Police act on Bronwyn Winfield podcast’s ‘body in a sheet’ account

Police are immediately moving on chilling information from a new witness who saw what she fears was Bronwyn Winfield’s body wrapped in sheets in the back of a car | Listen to Episode 7.

Police are moving to speak to new witness Judy Singh over her chilling witness account to the Bronwyn podcast.

NSW Police are immediately moving to act on a chilling account from a new witness of seeing what she fears was Bronwyn Winfield’s body wrapped in sheets in the back of a car.

Retired nurse Judy Singh came forward on the Bronwyn podcast with her extraordinary story of seeing a figure that “resembled a body” being transported late at night in mid-May, 1993.

She said the Ford Falcon was being driven by Bronwyn’s estranged husband Jon, who has always denied any involvement in his wife’s disappearance.

Ms Singh lived about 50m from the Winfields and said she tried to report what she saw from her upper level balcony to local police within weeks, and at Byron Bay station years later when she was accompanied by a doctor from New Zealand.

The doctor has verified to the podcast the account of going to the station.

Ms Singh says an internal light was on in the car and that Mr Winfield looked up at her as he slowly drove past.

The image of the wrapped figure in the back seat had never left her, and could now reignite police investigations into the 31-year mystery of Bronwyn’s disappearance.

The 69-year-old former Lennox Head resident first contacted journalist Hedley Thomas on June 9 after seeing advertising for his investigative podcast.

Her subsequent interviews featured in Episode 7 of the Bronwyn podcast that went live on The Australian’s website and app at 5pm Thursday.

Just after 7pm, a NSW police media representative contacted The Australian seeking assistance in speaking to Ms Singh.

NSW Police assistant commissioner and commander of State Crime Command, Michael Fitzgerald, subsequently emailed Thomas at 7.20pm requesting Ms Singh’s contact details.

Ms Singh, a mother of three who still lives in northern NSW, had told the podcast she was ready and willing to speak to detectives.

Thomas passed on her contact details on Thursday night following the police request.

“The investigation into the 1993 disappearance and suspected murder of Bronwyn Winfield remains under the responsibility of the Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide Team,” a NSW police spokeswoman said by email Friday.

“In 2022, Strike Force Chelmsbrook was established to re-investigate the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

“The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives have recently been provided information regarding a potential witness and are in the process of making arrangements to speak with that person.

“Police are reminding the community that a $100,000 NSW Government reward remains on offer for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person/s responsible for her death.

“As investigations under Strike Force Chelmsbrook continue, detectives urge anyone who may have information that could assist to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”

Bronwyn was 31 years old when she went missing. She left behind two girls, then aged 10 and five.

Police had told The Australian last month that there had not been any significant new leads that could take the case forward in the past decade.

In 2002, deputy state coroner Carl Milovanovich recommended Mr Winfield be prosecuted over his wife’s alleged murder. The then-director of public prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery KC, refused on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

Mr Winfield, a bricklayer and keen surfer, still lives in Lennox Head.

When a journalist from The Australian tried to approach when he arrived home on Thursday, he immediately drove away again.

In an email to Thomas last month, he said he gave police a statement in 1998 and that he had confirmed the version in 2009 and stands by it today.

“There is a generational ­history of mental illness, both male and female in (Bronwyn’s) family,” he wrote.

Over several days, The Australian reconstructed the moment using computer generated images, video animation and by using an actual 1987 Ford Falcon XF sedan, the same model as the Winfield family car.

Drone footage captures a car and its contents in a recreation of what Judy Singh witnessed.

The exercise with the Falcon demonstrated a body of Bronwyn’s size could easily fit in the car along with a surfboard as described.

If you have any information about Bronwyn Winfield’s disappearance, email Hedley Thomas at [e-mail]