Unsolved Rhianna Barreau - Adelaide schoolgirl disappearance

Almost three decades after a 12-year-old schoolgirl went missing in broad daylight — her disappearance remains a mystery. To this day the case is still open, and authorities believe her killer may be "closer than people think".

It was a terrible twist of fate that set in motion the events that would lead to Rhianna's disappearance. On school holidays, she should have been 5 kilometres away at the Colonnades Shopping Centre, having lunch with her mother who was studying at the adjacent TAFE.

However, when the public bus drivers called a snap strike, she had no way to get there. Instead, she walked to her local newsagent in Reynella — about a kilometre away — where she bought a Christmas card for her penpal in the United States.

She returned home to 47 Wakefield Avenue, Morphett Vale, and was never seen again.

When her mother arrived home just after 4:00pm, the house was empty. The television was on, there were records on the floor and the Christmas card was still in the newsagent's bag on the kitchen table.

The last confirmed sighting of Rhianna Barreau was about 12:30pm on October 7, 1992, as she walked home from the newsagent.


This article explores the investigation with mention of a link to Karmein Chan and a white Torana with Victorian plates. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03...e-a-mystery-that-may-never-be-solved/11905170
 
Mar 21, 2016
73,845
116,759
Down South Corvus Tristis
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Sturt, White Sox
authorities believe her killer may be "closer than people think".
When her mother arrived home just after 4:00pm, the house was empty. The television was on, there were records on the floor and the Christmas card was still in the newsagent's bag on the kitchen table.

The last confirmed sighting of Rhianna Barreau was about 12:30pm on October 7, 1992, as she walked home from the newsagent.

This article explores the investigation with mention of a link to Karmein Chan and a white Torana with Victorian plates. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03...e-a-mystery-that-may-never-be-solved/11905170
Logically she made it home as the card was there. Given the first statement there must be strong suspicion around someone living in the house . Though a knock on the door also makes it possible a snatch from home happened and for the records and television being on

1585121645925.png


Take out the Southern Expressway ( large yellow lines ) there are industrial divisions to the left ie Aldershot/Waddikee etc and housing to the right. Target Reynella is part of the now Southgate Complex which I assume housed the newsagent ( I was there an hour ago)
1585121938499.png



Louise Bell lived 3km south as did Dieter Pfennig
 

emuboy

Premiership Player
Dec 17, 2006
4,359
4,600
The Southern Hemisphere
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
South Fremantle, Sturt
This is a very strange case, and the eerie circumstances and the odd way the house was left with nobody hearing or seeing anything suspicious always reminds me of a more famous 1992 missing persons case, that of The Springfield Three. The Springfield Three case took place on June 7th 1992 and saw 47-year-old Sherrill Levitt, her 19-year-old daughter Suzie Streeter and Suzie's friend Stacy McCall aged 18 all vanished from Mrs. Levitt's house in Springfield Missouri, leaving behind not a single clue to assist the police to solve the case. Like Rhianna Barreau, none of the three women who vanished from Springfield have been seen or heard from since the date they vanished way back in 1992 and the case has long since gone cold.

Did anybody from Adelaide take a holiday to the American Midwest and pay a visit to Springfield Missouri in early June 1992? Or conversely, did anyone from Springfield Missouri choose Adelaide, South Australia as their vacation destination in October 1992? Sadly for the families involved, I don't think we will ever know the answers in these eerie cases.
 

JWS2019

Team Captain
Nov 30, 2019
557
1,029
AFL Club
Collingwood
Almost three decades after a 12-year-old schoolgirl went missing in broad daylight — her disappearance remains a mystery. To this day the case is still open, and authorities believe her killer may be "closer than people think".

It was a terrible twist of fate that set in motion the events that would lead to Rhianna's disappearance. On school holidays, she should have been 5 kilometres away at the Colonnades Shopping Centre, having lunch with her mother who was studying at the adjacent TAFE.

However, when the public bus drivers called a snap strike, she had no way to get there. Instead, she walked to her local newsagent in Reynella — about a kilometre away — where she bought a Christmas card for her penpal in the United States.

She returned home to 47 Wakefield Avenue, Morphett Vale, and was never seen again.

When her mother arrived home just after 4:00pm, the house was empty. The television was on, there were records on the floor and the Christmas card was still in the newsagent's bag on the kitchen table.

The last confirmed sighting of Rhianna Barreau was about 12:30pm on October 7, 1992, as she walked home from the newsagent.

This article explores the investigation with mention of a link to Karmein Chan and a white Torana with Victorian plates. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03...e-a-mystery-that-may-never-be-solved/11905170

Thank you Shelly! This is a really interesting case and sad that it has not been solved... so young...
 

johnymac1

All Australian
Nov 6, 2019
764
1,290
AFL Club
Adelaide
Police have suggested this Case may be linked to Mr. Cruel

For me there are a few coincidences to The Mr.C attacks in Melbourne during the 90s

She is in the same age group as Mr.C's victims.
Happened in School holidays. As per some of the attacks in Melbourne.
Mr.C did take Records from a Melbourne crime scene, and at the Morphetvale home, there were Records strewn across the floor.
In Melbourne, MrC was able to enter homes undetected, The Victim is presumed to have gone missing from the house.
MrC left no evidence at the crime scenes.
A Torana was seen in the area with Vic plates
 

Truckosaurus

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 19, 2009
14,686
35,310
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Police have suggested this Case may be linked to Mr. Cruel

For me there are a few coincidences to The Mr.C attacks in Melbourne during the 90s

She is in the same age group as Mr.C's victims.
Happened in School holidays. As per some of the attacks in Melbourne.
Mr.C did take Records from a Melbourne crime scene, and at the Morphetvale home, there were Records strewn across the floor.
In Melbourne, MrC was able to enter homes undetected, The Victim is presumed to have gone missing from the house.
MrC left no evidence at the crime scenes.
A Torana was seen in the area with Vic plates

Not convinced personally. An unfortunate number of 12 year olds have been abducted/murdered around the world. You'd expect the daylight abduction of a 12 year old, presumably from their home, to be more likely to have occurred in the school holidays because they'd be more likely to be home alone. There were records strewn on the floor of many houses with tweens and teens in the era, she was probably just listening to one or planning to. Again, lots of criminals manage to get inside people's houses and so do people who get the occupant to open the door for them. Most unsolved crimes have little to no evidence, it's why they're unsolved. The police never managed to trace that Torana and eye witness is just about the worst kind of evidence that courts will admit.

It's sad, but there were and are enough predators out there that Mr Cruel moving states suddenly does not have to be the explanation. I'm inclined to agree with what the police seem to be implying - that she knew her killer, well enough to feel comfortable opening the door for them or interrupting what she was doing to briefly go somewhere with them. Alternatively, she could have been lured outside by an authority figure or anyone who was able to convince her she was desperately needed somewhere ("Quick, there's been an accident!").
 

johnymac1

All Australian
Nov 6, 2019
764
1,290
AFL Club
Adelaide
The ABC reporter recently interviewed the retired detective, Arthur Allen. The detective states, that he is convinced that a local committed the crime. Also going on to say that she is buried close by.

He is convinced that she was taken somewhere along Highwray drive. That means he has a suspect in mind that lives along that road. Maybe so, but why hasn’t he acted? After leaving the house was she going back to Acre Ave to the shops there?

If there was a predator living close, did he have a line of sight to the Barreau's House?. Possibly, he could watch her through his curtains as she passed by. Also there are many shortcuts through parks in that area. You can actually take a number of routes going to the shopping centre. Some going through lightly wooded areas and tracks through schoools etc. There are a few places to wait in ambush.

So, is the Torana lead, a dead end? Maybe! Who would have owned a 15year old Torana back in 92. Torana's were popular with teenagers. And could be picked up for 1K back then ?? If the Torana lead was valid, could it not be a group of teenagers following Rhianna? Who knows?
 
Mar 21, 2016
73,845
116,759
Down South Corvus Tristis
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Sturt, White Sox
So, is the Torana lead, a dead end? Maybe! Who would have owned a 15year old Torana back in 92.
Quite a lot

Holden built a total of 74,627 LC Toranas 1969-1972

A total of 81,813 LJ Toranas were built by Holden in Australia 1972-74

a total of 70,184 LH Toranas were built. 1974-76

Overall, a total of 65,977 LX Toranas 1976-1978
 

johnymac1

All Australian
Nov 6, 2019
764
1,290
AFL Club
Adelaide
The Google Earth Ap is really helpful in this case. You can see the Victims home and the surrounding Houses. If the image is clear enough, you can see a lot of detail of the backyards.

Sometimes you can see different textures in the ground, that may indicate excavated soil. Although trees and sheds, mask most of the area. In this particular suburb you can see a few car bodies in the backyards.

Take a look at google if you get a chance, you also can see the street level images. You can do a lot of research without going there. First thing I did was, position the google street view outside their home. Panning around, looking which houses have a direct line of sight to the house.



I don’t really have a theory for this Crime
 

johnymac1

All Australian
Nov 6, 2019
764
1,290
AFL Club
Adelaide
Quite a lot

Holden built a total of 74,627 LC Toranas 1969-1972

A total of 81,813 LJ Toranas were built by Holden in Australia 1972-74

a total of 70,184 LH Toranas were built. 1974-76

Overall, a total of 65,977 LX Toranas 1976-1978
In the police photo. I think they show the LJ model, but they refer to it as a LH
 
Mar 21, 2016
73,845
116,759
Down South Corvus Tristis
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Sturt, White Sox
In the police photo. I think they show the LJ model, but they refer to it as a LH
I guess if you are like me you know the difference ie LJ has that pointed nose ( I owned one) but to most it would have been Torana first then a make

But still 150,000 cars? Good luck with that
 

johnymac1

All Australian
Nov 6, 2019
764
1,290
AFL Club
Adelaide
Would anyone consider Dieter Pfennig as the number one suspect. ?
But what about Garry Francis Newman? Has traveled from Interstate before (2007)
 

johnymac1

All Australian
Nov 6, 2019
764
1,290
AFL Club
Adelaide
My memory has become a bit cloudy
but who else remembers these incidents in the area? ( Reynella MorphetVale)

Late 80s in a local Primary school, a teacher was reported and the Head Master was stood down. For a reported incident with a child in a music room?

Late 80s again, a second hand book store made the news, for reasons I cant remember.
Possibly for distributing porn??

In recent times (around 2015) a elderly male dressed as Santa was reported for Indecently assaulting children. This was at Christmas time, he was working as Santa, outside Target at Southgate.
I remember walking past the xmas set up and thought to myself, he looked dodgy.

Any of these connected?
 

Belushi Brassiere

Team Captain
Mar 9, 2011
437
224
Albury-Wodonga, Australia
AFL Club
Melbourne
One of my lady friends says a problem with some male peoples' attitude to the kidnap of young girls and women is that it boils down "they're so beautiful, who *wouldn't* want to take them?"

Also I REALLY wish the media would stop using the photo of Rhianna Barreau where she's wearing heavy lipstick/makeup.
 

johnymac1

All Australian
Nov 6, 2019
764
1,290
AFL Club
Adelaide
"Logically she made it home as the card was there. Given the first statement there must be strong suspicion around someone living in the house . Though a knock on the door also makes it possible a snatch from home happened and for the records and television being on."

-After the knock at the door, Iam thinking she went with someone she knew-
 
Mar 21, 2016
73,845
116,759
Down South Corvus Tristis
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Sturt, White Sox
I think Pfennig was in jail (Michael Black murder) at time of RB's disappearance in '92.
Well done

In April 1990, Pfennig was convicted of Michael’s murder and ordered to serve a minimum 38-year term — one of the longest imposed in state history.
 

bluegirlz

Senior List
Jul 18, 2019
201
186
AFL Club
Carlton
sure... fire away
Hey, cool, this case is close to me actually, im a couple yrs older, had an aunty that lived around the corner. Went to visit there the weekend agter & we werent allow anywhere off rhe prooperty! Ive had lots said to me over the yrs about who/what/when & how.

do you happen to have an aerial phot of these shops & her home? Ive struggled to find one.
 

johnymac1

All Australian
Nov 6, 2019
764
1,290
AFL Club
Adelaide
Ive only just started reading about the case again
To me when I first heard about the case, (back in 92) I though she was described as walking back from the shops along Sheriffs road. It was my impression that someone in car had intercepted her.

But reading again the recent ABC article and doing more reading. Its possible someone she knew knocked at the door. People in this area are working class, some of these were working in nearby factories and worked in the old Mitsubishi plant. I guess some worked shifts and were home at the time.
Really shocked no-one has seen something!
 
Back