Ruth Ridley and husband took court orders out against each other before grandmother’s disappearance

A missing grandmother and her estranged husband who was found dead in a car both took out court orders against each other after recently separating.

Missing grandmother Ruth Ridley and her estranged husband both took out court orders against each other after recently separating.

Detectives are probing why a missing grandmother’s four-wheel-drive crossed the Victoria-New South Wales border three times around the time she was last seen alive.

Ruth Ridley’s caravan was also towed into Victoria then back over the Murray River before being eventually found in the NSW town of Tumbarumba on October 30.

No trace of Mrs Ridley, 58, has been found and there are growing fears she has been murdered.

Friends say she would never disappear of her own will and she has not used a phone or credit card and has no known access to transport.

Mrs Ridley’s Mitsubishi Pajero four-wheel-drive was found on October 29 near the tiny northern Victorian town of Walwa with the body of her estranged husband Gary, 61, inside.

His death is not regarded as suspicious.

Ruth Ridley’s caravan.

The grandmother is currently missing.

The Pajero is suspected of crossing the Murray into Victoria on the weekend of October 26-27, going back into New South Wales with caravan in tow soon after then heading south again without it.

The police search for Mrs Ridley is centred on remote bushland around the Murray River area in which the Pajero was found.

The last positive sighting of her was at a supermarket in Albury on October 24, five days after she had travelled to Tumbarumba from her mid-northern NSW home town of Port Macquarie.

Gary Ridley was seen filling his wife’s Pajero with petrol two days before his body was found inside the vehicle.

There are reports Mrs Ridley had moved to Port Macquarie to get away from her husband and that the couple had court orders out against each other.

A close friend of Ruth, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was a “gorgeous” person who had recently changed her phone number.

“Ruth did send me a message and said her and Gary had separated,” the close friend said.

“The last time I heard from Ruth, about a month ago, she wasn’t doing very well.

“She is very religious, she sent me some religious stuff.

“When I last heard from her she seemed calmer than ever for reasons I don’t want to go into.”

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Close family friend Lisa Mackay said the Ridleys were “absolutely beautiful” people.

“They are both absolutely beautiful. We’ve been on holidays together,” she said.

“I found them both beautiful people.

“I can’t imagine her taking off from her Mum or her grandchildren. There’s no way.”

John Deegen said the couple were “having troubles.”

“They were arguing at the time, three, four weeks ago,” Mr Deegen said.

“It’s definitely unusual (for Ruth to go missing).”