Marion Barter died, conman Ric Blum knows more, coroner finds in missng mum case
In bombshell findings, a coroner has referred the case of Marion Barter to the homicide squad, saying serial fraudster Ric Blum gave evidence that could not be trusted.
Missing Queensland teacher Marion Barter died after vanishing in 1997, and a convicted serial conman with whom she was in a secret relationship knew more than he revealed, a coroner has found.
Fraudster Ric Blum gave “extraordinary” evidence that could not be trusted at all without corroborating evidence, and it should be up to police to consider charging him with perjury and false statements during an inquest, NSW State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan said on Thursday.
Ms O’Sullivan referred the case to the homicide squad, finding initial NSW Police Force investigations were seriously inadequate and in breach of policies around missing persons.
Barter would be 78 if she were alive today.
Her disappearance was not investigated for a decade, and was then wrongly classified by police as located, the coroner said.
It meant opportunities to gather evidence were lost.
Ms O’Sullivan stressed that a $500,000 reward was available and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Barter’s daughter Sally Leydon was praised by the coroner for her tireless advocacy for her missing mother in the face of police bungling and their refusal to investigate.
Some of the sharpest comments were reserved for Mr Blum, whom the coroner found had a history of exploiting and defrauding vulnerable women.
Mr Blum had an affair with Barter and travelled overseas with her while he was married to his current wife. He had no intention of leaving his marriage for Barter.
“Mr Blum exploited Marion in 1997 in the manner in which he later exploited other women who have given evidence in these proceedings,” the coroner said.
“I make this finding despite Mr Blum’s denials in this regard and notwithstanding that the women involved in his (later) relationships remained alive and well.”
Barter legally adopted the name Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel without telling her family. Among Mr Blum’s dozens of aliases was the name Fernand Remakel.
While in an intimate relationship with Barter, Mr Blum “persuaded or otherwise encouraged her” to sell her house in 1997.
Barter withdrew money the same year and transferred $80,000 to an unknown account “on the encouragement of Mr Blum and in circumstances where Marion believed that she was in a relationship with him”.
On the balance of probabilities, Barter had died after October 15, 1997, Ms O’Sullivan said. She was unable to determine the date, cause or manner of death.
Mr Blum’s evidence was unsatisfactory and contradictory, the coroner said. He knew more about Barter’s travel overseas, her return to Australia and withdrawals and transfers of money from her account but was “deliberately unwilling to divulge that further knowledge to the court”.
There were not enough seats in the room to accommodate the almost 70 family members and supporters, all dressed in green, who showed up at the Coroner’s Court in Lidcombe, in Sydney’s west, for the findings.
Many had come across the case through social media or the podcast The Lady Vanishes, and had been following the case for years.
On a Facebook page ‘Missing Person Marion Barter’, Ms Leydon wrote: “Well here we are, the day I’ve been waiting too long for.”
She thanked “the super sleuths for their continued help and support”.
Ms Leydon declined to comment when asked questions outside court. “I can’t make any comment at this time, I’m sorry,” she said.
Many of Ms Leydon’s supporters expressed anger at Mr Blum, and said they had hoped, as the family did, that the coroner would refer him to the Director of Public Prosecutions for consideration of perjury or false statement charges.
“We’re still in limbo. We’re no further along, apart from knowing that she’s deceased,” supporter Bianca Bardetta said.
“Obviously there are a lot of outstanding issues to be resolved, particular in relation to Mr Blum,” another supporter, who didn’t want to be named, said.
“We all hope the police continue the type of investigations they’ve now started, and are able to deal with that matter.”
Ms Bardetta and her friend, Kelly Condon, travelled down to Sydney from the Hawkesbury to attend the hearing on Thursday.
While the women don’t know Ms Leydon personally, they have followed the case and the publicity around it for years and said they felt connected to her.
“We travelled for about an hour and a half in traffic but we would have come from England if we needed to,” Ms Bardetta said as she left the courtroom, saying she felt emotional.
“It’s hard not to feel connected to Sally’s story.
“I think as women, as mothers, as grandmothers, she and her story is relatable,” Ms Condon said.
“It’s been a wild journey and a long journey, I think it’s hard to detach from that. It’s not just about her mum anymore. She’s had other tragedies happen along the way.”
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