Melissa Caddick’s suspected death was examined by a coronial inquest. Photo / Supplied
Melissa Caddick’s suspected death was examined by a coronial inquest. Photo / Supplied
Melissa Caddick’s cause of death will remain shrouded in mystery according to a forensic report as D-Day is set for the coroner to hand down her findings in the case of the missing conwoman.
Caddick, 49, vanished from her Dover Heights home in the early hours of November 12, 2020 – just hours after ASIC and the Australian Federal Police raided the luxury residence.
Three months later a foot, which was later DNA matched to Caddick, washed up on a beach on the far NSW south coast, more than 400km south of Sydney.
The inquest into her disappearance began in September last year and finally ended on Friday after several blocks of evidence over nearly five months.
The inquest, before Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan, has focused on the police investigation, the actions of her husband, Anthony Koletti, and his delay in reporting her disappearance, and scientific evidence about the foot and ocean currents.
Ryan thanked Koletti and Caddick’s parents, Barbara and Ted Grimley, who have sat in the back of the court during the lengthy inquest.
“I appreciate the stress that his inquest has inevitably imposed upon you. Thank you very much for participating as well,” Ryan said before adjourning the court.
Anthony Koletti and Melissa Caddick. Photo / Facebook
The corporate watchdog has accused Caddick of operating a Ponzi scheme since 2012, misappropriating A$24m worth of investor funds, including from her friends and family, to fund a lavish lifestyle including holidays, designer jewellery, watches, clothing and shoes.
She has been accused of posing as a financial adviser, using her company Maliver, and pretending to invest millions of dollars for clients using fake CommSec portfolios.
The court was told that police concluded she took her own life by jumping off the cliff at Rodney Reserve, about 500m from her Wallangra Road home, on the morning of November 12.
The court was told Caddick was heard walking out the front door about 5.30am and did not return.
Her badly decomposed right foot was discovered inside an Asics running shoe that washed up on Bournda Beach, near Tathra, in February 2021.
A forensic report, which was tendered during the final day of the inquest on Friday, said Caddick’s foot had several fractures.
In her report, forensic pathologist Jennifer Pokorny said that given the limited evidence, it could not be determined how Caddick suffered the injuries.
Dr Pokorny added that Caddick’s cause of death also could not be determined.
“Based on post-mortem examination of the limited remains available, it is not possible to determine cause or manner of death,” she said.
“The fractures identified on imaging in the foot would not be considered a lethal injury, and in the absence of any further remains being recovered, it is not possible to determine whether or not they represent part of a larger more complex series of injuries.”
The court was told that in the initial stages of the investigation, police were working on two theories – she had gone into hiding to avoid prosecution or she had taken her own life.
Inspector Browne provided assistance to the Caddick investigation during its initial stages.
Counsel assisting the coroner Jason Downing questioned why the homicide squad wasn’t brought in during the first week of the investigation into Caddick’s disappearance.
Downing told the court that according to NSW Police Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the homicide squad must be alerted if it is suspected a murder had occurred or if suspicious circumstances exist.
He questioned why in the Caddick case, specialist homicide investigators were not called in given that there were “suspicious” circumstances.
Inspector Browne – in his role as head of missing persons – was also author of that part of the police guidelines and said the wording wasn’t clear and had since been revised.
He said the intention of the guidelines was that the homicide squad was only called in if there was a “suspicion” that a murder had occurred.
“There was sufficient material and a real suspicion (in the first week after Caddick’s disappearance) and homicide should have been notified,” Downing said.
“I’m not aware of any material or evidence that supports that view,” Inspector Browne said.
He said while the wording of the manual was unclear, he did not come across one officer who was confused about their obligations to call in the homicide squad.
