early years has that 567 00:32:53,961 --> 00:32:56,921 Speaker 4: just ruined my whole case, you know what I mean. 568 00:32:56,841 --> 00:33:01,241 Speaker 1: Like the bureaucracies of we're not working together collectively, which 569 00:33:01,801 --> 00:33:04,321 Speaker 1: everyone by now who's listening to these podcasts is going 570 00:33:04,361 --> 00:33:06,721 Speaker 1: to go Sally's talking about it again. Yes I am, 571 00:33:06,801 --> 00:33:09,641 Speaker 1: because that's the important part of a message that we're 572 00:33:09,641 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 1: trying to get out there to heads of state, to 573 00:33:13,681 --> 00:33:17,601 Speaker 1: the Prime Minister of Australia. There's a problem here people. 574 00:33:17,641 --> 00:33:21,201 Speaker 1: If we're not working together collectively to find these long 575 00:33:21,281 --> 00:33:24,881 Speaker 1: term missing people, and everyone's passing the buck because it's 576 00:33:24,921 --> 00:33:27,641 Speaker 1: too difficult or they say they don't have resources or 577 00:33:27,641 --> 00:33:30,641 Speaker 1: what have you. That's not good enough. These people matter 578 00:33:30,921 --> 00:33:33,681 Speaker 1: absolutely and we need to do more about it. 579 00:33:34,081 --> 00:33:37,961 Speaker 3: But there's two and a half thousand long term missing people. 580 00:33:37,921 --> 00:33:38,761 Speaker 1: Nearly three thousand. 581 00:33:39,121 --> 00:33:40,161 Speaker 3: Their families matter. 582 00:33:40,681 --> 00:33:45,041 Speaker 1: We matter talking about that. We've got Tazzy police quoted 583 00:33:45,081 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 1: as saying we've got nobodies that are unaccounter for down here, 584 00:33:50,321 --> 00:33:53,521 Speaker 1: so we think he's on the mainland. That grinded my 585 00:33:53,601 --> 00:33:56,041 Speaker 1: gears big time, because that is just one big, massive assumption. 586 00:33:56,081 --> 00:33:58,161 Speaker 1: If you're going to say comments like that on a 587 00:33:58,201 --> 00:34:01,161 Speaker 1: missing person's report, you back it up with proof. I 588 00:34:01,441 --> 00:34:05,481 Speaker 1: then did a Google search. As of July twenty two three, 589 00:34:05,641 --> 00:34:09,001 Speaker 1: it was documented that Tazzi police in fact have seventy 590 00:34:09,041 --> 00:34:13,241 Speaker 1: one recorded sets of unidentified human remains, and as of 591 00:34:13,281 --> 00:34:15,681 Speaker 1: August twenty twenty five, there are one hundred and eighty 592 00:34:15,721 --> 00:34:19,561 Speaker 1: one long term missing persons listed in Tasmania dating back 593 00:34:19,561 --> 00:34:24,361 Speaker 1: to the fifties. So do you know if anything, has 594 00:34:24,401 --> 00:34:28,801 Speaker 1: Tazzi police taken your DNA? Have they tested your DNA 595 00:34:28,841 --> 00:34:32,081 Speaker 1: against those remains? Have you asked that question or has 596 00:34:32,121 --> 00:34:33,841 Speaker 1: anyone come to you and talked to you about that. 597 00:34:34,241 --> 00:34:37,561 Speaker 4: No, No one's come to talk to me about anything 598 00:34:37,601 --> 00:34:40,641 Speaker 4: that happens in Tazi. So I would think, you know, 599 00:34:40,841 --> 00:34:44,001 Speaker 4: being the fact that I have a long term missing person, 600 00:34:44,281 --> 00:34:45,961 Speaker 4: that you would be notified. 601 00:34:46,081 --> 00:34:47,121 Speaker 3: Yeah, no, nothing. 602 00:34:47,681 --> 00:34:51,121 Speaker 4: It was me. I rang the detective and said, hey, 603 00:34:51,201 --> 00:34:54,001 Speaker 4: I've heard that you've got this. I'm just ringing to 604 00:34:54,041 --> 00:34:56,721 Speaker 4: see if it would be a potential my dad. 605 00:34:56,761 --> 00:34:59,721 Speaker 3: And he instantly was like, it's not your father. How 606 00:34:59,721 --> 00:35:00,281 Speaker 3: do you know that? 607 00:35:00,721 --> 00:35:03,641 Speaker 4: Look at the whole picture here, there's as you have mentioned, 608 00:35:03,681 --> 00:35:07,801 Speaker 4: there's no actual factual evidence that he left Tasmania, which 609 00:35:07,801 --> 00:35:11,641 Speaker 4: also means there's no actual factual evidence that he arrived 610 00:35:11,681 --> 00:35:13,361 Speaker 4: on to the mainland. 611 00:35:13,481 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 3: So why are. 612 00:35:15,401 --> 00:35:18,601 Speaker 4: The Tazzi police not working with every state in Australia. 613 00:35:19,161 --> 00:35:22,921 Speaker 4: Why aren't they getting tested to be not just my dad, 614 00:35:23,321 --> 00:35:25,801 Speaker 4: but to be your mom. Who's to say that your 615 00:35:25,881 --> 00:35:28,041 Speaker 4: mom didn't make her way to wa correct? 616 00:35:28,401 --> 00:35:31,881 Speaker 1: Please correct me if I'm wrong here, But your dad 617 00:35:32,041 --> 00:35:36,881 Speaker 1: only was put onto the AFPs National Missing Person's Database 618 00:35:37,161 --> 00:35:41,481 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty one, and is that after the inquest. 619 00:35:42,361 --> 00:35:47,001 Speaker 4: It's the recorded investigation into death without inquest, without. 620 00:35:46,761 --> 00:35:49,681 Speaker 1: Inquest, so it's not technically an inquest. It's a coroner 621 00:35:50,081 --> 00:35:54,281 Speaker 1: looking over the information. This is them compiling the information. 622 00:35:54,921 --> 00:35:57,161 Speaker 1: And it saddens me really that there's two and a 623 00:35:57,201 --> 00:36:01,681 Speaker 1: bit pages of what's been documented and the fact that 624 00:36:01,681 --> 00:36:04,001 Speaker 1: it was done in twenty twenty one, that's thirty six 625 00:36:04,121 --> 00:36:05,521 Speaker 1: years after his diss parents. 626 00:36:05,681 --> 00:36:09,401 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I did have the choice to go to inquest. 627 00:36:09,721 --> 00:36:10,681 Speaker 1: Okay, all right. 628 00:36:10,841 --> 00:36:13,561 Speaker 4: I chose not to have an inquest because I couldn't 629 00:36:13,801 --> 00:36:16,561 Speaker 4: see the importance in it because of the little information 630 00:36:16,721 --> 00:36:22,241 Speaker 4: that we have. The main witness, mister Walter, had already passed, 631 00:36:22,801 --> 00:36:24,921 Speaker 4: so who were they going to call upon. I just 632 00:36:24,961 --> 00:36:26,761 Speaker 4: sort of found that it was going to be a 633 00:36:26,761 --> 00:36:30,321 Speaker 4: waste of resources and I'd rather than put those resources 634 00:36:30,361 --> 00:36:33,801 Speaker 4: to a testing those bones that are sitting around everywhere. 635 00:36:34,161 --> 00:36:37,401 Speaker 4: I also asked my aunts as well, what they wanted 636 00:36:37,401 --> 00:36:39,601 Speaker 4: to do. They sort of left it up to me, 637 00:36:40,361 --> 00:36:43,961 Speaker 4: but I also couldn't bring myself to put them through that. 638 00:36:44,561 --> 00:36:48,081 Speaker 4: Throughout my whole whole journey of this over the last 639 00:36:48,521 --> 00:36:53,721 Speaker 4: forty odd years, I've always been extremely extremely mindful of 640 00:36:53,881 --> 00:36:57,520 Speaker 4: discussing it with my aunts or talking about my dad 641 00:36:57,841 --> 00:37:04,041 Speaker 4: with my aunts because that's their brother and that's they 642 00:37:04,121 --> 00:37:06,801 Speaker 4: were four. They were there, they were at the forefront. 643 00:37:07,001 --> 00:37:09,641 Speaker 4: That's a lot of and they were amazing. Can I 644 00:37:09,721 --> 00:37:14,081 Speaker 4: just say absolutely? You know, obviously their dad had passed away, 645 00:37:14,721 --> 00:37:19,601 Speaker 4: their only brother had then vanished, their mother, they you know, 646 00:37:19,721 --> 00:37:22,721 Speaker 4: were supporting who had her own mental health issues. So 647 00:37:23,521 --> 00:37:25,961 Speaker 4: you know, for them being on the front foot and 648 00:37:25,961 --> 00:37:33,121 Speaker 4: then navigating and maintaining that family connection with my mother 649 00:37:33,481 --> 00:37:37,641 Speaker 4: to maintain contact with Adam, and I like, they they're amazing, 650 00:37:37,801 --> 00:37:40,001 Speaker 4: Like I have so much, so much. 651 00:37:39,801 --> 00:37:42,561 Speaker 3: Love and appreciation and gratitude, And. 652 00:37:43,081 --> 00:37:46,321 Speaker 4: You know, I often sort of passes my head that 653 00:37:47,681 --> 00:37:51,281 Speaker 4: if Dad knew anything, he knew that we'd be okay 654 00:37:51,321 --> 00:37:55,721 Speaker 4: and we would be supported and loved by his family. 655 00:37:57,241 --> 00:38:00,601 Speaker 4: But perhaps that's what sort of gave him a bit 656 00:38:00,601 --> 00:38:04,681 Speaker 4: of a reassurance, and maybe because of that reassurance, It's 657 00:38:04,721 --> 00:38:07,201 Speaker 4: what pushed him to do whatever he did because at 658 00:38:07,201 --> 00:38:08,641 Speaker 4: the end of the day, he knew that we would 659 00:38:08,641 --> 00:38:09,881 Speaker 4: be dafter from them. 660 00:38:11,841 --> 00:38:13,801 Speaker 1: And that was something I remember when I first spoke 661 00:38:13,841 --> 00:38:15,561 Speaker 1: to you. That was important for you to have a 662 00:38:15,641 --> 00:38:19,081 Speaker 1: voice in your dad's case because you were the little 663 00:38:19,081 --> 00:38:21,881 Speaker 1: baby whose dad went missing and you were sort of protected, 664 00:38:21,921 --> 00:38:26,521 Speaker 1: I guess by everybody. But now you're here, you're a 665 00:38:26,601 --> 00:38:29,921 Speaker 1: mum yourself, You're an adult living in this and it's 666 00:38:29,961 --> 00:38:33,081 Speaker 1: forty years on and there's it's not getting any easier. 667 00:38:33,961 --> 00:38:37,241 Speaker 4: Strangely, it doesn't doesn't Like I remember being younger, and 668 00:38:37,321 --> 00:38:40,401 Speaker 4: you know, you see people like your parents or your parents' 669 00:38:40,401 --> 00:38:43,201 Speaker 4: friends and stuff like that, and they discuss about, you know, 670 00:38:43,281 --> 00:38:46,361 Speaker 4: how they get older. I even remember my Unie Dye 671 00:38:46,521 --> 00:38:49,281 Speaker 4: talking about it wasn't called the circle of life, but 672 00:38:49,401 --> 00:38:52,241 Speaker 4: she with what I recall was like, you know, as 673 00:38:52,281 --> 00:38:56,201 Speaker 4: you moved through life, you have not very good relationship 674 00:38:56,241 --> 00:38:58,761 Speaker 4: with your parents because your friends are more important. 675 00:38:58,841 --> 00:39:00,441 Speaker 3: And you know, forty. 676 00:39:00,161 --> 00:39:03,361 Speaker 4: Seven, I'm in that phase where you know you want 677 00:39:03,441 --> 00:39:06,521 Speaker 4: nothing more and you would appreciate this yourself. You want 678 00:39:06,521 --> 00:39:11,641 Speaker 4: nothing more than your parents, yes, so sadly, and because 679 00:39:11,681 --> 00:39:12,241 Speaker 4: of that. 680 00:39:12,561 --> 00:39:13,321 Speaker 3: It gets harder. 681 00:39:15,121 --> 00:39:17,921 Speaker 1: So can I ask you? I have tried to find 682 00:39:17,921 --> 00:39:20,881 Speaker 1: a reward for your dad online, but I couldn't find anything. 683 00:39:21,361 --> 00:39:23,121 Speaker 3: No, there isn't one. There isn't one. 684 00:39:23,561 --> 00:39:26,721 Speaker 1: How does that make you feel when other people have 685 00:39:26,801 --> 00:39:29,241 Speaker 1: rewards and your dad doesn't? 686 00:39:30,081 --> 00:39:30,801 Speaker 3: Angry? 687 00:39:31,161 --> 00:39:33,561 Speaker 4: A lot of it makes you feel angry, to be honest, 688 00:39:33,561 --> 00:39:39,601 Speaker 4: there is so much unjust towards people, Like why does 689 00:39:40,361 --> 00:39:44,321 Speaker 4: that person that's got that fifty thousand dollar reward only 690 00:39:44,361 --> 00:39:47,721 Speaker 4: deserve fifty thousand, but that person that's got a half 691 00:39:47,761 --> 00:39:50,441 Speaker 4: a million dollar reward deserves half a million? 692 00:39:51,401 --> 00:39:52,001 Speaker 3: But what's that? 693 00:39:52,081 --> 00:39:56,561 Speaker 4: What makes them more important than my dad? Like, Okay, 694 00:39:56,601 --> 00:39:59,361 Speaker 4: he's my dad. He's important to me because he's my dad, 695 00:39:59,441 --> 00:40:05,041 Speaker 4: But he's important because he's a human and he matters. 696 00:40:05,041 --> 00:40:11,121 Speaker 4: It's important because throughout his short thirty two years he 697 00:40:11,281 --> 00:40:15,961 Speaker 4: touched people's lives. Like I mean, I experienced probably one 698 00:40:15,961 --> 00:40:20,001 Speaker 4: of the most amazing things that I've ever experienced this 699 00:40:20,081 --> 00:40:24,241 Speaker 4: year through Missing Person's Week, when Nicole put Dad's post 700 00:40:24,361 --> 00:40:29,881 Speaker 4: up and one of his school acquaintances commented, Now, I've 701 00:40:30,001 --> 00:40:34,121 Speaker 4: never ever ever come across anybody that knows my dad 702 00:40:34,801 --> 00:40:39,401 Speaker 4: outside of my family, and to have this lady comment 703 00:40:40,561 --> 00:40:45,841 Speaker 4: was just absolutely amazing, absolutely amazing. She actually sent me 704 00:40:46,001 --> 00:40:49,241 Speaker 4: through some school photos of Dad, you know, like we're 705 00:40:49,241 --> 00:40:53,001 Speaker 4: talking primary schools, so if you can remember someone from 706 00:40:53,041 --> 00:40:57,361 Speaker 4: primary school, they obviously made an impact. There was something 707 00:40:57,441 --> 00:41:00,721 Speaker 4: about them that made you go oh. And it was 708 00:41:01,041 --> 00:41:04,321 Speaker 4: her and two of her friends had never known that 709 00:41:04,601 --> 00:41:08,241 Speaker 4: Dad was a missing person until Nicole launched her book, 710 00:41:09,001 --> 00:41:11,521 Speaker 4: and Kate's someone that works for I think it's a 711 00:41:11,801 --> 00:41:13,961 Speaker 4: career mail did a little bit of a write up 712 00:41:14,001 --> 00:41:16,801 Speaker 4: about Dad and that's how they found out. 713 00:41:16,641 --> 00:41:18,881 Speaker 1: Because there hasn't been a lot of media about your 714 00:41:18,961 --> 00:41:23,161 Speaker 1: dad or any help in trying to make awareness in 715 00:41:23,241 --> 00:41:23,881 Speaker 1: his case. 716 00:41:24,121 --> 00:41:24,960 Speaker 3: Absolutely none. 717 00:41:24,961 --> 00:41:26,561 Speaker 1: That's why as soon as we saw you were like, 718 00:41:27,041 --> 00:41:28,401 Speaker 1: we want to talk to you, We want to help, 719 00:41:28,441 --> 00:41:30,401 Speaker 1: We want to help if we can, you know, because 720 00:41:30,961 --> 00:41:33,641 Speaker 1: I know what that feels like, Like I know, my 721 00:41:33,721 --> 00:41:36,081 Speaker 1: mum's case is very well known now there are still 722 00:41:36,081 --> 00:41:39,081 Speaker 1: people that don't know. And it took me twenty two 723 00:41:39,161 --> 00:41:41,401 Speaker 1: years to get to that point, so it's not like 724 00:41:41,441 --> 00:41:43,681 Speaker 1: it's been like that forever. It was very difficult, and 725 00:41:43,721 --> 00:41:46,721 Speaker 1: I very much remember the times. You know, lots of errors, 726 00:41:46,801 --> 00:41:50,281 Speaker 1: lots of problems in the case. There is an error 727 00:41:50,281 --> 00:41:53,281 Speaker 1: that I want to talk about actually before we finish 728 00:41:53,401 --> 00:41:55,321 Speaker 1: up today, because I think it's important to put it 729 00:41:55,361 --> 00:41:59,961 Speaker 1: out there. But when we're talking about information, you have 730 00:42:00,161 --> 00:42:05,081 Speaker 1: mentioned that the inquest findings were flawed and focused a 731 00:42:05,081 --> 00:42:10,121 Speaker 1: portunately on mental health speculation. As I mentioned, the coronial 732 00:42:10,161 --> 00:42:14,281 Speaker 1: process only happened in twenty twenty one, so thirty six 733 00:42:14,361 --> 00:42:19,161 Speaker 1: years after Billy is missing, and it wasn't an increase 734 00:42:19,201 --> 00:42:22,321 Speaker 1: which we've discussed. It was a record of investigation into 735 00:42:22,441 --> 00:42:25,801 Speaker 1: death through a magistrate's court on the fourth of May 736 00:42:25,881 --> 00:42:30,001 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one in Tasmania. But we've actually got information 737 00:42:30,161 --> 00:42:33,241 Speaker 1: in there that states that Billy's mum reported him missing, 738 00:42:34,041 --> 00:42:37,681 Speaker 1: when in actual fact it was ray his sister to 739 00:42:37,761 --> 00:42:43,161 Speaker 1: Queensland Police on the twentieth of June nineteen eighty nine. Okay, guys, 740 00:42:43,241 --> 00:42:48,561 Speaker 1: this is actually on the record of investigation. It's very 741 00:42:48,601 --> 00:42:51,721 Speaker 1: well stated everywhere that Billy went missing in nineteen eighty five. 742 00:42:52,201 --> 00:42:58,081 Speaker 1: That's four years earlier. How does that affect you when 743 00:42:58,081 --> 00:42:59,281 Speaker 1: you see errors. 744 00:42:59,081 --> 00:43:04,121 Speaker 4: Like that again, it makes me angry just to touch 745 00:43:04,521 --> 00:43:07,121 Speaker 4: space on your question about him not being on the 746 00:43:07,161 --> 00:43:11,721 Speaker 4: AFP register until twenty twenty one, that that's actually incorrect. 747 00:43:11,801 --> 00:43:14,881 Speaker 4: He was on the AFP Registerr and has always been 748 00:43:14,881 --> 00:43:16,161 Speaker 4: on the AFP Registrar. 749 00:43:17,121 --> 00:43:21,041 Speaker 3: He was under different spelling, so. 750 00:43:21,321 --> 00:43:23,601 Speaker 1: Okay, that's probably why I've found that. 751 00:43:23,761 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 4: Okay, Yeah, So it took me until twenty twenty one 752 00:43:28,281 --> 00:43:32,961 Speaker 4: to get our surname spelled correctly. Right, So my dad 753 00:43:33,081 --> 00:43:37,441 Speaker 4: was on the AFP Registrar as William Francis Stephan, but 754 00:43:37,601 --> 00:43:44,440 Speaker 4: Stephan was spelt An not Stublefen, and no matter how 755 00:43:44,481 --> 00:43:48,321 Speaker 4: many times I requested it to get changed, it just 756 00:43:48,401 --> 00:43:53,921 Speaker 4: didn't seem to occur moving on into the inquest. When 757 00:43:53,921 --> 00:43:58,321 Speaker 4: the inquest first came out, there was several mistakes even 758 00:43:58,401 --> 00:44:01,001 Speaker 4: down and I know I'm probably being pedantic, but I. 759 00:44:00,961 --> 00:44:03,961 Speaker 3: Think when you're think you're allowed to be dealing. 760 00:44:03,641 --> 00:44:08,001 Speaker 4: With things like this where every little detail does matter, 761 00:44:08,841 --> 00:44:12,201 Speaker 4: but you're also dealing with the government, why are they 762 00:44:12,961 --> 00:44:16,881 Speaker 4: being sloppy with their work? So my name was spelled incorrectly. 763 00:44:17,201 --> 00:44:20,321 Speaker 4: There is still within the current inquest there is still 764 00:44:20,321 --> 00:44:23,401 Speaker 4: a mistake where it says that he married in nineteen 765 00:44:23,681 --> 00:44:27,681 Speaker 4: around nineteen seventy eight, which is a complete lie. I 766 00:44:27,841 --> 00:44:31,361 Speaker 4: was born in seventy eight. My parents married when my 767 00:44:31,481 --> 00:44:34,201 Speaker 4: brother was young. My brother was about six months old, 768 00:44:34,241 --> 00:44:37,881 Speaker 4: so that would make it nineteen seventy six that they married. 769 00:44:38,801 --> 00:44:42,601 Speaker 4: But to get the spelling of the names changed, I 770 00:44:42,641 --> 00:44:46,801 Speaker 4: actually had to prove my identity. I couldn't ring and 771 00:44:47,161 --> 00:44:50,121 Speaker 4: or email and just say, hey, listen, I'm Susi on. 772 00:44:50,561 --> 00:44:54,440 Speaker 4: I actually had to have JP signed documents and prove 773 00:44:54,521 --> 00:44:55,241 Speaker 4: my identity. 774 00:44:55,321 --> 00:44:57,801 Speaker 3: And I'm like, really, like, who. 775 00:44:57,641 --> 00:45:00,161 Speaker 4: In the right mind what person is just going to 776 00:45:00,241 --> 00:45:03,601 Speaker 4: randomly email you or bring you up and say, by 777 00:45:03,641 --> 00:45:05,761 Speaker 4: the way, this spelling is incorrect, can you fix it? 778 00:45:06,361 --> 00:45:08,881 Speaker 4: And you know, I'm emailing you on an email that 779 00:45:09,161 --> 00:45:13,601 Speaker 4: you actually just emailed two to send me this in quest, 780 00:45:13,721 --> 00:45:16,041 Speaker 4: so I'm coming back to you from the same email. 781 00:45:16,601 --> 00:45:18,441 Speaker 1: It doesn't make any sense, Yes, And they just make 782 00:45:18,481 --> 00:45:22,001 Speaker 1: it so difficult, don't they. That is unnecessary, Absolutely unnecessary, 783 00:45:22,041 --> 00:45:25,201 Speaker 1: and it's important. But in retrospect as well, like it 784 00:45:25,481 --> 00:45:28,761 Speaker 1: has been mentioned throughout I'm pretty sure Nicole's book and 785 00:45:29,041 --> 00:45:32,641 Speaker 1: I know within the police files in general, Dad was 786 00:45:33,041 --> 00:45:37,001 Speaker 1: no one to use aliases when he was on AFP 787 00:45:37,241 --> 00:45:42,921 Speaker 1: register as Stublefan. In one sense it was it was annoying, 788 00:45:42,961 --> 00:45:45,481 Speaker 1: It was very frustrating and annoying, But in the other sense, 789 00:45:45,521 --> 00:45:48,041 Speaker 1: it was like, well, you know, somebody pops up with 790 00:45:48,121 --> 00:45:48,641 Speaker 1: that spelling. 791 00:45:48,721 --> 00:45:50,000 Speaker 3: Could it actually be him? 792 00:45:50,681 --> 00:45:55,521 Speaker 4: But details matter, people, Details absolutely matter, and they would. 793 00:45:55,241 --> 00:45:57,641 Speaker 1: Think, like you use the word sloppy, I think that's 794 00:45:57,641 --> 00:46:01,681 Speaker 1: a great word for it, because it's important these people. 795 00:46:01,681 --> 00:46:03,801 Speaker 1: When you're putting out proof of life checks and you're 796 00:46:04,201 --> 00:46:08,001 Speaker 1: doing DNA and things like that, the information should be 797 00:46:08,161 --> 00:46:13,521 Speaker 1: absolutely mickey mouse, absolutely errors, no errors. This is what 798 00:46:13,561 --> 00:46:16,641 Speaker 1: you're paid to do. So we've talked about a lot today. 799 00:46:17,401 --> 00:46:20,361 Speaker 1: I hope. I know it's a massive rollercoaster. I get 800 00:46:20,401 --> 00:46:26,241 Speaker 1: it completely. I have here that you said something pretty powerful. 801 00:46:26,481 --> 00:46:29,441 Speaker 1: You know, why is one person's life deemed more important 802 00:46:29,761 --> 00:46:34,761 Speaker 1: than another's? I want you to explain for us on 803 00:46:34,961 --> 00:46:39,601 Speaker 1: what equality in recognition would mean for your dad and 804 00:46:39,721 --> 00:46:41,001 Speaker 1: others in the similar situation. 805 00:46:42,041 --> 00:46:45,321 Speaker 4: I found that really challenging when I've read that, Like, 806 00:46:45,361 --> 00:46:47,561 Speaker 4: I know that that was my statement, but I'm not 807 00:46:47,641 --> 00:46:52,161 Speaker 4: sure how I can articulate and explain what that means. Because, 808 00:46:52,441 --> 00:46:55,361 Speaker 4: as I just said before, when we were going on 809 00:46:55,401 --> 00:47:00,241 Speaker 4: about the sloppy work and how detailed matters and their rewards. 810 00:46:59,681 --> 00:47:02,121 Speaker 3: And how some get them and some don't, Like. 811 00:47:03,561 --> 00:47:08,801 Speaker 4: He's a human, you have people out there that, you know, 812 00:47:08,921 --> 00:47:13,041 Speaker 4: like against abortion because a fetus at twelve weeks has 813 00:47:13,041 --> 00:47:18,241 Speaker 4: a heartbeat, and they're advocating for those people that matter 814 00:47:18,761 --> 00:47:21,721 Speaker 4: and that they didn't get a chance to grow and 815 00:47:21,761 --> 00:47:26,961 Speaker 4: develop and become an actual, living, walking human. How is 816 00:47:27,001 --> 00:47:30,321 Speaker 4: it any different to my dad? How is it any 817 00:47:30,361 --> 00:47:33,480 Speaker 4: different to your mum? Why does it need to come 818 00:47:33,561 --> 00:47:39,601 Speaker 4: down to somebody's race, religion, belief, sexuality, or age before 819 00:47:39,681 --> 00:47:44,201 Speaker 4: they actually matter. Why can't we just have my dad here, 820 00:47:44,921 --> 00:47:50,001 Speaker 4: who is a human being. He's obviously a father, he's 821 00:47:50,041 --> 00:47:53,081 Speaker 4: a brother, he was a son, he's an uncle, he 822 00:47:53,201 --> 00:47:54,921 Speaker 4: was a cousin, he was a friend. 823 00:47:56,321 --> 00:47:58,761 Speaker 3: Why does he not matter enough to have a half. 824 00:47:58,641 --> 00:48:04,401 Speaker 4: A million dollar reward versus somebody else's son, brother, uncle, cousin, friend. 825 00:48:05,441 --> 00:48:07,481 Speaker 3: We are all one, you know. 826 00:48:07,481 --> 00:48:10,561 Speaker 4: People bang on just in general society that we are 827 00:48:10,561 --> 00:48:13,721 Speaker 4: all one, and you know, stop the hate, stop this, 828 00:48:13,801 --> 00:48:19,561 Speaker 4: stop that it's across every every sort of facet of life, unfortunately, 829 00:48:20,241 --> 00:48:23,241 Speaker 4: and I just am really passionate. I guess in that 830 00:48:23,401 --> 00:48:27,241 Speaker 4: sense that it doesn't matter who you are, whether you're 831 00:48:27,281 --> 00:48:32,041 Speaker 4: a missing person, whether you're a Jehovah witness, whether your 832 00:48:32,321 --> 00:48:39,641 Speaker 4: sexual orientation is that of homosexuality, doesn't matter, whether you're two, 833 00:48:39,881 --> 00:48:41,241 Speaker 4: whether you're sixty two. 834 00:48:42,201 --> 00:48:48,081 Speaker 3: You matter. Every single person matters, so make it equal. 835 00:48:49,321 --> 00:48:51,481 Speaker 3: They all matter, absolutely, they will matter, and. 836 00:48:51,481 --> 00:48:54,121 Speaker 1: Your dad matters. And I'm really grateful for you coming 837 00:48:54,121 --> 00:48:58,041 Speaker 1: on and talking to me, and I hope that it's 838 00:48:58,041 --> 00:49:03,281 Speaker 1: been helpful. I hope that we can help more in 839 00:49:03,361 --> 00:49:06,921 Speaker 1: this space in giving you some solace and some peace 840 00:49:07,441 --> 00:49:10,321 Speaker 1: and finding some more information that might help you and 841 00:49:10,361 --> 00:49:16,561 Speaker 1: your family know what happened to your dad, Billy. Yeah, 842 00:49:16,721 --> 00:49:20,201 Speaker 1: it's been a long time and you deserve peace. How 843 00:49:20,241 --> 00:49:23,081 Speaker 1: can people find you to contact you? 844 00:49:23,401 --> 00:49:23,921 Speaker 3: Facebook? 845 00:49:23,921 --> 00:49:26,881 Speaker 4: I guess is you know, generally the best and only 846 00:49:26,921 --> 00:49:31,761 Speaker 4: place really Facebook. My Facebook is just it's my personal one, 847 00:49:31,841 --> 00:49:34,321 Speaker 4: So it's just SUSI Studley s U s I E 848 00:49:34,601 --> 00:49:37,281 Speaker 4: S T w D. So yeah, you can't get me 849 00:49:37,321 --> 00:49:39,681 Speaker 4: wrong if you if you make sure Dad is the 850 00:49:39,721 --> 00:49:42,401 Speaker 4: one that you click on, and Dad's thereh as my 851 00:49:42,441 --> 00:49:45,561 Speaker 4: cover photo, that's me. So they're always welcome to reach 852 00:49:45,641 --> 00:49:49,121 Speaker 4: out personally like that. Obviously, I understand yourself would be 853 00:49:49,201 --> 00:49:53,561 Speaker 4: happy to take care of messages through the Missing Matters or. 854 00:49:54,281 --> 00:49:56,361 Speaker 1: So we have a we have an email that people 855 00:49:56,401 --> 00:50:00,561 Speaker 1: can email us on at info at missingmatter dot com. 856 00:50:00,961 --> 00:50:03,440 Speaker 1: Obviously I've got my Facebook pages as well, where people 857 00:50:03,521 --> 00:50:05,721 Speaker 1: do comment on there as well, but any that comes 858 00:50:05,761 --> 00:50:10,241 Speaker 1: forward I share with those of my previous fellow guests 859 00:50:10,281 --> 00:50:11,841 Speaker 1: who have come on and had to chat with me. 860 00:50:12,481 --> 00:50:16,001 Speaker 1: So yeah, we wish you all the best, and I'm 861 00:50:16,041 --> 00:50:18,001 Speaker 1: really grateful for you making the effort to come in. 862 00:50:18,361 --> 00:50:18,801 Speaker 3: Thank you. 863 00:50:19,081 --> 00:50:19,481 Speaker 1: Thank you. 864 00:50:22,001 --> 00:50:22,681 Speaker 3: Next week. 865 00:50:23,001 --> 00:50:27,361 Speaker 5: On the missing matter, I wanted to call Mum and 866 00:50:27,401 --> 00:50:29,841 Speaker 5: say you're having a heart and I didn't expect for 867 00:50:29,881 --> 00:50:32,641 Speaker 5: her to answer the phone, but I just remember when 868 00:50:32,641 --> 00:50:35,081 Speaker 5: I got to that point, my heart just sunk and 869 00:50:35,121 --> 00:50:36,681 Speaker 5: I just got this light. It was like I'd been 870 00:50:36,761 --> 00:50:38,440 Speaker 5: kicked in the Guard and the guards in the Guard 871 00:50:39,561 --> 00:50:41,281 Speaker 5: that would you to fly back to Melbourne on that day, 872 00:50:41,681 --> 00:50:45,121 Speaker 5: And when they missed their flights, then that's when I 873 00:50:45,121 --> 00:50:47,881 Speaker 5: guess it made it all the more real that there 874 00:50:47,961 --> 00:50:50,441 Speaker 5: is something really bad going on, because Mum wouldn't have 875 00:50:50,441 --> 00:50:54,161 Speaker 5: missed that either. My family was really important to Mum. 876 00:50:54,841 --> 00:50:56,281 Speaker 5: And then she said, look, baby, I've got to go, 877 00:50:56,641 --> 00:50:59,001 Speaker 5: but i'll see you when I get home, and don't forget. 878 00:50:58,681 --> 00:51:00,001 Speaker 1: How much I love you and how proud of you 879 00:51:00,041 --> 00:51:00,281 Speaker 1: I am. 880 00:51:00,441 --> 00:51:02,881 Speaker 5: And then I said, yeah, I love you too, Mum, 881 00:51:03,361 --> 00:51:06,561 Speaker 5: And I didn't think anything more of it. But how 882 00:51:06,601 --> 00:51:09,041 Speaker 5: prolific those words, those final words, ended up being, I 883 00:51:09,041 --> 00:51:17,081 Speaker 5: guess