Advertise on podcast: The Missing Matter

In November 1994, Sydney woman Revelle Balmain disappeared after attending what was believed to be her final appointment of the day. More than three decades later, her disappearance remains one of Australia’s most enduring mysteries.  In Revelle Balmain: The Last Appointment, we revisit the final hours before she vanished and speak with people who knew her best  including former boyfriends, her stepsister Suellen, and one of the last people known to have seen Revelle alive. Through their memories, new interviews and a fresh examination of the case, the series explores who Revelle was, what was happening in her life at the time, and the unanswered questions that remain about her disappearance.  Revelle Balmain: The Last Appointment is coming to Apple Podcasts Subscriptions from Monday, October 19.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we sit down with renowned criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro to unravel the complexities of the Samantha Murphy case from Ballarat. Samantha's disappearance has puzzled law enforcement and the public alike, leaving more questions than answers. Through an in-depth conversation with Tim, we explore the psychological underpinnings of the case, examine the clues left behind, and discuss the impact on the community and the ongoing search for justice. Watson-Muro brings his expert analysis and unique insights, shedding new light on one of Australia's most perplexing cases. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man has now been charged with the alleged murder of Samantha Murphy, but many questions about what happened on the morning she disappeared remain unanswered. In this episode, former Victorian Police detective Damien Marrett helps piece together what investigators may have known before the arrest, how phone and location data could have shaped the investigation, and what happens behind the scenes when police decide they have enough evidence to charge someone with murder. As the case moves towards court, we examine the evidence still missing from the public picture and why finding Samantha remains so important. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the investigation into Samantha Murphy’s disappearance intensified, police were not only searching the ground — they were also following a digital trail. Telecommunications expert Associate Professor Mark Gregory explains how mobile phones, smartwatches and tower data can help investigators map movements, identify devices in an area and look for unusual patterns. We examine how this kind of digital evidence may have helped police piece together crucial parts of the investigation. IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode was originally recorded and published during the early stages of the investigation and reflects information publicly available at that time. Since its original publication, criminal proceedings relating to Samantha Murphy’s disappearance have commenced. This episode has not been updated to discuss those proceedings and does not address the person currently before the courts, the evidence in those proceedings, or questions of guilt or innocence. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as commenting on, prejudging or seeking to influence any current court proceedings. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty according to law. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the search for Samantha Murphy intensified, police canvassed the area while hundreds of volunteers joined the effort to find answers. Bush tracker Jake Cassar travelled to Ballarat to help search the surrounding terrain, bringing years of experience from other missing-person cases. He takes us inside the search, explaining the clues trackers look for, the challenges of the bushland and what caught his attention on the ground. IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode was originally recorded and published during the early stages of the investigation and reflects information publicly available at that time. Since its original publication, criminal proceedings relating to Samantha Murphy’s disappearance have commenced. This episode has not been updated to discuss those proceedings and does not address the person currently before the courts, the evidence in those proceedings, or questions of guilt or innocence. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as commenting on, prejudging or seeking to influence any current court proceedings. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty according to law. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the morning of 4 February 2024, Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy left her home for a routine run and never returned. Originally recorded during the early stages of the investigation, this episode retraces Samantha’s last known movements and the massive search that followed. We speak with former Detective Inspector Greg Lamey about what happens in those crucial first 48 hours of a missing-person investigation, what police look for, and why seemingly insignificant information can become an important piece of the puzzle. What did investigators know in those early days and what were the missing pieces? IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode was originally recorded and published during the early stages of the investigation and reflects information publicly available at that time. Since its original publication, criminal proceedings relating to Samantha Murphy’s disappearance have commenced. This episode has not been updated to discuss those proceedings and does not address the person currently before the courts, the evidence in those proceedings, or questions of guilt or innocence. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as commenting on, prejudging or seeking to influence any current court proceedings. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty according to law.       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years after  “Bob”  disappeared, his family were finally waiting for an answer. In this episode, we revisit the case, the courtroom, and the evidence that emerged along the way  including claims involving a shooting, a mysterious vehicle, and other people whose names surfaced during the investigation. But as the case reaches a crucial moment, Bob’s family is left facing questions they never expected to still be asking. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the days before he disappeared, Dylan Dickiewas struggling. After being discharged from a mental health unit, he sent his father Damien a heartbreaking message that sounded like a final goodbye. The next day, Dylan vanished. His motorbike, helmet, gloves, and other belongings were later found scattered through dense bushland, but Dylan himself has never been found.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Damien remembers Dylan as his best mate, a funny, mischievous kid who grew up riding motorbikes, making people laugh and eventually working alongside his dad as a plasterer. But in the year before Dylan disappeared, Damien began to notice changes. Money was going missing, Dylan’s appearance was changing and drugs had entered his life. In this episode, Damien reflects on the son he knew, the warning signs he saw, and the questions he has carried ever since. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When 71-year-old Robert “Bob” Dickie suddenly stopped answering his phone, his son Damien drove to his remote property near Dubbo looking for answers. Bob was nowhere to be found. But a woman Damien didn’t know was at the property, claiming to be Bob’s wife and saying he had simply gone to a party. Robert has never been seen again. Note: A woman investigated in connection with Robert’s disappearance was acquitted in the NSW courts in November 2023. No allegation is made against her contrary to that decision. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forty years after Des vanished, new information is still emerging. Peter Connolly has now made an official statement to police about seeing Des after he disappeared — and one detail about what Des was wearing raises fresh questions about whether unidentified remains found years later could really be his. Then come two potentially important identifying clues: Des had missing teeth and may also have had a metal plate in his jaw  information that has now been passed to police. As old photographs, family records and memories continue to surface, the search for answers is gathering momentum  and proving that even after four decades, a cold case can still move forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have had many emails with theories about what happened to my Uncle Des. Some of them have been wild and would never make the podcast, some we followed up but went nowhere and then others we believe needed further exploring… this theory is one of them.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I didn’t ever think I would open up my laptop again and start writing another episode about Des, who disappeared 40 years ago. After we released episode 5 I was not hopeful anyone would come forward with new information. That was until Tuesday night the 4th of September when my phone pinged just before going to bed…..   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Forty years after Des disappeared without a trace on a remote outback road, the mystery takes an unexpected turn. For the first time, the host reveals the deeply personal connection behind the investigation—Des wasn't just another missing person.  As childhood memories collide with decades of unanswered questions, a previously unknown lead emerges from police files: a witness who claimed to have seen Des alive after he vanished, and years later returned to the area where he believed he found one of Des's belongings. Why did it take more than 30 years for this witness to come forward? Why wasn't the family told? And could this overlooked lead finally explain what happened on that isolated stretch of highway in 1979? This episode explores the lifelong impact of having a loved one simply disappear, the hope that never truly fades, and the difficult reality of living without answers. It also uncovers fresh information that could reignite one of Western Australia's most enduring missing person cases. Sometimes the biggest discoveries don't come from finding new evidence. They come from asking questions no one realised still needed answering. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 4:00pm on August 2, 1979, road worker Desmond "Des" Carr should have been waiting to be picked up at the end of his shift on a remote stretch of highway in Western Australia's Kimberley. Instead, his steamroller was left idling. His lunch was untouched. His water bottle remained. And Des was gone. No footprints. No body. No signs of a struggle. Despite an extensive search of one of Australia's harshest landscapes, investigators found nothing. Nearly 50 years later, his family are still searching for answers. Was Des suffering the effects of a serious head injury? Did he wander into the unforgiving outback? Did someone pick him up? Or did something far more sinister happen on that lonely stretch of road? In Episode One, we meet the country boy from York who grew into a hardworking road crew operator, explore the events leading up to his disappearance, and uncover the strange inconsistencies that have fuelled decades of unanswered questions. Some disappearances leave clues. This one left almost nothing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.