Susan Isenhood

Murder hunt as skeleton is identified

By Les Kennedy – SMH May 26, 2004

Robert Isenhood remembers the last time he saw his sister, Susan, almost 20 years ago.

It was October 2, 1985. She had gone to his place to wish him a happy birthday, and he later dropped her off at her home in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield.

Within weeks Susan Isenhood, 22, was reported missing by her mother, with whom she lived on and off, but they never saw her again.

For 19 years Robert, now 48, and his family had kept hoping. "We always thought she was around, we never really thought . . . you always live in hope, always looking, looking but we never thought to go to theory Z [that she might be dead]," he said yesterday at his Merewether home.

Six weeks ago the Isenhood family learnt the truth of Susan's fate. DNA taken last September from their now 70-year-old mother, Elva, was a positive match to DNA taken from skeletal remains found 17 years ago at Possum Brush in the Kiwarrak State Forest, south of Taree.

But the identification had opened more wounds, Mr Isenhood said, as police announced that the case was a homicide investigation. Mr Isenhood said there should also be an investigation into how police initially identified the remains as a male, and how the missing persons file on investigation steps taken in 1985 cannot be found.

Mr Isenhood said it was only through the curiosity of his nephew, Dylan Walsh, 19, that the mystery came closer to being solved last September.

"Dylan was studying at university and had the computer skills and made it his project," he said.

On the internet Mr Walsh found a listing related to the unidentified skeletal remains of a young woman at Possum Brush, a listing placed on the missing persons index by police in 1998.

"We owe a lot to Dylan suggesting we contact missing persons, otherwise we still would not know what happened to her today," Mr Isenhood said.

Debbie Lorraine BUNWORTH

Date of Birth: 10 September 1960
Circumstances: Debbie Bunworth was last seen on 6 September 1985 in the Werribee (VIC) area and seemed to simply disappear.

Louise Marguerite BRIAN

Sex: Female Year of Birth: 1958 At Time of Disappearance on 4 June 1995. Age: 37 Height (cm): 163.0 Build: Medium Hair Colour: Blonde Eye Colour: Blue Complexion: Fair Nationality: Australian Racial Appearance: Caucasian Circumstances Louise was last seen at Waverley

Joy Ellen LANCASTER,

Last seen: Albert Park, Melbourne Victoria on 19th April 1985
Date of Birth: 14 October 1949
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark brown close cropped hair
Height: 162 cms
Build: Medium
Complexion: Olive
Peculiarities/Distinguishing Features: Small scar on forehead
Circumstances: Ms LANCASTER was reported missing to police in April 1985. On 19/04/1985 Ms LANCASTER was at the Windsor Hotel, Victoria Avenue, Albert Park. Ms LANCASTERS employment involved her buying fresh produce from the markets and delivering them to hotels and restaurants, one of which was the Windsor Hotel, Albert Park. In most instances she was paid in advance for these purchases. Ms LANCASTER was at the Windsor Hotel until late into the night on the 19th of April 1985. She was drinking alcohol through the night and left the hotel in company with an employee of the hotel, as she was giving him a lift to his address in Albert Park. The male states that Ms LANCASTER was driving her yellow Mazda light truck registration number BWP 414. He states that she just dropped him off outside his address and that she kept driving. Ms LANCASTERS flat was checked and appeared undisturbed. Her bank books, passport and clothing were all at the address. At the time of her disappearance Ms LANCASTER was in possession of about $1300.00 cash, money to be used to buy produce for clients. Ms LANCASTER's vehicle has never been found.

Helen McMAHON

13 February 1985

HELEN McMAHON (47)

Bashed to death on a beach at Rye, VIC.