On 22 June 1997, 51 year old Marion Barter left Southport, Queensland, to begin a year-long trip through England and Europe. Shortly before leaving Australia, Marion had secretly changed her name to Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel and obtained a new passport, but she told no one about the change. She travelled to England and remained in contact with family and friends for several weeks, but on 1 August 1997, Marion spoke to her daughter Sally for the final time. The following day, her passport was used to return to Australia, despite Marion apparently still claiming to be in England. Over the following weeks, Marion’s life savings were withdrawn from her bank account, and after 15 October 1997, there were no further confirmed signs of Marion. In 2024, a coroner declared Marion deceased, but was unable to determine where, when or how she died.
On the podcast, we examine what may have happened to Marion after her return to Australia, including her relationship with Ric Blum, the man she knew as Fernand Remakel, and the coroner's findings about his history of exploiting vulnerable women. We consider whether Ric Blum is responsible for Marion’s disappearance or if there is a different explanation why Marion Barter vanished.
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