Could you tell us a bit about how The Lady Vanishes podcast came to be?
Alison, Host: Marion’s daughter Sally Leydon and I were introduced through a mutual friend. Sally had been searching for her mum since 1997 and needed help. When we first caught up for coffee, I had no idea it would become what it did. I envisaged maybe it was a story I could pitch to Sunday Night or have 7NEWS cover in several stories. But I was overwhelmed with the volume of information and it was agreed a podcast would work well along with regular news stories in the 6pm bulletin and 7NEWS.com.au. 

Seven Network had already launched a successful podcast, and I was close to those involved. Some of them joined The Lady Vanishes team, Sally Eeles and Marc Wright. It couldn’t have happened without them because I had absolutely no experience with podcasts whatsoever. I’d successfully worked with Bryan Seymour before on some news investigations and knew of his own personal experience in finding missing relatives, so for me, getting him involved was essential. He’s like a dog with a bone.

Why did you decide to call the podcast this name?
Bryan, Host: I had never done a podcast and rarely listen to them. Alison recognised this format would be best suited to detailing the large volume of information. What I am familiar with is storytelling. I began searching for a musical theme for this story and thinking about a title. Titles are hugely underrated as they serve to engage people, not just with the story, but with the reason we care about it, and those affected. I am a movie buff and I decided to watch the 1938 Hitchcock classic, The Lady Vanishes, for inspiration. It occurred to me that the movie was not really about the lady who disappeared, it was about how her vanishing affected those left behind. At the heart of our story is the daughter left behind, Sally, whose determination and strength drove everything that has led to this point. 
 
How did you both get involved in this story, and why did you decide to use podcast as the storytelling medium?
Alison: Individual elements of Marion’s disappearance were interesting, but when you put it all together, the story was just incredible. Not to mention the fact that there appeared to have been a grave injustice here in that police thought she had deliberately disappeared. Here we were more than 20 years later and her daughter still didn’t know where she was, or what happened to her. We were all excited by what could be achieved: making a difference, righting a wrong, solving a mystery. It is why you get into journalism in the first place. It was clear we needed to cast the net as far and wide as possible. The aim was not just to report Marion’s disappearance and what her daughter had been through trying to find her, but to actually find her ourselves, or at least have the podcast, news bulletins and website facilitate this. That meant audience interaction and having our listeners help us, which they continue to do.

This story has taken you to many places around the world, including Luxembourg, Bryon Bay and Tunbridge Wells. Can you tell us a bit about why you decided to visit these places for the story, and how you worked with Seven Network to make it happen?
Alison: We just went where clues led us. It was ambitious, and we were grateful to have so much support from Seven Network which really values investigative journalism, and invested in the pursuit of Marion. Also, the timing was good. Podcasts were probably the new “it” medium and there was no COVID-19.

Bryan: The investigation quickly escalated beyond our expectations. The discovery of a personal ad in a French-Australian newspaper in 1994 was an incredible development because the name Remakel is so rare. Even today, there are just over 100 people on the planet with that name. When we identified a person matching the description of the author of that advertisement, we made arrangements to travel to Luxembourg. This afforded us the valuable opportunity to retrace Marion's final steps in England, as detailed by her in telephone calls and correspondence right before she disappeared. These trips have provided a wealth of valuable information we have passed on to authorities.

The podcast has a global audience. Can you tell us about the impact the audience has had on the case moving forward?
Alison: The audience has provided some integral advice and tips that has led to many breakthroughs. We have always maintained that someone out there knows something.

Bryan: The audience for this story - seven million and counting - includes an army of online websleuths who have researched and uncovered some of the key evidence and clues. When I was at the State Library going through boxes of archived material looking for one clue, a woman nearby introduced herself as Wendy, a retired woman who was there doing her own research on Marion. Some of the strongest leads have come from listeners here and in the UK and the USA. We also have a tip website people can use to reach out to us anonymously.
 
There are sensitivities surrounding the legalities of reporting on a live case. Alison, as an FOI Editor and with your experience, how do you navigate the laws around reporting, and what impact do you think they have on Australian journalism?
Alison: We’ve used freedom of information laws as part of the investigation and the information we obtained as a result revealed many flaws in the way the investigation was handled. We went through the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to find out why the NSW police investigation was closed and whether it was justified. The publicity and subsequent breakthroughs generated from this led to the investigation being reopened. NSW Police has also appointed a new Officer in Charge, and she is preparing a Brief of Evidence for the NSW Coroner. We have since abandoned another FOI battle for more recent documents about the investigation on the basis that NSW Police should be concentrating all their efforts into the Brief of Evidence for the Coroner. We also acknowledge that everything will come out in an inquest, which is increasingly likely to happen.
 
Can you tell us what is next for The Lady Vanishes?
Alison: Our latest podcast episode was released today, 6^th July. The Brief of Evidence being undertaken by NSW Police is due to the Coroner at the end of September. She will then make a decision on an inquest shortly after. We are confident we will find out what happened to Marion Barter.