Key piece of evidence sent to the US in bid to find murdered Melbourne mother Karen Ristevski
A KEY piece of evidence has been sent to the United States in the hope that technical experts there can crack the case of the disappearance of Melbourne mother Karen Ristevski.
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A KEY piece of evidence has been sent to the United States in the hope that technical experts there can crack the case of the disappearance of Melbourne mother Karen Ristevski.
As the search for Mrs Ristevski enters its fifth month, the Herald Sun can reveal that Victoria Police has sent a potentially important piece of evidence to an expert in the US.
Detectives have also re-examined hundreds of hours of closed circuit television footage in their efforts to discover what happened to her.
Investigators have also recently spoken to the 47-year-old’s husband, Borce Ristevski, but he has not been formally interviewed again.
Extensive searches of terrain northwest of Melbourne — both on land and from the air — have failed to unearth any significant clues.
Police believe that Mrs Ristevski probably met with foul play and that her body was then hidden.
In the last week, they have spoken to her stepson, Anthony Rickard, as they seek to iron out details of his account of his dealings with her.
It is understood that police do not believe that Mr Rickard had any involvement in her disappearance.
Mrs Ristevski vanished without a trace on June 29.
Her husband has told police she left their Avondale Heights home for a walk to “clear her head” after a row over money.
Her mobile phone and bank accounts have not been used since.
In late August, Missing Persons Squad detectives focused their attention on a “rural area” northwest of Melbourne.
It has been searched extensively but no clues as to the whereabouts of the missing mum have been found.
It is understood the couple’s daughter, Sarah, 21, has ceased to help police, in support of her father, who she believes has been treated unfairly.
Mrs Ristevski is described as being about 1.6m tall, slim, with shoulder-length brown hair. When last seen, she was wearing a black jacket and jeans, and was believed to have been carrying a Coach handbag and purse.
Victoria Police’s Acting Sergeant Melissa Seach said: “The investigation remains active and continuing. We will not be providing a running commentary on the case.”
Mum’s fate is still a riddle
THE mysterious disappearance of Karen Ristevski has gripped Victoria ever since she vanished without a trace.
Saturday marked four months since June 29, when she was last seen.
Her husband, Borce, said she left their $1.1 million Avondale Heights home following an argument over money.
Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad are conducting a painstaking investigation to get to the bottom of what happened to the popular 47-year-old mother of one.
But sources have told the Herald Sun it is like looking for “a needle in a haystack”.
Hundreds of hours of CCTV footage were seized in the weeks after her disappearance — from neighbours’ homes, businesses in Sydney Rd, Coburg, the Toolern Vale General Store, and two BP service stations at Calder Park.
Police theorise that she met with foul play, and her body was then hidden in a rural area northwest of Melbourne.
It is believed transmitter towers on the Calder Freeway near Gisborne detected Mrs Ristevski’s phone about 40km northwest of her home on that day. On the same day, her husband’s phone was detected on the Calder Freeway near Diggers Rest, about 20km northwest of the family home.
Asked what he had been doing then, Mr Ristevski, 52, told detectives he had initially forgotten to mention he had driven his wife’s 2004 Mercedes-Benz coupe that day.
He said its fuel gauge had been faulty, so he took it for a spin. When he hit a bump, the fault corrected itself, so he then returned home.
Questioned on July 8, he denied any involvement in his wife’s disappearance.
Mr Ristevski’s son from a previous relationship, Anthony Rickard, has also been interviewed by police.
He has denied any part in the disappearance, saying that he believes a family conflict had led her to flee.
In August, Mrs Ristevski’s brother-in-law, Vasko Ristevski, told the Herald Sun he believed she fled overseas on a false passport and was most likely living in China or the US.
He said tensions with Mr Rickard may have taken a toll on her marriage, leading her to plan to disappear once her daughter Sarah had turned 21.
“I reckon she’s run away … That’s my feeling,” he said.
“She’s been going to America and Hong Kong each month for the past 10 years on business, and I’m told it’s fairly easy to get a false passport. I don’t think she will come back. I reckon she’s gone for good.”
Timeline of Karen Ristevski’s disappearance
JUNE 29
Karen Ristevski disappears from her home in Oakley Drive, Avondale Heights, at about 10am following a row with her husband Borce over money.
JULY 4
Sarah Ristevski, the missing woman’s daughter, made an emotional appeal for information.
JULY 8
Borce Ristevski is questioned by police investigating his wife’s disappearance.
JULY 14
During a press conference a television reporter asks Mr Ristevski if he killed his wife. Mr Ristevski did not respond and the press conference was cut short.
JULY 22
Anthony Rickard, Mrs Ristevski’s stepson, is questioned by police. He tells police her relationship with her husband was turbulent.
AUGUST 23
Vasko Ristevski, the missing woman’s brother-in-law, says he believes she is still alive and living overseas.
AUGUST 27
The Herald Sun reveals Mrs Ristevski’s phone was tracked near Gisborne on the day she vanished.
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