'Not knowing if your loved one is alive or dead... is the cruelest state of mind'

"I had become a first-time father, and the thought of my child going missing was horrifying," shares former cop Meni Caroutas who reported on the abduction of Daniel Morcombe.

Meni Caroutas

4 min read

May 25, 2023 - 5:00AM

An undated photo of Debbie Ashby who was last seen leaving her family home at Leumeah in Sydney's west on 9 October 1987. Picture: Supplied

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Meni Caroutas is the host of News Corp Australia's newest podcast, The Missing Australia.

From a young age, I was always going to become either a cop or a journalist.

I always had an inquiring mind, always asking lots of questions, and I was brought up by my parents to have compassion for other people, especially if they were going through a tough time.

Ex-cop Meni Caroutus' theory on what happened to Debbie Ashby

After high school I went to university, but I left to join the NSW Police Force.

I asked to be stationed at Darlinghurst Police Station because I wanted to learn as much as I could, and I believed that would be best served at a busy city station.

Former police officer Meni Caroutas transitioned to a career in the media in the early 90s. He is the host of the new podcast The Missing Australia.

"The story has always stuck with me"

After a couple of years at Darlinghurst I moved to Kings Cross Police Station, which I would describe as being the Carnival, Circus and Mardi Gras all rolled into one.

I rose quickly through the ranks, and was recruited to the Kings Cross detectives office during the notorious 1980s. After going public on the ABC’s 7.30 Report to expose corruption, I was spotted by a TV Producer and offered a Reporter’s job on a new tabloid current affairs program Hard Copy. In 1992, I left the police force and began my media career.

As a reporter on Hard Copy, I instigated a series of stories on missing people. The first story I covered was on 16-year-old Debbie Ashby, who disappeared in 1987 from Sydney’s south west.

This story has always stuck with me, and I revisit Debbie’s case, and speak to her family in the first Episode of the new The Missing Podcast series.

"I have always been committed to finding the truth"

I have always been committed to finding the truth, and getting justice for people who have been unfairly treated. I have a strong sense of right and wrong and believe in doing the right thing. Over the years my stories have exposed corrupt cops, shady financial institutions and shonky businesses, and I always fight for the rights of victims.

As a cop, and now as a journalist, I have the capability to make a difference, and to help the community. I did that when I was a cop, and I have continued to strive to make positive changes and assist people as a journalist.

During my media career I have worked as a Researcher, Producer, Senior Reporter, Chief of Staff, and Series Producer across such shows as Missing Persons Unit, Wanted, Border Security, Today Tonight, A Current Affair, The Suspects, and Inside - a documentary on the NSW Prison system.

In 2020 I released my first novel Cop It Sweet; a non fiction work chronicling my first few years in the NSW Police Force.

An undated photo of Debbie Ashby, who was 16 at the time of her disappearance. Picture: Supplied

"They need to know what happened to their loved ones"

I rate the television program Missing Persons Unit as the most satisfying job I have ever been involved in. Across five series of the program, I witnessed first hand the anguish and helplessness felt by families of people who go missing. But despite the heartache, the program was successful in finding 40 missing people, bringing great relief to their families.

Families of missing people have told me that It’s the unknowing that is the worst, and they describe it as an emotional rollercoaster, and a nightmare you never wake up from. It’s tough to listen about the anguish and pain people go through, and that is one of the reasons I want to do whatever I can to get answers for the families.

They need to know what happened to their loved ones, because until they do they can never really move forward. Not knowing if your loved one is alive or dead, safe or in danger, is the cruelest state of mind anyone can find themselves in.

Journalist Meni Caroutas from The Missing podcast during his time as a police officer.

"I am committed to helping families get answers"

I reported on the abduction of Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, from a bus stop December 3, 2003, schoolboy, I sat with Daniel’s parents, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, and heard their appeals for help after Daniel disappeared, and the case really affected me because at that time I had become a first time father, and the thought of my child going missing was horrifying,

I filed a number of reports on the investigation to find Daniel, and the subsequent arrest and charging of a man for his murder. I am honored to say that Bruce and Denise Morcombe trusted me to share their innermost thoughts and emotions and we built up a close relationship that continues today, with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation proudly endorsing ‘The Missing Podcast’.

This project is very important to me and I am committed to helping families get the answers they desperately seek. I hope that with the help of listeners ‘The Missing’ will provide crucial information that will assist police to solve these cases. My catchphrase “Someone, Somewhere, Must Know SOMETHING” rings true, and I believe that we can make a difference!

Listen to The Missing Australia podcast here.