Krystal Fraser, Pyramid Hill: Coronial inquest to hear from 23 witnesses

An inquest into the disappearance of Pyramid Hill soon-to-be mum Krystal Fraser has revealed new details including a primary suspect.

A coronial inquest into the disappearance of a young soon-to-be mum more than 13 years ago has heard police believe she was murdered – naming the primary suspect.

Krystal Fraser was just days from giving birth to a son when she was last seen on June 20, 2009 in the small central Victorian town of Pyramid Hill.

Against medical advice, she had checked herself out of the maternity ward at the Bendigo Base Hospital, saying she “wanted to attend a party” in Pyramid Hill and would return the following day.

Her phone remained connected to the Pyramid Hill tower until 1.45am on June 21, before it connected to the Leitchville phone box at 2.49am – 27km away.

Because of the distance and her heavily pregnant status, it’s believed she was driven to Leitchville however no one interviewed during the investigation has confirmed this.

Despite an extensive police investigation, with rewards of up to $1 million available, no evidence of her whereabouts have been uncovered.

A number of suspects have been interviewed by police over the years, two of whom are now deceased, but no charges have been laid and the investigation remains ongoing.

On Monday, the Coroner’s Court began a six-day inquest into her disappearance after Coroner Katherine Lorenz found there was reasonable evidence to suspect Krystal was deceased and “presumed murdered”.

Twenty-three witnesses will be called to give evidence.

The inquest heard Krystal was friendly and well-known in the small community, but was “extremely naive” and had been taken advantage of by people she considered friends.

She was born with a developmental disability, which manifested as poor short-term memory, compulsive behaviours, compulsive lying and an overly-trusting nature.

Council assisting the inquest, Fiona Batten, said during the investigation witnesses had expressed concern men in the community took advantage of her – using her for her disability payments, drugs and sex.

She said three explanations had been raised to explain Ms Fraser’s disappearance; that she had run away because of fears her child would be taken from her, that she had met foul play at the hands of drug dealers, or that she had been killed by a man suspected of being the baby’s father.

The inquest heard investigators had identified Peter “PJ” Jenkinson as the primary suspect in her disappearance, one of three men Krystal told her parents may have been her son’s father.

She also told her parents the father could have been Gareth David or Tony Gatt.

Karen Fraser with a photo of daughter Krystal Fraser.

Giving evidence before the inquiry, Krystal’s parents Neil and Karen Fraser said she did not know who the father was, but intended to seek a DNA test and child support.

“She was easygoing, she looked at everybody as a good person,” Neil Fraser said.

“She couldn’t tell she was being used. She attracted what I would call the undesirables – people without work, drug users and alcoholics.”

Her parents rubbished suggestions she would have run off, saying she called or visited them daily.

“She was very set in her ways and compulsive, she only did things a certain way,” Karen Fraser said.

“She always rang everyone a million times a day. She relied on us. She had not a hope at looking after herself.

“I just can’t imagine someone hurting someone so vulnerable. Yes, she could be a bit of a pain but she didn’t have a bad bone in her body.”

The inquest heard Krystal received 19 phone calls from an unknown person from a phonebox in Leitchville between May 14 and night of her who disappearance.

Also called to give evidence on Monday, Gareth David said suggestions he had been a boyfriend of Ms Fraser was “fanciful”.

“It could not be further from the truth. I never had anything to do with Krystal,” he said.

“I believe this was a fantasy and fascination constructed by Krystal.”

He said he was unsure he ever had sex with her, despite telling police three days after her disappearance that he had in September or October the previous year outside a Bendigo pub.

“Maybe it didn’t happen. If I look back in my memory bank maybe it didn’t happen,” he said.

“I’ve never been drunk to not know whether I’ve had sex.”

The inquest heard he had previously told police if the baby was his it would have likely ended his marriage.

“We were friends. She never told me she was pregnant,” he said.

“The first time I heard it was in the police interview.”

Coroner Katherine Lorenz said the inquest would seek to determine what happened to Krystal and, if the finding was that she had died, make findings as to the likely cause and circumstances surrounding her death.