Current The 2002 Disappearance of Amber Haigh *Married Couple Arrested & Charged

[BFew]

Hope so. The NSW Crime Commission needs to be expanded to seek more answers for unresolved crimes. It is completely unacceptable that people can answer “I don’t wish to answer that question.” If you have nothing to hide and are innocent, why the silence?

Yesterday in WA, a key POI (and likely Prime suspect at one time or another) in this 36 year old case (which does not yet have a BF thread of its own), refused to turn up at the Coronial Inquest of his missing wife, Sharon Fulton.

So many cases of not reporting missing person's to Police for so long.
Raises huge red flags on those close to the missing person's who eventually report them missing.

Husband of missing woman refuses to testify at her inquest

A coronial inquest into the suspected death of Perth mother Sharon Fulton in 1986 has ended in dramatic fashion – with her husband Robert refusing to testify at the inquest.

thewest.com.au

'Sharon Fulton inquest: Husband Robert Fulton fails to give evidence at coroner's court
Thu, 5 May 2022 2:39PM'

A coronial inquest into the suspected death of Perth mother Sharon Fulton in 1986 has ended in dramatic fashion — with her husband Robert refusing to testify at the inquest.

That’s despite desperate attempts by police to reach him at his Queensland home as recently as Thursday morning.

Mr Fulton — who claims to have Alzheimer’s disease — was listed as the final witness to give evidence at his wife’s coronial inquest in Perth on Thursday.

But the court was told on Thursday morning he was unlikely to give evidence about the case.'

'Her husband Robert, a member of the RAAF at the time, did not report her missing until three days later. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Police officers testified at the inquest on Wednesday they suspect Mr Fulton was “involved” in her disappearance, but no charges have ever been laid against him. They have also raised suspicions about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

He was last interviewed by police in 2017.

Mr Fulton was due to give evidence at the coroner’s inquest via video link, which began in Perth on Wednesday.

But the court was told on Thursday that despite police efforts to speak to him at his Queensland home, he had refused to answer his front door and abide by a witness summons requiring him to appear at the coroner’s court hearing.
CCTV footage had placed him at the home, the court heard.
“They (the police) have had no response from him,” Counsel Assisting Sarah Tyler told the court.

Ms Linton said she had the power to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Fulton but she told the court she would not be issuing one in this case.

She noted she had received some “medical evidence” in relation to Mr Fulton having Alzheimer’s and said the situation was a “difficult one.”

“We were all hoping he might take the opportunity,” Ms Linton told the court.
“I think we’ve done everything we can.
“I think we’ve gone as far as we can.
“At this stage it is unlikely that we will hear evidence from him at this inquest.
“It is particularly difficult given his location and also the medical evidence that is before me that I can’t just disregard.”

Despite Mr Fulton’s refusal to co-operate at the inquest, it has now concluded.'

 

[Story]

It’s pretty sad that people only come forward when there is a monetary reward to do so. It’s great crimes may be solved as a result, but it still bothers me.

It is pretty sad and bothersome, isn't it.
I have tried to look at it objectively and also putting myself into other's shoes as to ideas why someone might not come forward sooner. It's great to think that people would just speak up about such awful things but people's lives can get tricky and who knows. Here's a couple of ideas I had but I'm sure there might be way more....

1) Someone might have been frightened that the person they know, or suspect of the crime, might harm or kill their loved ones or them (or even a fear that the perp could lie and put them into the frame for the crime). I know that in abusive relationships, for example, the abuser can seem to be all powerful and there could be a feeling of knowing that the perp will fool the cops and the only result will be the harm that they are fearing or have been threatened with. What might cause this fearful person to come forward? Well I'm thinking that the relationship obviously could have broken down and over time the person gets enough strength to tell what they know or suspect. This strength might also involve getting beyond the shame they could feel at not coming forward sooner. Maybe those that they were trying to protect are now out of harm's reach? Maybe the large sum of money allows them to believe that they can get to a safe place with a new identity and the perp won't find them. Other posibilities too I'm sure.

2) Maybe someone saw or heard something that they didn't think was important, or that they didn't want to believe that someone they knew actually did such an awful thing, but over a long time period they see a side to the perp that leads them to have suspicions that maybe that thing they had pushed to the back of their mind really did mean something. It might even be something that they never thought of again but suddenly there is a news report of a reward (the reward would need to be big to get the headline) that puts the case back into the news and just the story being reported on again prompts that memory and they come forward.

There has got to be a longer list of reasons, but I am putting the a-hole that is just holding out for a big reward way down at the bottom of the list. I hope the vast majority of people are better then that.

 

[BFew]

Chilling details emerge in court as couple refused bail over alleged murder of NSW teen

www.9news.com.au

'Chilling details emerge in court as couple refused bail over alleged murder of NSW teen​

5:48pm May 5, 2022'

'The police prosecutor told the court there was a clear motive, arguing the couple allegedly killed Haigh to obtain custody of a child.

How they ever thought they would get away with gaining custody of Amber's infant child, and be smart enough to evade being charged with Amber's murder is bizarre.

Maybe their defence will be something along the same lines.

Then all the prosecution has to do is prove the Geeves have a propensity for not being the brightest of sparks.
That shouldn't be too hard.
Although Mr Geeves Snr evading being found not guilty of a number of serious crimes might be a handy defence.

 

[BFew]

A $100k reward was first offered in August 2007.
The reward was only upped to $1m last week.

The ABC is today reporting that a witness came forward with info on the case late last year before the reward was increased to $1m.

So what new witness(s) are you specifically referring to @Story?

9news is now reporting (or misreporting) something different, depending on how you interpret the below.

Chilling details emerge in court as couple refused bail over alleged murder of NSW teen

www.9news.com.au

'The police prosecutor told Cowra Local Court the homicide squad made the arrests after a new witness came forward via Crime Stoppers, just a week after a $1 million reward for information on the case was announced.'

 

[Krusty Crab]

9news is now reporting (or misreporting) something different, depending on how you interpret the below.

Chilling details emerge in court as couple refused bail over alleged murder of NSW teen

www.9news.com.au

'The police prosecutor told Cowra Local Court the homicide squad made the arrests after a new witness came forward via Crime Stoppers, just a week after a $1 million reward for information on the case was announced.'

thought ive had is the ex wife has shopped him. it seems she is in poor health with need for heart and kidney operations from what ive read, but yet she hasnt applied for bail. seems strange for someone to not apply for bail asap, possibly a deal has been done and she gets to limit her jail time, or gets the medical help she needs, or just clearing her conscience as she expects to die soon.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

It’s pretty sad that people only come forward when there is a monetary reward to do so. It’s great crimes may be solved as a result, but it still bothers me.

Same here.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

thought ive had is the ex wife has shopped him. it seems she is in poor health with need for heart and kidney operations from what ive read, but yet she hasnt applied for bail. seems strange for someone to not apply for bail asap, possibly a deal has been done and she gets to limit her jail time, or gets the medical help she needs, or just clearing her conscience as she expects to die soon.

The other article did say she is about to apply for bail though-would she be doing that if she had done a deal to keep herself out of jail?

 

[Kurve]

9news is now reporting (or misreporting) something different, depending on how you interpret the below.

Chilling details emerge in court as couple refused bail over alleged murder of NSW teen

www.9news.com.au

'The police prosecutor told Cowra Local Court the homicide squad made the arrests after a new witness came forward via Crime Stoppers, just a week after a $1 million reward for information on the case was announced.'

From the article. Are the Geeves talking over phone intercepts in the present or twenty years ago when Amber went missing? Not sure I understand when this conversation took place.

The court heard Mr Geeves allegedly bought a chainsaw in the days after Haigh's disappearance.
Police will allege they captured the couple on phone intercepts talking about the disposal of Haigh's body including Ms Geeves asking her husband, "where are we going to take the rest of her now" and "have you got rid of her?"