Key players from Hedley Thomas’ Bronwyn podcast
Hedley Thomas has interviewed family, friends and neighbours of missing mother-of-two Bronwyn Winfield. These are the key players.
Hedley Thomas’ new podcast – Bronwyn – examines the disappearance of a young mother who vanished from her home in idyllic Lennox Head, near Byron Bay on the NSW far north coast, in May 1993.
While a coroner recommended that a “known person” be charged with her murder, the office of the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions refused to proceed with a prosecution.
In 2008 the NSW government posted a $100,000 reward to help solve the case.
Then police minister Michael Daley said: “Her estranged husband reported her missing to police on the 27 May 1993.
“She left behind two young children, aged five and 10 at the time, making the attack all the more heinous. Ms Winfield’s family, particularly her children, deserve to know what happened – and her murderer deserves to be behind bars.”
Now Thomas has trained his focus on the case, interviewing family, friends and neighbours and analysing vital documents.
Here are the key players.
Bronwyn Winfield
Devoted young mother has not been seen or heard from since 1993. Her disappearance is the subject of The Australian’s new investigative podcast series, Bronwyn.
Jon Winfield
Bronwyn’s estranged husband. He told police at the time that Bronwyn left the home in Sandstone Court of her own volition, saying she needed a break for a few days. He has continuously denied any involvement in her disappearance and has never been charged with any offences relating to the disappearance.
Chrystal Winfield
Bronwyn’s daughter from a previous relationship, who was 10 when she vanished. She has shared her hopes that the podcast investigation will get to the truth about what happened to her mother.
Lauren Winfield
Bronwyn and Jon’s daughter. She was five when Bronwyn went missing.
Jodie Winfield
Jon’s older daughter from a previous relationship, who had moved to Sydney when Bronwyn went missing.
Carl Milovanovich
Then-deputy state coroner Carl Milovanovich who in May 2002 suspended an inquest into Bronwyn’s disappearance and recommended the DPP prosecute a known person, Jon Winfield, over her alleged murder.
Nicholas Cowdery KC
Australia’s longest-serving DPP who declined to prosecute Jon Winfield, citing insufficient evidence. He told The Australian he could not recall Bronwyn’s case but he would not do things differently today in cases like it.
Matt Fordham
Police officer who brought a brief of evidence on Bronwyn’s case to the coroner in 2002.
Glenn Taylor
Former detective sergeant who was the first person to seriously investigate the case in 1998 after years of neglect by police. He has condemned as “disgraceful” the early investigation into Bronwyn’s sudden disappearance, saying there was “very little done” after she vanished.
Graeme Diskin
The senior policeman in charge of the initial investigation into Bronwyn’s disappearance. His major bungle over the timing of a crucial phone call knocked the initial investigation into badly off course.
Judy Singh
A retired nurse who has come forward with an extraordinary story of seeing a figure that “resembled a body” being transported late at night in mid-May, 1993.
The Ford Falcon was being driven by Jon Winfield, Ms Singh told the podcast.
Andy and Michelle Read
Brother and sister-in-law of Bronwyn, campaigning for justice. The Reads are not happy with Bronwyn Winfield being treated as a missing person, and they believe there is more to her disappearance.
Kim Marshall
Younger half-sister of Bronwyn, who refuses to accept the case can’t be solved. “There is a lot more that the police could do. They’ve got the wrong mindset from back in the day.”
Leah and John Read
Bronwyn’s aunt and uncle.
Madison Walsh
Forensic science student and second cousin of Bronwyn. Helping Hedley Thomas with the Bronwyn podcast.
Megan Read
Bronwyn’s cousin and close friend. “Her relationship with Jon, I knew what it was like,” she tells the podcast. “I knew. I’d seen the bruises. To me, it’s just so shocking. Because I used to speak to her when she was on that phone. And I could hear him, yelling and screaming and banging on the door. I mean, surely other people heard it. Now she was terrified of Jon. Absolutely terrified of him.”
Chris McDevitt
Bronwyn’s solicitor. He and Bronwyn discussed that she was about to move back into Sandstone Crescent house from the cramped townhouse where she was living. The lawyer told her she had every legal right to do so, the podcast reveals.
Denise Barnard
Bronwyn had few close friends during her time in Lennox but she did meet Denise Barnard in a mothers group and they became close.
Debbie Hall
Bronwyn’s close friend and next door neighbour.
Murray Nolan
Debbie’s partner and a key witness who still stays in touch with Jon. He says he’s never forgotten what he witnessed when he got up and looked out the window the night Bronwyn vanished: her car, rolling down the driveway to the road with its engine and headlights off.
Mel Taylor
Daughter of Debbie and Murray, and childhood best friend of Bronwyn’s daughter Chrystal. She entered the Winfield family home two days after Bronwyn disappeared and was struck by how strangely lived in it was, at odds with its usual state of almost obsessive cleanliness.
Ian ‘Scruffy’ Gluyas
Concreter workmate of Jon Winfield’s who Jon allegedly told that he was not going to lose another house after two previous marriages as the relationship crumbled.
Maria Gluyas
Ian Gluyas’s wife who became friendly with Bronwyn, saying in a 1998 police statement they would see each other daily.
Jenny Mason
Jon Winfield’s first wife, whose home he visited in the Sydney suburb of Caringbah the morning after Bronwyn disappeared.
Joan Mason
Jenny’s mother-in-law, who looked after Chrystal and Lauren the morning after Bronwyn disappeared.
Dee*
Jon Winfield’s second wife, who left him because of his possessiveness and his constant accusations that she was looking at other men.
*not her real name
Gary ‘Jacko’ Jackson
Brickies’ labourer for Jon Winfield and Bronwyn’s friend and potential love interest.
Virginia Beves
Neighbour on Sandstone Crescent who police overlooked for 16 years as a witness in Bronwyn’s disappearance, who says the missing mother of two spoke of being scared of her “abusive” husband.
The Hargraves
Bronwyn’s other neighbours – Heather and Lloyd – who saw her the day she went missing. They have since died.
Robyn Shanahan
Owner of Eden’s Takeaway on Pacific Parade, where Bronwyn worked casual shifts.
Kellie O’Brien
Child protection worker and former colleague of Bronwyn at Eden’s Takeaway who now says she wished she’d shown more compassion towards her friend before she vanished.
Shirley Taylor
The owner of the townhouse Bronwyn moved into when she and Jon separated.
Allan Fischer
One of Bronwyn’s townhouse neighbours.
John Watson
Jon Winfield’s friend, who picked him up from Ballina airport and drove him home the night Bronwyn went missing. They went via the police station, where Jon checked whether Bronwyn had secured an apprehended violence order against him. She hadn’t.
Becky McGuire
Friend of Jon Winfield’s daughter Jodie, who joined Jon and John Watson on the car trip back to Sandstone Crescent. She was a “witness” to Jon’s arrival back at the home.
Peter and Louise Winfield
Jon Winfield’s brother and sister-in-law, whose Sydney home Jon and the girls stayed in when Bronwyn went missing.
Bernadette Armstrong
Bronwyn’s hairdresser, whose business was was opposite the takeaway shop where Bronwyn worked part-time. She has told of her angry reaction when a detective repeatedly suggested at her salon that the missing mother had “run off with a fella”.
The clairvoyant
The only person regarded by police as suspicious immediately after Bronwyn went missing and secretly put under watch.
Brian ‘Bruiser’ Battese
Former dual NRL premiership-winning footballer and family friend of Bronwyn’s. When he first found out she was missing, he was convinced she was dead.
Terrie Battese
Brian Battese’s wife. She was on the committee of a local Lennox children’s playgroup with Bronwyn, and the pair revelled in motherhood and their young children.
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