Experts reveal new theories for how conwoman Melissa Caddick’s ASICS shoe and dismembered foot washed up on a beach 400km away from her home
- ‘Fraudster’ Melissa Caddick disappeared after November ASIC raid at her home
- Shoe containing her foot found on a NSW South Coast beach 14 weeks later
- Expert ‘astonished’ it appeared 400km from her home, new theories raised
Weeks after suspected fraudster Melissa Caddick’s decomposed foot was found on a New South Wales beach, the mystery of what really happened to her is only deepening.
Now two forensic experts have raised a new theory that Ms Caddick may have died elsewhere before being moved closer to Bournda beach, where her foot and trainer were discovered.
The south coast beach is more than 400km from where Caddick was last seen at her lavish Dover Heights home in Sydney.
‘That is remarkable but it can happen,’ said Professor John Hilton, a forensic pathologist told The Daily Telegraph.
Melissa Caddick (pictured right, with her partner, Anthony Koletti) was last seen at her eastern suburbs home on November 12 after a raid by ASIC
The running show that washed up on Bournda Beach (pictured), on the NSW south coast, contained human remains that were a DNA match to Caddick’s toothbrush
Mr Hilton said it was possible a foot could survive such a long journey through the ocean without being destroyed and without the shoe being covered in barnacles, as some have speculated.
But he added ‘what astonishes me is they found it at all’, given the size of the area involved.
Mr Hilton acknowledged it was possible she died closer to where the foot was found.
‘There are all sorts of bizarre stories, including dismemberment with bits and piece thrown in the ocean much closer to where the foot washed up,’ he said.
Another forensic expert Professor Johan Duflou expressed similar surprise to Mr Hilton and thought it was possible her body was moved.
‘I would have thought it was relatively unlikely the entire body would go that far and remain intact, but whether a shoe can or not, I don’t know.’
He suggested police may need to explore the area around where Caddick’s foot was found.
Other remains were also found at Mollymook Beach, Cunjurong Point and Tura Beach but later determined to not have matched Caddick’s DNA, as the rotting foot found on February 21 did.
The 400km-plus journey taken by the shoe that was found to contain Caddick’s foot
Divers (pictured) have stopped looking for the body of the missing woman after searching over 6,000sq/m in the water off Dover Heights in Sydney’s east
Police confirmed a chunk of stomach flesh found at Mollymook on the NSW south coast does not belong to Ms Caddick, but an unnamed man last seen on February 1.
His death is not being treated as suspicious.
Remains found at two other south coast beaches have also since been confirmed to be animals.
The random appearance of her foot sparked searches for more remains in the sea and coast near her home, but they were called off over a week ago.
Divers stopped looking for the remains of the 49-year-old financial adviser after searching over 6,000sq/m in the water off Dover Heights in Sydney’s east.
‘Nothing was found and at this stage police won’t be conducting further searches in the area,’ a NSW Police spokesperson told NCA NewsWire.
Ulladulla SES workers scoured the NSW south coast for Caddick’s remains
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing last week told reporters foul play against Ms Caddick was possible but suicide was more likely.
Modelling by NSW Police marine rescue teams, taking tides and drift patterns into account, has explored the possibility that Ms Caddick entered the water near Dover Heights, where she lived, around November 12.
The modelling deemed it possible that her foot could have drifted to Bournda Beach, where it was discovered by a group of campers.