The Missing Matter

In this urgent bonus episode of The Missing Matter, Sally shares the story of Yvonne Whear , a 73-year-old woman who disappeared from her rural New South Wales property in February 2026 without explanation. As her family searches for answers, the episode explores the final known movements in Yvonne’s case, the growing concerns around missing persons investigations in the Northern Rivers, and the haunting question of what may still lie hidden in local waterways. Joined by Kim Marshall, Sally unpacks the reality families face when a loved one vanishes and why awareness, action, and truth matter more than ever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hedley Thomas started his career as a copy boy at 17 and spent four decades chasing some of the world's biggest stories, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Hong Kong handover, before finding his most powerful tool yet: the podcast. In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with the award-winning investigative journalist and creator of The Teacher's Pet to explore how long-form audio storytelling has reshaped the fight for justice in cold cases and missing persons investigations. From reporting on the Dawson case in a Brisbane newspaper library in 2001 to producing a podcast that helped send Chris Dawson to prison, Hedley explains how the freedom of podcasting allows him to go where traditional media can't, unpacking briefs of evidence, finding new witnesses, and keeping cases alive long after the system has moved on. With more than a hundred million downloads and investigations that have driven real-world change, Hedley reflects on what keeps him going, why he believes the criminal justice system has failed victims, and why the missing still matter even when the guilty think they've gotten away with it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this deeply personal episode, Sally sits down with her daughter Ella to explore what it’s really like growing up in the shadow of a missing person. It’s a raw and honest conversation about family, identity, and the quiet impact of a story that never truly leaves you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former police officer turned investigator Graeme Crowley has spent nearly fifty years chasing justice. What began as a career in policing eventually evolved into something unexpected, true-crime podcast investigations that challenge official narratives and reopen forgotten cases. In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with Graeme to explore how podcasting has become a powerful tool for uncovering new evidence, questioning flawed investigations, and giving families answers when the system has failed them. From missing persons to suspicious suicides and wrongful convictions, Graeme explains how pulling apart a brief of evidence can reveal cracks in the story prosecutors once relied on. He shares how one podcast investigation helped push police to re-examine a suspicious death  ultimately leading to a murder arrest that may never have happened otherwise. Together, Sally and Graeme discuss: Why missing person cases often lose urgency within the system The hidden problems inside coronial investigations The emotional toll on families waiting decades for answers How podcasts are changing the landscape of criminal investigations For Graeme, this work isn’t a job — it’s a lifelong pursuit. Because sometimes the search for truth doesn’t begin with police. And sometimes the answers come from the people who refuse to stop asking questions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When 23-year-old Leisl Smith left home on the New South Wales Central Coast on August 19, 2012, she told her father she’d be back by five to feed her animals. She never returned. In this episode of The Missing Matter, Leisl's mother, Sandi Harvey, shares the story of the quirky, animal-loving young woman who preferred horses and swimming pools to crowded rooms—and the day her life changed forever. What began as a routine meeting near Tuggerah Railway Station would become the start of a mystery that still haunts her family more than a decade later. Leisl was reported missing days after she vanished, and the investigation that followed would stretch across ten years, uncovering disturbing inconsistencies and ultimately leading police to charge the man they believed responsible. With the verdict sealed by law and Leisl still missing, Sandi has been left navigating a grief without resolution. Yet her determination to speak, to push for change and to bring Leisl home has never wavered. Because Leisl matters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

****Content Warning:This episode contains discussion of human remains being discovered. Listener discretion is advised. When Anna Jenkins vanished in Penang in December 2017, her family believed authorities would act swiftly. They were wrong. In Part Two of this gripping conversation, Greg Jenkins takes us deeper into the relentless three-year search that followed his mother’s final phone call. From covering more than 120,000 kilometres across Malaysia to conducting thousands of interviews himself, Greg refused to accept silence as an answer. But what he eventually uncovered would raise even more disturbing questions. After an anonymous message led him to a construction site, Greg made a discovery that should have changed everything. Instead, he found himself battling roadblocks, denials and a system he believes prioritised power and profit over truth. Nearly 3,000 days on, Greg is still fighting. Because Anna matters...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

****Content Warning:This episode contains discussion of human remains being discovered. Listener discretion is advised. Anna Jenkins went to the dentist in Penang on December 13, 2017. Hours later, she called her husband in panic, saying someone was trying to kidnap her. Then the line went dead. Police dismissed it. Suggested she’d wandered off. Ignored key CCTV. Refused to investigate properly. While authorities looked the other way, Anna’s son Greg flew to Malaysia and began doing their job for them. For 914 days, Anna was missing. Over nearly three years, Greg travelled more than 120,000 kilometres across Malaysia, put up thousands of posters, interviewed anyone who would talk — and uncovered leads police never followed. Then an anonymous message arrived. In Part 1 of this powerful two-part series, Greg reveals the moment he realised the system had failed his mum — and the discovery that would change everything. Because Anna matters...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with Mindy a relentless behind-the-scenes super sleuth who played a key role in supporting the Dear Rachelle journey. Mindy shares what it’s really like helping families through missing and unsolved cases and how quickly a disappearance can spiral when authorities can’t keep pace. From media pressure to urgent real-time searching, this is a powerful conversation about determination, frustration, and the fight to bring people home.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Season 3 of The Missing Matter. On Friday, July 13, 2012, 37-year-old mother of three Sandrine Jourdan vanished from a property in Caboolture, north of Brisbane. Fourteen years later, she has never been seen or heard from again. In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally is joined by Sandrine’s youngest daughter, Nikita, who shares what she remembers, the unanswered questions, and why her family refuses to accept the official narrative. Links to Sandrine pages  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Missing Matter is back.This Monday, February 9, we return with an all-new season. This season, Sally once again steps into the missing space having gentle, respectful conversations with those closest to the stories, giving voice to families, friends, and the people still searching for answers. Across the season we’ll dig deeper into the cases left unresolved, speak with voices you haven’t heard before, and follow the threads others have let go cold. Season 3 of The Missing Matter — coming Monday, February 9.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sally's journey into searching for her mum has travelled the globe, and now so has The Missing Matter. In this episode of The Missing Matter, we travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to speak with Stephanie Tinsley, host of the investigative podcast Everything They Missed. Stephanie shares how witnessing the Alex Murdaugh murder case up close drew her into the world of true crime and exposed serious flaws in the justice system. That path led her to the 2007 murder of Danny Harris and the wrongful conviction of Andrew Hayes, a man who has spent 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. We talk about the power of podcasting to uncover missed evidence, the vital work of the Tennessee Innocence Project, and the emotional toll of chasing truth in real time when justice, freedom, and hope are still on the line. Series 3 of The Missing Matter is back in early Feb. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this final episode for 2025 Sally sits down with Jay to reflect on the year and announce what's happening with The Missing Matter in 2026. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sally speaks with Janette Hayden, whose 46-year-old son Scott vanished on 29 May 2025 near Taree, NSW. Scott’s behaviour had been shifting in the weeks before he disappeared—talking about God, training hard, eating clean, and struggling with his mental health. His family did what families do: they worried, they watched, and when things escalated, they went to police. More than once. Days later, Scott’s bright gold car was found abandoned with his wallet, keys, shoes, food and belongings still inside — but no sign of Scott. It has now been more than 199 days. Janette bravely walks us through the timeline: the changes in Scott’s behaviour, the alarming events of that night, the unanswered questions, the footprints found, the community efforts, and a police response that left the family feeling dismissed at the most critical moment. This is the story of a much-loved son, brother and uncle — a man who matters deeply to everyone who knows him. If you have information that may help find Scott Hayden, please contact Crime Stoppers or reach out privately via the Facebook page Can You Help Find Scott Hayden?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with Aaron Clear’s sister, Cassandra, to uncover the story behind her brother’s disappearance. Aaron vanished in early 2020, leaving behind only fragments of a life and a family searching for answers. Cassandra shares who Aaron was beyond the missing person posters  his childhood, his struggles, his dreams, and the moments that now carry the most weight. Together, they step through the final known timeline, the reporting delays, and the unanswered questions that still haunt the family today.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with her friend Chris D'Arcy, the lead behind Search Dog Sydney, the volunteer team called in when families have run out of options. Chris and his dogs work some of Australia’s most heartbreaking cases, from long-term missing searches to human remains detection, stepping in where systems have failed.  Together, Sally and Chris revisit their own searches, expose the gaps that leave families searching alone, and reveal how these extraordinary dogs find answers that others miss. A raw, powerful look into the people and dogs  fighting to bring the missing homeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally uncovers the quiet, haunting disappearance of 18-year-old Andrew Inglis, who vanished from a Yamba caravan park in 1985 without a trace. What began as a normal summer holiday ended in one of Australia’s most overlooked missing-person mysteries  no search, no inquest, no public appeal, and a family left in limbo for nearly forty years.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  In this powerful and deeply informative episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with forensic human identification specialist Dr. Jodie Ward, known by many as the matchmaker for the missing. Jodie led the AFP’s National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons, a groundbreaking initiative that uncovered answers for families left waiting for decades. Together, Sally and Jodie unpack the extraordinary science behind identification: the realities of DNA testing, how bone samples are analyzed, why mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA matter, and how new SNP technology is reshaping what’s possible. Jodie shares the behind-the-scenes story of how she fought for a national program, the international techniques she brought to Australia, and the 54 cases her team resolved, including long-term missing people who were never even reported missing. A powerful conversation between two women working tirelessly to bring answers, dignity, and identity back to those who’ve been lost. Check out Jodie's work here   https://forensichid.co/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.