Acknowledgements

My most sincere thanks go to all the family members of the missing (and found) people featured in this book.

Sandra Betts, Beth Cassilles, Daryl Floyd, Carole Grimmer, Steve Herdman and Debbie Morton, Carl Herdman, Mac Manulevu, The Marriott Family, Eugene Milograd, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, Vanidda and Fred Pattison, Jean Priest, the ‘Robinson’ family, Roger Russell, Carol Redford, Ricki Small and Beverley Walker.

Thank you for entrusting your stories to me – you are all very special people. May you find some peace through getting the answers you need. I do hope this book can help.

Many thanks also to all the police jurisdictions who have made the book possible – Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, ACT and the Northern Territory.

Special thanks go to the following outstanding, dedicated officers who have donated their time to this project in the hope that it may bring forth the vital information they need.

From Victoria: Ron Iddles, David Butler, David Snare, Damian Jackson, Mark Rippon, Tony Combridge, Wayne Newman, Justin Tippett, Allan Wood, Helen Nugent and Peter Towner.

From New South Wales: Peter Smith, Mick Kyneur and James Dark.

From Queensland: Damien Powell and Claire Gillespie.

From South Australia: David Sheridan and Lucy Schiek.

From Western Australia: Karen Clarkson, Jen Robinson and Bert van der Woede (retired).

From the ACT: Richard Gough.

From the Northern Territory: Kerry Harris.

I take my hat off to you all.

Thanks also forensic odontologist, Dr Tony Hill and Media Liaison Consultant, Deb Withers, from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.

My gratitude also goes to all the police media liaison / Film and TV unit team members who have endured my endless emails: Andy Lee, Vicky Vassilopoulos, Peter Sambell, Ilias Iliadis, Phil Green, John Weiling, Bridie O’Sullivan, Tim Archer, Nicci Lycett, Ros Weatherall, Anthea Healey, Rebecca Glenn and Katie Fowden.

Many thanks to my agent extraordinaire, John Timlin, who asked me if I had any ideas for a book on Australian crime. Turned out, I did. Thank you for believing in this project and for your ongoing support. It has been incredible.

And to my fabulous publishers, Julia Taylor and Poppy Grijalbo at The Five Mile Press for giving me the opportunity to tell these important stories – thank you so much.

Another huge thank you goes to my editor, Brooke Clarke, for handling the manuscript so thoroughly and with such sensitivity towards the subject matter.

Special mention also goes to Kathryn de Reus, for the haunting cover and Shaun Jury for the internal design.

Bruce Morcombe and Ron Iddles – thank you for your kind words of endorsement. I am truly humbled.

On a personal note, thanks to Mum and Dad for suggesting I write a book – sure, it took me a while to get around to it, but hey! To the friends who offered their endless encouragement, in particular, Kate and Michael Mills, Carmel, David and Debbie Hanrahan, Angela and Steve Prescott, Tania Palich, Carol Long, Kylie Johnson, Effi Vasiliadis, Helen Baxter, Louisa Millward, Ivo Burum, Ineke Prochazka, Craig Graham, Maureen Edwards, and my friends at the Sydney Eye Hospital. Also to my father-in-law, ‘The Old Case,’ for the Port Melbourne jargon – you must have had a colourful early life with everyone talking like that!

And to my wonderful husband Darren Casey for everything – but most of all, for reminding me that I could write something that mattered, and for being a brilliant chef.

Justine x