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

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

In this article it mentions the Waller being stolen by someone who looked “uncannily” like Marion & someone they haven’t been able to locate since—despite having been caught.

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The stolen wallet is discussed in todays episode.

The police report says the wallet was stolen in June 1994 (reported in July 94) but Sally disputes this. She thinks the stolen wallet was much closer to the time her mother disappeared.

 

[mandycandy70]

I just stumbled across this website today. I've been catching up on A LOT of reading today! I read somewhere (I've read so much today my eyes are crossed!) that someone had posted info about the bone in Ballina that they believe to belong to a female who is 153 cm? Can anyone point me to this information? I know for a fact that Marion was not that short as I worked with her as her TA in 1995 at TSS.

 

[sunnynz]

I just stumbled across this website today. I've been catching up on A LOT of reading today! I read somewhere (I've read so much today my eyes are crossed!) that someone had posted info about the bone in Ballina that they believe to belong to a female who is 153 cm? Can anyone point me to this information? I know for a fact that Marion was not that short as I worked with her as her TA in 1995 at TSS.

Welcome Mandycandy- great to have you here!

 

[mandycandy70]

The dance Marion is doing appears to be the Nutbush City Limits ...
A church house, gin house
A school house, outhouse
On highway number nineteen
The people keep the city clean
They call it Nutbush, oh Nutbush
They call it Nutbush city limits

It was actually a line dance very similar to the Nutbush with the song being “Do You Love Me” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack

 

[Meligator]

The securities officer would have know Marion situation from when she/he handled her house sale/ discharge of mortgage in April. The securities officer would have had many contacts with Marion during the sale/discharge process. As it was a straight sale (no linked purchase) the securities officer would have discussed with Marion what she was going to do with the residue funds from the sale. This is a cross-selling opportunity (sales targets!) but also part of the process to make sure Marion is aware of her options i.e at call investments vs longer term deposits options, referrals to the financial advisor etc. So the securities officer without a doubt would have known about her plans to go overseas.

The securities officer would also have served on counter (even if just queue breaking) so when Marion came back into the branch in October it would have been very natural to have asked how the holiday went. Also it was common to attempt to cross sell products (financial advisor, better interest rate products etc) to customers with larger balances - especially if the branch are short on their sales targets that month. Marion may also have been asked about her $5k cash withdrawals (offered safer alternatives to carrying all that cash). Any of these scenarios could have triggered the conversation with Marion where shes says she is starting afresh.
I dont think she necessarily had a personal relationship with someone at the bank but I do think this is what the police used as their proof of contact.

So unlikely the Marion at Ashmore bank was an imposter—the security officer surely would have recognized her voice/face.

I’m increasingly thinking Marion stayed in Australia after returning. The UK trip being a rouse, so that when she went missing—searches were focused overseas. The name change could have been exclusively (albeit unsuccessfully) to hide her return to Australia.

 

[Itsapuzzle]

It was actually a line dance very similar to the Nutbush with the song being “Do You Love Me” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack

Thanks Mandycandy, completely brilliant .... I was wondering what that background music was, knew it wasn’t Nutbush city limits, was annoying me .... but
ah ha, Do You Love Me, yay .... just danced the Nutbush moves to that song, changing rhythm to suit beat ... now I can’t stop singing “do you love me” ..... what have you doneMandycandy, I’ll be singing it all day now!! PS will google that dance and learn it, Cheers

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

So unlikely the Marion at Ashmore bank was an imposter—the security officer surely would have recognized her voice/face.

I’m increasingly thinking Marion stayed in Australia after returning. The UK trip being a rouse, so that when she went missing—searches were focused overseas. The name change could have been exclusively (albeit unsuccessfully) to hide her return to Australia.

Yes and perhaps also to conceal the items in storage

 

[Deleted member 249471]

I truly suspect she was the victim of a romance scam with a side of identity theft and extortion.

As no Remakel entered or left Australia since Florabella, I wonder if a MAN named M Barter did? I wonder if he assumed her initials and fudged ID in order to get around undetected?

The name Marion could pass as a French (or Luxembourgian) man’s name. He could have withdrawn money as a male Marion, claiming the gender was a typo, if the bank even noticed. Those typos happen frequently. It would explain why no one recalls seeing her.

I also think the message passed on to Sally that her mum didn’t want to be found and was angry she didn’t deposit the car sale money, is classic manipulation.

Whoever stole Marion and her money was a master manipulator with a lot of charm and a lack of shame, fear or boundaries. It would also explain why they could turn up to bank every day for 3.5 weeks without worry.

I suspect the reason they gave bank why they were only taking out $5k a time was that it was how much they were able to carry discreetly.

The real reason was probably serial numbers. I don’t know much about banks so please help me out if you do… I suspect taking out smaller sums meant the money could come from till. It was well worn cash with a random assortment of serial numbers. Perhaps larger sums would require going out the back where the money is fresh and serial numbers are in order. That range of serial number would be listed once it left the vault and easier to track. Can anyone shed light?

This all reminds me so much of Frank Abagnale Jr from Catch Me If You Can.

 

[Josiegirl62]

H

 

[Josiegirl62]

Maybe there was a second signatory on the bank account so that person took out the money

 

[Intriguedbyintrigue]

I truly suspect she was the victim of a romance scam with a side of identity theft and extortion.

As no Remakel entered or left Australia since Florabella, I wonder if a MAN named M Barter did? I wonder if he assumed her initials and fudged ID in order to get around undetected?

The name Marion could pass as a French (or Luxembourgian) man’s name. He could have withdrawn money as a male Marion, claiming the gender was a typo, if the bank even noticed. Those typos happen frequently. It would explain why no one recalls seeing her.

I also think the message passed on to Sally that her mum didn’t want to be found and was angry she didn’t deposit the car sale money, is classic manipulation.

Whoever stole Marion and her money was a master manipulator with a lot of charm and a lack of shame, fear or boundaries. It would also explain why they could turn up to bank every day for 3.5 weeks without worry.

I suspect the reason they gave bank why they were only taking out $5k a time was that it was how much they were able to carry discreetly.

The real reason was probably serial numbers. I don’t know much about banks so please help me out if you do… I suspect taking out smaller sums meant the money could come from till. It was well worn cash with a random assortment of serial numbers. Perhaps larger sums would require going out the back where the money is fresh and serial numbers are in order. That range of serial number would be listed once it left the vault and easier to track. Can anyone shed light?

This all reminds me so much of Frank Abagnale Jr from Catch Me If You Can.

Sorry Peralta, banks dont record cash serial numbers.

 

[Deleted member 249471]

Sorry Peralta, banks dont record cash serial numbers.

There goes that theory. It was as much as they could carry then?!

 

[Kelliepat]

The timeline in this article is interesting because it suggests Marion withdrew the remainder of her money & told the securities officer she was starting a new life on October 15–which is before Sally went to Byron Bay bank& reported her missing. That seems like an odd bit of information to spontaneously share with a banking officer, especially since there was no report yet of her being missing. Did Marion possibly have a personal/friendly relationship with the officer—someone she knew well enough to share personal information about her intentions?

I’m not sure if the police used this Oct 15 conversation as indication she was ok OR if the bank officer had subsequent contact (e.g., did he have a phone number for her).


https://www.google.com/amp/s/7news....-of-marion-barters-disappearance-c-200848.amp

 

[Kelliepat]

The document Sally received states 15th October 1990 not 97, 7 yrs before Marion disappeared. It was Bank Security officer.

 

[Kelliepat]

The document Sally received states 15th October 1990 not 1997, that's 7 years before Marion disappeared. It was Bank Security officer.

 

[Mel 1303]

The document Sally received states 15th October 1990 not 1997, that's 7 years before Marion disappeared. It was Bank Security officer.

Yes, it says 1990. But it was the bank security officer in Ashmore, and she didn't move there until 94, so it is fair to assume this is a typo. With it being a typo, it fits perfectly into the timeline of the bank withdrawals. She cant really have withdrawn the balance of her account before she even moved there.

I have been thinking about the banks, and the confusion over the commonwealth bank. My theory- she had always banked in NSW with the commonwealth bank, but opened an account with the colonial in QLD when she started working at TSS. In 1993, I started a new job where I had to open an account with ANZ for my pay to go into- so for a while, I had my main account with the building society and an ANZ account. Now, you just nominate your bank account, but I definitely had to go to a particular bank for pay in 93. I believe this is the account that rolled over to become a commonwealth account following the merger. I think Sally is right- she called the commonwealth, visited the commonwealth. That "Marion" visited the commonwealth branch in Burleigh Heads, and the Colonial Bank in Ashmore.

 

[Mel 1303]

However, if Marion did have a second account, I would assume all of the money around the sale of the house went through the commonwealth, not the Colonial- meaning the securities officer at the colonial in Ashmore would not have dealt with the sale of the house.

 

[Mel 1303]

In the latest conversations, Sally says that there is nothing to inherit- it has all gone. So- what about the substantial super? Is it gone, or is it there? If Marion showed up tomorrow, could she access the super? I was left very confused about who actually owns the balance of the money that was accessible through Barclays, if it had ever been used and exactly what the final balance was in Sept 97.

I am in no way suggesting that Sally is motivated by money- I am quite sure she would sign away all right to it if it would give her an answer- but it is an inconsistency, and this mystery does not need anymore inconsistencies.

 

[Mel 1303]

I just stumbled across this website today. I've been catching up on A LOT of reading today! I read somewhere (I've read so much today my eyes are crossed!) that someone had posted info about the bone in Ballina that they believe to belong to a female who is 153 cm? Can anyone point me to this information? I know for a fact that Marion was not that short as I worked with her as her TA in 1995 at TSS.

Hi Mandycandy, welcome!

Do you happen to remember any payment details from TSS? Could you nominate which account your pay went into, or did their pay office work with a specific bank, ie the colonial?

 

[Kelliepat]

In the latest conversations, Sally says that there is nothing to inherit- it has all gone. So- what about the substantial super? Is it gone, or is it there? If Marion showed up tomorrow, could she access the super? I was left very confused about who actually owns the balance of the money that was accessible through Barclays, if it had ever been used and exactly what the final balance was in Sept 97.

I am in no way suggesting that Sally is motivated by money- I am quite sure she would sign away all right to it if it would give her an answer- but it is an inconsistency, and this mystery does not need anymore inconsistencies.

Super is still sitting there.