Australia Australia - Marion Barter, 51, missing after trip to UK, Jun 1997

[Viennamoo]

I just can't get over how they ambushed this man in Luxembourg, it's clearly not him ... they presented an ad at the door saying "this is the ad you wrote"!! growllll .... and they haven't even researched what the F stands for in the ad!! I'm sorry, but it's absolutely shocking, I can't stand it. I'm out of here. Have really enjoyed being with you, you're a great bunch, good luck with everything .... oh boy, I absolutely can't stand that, that poor man. See ya all, take care

Totally agree.
I was talking about it with a friend today.
I can’t believe the audacity of Brian with his sarcastic tone and questions...not to mention the email he sent, demanding him to provide proof of his whereabouts and that he must reply within a certain time frame.
I hate that they presumed he was guilty because he was suspicious of them and guarded. Most people would be, let alone a 70yr old foreigner, bombarded with cameras etc. Also, as if the ex wife wouldn’t have let him know about that call, as if the message left on the gmail didn’t get relayed and the guy with the same surname that said he didn’t know what they were talking about, did actually know him.
Just dumb dumb dumb, handled so poorly.

 

[TheOracle66]

I agree, ridiculous to imply she wanted to disappear because the relationship wasn’t great.
Also the fact she called to check they were ok after threadbo doesn’t strike me as someone who couldn’t give a crap about her family anymore.
Someone else commented about understanding why Marion left, after being abused by Sally over posting misinformation. Again, incredibly harsh.
My family have had some serious blow ups in my time, but nothing would make my mother just disappear without a trace for 23yrs...nor would I ever do that to my daughter.

I truly think that there was something she was worried about, something she needed to get away from, but then she’s met with foul play...

I think it was part of the reason she disappeared, work issues, family issues, relationship issues. She was fed up and had enough.

 

[TheOracle66]

I just can't get over how they ambushed this man in Luxembourg, it's clearly not him ... they presented an ad at the door saying "this is the ad you wrote"!! growllll .... and they haven't even researched what the F stands for in the ad!! I'm sorry, but it's absolutely shocking, I can't stand it. I'm out of here. Have really enjoyed being with you, you're a great bunch, good luck with everything .... oh boy, I absolutely can't stand that, that poor man. See ya all, take care

I just listened to conversation 7. The reporters keep say they have new evidence, however the police keep saying they are happy with their investigation. What evidence do these reporters have, what, some guy with the name Remarkel, doesn't mean anything really and not only that, the ad was placed 2 years prior to Marion going 'missing'. I also think that maybe the buried armadale tip off was probably from Marion or someone she is with. The reporters keep asking why didn't she just transfer money, hello the reason is that this could have been traced and obviously cash can't be.

 

[Emmbles]

There is another weird post on the Lost Boy of TSS facebook just now, I dont get what he is getting at? I wont share on here as not sure of the rules

 

[TheOracle66]

There is another weird post on the Lost Boy of TSS facebook just now, I dont get what he is getting at? I wont share on here as not sure of the rules

Yes very interesting. Why is the person so bent on carrying on about Sally and the search. I am thinking they have their own agenda here.

 

[Viennamoo]

I

Yes very interesting. Why is the person so bent on carrying on about Sally and the search. I am thinking they have their own agenda here.

Just had a read.
I think there is a lot more going on behind the scenes.
I don’t agree with the angle and journalistic approach in some of the later podcast episodes, but I think that that is simply because they are getting a lot more views now, a lot more interest, so they are reverting back to sensationalism inorder to keep the interest.
Perhaps things have been left out of the podcast because they don’t quite fit the narrative of “mystery”?. Hard to say whether that’s Sally or more 7news making those calls but I don’t think Sally does have some unrealistic expectations of people, which is somewhat understandable.

I also don’t think that if Sally were involved, or if Sally was aware of more, she would have done as much as she has done over the past 20yrs to find her mum...

 

[Cliff Hardy]

I just listened to conversation 7. The reporters keep say they have new evidence, however the police keep saying they are happy with their investigation. What evidence do these reporters have, what, some guy with the name Remarkel, doesn't mean anything really and not only that, the ad was placed 2 years prior to Marion going 'missing'. I also think that maybe the buried armadale tip off was probably from Marion or someone she is with. The reporters keep asking why didn't she just transfer money, hello the reason is that this could have been traced and obviously cash can't be.

I will listen to Conversations 7 tonight.

Agree with you that Brian is starting to push the boundaries of decency.

Disappointingly, this podcast is really starting to sound like a TV soap opera. The conversation episodes are like endless advertisements promoting and promoting the next episode ad nauseam.

As above, sensationalism is creeping in more and more.

 

[sunnynz]

The podcast isn't perfect but IMO they have done more to give this case a profile and momentum than anything else has managed in the past.

Criticising them for sensationalism seems like a waste of everyone's time. They're a commercial news organisation and they have listener targets to meet in order to attract paying advertisers, and therefore have the funding to keep going with the investigation.

As they said in episode 11, they're going to pause now to focus on following up leads which I think is the right thing to do.

You only have to look at Teacher's Pet to see what the benefits can be of having a podcast shine the light on a cold case.

Instead of spending time moaning about the journalistic techniques that one doesn't like, how about spend that time doing some sleuthing of one's own.

OK, rant over.

 

[TheOracle66]

The podcast isn't perfect but IMO they have done more to give this case a profile and momentum than anything else has managed in the past.

Criticising them for sensationalism seems like a waste of everyone's time. They're a commercial news organisation and they have listener targets to meet in order to attract paying advertisers, and therefore have the funding to keep going with the investigation.

As they said in episode 11, they're going to pause now to focus on following up leads which I think is the right thing to do.

You only have to look at Teacher's Pet to see what the benefits can be of having a podcast shine the light on a cold case.

Instead of spending time moaning about the journalistic techniques that one doesn't like, how about spend that time doing some sleuthing of one's own.

OK, rant over.

I object to them travelling to luxembourg to basically blame a guy for a advertisement in a newspaper placed two years prior to Marion Barter disappearing. Sorry but that is sensationalism.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

The podcast isn't perfect but IMO they have done more to give this case a profile and momentum than anything else has managed in the past.

Criticising them for sensationalism seems like a waste of everyone's time. They're a commercial news organisation and they have listener targets to meet in order to attract paying advertisers, and therefore have the funding to keep going with the investigation.

As they said in episode 11, they're going to pause now to focus on following up leads which I think is the right thing to do.

You only have to look at Teacher's Pet to see what the benefits can be of having a podcast shine the light on a cold case.

Instead of spending time moaning about the journalistic techniques that one doesn't like, how about spend that time doing some sleuthing of one's own.

OK, rant over.

Glad you mentioned The Teacher's Pet. Hedley very rarely resorted to unnecessary sensationalism, and he has probably set the bar unrealistically high for everybody else making Aussie true crime podcasts.

 

[Brejay53]

Reading the post on The Lost Boys all it does for me is think is anyone going to take this man seriously with his allegations of abuse at the school when he’s just chucking accusations out there about Marion’s family.
He ended up taking down the ceramic chicken post so why can’t he just drop it and let it be..
I’m sure the police questioned her family when she first went missing..
He should let Sally get on with finding answers about her mum and he should concentrate on exposing the school for the abuse they suffered and get that investigated.

 

[Brejay53]

Regarding the team being forceful when interviewing Fernand Remakel.. I think Brian’s approach was wrong. Especially his follow up email. Fernand was probably intimidated.. who wouldn’t be when someone turns up at your door bombarding you with questions. I get annoyed when the gas man turns up at my house questioning me about reading my meter so if someone turned up asking me questions from over 20 years ago I’d be grumpy too.
Maybe he was tipped off by a neighbour that they had been to his house 3 days in a row and that’s why he was a bit stand offish with Sally but I think Sally was polite with him and she was probably nervous as hell..
Just seeing the Laura Ashley lamp would of sent shivers down mine spine. Yes hundreds/thousands were made but what are the chances that this man has the exact same design one as Marion.
Yes there is so many coincidences so people are going to automatically think that this is the man they are looking for..
Hopefully they get more answers from the widow of the owner of the publication that was spoke about in the conversations podcast last night.

My opinion changes daily on what happened to Marion. Today I’m swaying more towards her upping and leaving on her own accord. As a mother you would think someone wouldn’t walk away from their children but it happens and it’s more common than people think..

 

[Josiegirl62]

No record of Remakel migrating to Australia in national archives - I’m guessing was on a visitor visa / tourist visa due to lack of record. Therefore what’s the connection to 53 Anderson street, who had it in 1994? Simple historical search should tell us? Then follow that lead!

 

[TheOracle66]

Reading the post on The Lost Boys all it does for me is think is anyone going to take this man seriously with his allegations of abuse at the school when he’s just chucking accusations out there about Marion’s family.
He ended up taking down the ceramic chicken post so why can’t he just drop it and let it be..
I’m sure the police questioned her family when she first went missing..
He should let Sally get on with finding answers about her mum and he should concentrate on exposing the school for the abuse they suffered and get that investigated.

I do not understand what his beef is with Sally. So what if she doesn't know what the painting are but knows who painted them, and so what if she went to America. Sally has a husband and family to think of and it is important to do family stuff. The police believe Marion disappeared by her own free will, so why would they want to investigate Sally or her family. He needs to stop putting up those kinds of posts it just makes him look deranged

 

[sunnynz]

No record of Remakel migrating to Australia in national archives - I’m guessing was on a visitor visa / tourist visa due to lack of record. Therefore what’s the connection to 53 Anderson street, who had it in 1994? Simple historical search should tell us? Then follow that lead!

Google isn't helping me with history on that address. Any tips on searching Australian records for this kind of thing? Is there a newspapers archive site/property ownership records/company registration databases that can be searched?

 

[Brejay53]

I do not understand what his beef is with Sally. So what if she doesn't know what the painting are but knows who painted them, and so what if she went to America. Sally has a husband and family to think of and it is important to do family stuff. The police believe Marion disappeared by her own free will, so why would they want to investigate Sally or her family. He needs to stop putting up those kinds of posts it just makes him look deranged

100% agree

 

[Josiegirl62]

Another point they are discussing is that Marion would not have had access to internet to come up with the name Remakel. There was television and newspapers in the 90’s though so she might have come across the name via those means.

 

[JLZ]

Another point they are discussing is that Marion would not have had access to internet to come up with the name Remakel. There was television and newspapers in the 90’s though so she might have come across the name via those means.

I haven't watched the podcasts so I'm coming from a place of relative ignorance. I thought Marion might have known the name Remakel because her former husband was a soccer player (?) and so she followed international soccer. Perhaps she liked the name and thought, If I ever 'remake' myself, that's the name I'd choose. And then perhaps she saw the name again in the advertisement so it was refreshed in her mind. The person who placed the ad might have been romanticizing with regard to his name as well as his description. Thinking of himself as the soccer player. And his real name was something quite different.

 

[Josiegirl62]

Google isn't helping me with history on that address. Any tips on searching Australian records for this kind of thing? Is there a newspapers archive site/property ownership records/company registration databases that can be searched?

There are three flats at that address, Flat #2 sold in February 1994, and was then sold again in 2001. 1994 is interesting.

 

[Josiegirl62]

What is Marion's middle name - Anne?