Bronwyn Winfield podcast: Clairvoyant surveilled over missing mum mystery

Police involved in the flawed initial investigation into the disappearance of Bronwyn Winfield put surveillance on a clairvoyant while accepting her estranged husband’s version of events | NEW EPISODE

Police tracked a clairvoyant while accepting Jon Winfield's version of events following the disappearance of Bronwyn Winfield, left. Top right: Former homicide detective Glenn Taylor.

Police involved in the flawed ­initial investigation into the disappearance of mother of two Bronwyn Winfield put surveillance on a clairvoyant while accepting her estranged husband’s version of events.

The fortune teller and tarot card reader was the only person regarded with suspicion by investigators immediately after Bronwyn vanished from Lennox Head on the NSW far north coast on the night of Sunday, May 16, 1993.

He was secretly put under watch because he had been visited by Bronwyn in the weeks before she vanished, a new episode of The Australian’s podcast series, Bronwyn, reveals.

“This was carried out for two days and evenings and met with a negative result,” states a NSW Police report prepared by a Ballina detective senior constable.

“Arrangements are now in place to have a regional crime squad surveillance unit carry out further observations, particularly of his night time activities.”

Bronwyn had separated from her husband, bricklayer Jon Winfield, and moved out of the family home in Sandstone Crescent with her two young daughters in March 1993. Seven weeks later, she moved back into the house with the children while her husband was working in Sydney, in a bid to protect her property rights and to save money.

On hearing Bronwyn was back in the home, Mr Winfield returned to Lennox Head. Bronwyn disappeared that night, with her husband the last known person to see or hear from her. Mr Winfield denies any involvement in the disappearance and has never been charged with any offence in connection to it.

The police report is dated July 14, 1993, eight weeks after Bronwyn disappeared. The Bronwyn podcast reveals that the report fully adopts the version of events provided by Mr Winfield despite significant red flags from his relationship with his missing wife.

“About 9.30pm on Sunday May 16, Bronwyn Joy Winfield – born April 24, 1962 of Sandstone Crescent Lennox Head – went into the main bedroom of the family home and made a telephone call,” the report states. “Shortly after, she walked out the front door of the house and a car was heard to drive away from the area. Mrs Winfield has not been seen or heard from since that date.”

It was not stated in the report that Mr Winfield was the only purported witness to Bronwyn leaving the house.

The report also misleadingly states that Mr Winfield “has been interviewed no less than six times and he has not been able to offer any ideas as to her whereabouts”.

Records show police spoke to Mr Winfield but did not record an interview with him until 1998.

Bronwyn’s mental health was a key theme, with the report stating she had come to believe the clairvoyant she was visiting was her ­father.

“Mrs Winfield, according to close friends, appeared to be suffering from a state of mental confusion in the weeks leading up to her disappearance,” it states.

Mr Winfield told The Australian last month that there was “a generational ­history of mental illness, both male and female” in Bronwyn’s family.

The police report adds: “He (Mr Winfield) stated that his wife met him at the door and they sat and talked for sometime in the dining room. The children were then put to bed and both he and his wife had an evening meal.”

There is no mention of Bronwyn’s friend Deb Hall telling police that Jon had told her there had been an “altercation” on the Sunday evening when he arrived at the house.

Bronwyn had not been in touch with anyone and had apparently left with little to no money and hadn’t touched her bank accounts, the report states before returning to her state of mind.

“It is known the missing person was suffering from a mental state of confusion. Documents in the handwriting of the Missing Person located at the family home indicate that she may have been suffering from mild depression.

“It would also appear that she carries some form of grudge against certain members of her family over property dealings and her father over minor things.”

The report also reveals Mr Winfield told police someone had been back to the home and had taken personal items.

Mr Winfield has denied any involvement in his wife’s disappearance. Picture: Liam Mendes

“On July 12, 1993, Jonathon Winfield reported to police that he had been absent in Sydney with his children from June 26 to July 11,” it states. “Upon his return to Sandstone Crescent, Lennox Head, he found that clothing belonging to the missing person together with photographs had been taken from the family home.”

Police running sheets obtained by the podcast reveal that on June 3, just over two weeks after Bronwyn disappeared, her solicitor, Chris McDevitt, passed on some striking information about the day she went missing to a detective, Graeme Diskin.

“On Sunday, May 16, in the late afternoon, the missing person contacted (Mr McDevitt) and stated that her husband had returned from Sydney and she was concerned about him being in the house,” Detective Sergeant Diskin noted in the running sheets.

“McDevitt advised the missing person that she might contact the police and inform them of the situation and, if need be, have them call by as a precaution in order to prevent a breach of the peace.

“The missing person seemed happy with that and made an ­appointment to see McDevitt at 9am on May 17, 1993 – an appointment she never kept.”

No statement was taken from Mr McDevitt at the time, and his comments did not raise police suspicions about Mr Winfield.

The running sheets also record that a police officer, Julie Donovan, spoke to the local clairvoyant, but he said he had not seen Bronwyn since early May.

Former homicide detective Glenn Taylor began investigating five years after Bronwyn disappeared and has called the earlier investigation “disgraceful”, saying there was “very little done”.

Witness statements weren’t taken and there had been no forensic investigation of the family home or of the vehicle Mr ­Winfield drove to Sydney with Bronwyn’s two daughters just hours after he’d arrived back at Lennox Head on the night she vanished.

Bronwyn was seeking a division of assets and custody of her daughter Chrystal, 10, from a previous relationship, and Lauren, 5, her daughter with Mr Winfield.

Do you know something about this case? Email Hedley Thomas at [e-mail].

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