- What is up EWU Crew?
Today we're covering three solved disappearances
with unexpected twists.
Let's get right into it.
Number three, Daniel O'Keefe.
In July of 2011, 24 year old Daniel O'Keeffe
disappeared from his family home in Highton, Geelong
just south-west of Melbourne.
Their home had been built 20 years earlier
and the property was partially dug out of a limestone hill.
Suffering from anxiety and depression,
on the morning of July 15th, he disappeared from his home,
leaving behind his wallet and other personal belongings.
Living between his family home and an apartment
in Melbourne he shared with his girlfriend of three years,
Susie Mansfield, he was set to begin
a carpentry apprenticeship the following Monday.
His father wondered if perhaps that had been what had pushed
him over the edge.
A variety of changes in quick succession,
making his mental health worse.
His family remained optimistic however,
and within a week started searches among the homeless,
in the hopes of finding him.
Some of the biggest tips came
in the form of CCTV and sightings.
One in particular, tying him to a Brisbane medical center.
Another sent them to Bargara after a man that resembled
him was seen walking the streets, disheveled and unclean.
Though one of his sisters soon dedicated her time
to pursuing these tips.
In the years that followed, the family responded within days
to these tips, traveling up and down the country in hopes
of finding him.
For five years, distraught friends and relatives were left
to search for Daniel, his mother, Lori, struggling to come
to terms with the fact that he may never walk through
the front door again.
Though, deep down, she knew he was likely dead,
she, along with thousands of volunteers still held out hope
that he would come home safely one day.
In a tragic turn of events it was his father, Des
that eventually found his son.
The limestone hill that surrounded their property
had been Daniel's final resting place.
His body underneath their home the entire time.
The area where his body was found was reportedly
a very tight space, meaning that it was rarely visited aside
from cleaning, allowing his body to sit there unnoticed.
Daniel had taken his own life.
In the years, since his remains were discovered,
many have grown critical of how the case was handled.
Reportedly the property was never searched thoroughly.
His phone was never used to try and discover a location
and his computer and bedroom untouched.
His sister Lauren speaks of the disappointment they felt
and how it was apparent that Daniel was never a priority
to police.
His mother felt robbed of her opportunity
to properly say goodbye.
If a search dog had been utilized,
the search could have ended far sooner,
allowing her to hold him and gain the closure she deserved.
Compared to other cases, here's little debate as to how
and why Daniel died,
an incredibly painful experience for the family.
Even years later, they continue to advocate for him,
for missing people and their families.
Number two, Natasha Ryan.
1998, Rockhampton Queensland, Natasha Ryan was dropped off
at school by her mother on August 31st,
before seemingly disappearing into thin air outside
of a movie theater.
Only 14 years old at the time, she was described by many as
a troubled child, suspended from school, a number of times,
and with a history of running away.
She was known to experiment with drugs, date, older boys,
and presented many red flags to those around her.
The month before she disappeared, she had run away
for two days with boyfriend Scott Black
who was 21 years old before being discovered.
Those around her treated this incident the same way,
reporting her missing though, a little came
from their report.
It took two years for police to search with her,
believing she, along with three other girls may have been
the victims of a serial killer.
Any hope of finding her alive, had all but disappeared.
And in 2001, a Memorial service was held on what should have
been her 17th birthday.
Serial killer Leonard Fraser was believed to be responsible
for her death.
Pleading guilty to her murder as his trial began
in early 2003.
However, when a property in North Rockhampton was raided
on April 10th, Natasha was finally found.
For almost five years she had been living
with her boyfriend, Scott Black.
She was found hiding in a cupboard.
Shortly thereafter, prosecutor Paul Rutledge announced
to the court that Leonard was not guilty of her murder,
casting doubt on the case, as she'd been discovered alive.
Her father, Robert describes almost collapsing
when he heard the news having spent years searching
for her and grieving his daughter,.
Not only had Natasha been found in her boyfriend's house,
it had been revealed that they had moved multiple times
in the time she had been missing
their final location only a short distance
from her parents' home.
Known in the media as The Girl in the Cupboard,
she had more freedom than the title implied.
Only using it to hid when they had visitors,
when they were alone, she roamed the house with
the curtains closed, even making trips outdoors under
the cover of darkness.
As to why she ran away, Ryan speaks of her parents' divorce
and how it upset her fearing punishment if she returned,
though there is much, she refuses to say.
By the time she felt ready to reunite with her parents,
the lie had spiraled out of control,
leaving her to continue her life of solitude.
To avoid suspicion sanitary products were crafted
out of old towels.
Scott testifying at Fraser's trial, that he had no idea
where she was and sneaking her out in the back
of his milk truck.
Many were critical of his decisions to attend parties
while Natasha remained at home though,
she never expressed any discomfort at the situation.
When she was discovered, she was malnourished
and deficient, telling of how she hasn't been
in sunlight for years.
Instead, she spent her time on the internet,
browsing and learning in the process.
She made her own clothes,
learned how to sew and speak German
in place of a mainstream education.
Scott was sentenced to a three year sentence suspended
for 12 months for perjury and helping her to remain hidden.
Natasha on the other hand was found guilty
of causing a false police investigation and fined though
it's unknown as to whether or not she paid it.
When Scott was freed from jail the pair married,
having three children.
Since her discovery, the pair had made many deals
with the media outlets.
Their wedding photos allegedly worth around $200,000
and interviews allegedly earning
her somewhere around $120,000.
Public opinion has been divided, with many believing
that money should be used to pay for the investigation
despite a ruling that she did not have the means
to pay back the funds.
While Natasha Ryan's disappearance is a solved case,
we may never truly know the circumstances
that led her to running away.
Shortly after she was discovered, both of her parents
were open about their struggles.
undeniably happy their daughter was home safe,
but still reeling from the violation of trust.
Number one, Paulette Gebara.
Four-year-old Paulette Gebara Farah, was a young girl
that went missing on the 22nd of March, 2010.
Living in a Mexico apartment with their parents
and older sister, she was born at just 25 weeks
with a physical disability and a speech disorder,
that required constant attention.
Never expected to walk or talk, she could only move
with great help speaking very few words.
This included the words, mom and dad.
Though she was never capable of speaking
in complete sentences.
Her mobility he remained limited and she relied
on her nannies for the simplest of things.
That morning, one of the two sisters that acted as nannies
for the family, woke her sister for school,
a regular part of their routine.
Leaving briefly to wait for the bus with her,
Paulette was allowed to sleep as they dressed
and fed Lizette and they returned at around 8:00
to prepare her for kindergarten.
All was not as it seemed however,
as Paulette was nowhere to be found.
The sisters searched the entirety
of their luxury two story apartment inside bathrooms,
under beds and inside of wardrobes.
Despite her limited mobility, the search continued inside
the lifts and around the complex,
speaking to neighbors and to the various security guards,
nobody had seen Paulette after her mother had put her
to bed the night before.
Her mother also called Lizette was notified,
and before long, her father Mauricio Gebara
was on the phone with his sister,
only then were the police called
and notified of the disappearance.
The call placed by Mauricio's sister instead
of Paulette's parents.
Further investigation revealed that the apartment showed
no signs of tampering, locks all intact and no items stolen.
There had been no theft.
The only thing missing was Paulette,
but surveillance cameras showed
no signs of kidnapping either.
She was never seen leaving the complex nor being taken.
Her disabilities prevented her from wandering away,
raising questions as to where she had gone.
That afternoon, posters began to circulate with information
and photographs of Paulette and her aunt quickly took
to social media in the hopes of finding out
where her niece had gone.
Billboards and adverts were also created,
and news of her disappearance spread rapidly.
A television appeal quick to follow.
Speaking publicly to the potential abductor,
her mother pleaded for her daughter's safe return promising
that there would be no consequences if they left
her safely a crowded place.
This was the first of many interviews the family did,
though none are more notable than those from March 27th.
Sitting on her daughter's bed Lizette spoke
to the news crews about the last time she saw her daughter.
She'd returned from a trip to Valle de Bravo
with her father and sister,
her mother waiting at home to put her to bed.
She'd kissed her good night and tucked her
into bed like any other night,
with the house quiet with nothing out of the ordinary.
The public was suspicious, Lizette looked nervous as she sat
a top a brightly colored bedding,
surrounded by shelves of toys.
Not once did she cry or show signs of grief.
The same could be said of the interviews her husband did.
Just two days later, the family and nannies were placed
under restriction at a hotel after the attorney general
said, aspects of their statements
were falsified and conflicting.
The home was searched once more, and on the 31st of March,
in the early hours of the morning,
officers finally found Paulette, wedged at the foot
of her bed under her sheets.
She had seemingly suffocated to death.
Attorney general, Alberto Bazaz said she'd likely
rolled over in her sleep and suffocated in part
due to the orthopedic cloth she wore
over her mouth that night.
The blankets hiding not only her body,
but also the strong odor of putrefaction for nine days.
It's believed her body was there for five to nine days.
Despite the room being searched a number of times
by the nannies and police.
A custody battle erupted between Mauricio and Lizette
over their remaining daughter with Lizette turning
on Mauricio and eventually being reunited with her daughter.
Throughout the battle, the pair both accused each other
of murdering Paulette, hiding her body
or knowing where it was.
Though the official ruling was that of an accidental death,
there is plenty of suspicion regarding the circumstances
of her death.
Some reports, state that the nannies were told
to place pillows on either side of Paulette,
to prevent her from rolling out of the bed,
something that could have allowed her
to gradually make her way down the bed,
as the night progressed.
Both nannies say that they would have discovered her body
when making the bed, tucking the covers under the mattress
and tightly behind the bed frame,
or even in the search that followed.
Supposedly, she was at the end of the bed long enough
for urine to dry through the mattress,
potentially proving that it had simply been
a freak accident.
Her body said the same.
Though reconstructions were done after she was discovered,
it's believed that the nanny's only ever pulled the sheets
up to the bed, explaining why
they may not have found her immediately.
This conflicts with the reports
of them searching frantically, and doesn't explain
how police didn't find her.
Reportedly a police dog directed them towards
her body earlier in the investigation,
but it was ignored as it was assumed to be leading them
to the reference scent,
that of one of her bedsheets instead of her body.
And it's rumored two people may have slept in the bed during
the investigation, leaving many to wonder
how she went undiscovered for so long.
Conflicting opinions from forensic experts,
theorize she may only have been there for three days though
the death was still ruled an accident.
Then this only raises more questions.
If Paulette's death, wasn't an accident,
how and why did she die?
Behind the scenes her parents struggled with their finances.
Their daughter required constant assistance,
expensive medications and therapies
to prevent her from regressing.
Some believe that whether they hoped to stage a kidnapping
for money or didn't want to deal with the care
that raising her required, her death was not an accident.
Unable to speak more than a few select words,
never in sentences, if she had been left somewhere,
she would have been unable to get help.
In Mexico, the public believe Lizette killed her,
hiding her body and placing it at the foot of the bed
after they were sent to a hotel.
A friend of Lizette, Amanda de la Rosa,
stayed with the family
during the search and slept in Paulette's bed.
The bed was made daily, but her body was never found,
and the blood on the sheets was never seen.
The friendship between the pair ended after Rosa published
a book calling into question the discrepancies
between her experience and the eventual findings
of the investigation.
Mauricio was loosely linked to Alberto Bazbaz,
the attorney general raising more questions as
to the validity of the investigation.
Later, stepping down from his role as attorney general,
he cited the intense scrutiny of his investigation
as the reason, but the case was never reinvestigated.
Paulette's limited mobility casted doubts
on the official conclusion, but also calls into question,
the police work that allowed her to sit at the foot
of her bed, undiscovered for so long.
Throughout the entire case,
there were conflicting testimonies,
and with her room being accessed by hundreds of people,
any evidence they may have found,
was likely destroyed.
Though the case was solved, many are dissatisfied,
believing that justice was not served for Paulette,
With her body being zoomed and cremated in 2017,
we may never know what happened to Paulette Gebara.
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