Case 109: Belanglo (Part 1)

Mar 23, 2019

[Part 1 of 5] The Hume Freeway is one of the busiest interstate routes in Australia, linking the countries two most populous cities, Sydney and Melbourne... Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host (https://twitter.com/casefilehost) Episode researched by the Anonymous Host (https://twitter.com/casefilehost) Episode written by Elsha McGill For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-109-belanglo-part-1

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the Hume freeway is one of the busiest Interstate routes in Australia linking the country's two most populous cities Sydney and Melbourne stretching for eight hundred and forty kilometers the Hume is part of the O's link national network providing a vital connection for Freight and Transit between the two major res Coast cities in 2013 the creation of the Holbrook a bypass marked the completion of an extensive overhaul of the roadway with

Sydney and Melbourne now linked by continuous julaine freeway unrestricted by the traffic lights and speed restrictions of passing townships but it wasn't always this way prior to the upgrade the Hume freeway was the Hume Highway those navigating the old Hume had to drive through a vast number of urban and rural townships traffic lights and intersections despite the bypass upgrades that occurred throughout the years

one aspect of the human has remained the same it is the only Road providing access to the belonga low state forest located 130 kilometers Southwest of Sydney in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales belonga low State Forest stretches 440 square kilometers and comprises 700 hectares of commercial Pine plantations bordered by several thousand hectares of native Bush land

entrance is gained only by driving or walking through the seemingly endless rows of dense pine trees

the forest is home to a plethora of native flora and fauna including koalas wombats Kangaroos and many species of birds

providing a popular Recreation spot for campers trail bike riders Bush Walkers picnickers and photographers many parts of the seemingly endless rugged terrain are so remote that can only be accessed by a four-wheel drive or on foot

entrance to bilingual oh he's gained via the Hume 16 kilometres south of the Southern Highlands town of barrel where a sealed Road quickly gives way to Rocky dirt roads steep hills and creek crossings impossible to navigate without an off-road vehicle

fire trails and a complex network of tracks and paths crisscross throughout the forest which is so large and isolated that it's rare to encounter another person whilst visiting there are no signs or obvious landmarks the signifier ones location within making it a very easy place to get disoriented and to Lost

the forest is thought to have been named by an early 1800s settler who was so enchanted by the Untamed beauty of the area that he christened at bolongo low meaning good Angel despite its blender and distinctively Australian landscape which continues to attract a nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world those who venture to the secluded Forest note the vast space is enveloped by an eerie silence

as visitors turn to the forest entrance a large ominous sign surrounded by a wall of tearing trees warns welcome to berlanga low State Forest please be careful

in the 1990s over 200,000 youngtravellers ventured to Australia reach year attracted by the sun Surf and rugged natural beauty of the countries of area to landscape Travelers were promised exotic and exciting Adventures

the backpacking lifestyle offered young people the opportunity to develop their independence gain new experiences and interact with a wide range of new people from all over

nice backpack is who arrived to Australia where aged in their early to mid-20s and either taking time off between studying or securing their first professional jobs or wanting to figure out their next step in life and majority traveled alone or with one other person stayed in the country for an average visit of six months and either lived frugally off their hard-earned savings or funded their trip as they went with fruit-picking jobs bar chefs nannying or casual

farm work

forty percent of Backpackers came from the UK and another 30% ventured over from Continental Europe backpacking accounted for a major part of the country's tourism industry contributing approximately 1.5 billion dollars to the Australian economy annually

in the days before the internet Backpackers relied on Word of Mouth to plan their trips knowledge was passed from one traveler to the next the best destinations to visit the areas to avoid and to the cheapest ways to get from place to place

notice boards on display at hostels provided an invaluable resource to tourists seeking travel companions or looking to share the cost of Transit with many Backpackers partnering up to cut costs and make new friends trains and buses were a common form of Transport that many budget Travelers also purchased the cheap used cars so they could cover more ground that their own pace although it was often frowned upon hitchhiking

another popular method of Transit hitching provided a cheap convenient way to move around for those on tight budgets while allowing visitors to meet locals and learn all about the area they were traversing by the people who lived there although this risky practice was strongly discouraged to by police and many employers advised the truck drivers against picking up Hitchhikers in the 90s it was a common way for travelers to get around

a free book titled the budget Travelers guidebook was available in hostels throughout New South Wales providing information written by Backpackers for Backpackers it listed the Hume highway is an ideal and popular hitch hiking spot for those looking to travel south from Sydney to Melbourne noting the Liverpool train station has a good starting point the guidebook advised

hitchhiking is generally safe and legal if you stand in a sensible spot solo guys into couples have a good chance of a lift make a destination sign and have your backpack visible women should not hitchhike alone

19 year old James Gibson was one of many young Travelers who favored hitchhiking as a mode of Transit

described as friendly free-spirited impulsive and somewhat nomadic James was most passionate about two things in life art and to the environment

he took conservation issue seriously and was dedicated to saving the planet by attending Wilderness walks volunteering in the country fire service and participating in anti logging protests

his dedication to the cause had recently led him to hitchhike from his family home on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula to a protest in the New South Wales town of nimbin upon his return home James was happy to be reunited with his family of whom he was very close to yet the nomadic lifestyle called the him and he soon found himself eager to hit the road again he decided to defer the sculpture course he

drought in at Frankston Tafe to have one more Adventure although he was happy traveling alone James invited his girlfriend Debra Everest to join him on the trip

the two had met earlier that year at the beginning of 1989 where they had hit it off immediately despite their many differences

Deborah Everest was a bubbly and vivacious nineteen-year-old noted for her dry mischievous sense of humor a budding writer and Avid Reader she was studying psychology at Melbourne's Monash University while working part-time for charity organization the quadriplegic Society

Deborah intended to eventually make the move into journalism she had been living away from home while attending uni but as 1989 Drew to an end she deferred her studies and returned to her family home in Suburban Frankston to help take care of her father after he was diagnosed with cancer

Deborah planned to return to University the following year but with her studies temporarily on hold she was free to join James on his journey although she didn't share the same nomadic hippie traits as her boyfriend and much Preferred Home Comforts Deborah had never traveled before and thought it would do her good to take a break and to broaden her Horizons

James and Deborah made a plan to travel North to Sydney where they would catch up with some of James's friends before the group would head back south together to Aubrey original City on the New South Wales Victorian border there that make their way to the small Riverside town of Wawa to attend confessed a bush camping Festival that celebrates alternative Lifestyles offering workshops live music and vegetarian food

on the morning of December 28th 1989 James and Deborah's parents respectively dropped their children off at the Frankston train station

James told his mother the pair intended to hitchhike from Melbourne to Sydney via the Hume Highway and she wasn't happy about the idea although her son was a gregarious and experienced traveler she was aware of the dangers of hitchhiking and warned her son to be careful

James reassured his mother that hitchhiking was perfectly safe as long as you didn't travel alone so she had nothing to worry about considering Deborah would be by his side

unlike James Deborah didn't tell her mother they planned on hitchhiking instead explaining they were catching a train to Melbourne and would then be getting a lift to Sydney with some friends

at around 9 a.m. James and Deborah farewell their parents purchased their tickets and to boarded the train to Melbourne

James had packed his red with blue trim Berg house brand a backpack full of clothes as well as a small camping stove and a 35-millimeter RICO brand SLR camera his parents had given him earlier that year

Deborah was equipped with a green nylon sports bag packed with clothes and personal items and green and beige sleeping bag that she had taken from her brother without asking and 260 dollars in cash

the duo disembarked the train in Melbourne City and quickly succeeded in obtaining a ride North Woods to Sydney it was the summer holidays so there was plenty of traffic on the road and it was easy to get a lift

James and Debra made the long journey North without any hiccups and arrived in Sydney as planned

upon their arrival at James's friends house in the inner city suburb of Surrey Hills they discovered the group they were supposed to be meeting there had already left for confessed without them

their trip to Sydney was now pointless as James and Deborah had specifically traveled an additional six hours North to join up with the confessed group

a little frustrated but accepting the situation James and Deborah decided to stay the night in Sydney before making the six-hour journey backs out the confessed in the morning

James his friends flatmate invited them to sleep on the lounge room floor before they departed for Aubrey the next day

that night December 29 Deborah phoned her mother to say we've arrived safely I knew you would be in a panic until you heard from me we're fine don't worry I'll send you a postcard and will ring you tomorrow

James and Deborah set out for Aubrey the following morning of December 30 at around 10 a.m. they intended to follow the well-worn Backpackers path which involved catching a train to either Liverpool or casula in Sydney Southwest before heading towards the Hume highway on foot and then attempting to hitch a ride south from a passing motorist however the exact route they ultimately decided to take

is unknown

that day Deborah's mother Patricia Everest the waited eagerly for a phone call from her daughter as promised but the evening came and went and there was no word from Deborah even though it was unlocked Deborah not to be in touch Patricia tried to reassure herself that the traveling couple were probably just having such a great time that they forgot to call home as the days went by and still she hadn't heard from her daughter Patricia became increasingly

really concerned

she contacted James's mother Peg Gibson who advised she hadn't received any contact from her son

Peg wasn't too worried though she was used to James venturing off to remote locations where there were limited means of communication so she assured Patricia their children were probably just in an area with no telephone access

but as the days continued to pass by and still there was no word from James or Deborah Peg began to share Patricia's concern

the two mothers kept in close contact see if the other heard anything but when no news came through they soon became frantic

on January 15 1992 weeks since Debra's last phone call home Patricia Everest and Peg Gibson made their way to the Frankston police station together where they reported their two children missing

an officer entered James and Deborah's names into the missing persons register noting that although James was known at times to live a somewhat nomadic lifestyle he was also a responsible young man and it was out of character for either of them not to be in contact with their families

police took the report seriously but it wasn't seen as a priority as the officers deemed at likely their 19 year olds had simply gotten swept up on an adventure and would call home soon Patricia and Peggy new such Behavior would be out of character for their children the tried to find comfort in the possibility

James's sister's wedding day was fast approaching and to the Gibson and Everest families held on the hopes the pair would return home in time for the occasion

James and his sister were closed and his family knew there was no way he would miss such a milestone event but the big day on January 21 came and went with no contact from James or Deborah

their families had no doubt now that something was horribly wrong

friends and relatives gathered together to help with the search wearing t-shirts asking for information they stopped at all the towns truck stops service stations and rest stops up and down the Hume Highway they distributed posters featuring James and Deborah's photographs with the Bold title missing advising anyone with information about the Duo's whereabouts to contact the police despite these efforts days turned into months

and still there were no sightings and had no word from James or Deborah

on March 13 1991 a woman named Wendy was driving along gulstan Gorge Road and narrow picturesque stretch of asphalt had road that runs between the towns of Hornsby and to do rule in the Northwest outskirts of Sydney when he noticed the red backpack with blue trim on the side of the road and stopped to pick it up throwing it in the boot of her car

when Wendy arrived to work she had a look through the backpack but didn't find anything of Interest it contained a black pen a tin of sardines and some pine needles which she noted as odd considering there were no pine trees in gulstan Gorge

she also noticed the ID tag had been cut out of the backpack meaning there was no way of identifying its owner so Wendy put the pack aside and went about her day

the next day she had another look at the backpack and a noticed there was a name address and telephone number written in conspicuously on the bottom of the pack along side the phone number read the word Gibson

Wendy called the number and the pig Gibson answered advising the backpack belonged to her son James who had been missing along with these girlfriend Debra for three and a half months with this information Wendy immediately drove to Hornsby police station intended the backpack in

after the discovery of the backpack James and Deborah's disappearance started gaining more attention local newspaper the Hornsby Advocate ran a story about the missing couple advising that James is backpack had now been located but he's Rico brand camera and to Debra's belongings were nowhere to be seen

the story Spock to the attention of a local cyclist who had been riding his bike on gholston Gorge Road on December 31 1989 the day after James and Deborah were last seen in Sydney the cyclist found what appeared to be a new 35-millimeter Rico brand camera on the side of the road

considering there was nothing on it to help identify its owner the cyclist took the camera home and didn't give it much more thought

now realizing the camera might belong to missing backpack a James Gibson he immediately handed it in to Hornsby police station

members of James's family flew to Sydney and formally identified the backpack in the camera as belonging to the missing 19 year old they were confused about the location in which the items were found James and the Deborah had plans to head south to confessed near Aubrey so it made no sense that their belongings had shown up on the northwest outskirts of Sydney

gulstan Gorge Road was about 45 kilometres Northwest of Surrey Hills the last place the couple were seen

police appealed to Witnesses who may have seen or picked up the couple to come forward but to no success

in April an extensive police search of the rugged galston Gorge area was conducted with police divers searching the river while 140 officers and emergency service Personnel conducted a foot search along the winding gulstan Gorge Road

investigators remained open to all possibilities including the hopeful that the pair had run away together after dumping their belongings to the Sinister that they fell to their deaths while climbing the cliffs enacted a suicide pact or had fallen victim to Foul Play

given the fact to James and Deborah were both close with their families and had no prior history of self-harm accidental death or foul play with deemed the more likely of the worst-case scenarios despite the extensive search efforts no other items belonging to the couple were found

for Patricia Everest the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to her daughter was the most painful aspect quote this is one of the worst things that can happen to parents you can't breathe the worst thing is not knowing you lie awake at night and imagine everything

the months continue to pass by and no new information came to lie James and Deborah's disappearance quickly faded from the news and had very little impact on other youngtravellers as the back packing industry continued to thrive

twenty-one-year-old Simone's middle known to friends as see me was bitten by the travel bug early when she was 11 years old she traveled with her family from their home country of Germany to Canada which sparked her Keen sense of adventure after finishing High School Simone headed to Yugoslavia remarking to a friend if I could afford it I'd spend the rest of my life traveling around the world

it was a passion well suited to her fun outgoing and trusting personality which made her a confident jetsetter

two years after her trip to Yugoslavia Simone visited Canada and Alaska for a camping holiday where she met a number of fellow Travelers including several Australians there was one person in particular she hit it off with a young woman from Sydney named Christine Murphy and Simone decided Australia would be her next to destination she considered it to be a safe and friendly country much like Canada and was eager to see the Striking colors of the

Barrier Reef and to the endless Desert Horizon of the Aussie Outback

Simone returned home to Regensburg a Bavarian City near Munich in Germany working hard as a bookkeeper to save money for her upcoming Australian Adventure once Simone had successfully funded her trip she went shopping with her father to buy the items required for her Australian camping holiday

she purchased the blue salewa brand backpack adorned with a lilac pattern a green and purple so they were branded sleeping bag a day pack and of cooking set the vowed a brand Hogan model 10 she wanted wasn't in stock so the sales assistant had to order one in from the manufacturer the 10th arrived two weeks later and Simone returned to the store to collect and sign for the item

armed with everything she needed Simone made her way to the Regensburg train station on September 29 and 1990 where she planned to catch a train to Frankfurt before boarding her flight to Sydney she was fair World by her father who urged his daughter to be careful but Simone was more concerned about her father's well-being than her own telling him take care and be careful that nothing happens to you when I'm in Australia

I won't be able to help if something happens

during her flight to Sydney Simone struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger in The Backpacker name to Jeanette Muller and to the two became instant friends

as neither had any solid plans upon their arrival to Australia they decided to travel together

their first stop was a visit to Christine Murphy whom Simone had met on her trip to Alaska Simone and her new companion Jeanette arrived to Christine's house in the western Sydney suburb of Guilford which they used as a base while exploring the city

after a week spent so I'd saying Simone and Justin are called a train to Liverpool and set out on foot down the Hume Highway hitching a ride to Melbourne

from there they bought a cheap car and drove North up to Queensland before driving back to Melbourne to meet up with some friends

in Melbourne the women sold their car and decided to hitchhike back to Sydney they become very familiar with the Hume Highway during their travels and felt confident accepting rides along this well-trodden route

in Sydney they stayed with Christine Murphy again before flying to New Zealand

on January 19 1991 Simone and destroyed net returned to Australia where they crashed the Christine Murphy sydney-based house yet again

it was there the Simone announced the next leg of her trip she planned to hitchhike on her own back down to Melbourne to meet her mother who was flying over to join her on a campervan trip around the country

Samoans friends expressed worry over her plan to hitchhike alone Christine felt Simone had already taken too many risks and should quit while she was ahead

Jeanette had done her fair share of hitchhiking with Simone yet even she agreed that her travel companion should adopt a more cautious approach from here on out believing the reason their previous efforts were safe and successful was due to the fact they were traveling as a pair

Jeanette and Christine urged Simone to catch the bus to Melbourne instead offering to buy her a ticket even Christine's mother warned Simone of the dangers of hitchhiking alone but Simone Shrugged it off showing her a page from her trouble guide that detailed Australia as a safe country to hitchhike

Simone had already made up her mind as Christine Murphy described quote Simone had a relaxed attitude towards hitchhiking and told her friends not to worry she'd always found people to be friendly and helpful her argument when we tried to talk her out of it was don't worry about it I'm quite safe

at 8:30 a.m. on January 20 1991 Simone - middle left Christine Murphy's house to begin her solo journey to Melbourne Jeanette walked her part way to the Guilford train station where the two said they would buyers at a nearby news agency the trains weren't running that morning so Simone caught a bus from Guilford to Liverpool where she began the walk to the Hume Highway at 9 a.m.

Simone's plan was to hold up a sign displaying her final destination of Melbourne in the hopes of catching a lift from a friendly truck driver she set off down the Hume Highway wearing a bright yellow singular green shorts and hiking boots carrying her backpack tent sleeping bag and to $20 cash

three days later on Wednesday January 23 Simone's mother veneer arrived at Melbourne Airport eager to see her daughter after four months apart however Simone wasn't waiting for her mother in the arrivals Lounge as expected her Vinnie I assumed she wouldn't be too far away and to continue to wait wondering whether Simone had been confused about their plans perhaps you thought they were supposed to meet at the house of a friend where they would be

I have any Accord a taxi to their friend's house presuming Simone was already there but when she arrived Simone was nowhere to be seen and to nobody had heard from her

the worried mother Sat by the phone waiting for Simone to ring but no calls came through

her Vinny are called Christine Murphy's house the last place her daughter stayed

Simone's friends Christine and Jeanette had already begun to worry even before receiving her veneers phone call

Simone had promised to make contact upon her safe arrival to Melbourne but days had passed since you departed and they still hadn't heard a word from her

Christine said

by Monday night when we hadn't heard from simmi we began to worry by Tuesday night logic began to hit on the fifth day of Simone's disappearance her Vinny are made her way to the Russell Street police station in Melbourne to report her daughter missing the officers on duty weren't overly concerned Simone was inexperienced young Backpacker and there was every chance she had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to change her travel plans

but Avenue such a thing would be completely out of character for her daughter

when Simone's father Herbert was notified of his daughter's disappearance he sought assistance from his local police station in Germany the German officers told him there was nothing they could do as it was an issue for Australian police Herbert explained he couldn't speak English and to wanted their assistance gaining some more information but the German police advised him to find an English-speaking friend or relative who could help instead

Heather contacted the German Embassy in Canberra and however authorities in German law enforcement but they advised him to contact Foreign Affairs time and time again his attempts to seek help let her know we're made all the more difficult by the language barrier impacting his ability to communicate with Australian authorities

her video stayed in Australia holding out hope that her daughter would show up overwhelmed with fear and anxiety her veneer began suffering regular bouts of nausea

after six weeks of searching with no sign of Simone she eventually returned to Germany alone

during a public appeal for anyone with information to come forward Simone's travel companion and Jeanette Muller said

people in Germany want to come to Australia because it's so far away the Great Southern land but Australia is also well known for its great crime rate my mother warned me about it before I left

like the thousands of Backpackers who were drawn to a stray there hea 21 year old Gabor noga Bella was eager to see as much of the world as possible born in Stuttgart Germany his father's job in the Air Force meant Gabor had moved around a lot throughout his childhood so he felt confident venturing to new places even though he was quiet shy and to like to keep to himself

passionate about nature and the environment Kabul had a particular interest in geology and to volcanology

after serving 15 months compulsory service in the German military he applied to pursue these interests at University but when he failed to gain entry to his preferred course he enrolled in a Philosophy degree instead he promised his parents who were transferred to something they considered more serious once he had scratched his travel itch

it was around this time that Gabor mint and you have she'd a shire kind-hearted 20 year old who shared his love for the environment and you had recently completed a drafting course and was eager to embrace the world Beyond Germany before she recommenced her studies

Beyond to their shared passions for nature and travel and your into cab or had a lot in common neither smoked or drank and both embraced an easygoing attitude towards life the to set off on their first adventure together around Europe at the start of 1991 at over 6 feet tall Gabor towered over petite aneue and he's fit strong Physique in short she felt safe traveling in his company

the couple enjoyed their European travel experience so much that upon their return they began planning their next trip right away

good boys uni course was scheduled to resume in early 1992 and to before returning to the books he and Daniel decided to set off on a two-month Journey backpacking around Asia where there were mostly looking forward to visiting the temples and volcanoes of Indonesia they set off for Indonesia in late 91 but while they were there the weather took an unexpected turn for the worse and to the couple made a spur-of-the-moment decision to head to Australia instead

Gabor and Daniel landed in Darwin in December 91 before venturing to the tropical city of Cairns in Far North Queensland

with Christmas fast approaching they met some other Travelers along the way who told them Bondi Beach in Sydney was the place to be during the festive season as there was a large backpack as Christmas party put on there every year

intrigued by this tip the couple added Sydney to their itinerary with an yo writing a letter to her family in Germany saying she was really looking forward to this leg of their Journey

upon their arrival in Sydney Gabor and Danielle checked into a hostel in Kings Cross and inner city district which at the time was a hotbed for drugs crime and CD not life but was popular with Backpackers due to the cheap accommodation available

not liking the Vibes of the city and unable to sleep who during the hot sticky Summer Night Gabor called his family in Germany from a pay phone in the hostel Corridor at 4 a.m. on Christmas morning although the international connection was poor gabor's mother could tell her son wasn't in good spirits he and Danny I much preferred Asia over Australia and we're looking forward to leaving before the phone line disconnected good boy told his mother

wanted to labor strike Leah as soon as possible

the next day December 26 1991 the bore and Danielle are settled their bill and checked out of the Kings Cross hostel telling staff that were heading north to Darwin they had booked a flight to Indonesia departing New Year's Day and we're eager to resume that portion of their trip before flying from Indonesia to Germany on January 14

however January 14 came and went and to nobody back home heard a word from an euro Gabor nor had they returned to Germany as planned their families clung to the possibility that they may have simply missed their flight or had decided to extend their stay and weren't able to reach a phone to let anyone know but fears for their well-being were quickly exacerbated when it was revealed Gabor and Daniela hadn't touched over

and two dollars worth of traveler's checks since checking out of their Kings Cross hostel

knowing they would be returning to Darwin after Sydney Gabor and Daniel had let their friends and family know to direct any mail for them so the Darwin post office it was common practice for Backpackers who had no fixed address to nominate a post office where they could collect mail while passing through

gabor's mother had sent the couple of Christmas package containing cookies and other Treats but the package remained at the Darwin post office uncollected indicating the couple may have never made it there

on January 30 1992 a little over a month since I know and to curb or were last seen checking out of the hostel in Sydney their disappearance was reported to German police the report was forwarded on to the Australian federal police who immediately began looking into the case yet they uncovered very little information to suggest that what had happened to the couple Gabor and Daniel's family has hired a private investigator but they

you failed to find any trace of the two young Backpackers

after months of searching and to know leads it was as though they had simply vanished Into Thin Air

frustrated with the fruitless investigation gabor's parents hunka and demand for it to know your Bower along with an yes brother Norbert decided to head to Australia to initiate their own search they were convinced the couple may have been involved in an accident and we're eager to increase the media attention to see if anyone came forward with information

acha Montford and to no good arrived in Sydney in April 1992 meeting with the New South Wales police force and conducting several press conferences for Norbert his sister's disappearance was completely out of character as he knew she was looking forward to returning to Germany to resume her studies he told the media

we decided the only way to know what was happening was to come here to look for ourselves for us there are only a few possibilities if someone is murdered the first thing you do is steal their money but no checks have been cashed they could have had an accident fallen over a cliff but nobody has seen it

we know they would contact us if they could

the media attention was helpful in generating public awareness with the police receiving over 200 tip-offs from Witnesses who believed they had cited the couple every lead was followed but each went nowhere with the sidings believed to be a case of mistaken identity

Anka Manfred and Norbert decided to follow the trail and your hand to cabal had taken but we're faced with the problem that no one knew 100% which way the couple had traveled after leaving Sydney although their flight from Darwin to Indonesia had been scheduled to leave just six days later Gabor had told his parents they were heading south down the Hume Highway making their way to Victoria specifically Mildura historical Country Town on the banks of the Murray River

from there the couple would visit a doe-eyed in the neighboring state of South Australia before heading north through the Outback on the Stuart Highway to their final destination of Darwin but this contradicted reports from the Kings Cross hostile staff in Sydney who were adamant Gabor and Danielle said they were taking the North Route via Queensland towards Darwin as they had asked for hostile recommendations in that direction our car Montford and inaudible

spent the next five weeks traveling through Australia in a camp event they decided to follow the advice from the Kings Cross Hospital staff and head north from Sydney going to Brisbane Townsville Mount Aza Darwin Alice Springs Port Augusta and broken Hill they visited every hostile Cafe and to local store they could asking if anyone had seen the missing Backpackers after covering over 10,000 kilometers without finding it

single trace of annual Gabor the desperate Trio visited a clairvoyant on their final day in Australia who told them your children are no longer alive your son died very quickly but his friend Daniel suffered terribly before she died

good boy know you Bella and Angela had Shades disappearance came almost two years to the day after James Gibson and to Deborah Everest were last seen in Surrey Hills and to just 11 months since Simone's middle was last seen walking down the Hume Highway near Liverpool

although all three cases involved youngtravellers disappearing in Sydney there was no evidence to link them in any way and nothing that made them stand out for police amongst all of the other active missing person cases

in Australia in the early nineties 24,000 people were reported missing each year and majority of those reported missing either reappeared who were found within the first two weeks but 300 missing people remained unaccounted for each year

James Gibson Deborah Everest Simone - middle Gabor no yeboah and Daniel had she'd joined the thousands of names of persons who had disappeared Without a Trace during a missing person's week appeal for information the spokesperson for the New South Wales police missing persons unit stated we just cannot ever give up hope we are constantly reviewing and re-reviewing our files

22 year old Jo Ann Walters had always dreamed of visiting Australia and New Zealand destinations she considered far more exotic than her hometown of my Stig near Cardiff in Wales Joanne had a humble life growing up with a mother who worked as a shop assistant and father who worked in a paper mill Factory she was a model student at school and her warm nature insured others were drawn towards her

having recently traveled through Europe Joanne was looking forward to her next adventure as she flipped through a newspaper she noticed an advertisement offering to return flights to Australia for the price of one

excited by the offer she contacted her Scottish friend Pauline Reade whom she had met the previous year while traveling through Greece

the two decided to venture to the land down under for an extended working holiday with Joanne promising to call and write home regularly

Joanne and pull Lane arrived in Sydney in early June 1991 spending the next few weeks traveling north to Queensland before deciding to part ways and to meet up again further down the track Joanne returned to Sydney where she rented a flat in Kings Cross with another Backpacker and applied for a job as a nanny she was one of 100 applicants for the nanny position but for the Jensen family Joanne was the ideal candidate since

boo independent and outgoing they happily hired her for the job

Joanne love being a nanny for the Jensens spending her spare time visiting the source of Sydney and mingling with other Travelers and locals at various bars and cafes throughout the Kings Cross area it was during this time that Joey and crossed paths with another young female Backpacker and to the two immediately hit it off

21 year old Carolyn Clark was a well-educated determined young woman who enjoyed an upper middle-class upbringing in the county of Surrey in England where she loved playing netball and hockey and socializing with her wide circle of friends always up for a laugh Caroline had a knack for impersonating teachers family members and celebrities to the amusement of others

Caroline was driven to make a difference in the world applying for a job as a police officer at age 20 the recruitment officers at the sorry Police Department thought her qualities made her a great candidate but felt she was a little too young they advised her to go out and gain more life experiences then come back to see them again in a couple of years

Caroline recognize this as a great opportunity to travel the world and started saving her money for an extended backpacking trip

her older brother had recently traveled to Australia and its spoken so highly of his experience there that Caroline decided to add the destination to her bucket list

Caroline got a job as an assistant manager for a pizza restaurant where she was well liked by customers and staff

after saving enough money she spent a month traveling through Europe before making her way to Australia where she planned to work and travel before passing through Indonesia and Thailand on her way home 18 months later

Jo Ann Walters had already been in Australia for full months when she met Caroline clock the two became instant friends and decided to embark on their further travels together although Joanne enjoyed nannying for the Jensen family word from other Backpackers was that fruit-picking presented a great opportunity to see more of the country while earning a wage along the way

Joanne ran the idea past Caroline who agreed fruit-picking sounded like a great idea and to the two decided to make their way to Mildura in Regional Victoria known for its great production the Jensen family was sad to see Joanne leave but we're understanding and supportive of her decision

in early February 1992 Joanne and Caroline set out for Mildura with two other Backpackers they had met catching a train to Liverpool before walking towards the Hume Highway

the foursome decided they'd have more success hitching a ride if they split into Pairs and the plan paid off all four women made it to Mildura safely where they each got to work picking grapes in a local Vineyard who was in Mildura that Joanne and Caroline struck up a friendship with an Englishman named Steve Wright and to the trio decided to head to Tasmania together as they'd heard it was a good spot to get work picking apples

when their job in Mildura was complete they made a brief return to Sydney before once again hitching a ride down the Hume highway to Melbourne where they caught the ferry to Tasmania

the nights in Tasmania were much colder than the women expected so Joanne purchased the blue and orange ultimate brand sleeping bag that was much warmer than the one she had originally brought with her

in Tasmania Steve Wright decided to leave the women and to go his separate way but as he didn't plan on doing any more camping he offered to swap his blue three person tent for Joanne and Caroline's two-person tent

they were grateful for the exchange has the tent they had been sleeping in was too small for the both of them they even overlooked the fact that Steve's 10 had a hole in it as he had patched it up with an adhesive label

after their apple picking job came to an end Joanne and Caroline departed Tasmania and returned to their sydney-based hostel in Kings Cross from there they plan to venture to Western Australia has they'd heard there was upcoming work available during the melon picking season

they made a rough plan to slowly make their way there by driving along the scenic a Great Ocean Road in Victoria to Adelaide then proceed North to all the room in the Northern Territories does it before finally reaching the Western Australian town of kinara

on April 16 1992 both Joanne and Caroline called their families back home to let them know their plans they were both happy ending good spirits looking forward to the next portion of their Adventure which was set to begin the following morning

the next day they received a visit at the hostel from Pauline Reade the friend who Joanne had originally traveled to Australia with

they filled Pauline in on their travel itinerary advising her they intended to get around by hitchhiking most of the way they had hedged many rides already and had nothing but positive experiences so far seeing it as a great way to meet friendly locals

despite their plans Joanne and Caroline were quite unorganized and the day quickly got away from them as the afternoon descended into Twilight they decided to put their trip off until the next day as the idea of hitchhiking at night held a very little appeal

at 7:30 a.m. on April 18 1992 Joanne and Caroline spoke with Steve Wright The Backpacker with whom they had previously traveled to Tasmania with

they advised him they were taking the same route down the Hume Highway they had taken previously when hitching to Mildura and Melbourne they planned to catch a train from Kings Cross the casula the station after Liverpool then make the short walk to the Hume highway from where they ditch their first lift

it was a beautiful day and the Sun was shining his Steve farewell Dee's friends and to wish them luck

two weeks later Jo Ann's parents in Wales felt uneasy when they hadn't heard a word from their daughter Joanne was a dutiful child who called and wrote letters home on a regular basis keeping her parents in the loop of her next contact herbal address

it was very unlike her to be out of touch but they gave their daughter the benefit of the doubt hoping she was just having too much fun or was currently traveling through a remote area with no telephone access

in England Caroline's parents were becoming equally concerned as they two hadn't heard from their daughter

they assured themselves she was probably in the outback with no access to a phone or post office and would surely be in touch soon

the alarm Bells really started to ring when Caroline sister's birthday came and went on May 8 with no word from Caroline

a few weeks later on May 24 when Caroline failed to contact her father to wish him a happy birthday her family started to get incredibly anxious

a few days later Carolyn clocks family received a phone call from Joanne's dad right Walters advising them of his concerns regarding his daughter silence

Ray had recently been digging around and to found that Joanne had an access to her bank account since April 15 which was the day before she had lost called home

he had also been in touch with Joanne's former Employers in Australia the Jensen family who shared his concerns they had expected to hear from Joanne over Easter but the holiday had gone by without them hearing a word

realizing almost six weeks had passed since either family had heard from their daughters they reported Joanne and Caroline's disappearance to local police who then contacted the Australian federal police the Jensen family also made their own report to New South Wales police in Sydney

Ray Walters stayed up late at night making international phone calls to fruit-picking Farms Backpacker hostels and Rural police stations in areas Joanne and Caroline had already visited or intended to visit but no one had seen or heard from them

Caroline's father in clock was well-connected due to his high level job at the bank of England he contacted an associate Philip Corbett who was a former Commander for Scotland Yard and was more than willing to assist the clocks with the search for their daughter

Corbett made contact with Caroline and Joanne's former traveling companions to get a better insight into their movements he also put pressure on New South Wales police to treat The Disappearance as a priority

cool bits intervention attracted media coverage in the United Kingdom prompting Australian authorities to treat the missing person report with precedents

with New South Wales police now making inquiries The Disappearance of Jo Ann Walters and Caroline Clarke was headlining the Australian media as a nationwide search commenced

a police spokesperson explained

both women were in the habit of telephoning their parents about once every two weeks but neither family has heard from their daughter since mid-april

deaf value to contact home he's completely out of character and it is for this reason we hold fees for their safety

within the first day of launching the appeal over 100 Witnesses came forward to report possible sightings of the pair

one witness reported seeing two women who matched Joanne and Caroline's description getting into a Combi van with a male driver which received strong media focus and generated hundreds of further tips but police weren't convinced that had been inaccurate siding

further complicating efforts was the discovery that two young women with British accents were traveling a similar route to the one Joanne and Caroline plan to follow meaning witness sightings could be confusing this separate set of Travelers for the missing pair

over the following two months calls continue to come through and to police followed up every lead but none of the sightings were proven to be Joanne or Caroline

in August 1992 Jo Ann's parents Ray and Julie Walters travelled to Australia to assist the search for their missing daughter they participated in press conferences making an urgent appeal to the public for anyone with information to come forward

right Walters told the Gathering media

Joanne didn't do anything on the spur of the moment if she turned right or she turned to left she'd let us know

on the day Joanne and Caroline were last seen in Sydney only four months had passed since Gabor know your Bella and Danielle have sheet it disappeared from the same area into their case was still gaining media attention as they're devastated families traveled the country searching for Clues

given that both pairs of international Backpackers and vanished from the Kings Cross District the Press were quick to link the two disappearances New South Wales police refused to confirm whether there was a connection simply advising they were considering all possibilities

Joanne and Caroline's case continued to gain an increasing amount of media attention leading the press to look into other recent incidents where International tourists are gone missing under similar circumstances the mysterious disappearance of German Backpacker Simone - middle two years earlier was mentioned from time to time but very little was said about James Gibson and Deborah Everest given they were Australian citizens traveling within their home country

countless articles debating the safety risks involved with backpacking and hitchhiking were published with the Hostile industry coming under scrutiny

hostel owners maintained Australia was a safe country and with there was nothing for travelers to worry about but the negative press was threatening to tarnish the thriving Backpacker tourism industry

despite this young Travelers were not deterred from hitchhiking many provided interviews to the media stating they had never encountered any issues while hitchhiking across the country and had no intention of stopping defending it as an affordable mode of Transport police called for the establishment of a central registry to record the names and contact addresses for all foreigners traveling in Australia to help keep track of their movements

although that may have been a useful tool that was too late for the families of the seven Backpackers who mysteriously vanished in Sydney between 1989 and 1992

on September 19 1992 eight members of the scrubber Runners orienteering Club ventured down the Hume Highway passing the kilometers of pine plantations before reaching the natural Bush portion of balloon glow State Forest from the Rangers Hearts the team separated into Pairs and ventured into the thick scrub as part of a training exercise

two members Keith Seeley and Keith Caldwell partnered up and begin navigating the Steep Rocky terrain west of the Long Acre Fire trail heading towards an area known as Executioner's drop at 4:15 p.m. the two men trekked into a shallow Gully and made their way towards a large Boulder

as they walked closer they were hit with an overwhelming stench which they assumed was emanating from a dead animal

they edged closer to the Border where they noticed the pile of sticks and branches on its western side forming a mound approximately 2 meters long and to 60 centimeters high out of the debris they noticed the tuft of dark fur

they figured it must have been a dead one bat or a kangaroo but upon closer inspection they noticed the thin bone sticking out of the mound along with the heel of a shoe and a patch of clothing

Katie Lee quote what I thought was the kangaroo leg was an elbow the wombat was the hair on the back of the head the men hastily made the two kilometer Trek Back to the closest Rangers heart where they contacted police and Discord add them to the human remains a crime scene was established as Twilight descended with flood lights Illuminating the

the area is police uncovered the heavily decomposed body of a young woman face down and gagged with strips torn from a shirt

a search of the rugged terrain was put temporarily on hold due to the pitch Darkness with police commencing a thorough search of the side at Daybreak

that next morning just 30 meters from the skeletal remains discovered by the large Boulder in the shallow Gully police noticed the similar mound of sticks and branches part alongside a fallen log

hidden underneath was a second body

when news of the gruesome discoveries in berlanga low State Forest hit the media speculation ran Rife is the weather more bodies would be uncovered at the site in response a police spokesperson said there is nothing to suggest that it's a mass grave but we're keeping an open mind about what might be out there to be continued next week