NSW Police Finally Speak To Me About Katie Walker

In this podcast you hear what happened last week as I attended the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into unsolved murders and long-term missing persons cases where Katie Walker was used an example into present day police failures. The entire day was heartbreaking, infuriating and eye opening into what Katie is sadly now part of. I also speak to Sally Leydon, the daughter of missing person Marion Barter, who you some of you may know from podcasts The Lady Vanishes or The Missing Matter, about proposed police reform.

As Katie Walker’s story continues to reach more people, a growing number have questioned if she could have intentionally disappeared and is choosing to stay hidden. In this episode, after much research into previous cases like this around the world, I discuss why myself, and Katie’s family, do not believe this theory. I also discuss the Parliamentary Inquiry that is happening in New South Wales tomorrow where Sally Leydon, the daughter of longterm missing person Marion Barter, will share Katie’s story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I await a response from NSW Premier Chris Minns on how he can help Katie Walker by raising her case with the Police Commissioner, this week I look at the eerily similar disappearance of 28-year-old Melody O’Gara (pictured) – who was last seen in the exact same spot as Katie in 2004. The Tamarama location isn’t the only thing Melody and Katie’s disappearances have in common, which is what left Katie’s brother “freaked out” as I shared this story with him after it was first sent to me by a lovely listener. I spent several days this week questioning if I share Melody’s story and if it’s relevant? Or if we’re simply now clutching at anything in the hope it’ll bring… something? Ultimately, I decided that even if this isn’t related to Katie, despite the similarities, at the very least this podcast today will help keep Melody O’Gara’s memory alive. If you have any information that may help, please DM me on Instagram @jshfx1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We start this episode with Katie Walker reading from her own book – an extract that is now chilling to hear knowing what happened before she got chance to finish writing. I then discuss the significance of Dubai in the story of her disappearance and how a human trafficking operation potentially first targeted Katie in Sedona and could be behind everything. Throughout this series, and especially these last two episodes, i've struggled to make sense of everything I've been told and put it all into a script that'd make sense for you guys to follow - and that's because, more than ever with this story, I've realised so much doesn't make sense and it often feels impossible to piece together... hence why Katie is sadly still missing. If you know anything, please contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 and PROOF INVESTIGATIONS.

Before I get to why Katie Walker’s friends and family now believe she was potentially targeted by a human trafficking operation, in this episode I take you back 10 years to Costa Rica when Katie’s search for solace led to her being persuaded to take psychedelic drugs as part of a ritual that promised her a spiritual awakening. It was this trip that friends say changed the trajectory of Katie’s life and led to more darkness than enlightenment. Plus, in this episode I introduce you to Katie’s second husband Dean Taraborelli, who claims to make ‘miracles’ at the sanctuary he owns in Sedona, which Katie lived at for six years up until late 2023. The next episode will be out on Monday. If you know anything, please contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 and PROOF INVESTIGATIONS. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.