The missing matter

 Our first episode is actually with my friend Jay and we're going to discuss the story of his missing uncle, Desmond Carr. I totally get it, I totally see how, just the ambiguity of not knowing is a trauma beyond words. I’ve lived it and I want to help others in a similar predicament. In all these cases that we will hear about in the coming season, someone, somewhere, knows something.  

So you'll be able to listen to our first episode, The Missing Matter, Des Matters, out and available on all platforms, Monday the 18th of August.

 In this new season Sally Leydon wants to help others who are dealing with ambiguous loss due to a missing loved one. In this episode Jay Walkerden tells the story of is uncle, Des Carr, who went missing in 1979 and has never been seen since. 

 In this episode Jason Sallese tells the story of his dad, Nicola, who was last seen in November 2008. Jason's story is one of unwavering determination to never stop searching for the answers. 

On Easter Sunday, 2008, engineer and devoted dad, Warren Meyer set out for a short, well planned hike at Dom Dom Saddle. He never came home. In this episode, Warren's wife Zee shares who he was, the day he vanished, and the search that followed. We examine early assumptions that shaped the investigation, the long path through the coroner's process and the quiet battles families face when someone does missing. 

On Sunday, 25th June 2017, Jorn Jesper Jensen, known as Jesper, vanished without a trace. A devoted father and grandfather, Jesper's sudden disappearance shocked his family and community. In this episode, we go back to the day it happened, retracing Jesper's last known movements , the first signs that something was wrong, and the search that begun to find him. 

Dr Sarah Wayland is a social work professor and leading researcher who has spent decades working with families of missing people. From frontline support to shaping national conversations on ambiguous loss and trauma, she brings unique insight into what it means to live in the 'missing' space and why these stories matter. 

 Patrick Liedke was 39 when he vanished from Tweed Heads in April 2024 a gentle, artistic soul loved by his family, with paintings on hospital walls and a life shaped by neurodiversity and complex health needs. In the days after a hospital discharge, sightings placed him around Cobaki, Piggabeen and into Currumbin Valley. Then… nothing. 

 In this bonus episode of The Missing Matter, crime analyst Laura Richards joins Sally and Joni from Los Angeles to discuss the case of Sal's mum, Marion and their recent overseas trip. 

  In the vast landscapes of rural New South Wales, a man known for his charismatic presence and unpredictable nature simply disappeared. James "Crackers" Hunter was last seen at a Dubbo pharmacy on February 28, 2020 - over 2,000 days ago. His blue Toyota Hilux was found abandoned on a rural property two years later, but James himself has vanished without a trace. For his former partner Marie Farrell, the years since have been consumed by an unrelenting search for answers. 

  In March 2015, Ray and Jennie Kehlet vanished on a prospecting trip in remote WA. Days later, Ray’s body was found at the bottom of a mine shaft. Jennie has never been found.

A coronial inquest ruled Ray was murdered, but no one has been charged. The only survivor has changed his story multiple times. This podcast unravels nine years of evidence, missed opportunities, and unanswered questions in the search for justice for Ray and Jennie.

Just when you thought the story was over, the questions only deepen. Hosted by Sally Leydon - Marion's daughter and the voice you know from The Lady Vanishes - along with super sleuth, Joni Condos. The Missing Matter picks up the trail after the February 2024 coronial findings. With over 22 million downloads behind it, this fan-funded follow up launches on its own new feed, ready to chart a fresh journey into the unknown. 

Before you listen to the first episode of The Missing Matter, hear how the story has unfolded. In this bonus episode you can catch up on the story of missing person Marion Barter and her daughter Sally's decades-long journey to find out what happened to her mum, who disappeared in 1997. 

On 29 February 2024, the coroner delivered her findings into the disappearance of Marion Barter, Sally's mum. After almost 27 years, Sally was left with more questions than answers - questions she was determined to resolve. In this episode, hear what unfolded in the aftermath of the inquest and discover what comes next 

In this episode, Sal and Joni share the frustration of trying to move forward after the coronial verdict. For every step ahead, they're pushed two steps back. Tune in to hear about the red tape, the blunders, the nightmares, the lack of empathy - and finally, the breakthrough.

Sally and team join Search Dogs Sydney at two different locations in New South Wales, following up on leads that have emerged over the past few years. You can help Search Dogs Sydney continue their incredible work for people like Sally - who are living with the pain of ambiguous loss - by visiting https://searchgdogssydney.org/ and making a donation. 

One of the last notes Sally received from her mum was written on notepaper from a room at the Hotel Nikko Narita in Japan. In this episode, Sally and Joni travel there to uncover answers: did her mum ever stay at this hotel? Did she get married here? And what immigration records might finally unlock the secret of Marion's disappearance?

After leaving Japan with even more questions, Sal and Joni land in London. The first stop is the British Library, and then it's off to the Sphinx to try to place Marion - and possibly Ric Blum - in the same location back in 1997. 

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally and Joni arrive in Amsterdam, following Marion's footsteps through rain soaked streets, smoky hotel rooms, and winding tram rides. With one of them unexpectedly side-lined, the other takes the city solo - navigating hidden corners, historic museums, and cryptic conversations in search of answers. What unfolds is a mix of emotions, determination, and discovery in a city that holds more than just memories. 

Sally and Joni head to Brussels on a mission to follow one of the strangest leads in the case: a mysterious coin cabinet inside Belgium's Royal Library. As they dig through archives, flea markets, and fragile connections to Ric Blum's past, they begin to uncover more about his aliases, his dealings, and possible links to stolen coins and foreign bank accounts. But a visit with one of his former victims - and a quiet moment of compassion - reminds them why they're really here.  

In Luxembourg, Sally and Joni set out to meet Monique Cornelius - a key witness in Marion Barter's case - but instead stumble upon a detail that stops them in their tracks: As they trace old addresses, explore Luxembourg's hidden banking secrets, and speak with locals in quiet villages, more strange coincidences emerge. 

Sally and Joni arrive in Lille, France, hoping uncover long-buried records. But instead of answers they find closed police stations, sealed archives, and endless red tape. Could one small detail still hold the key?

In this final episode of the season, Sally and Joni follow a curious lead about a passport found in Tasmania that belonged to the former owner of a house Ric Blum lived in and they journey to Rye, Tonbridge Wells and Burwash.

Sally and Joni hit the road to northern New South Wales, knocking on doors, and coming face to face with people who just might hold missing pieces of the puzzle. Along the way, Sally unveils the next chapter for The Missing Matter - an ambitious new direction that will open up the podcast to other families of the missing, giving their stories a voice and their loved ones a platform. 

In this bonus episode, Sally interviews Gary Jubelin, one of Australia's most respected detectives, about her mother's unsolved disappearance. They discuss the importance of connection people and key events in her mother's final days. Sally also asks Gary for his take on the coroners findings, tendencies in Ric Blum's behaviour, and whether police should dig deeper into his past, providing fascinating insights and advice from one of Australia's top detectives.