Rachel Antonio - The Untold Story

On Sunday 26 April 1998, Rachel Antonio’s parents reported her missing to Officer in Charge of the Bowen Police Station, Senior Sergeant Michael ‘Mick’ Isles. Eleven years after Rachel disappeared, Senior Sergeant Isles went missing on the 23 September 2009 from Ayr, north of Bowen. His body has never been found and the case remains unsolved.

Sidney Pate, former manager of the Bowen Swimming Pool, employed Robert Hytch as a life guard at the pool. Pate also knew Rachel Antonio, as she regularly attended the pool for surf lifesaving training. Pate was drawn into the investigation into Rachel’s disappearance when it was revealed that two phone calls were made from the pool to Rachel’s house and then to Robert’s house on the day Rachel disappeared. Further, Pate was in the Queen’s Beach area at the time Rachel was last seen there before disappearing forever.

Extract from Channel Nine's A Current Affair feature 'Justice for Rachel' 2016. 

Robert Hytch's movements on the 25 April 1998 were of particular interest to the police, as he was immediately considered the prime suspect in relation to the disappearance and suspected murder of Rachel Antonio. This episode discusses the different versions Hytch gave to police in relation to the the amount of time he was allegedly broken down on the side of the road that evening. 

The extracts of Robert Hytch's interviews with the Queensland Police Service courtesy of The Courier-Mail, Searching for Rachel Antonio.  

Three phone calls made between the Antonio residence, the Hytch residence, and the Bowen Swimming Pool on the afternoon of the day Rachel disappeared could be vital clues to solving Rachel's disappearance.   

At approximately 6:00pm on the 25 April 1998, Rachel Antonio was dropped off at the Summer Garden Cinema by her mother. There were a few sightings of Rachel at Queen's Beach, a short walk from the cinema. After 7:00pm, Rachel was never seen or heard from again.

When Rachel discovered that Robert was seeing another girl and there was a possibility that his new girlfriend might be pregnant, Rachel planned to pretend that she was also pregnant with the intent to confront Robert with the revelation. 

Rachel Antonio and Robert Hytch both worked at the Bowen Surf Lifesaving Club and appeared to be quite close friends. But were they more than just friends? This episode discusses some suspicions people in the community had about their relationship.

On the afternoon of 25 April 1998, 16-year-old Rachel Antonio was dropped off at the Summer Garden Cinema in Bowen, North Queensland by her mother. She has never been seen or heard from since. This episode provides an insight into Rachel's life, and the conviction, appeal, and retrial of Robert Hytch for her murder for which he was ultimately acquitted.