Extraordinary new questions have emerged following the mysterious and tragic death of a schoolgirl ruled to have taken her own life – with her family insistent that she must have met foul play.
The body of Eden Westbrook, 15, was found hanging in Fisherman’s Memorial Park in the seaside town of St Helens in Tasmania’s north-east on February 18, 2015.
The teen had stormed off from home after an argument with her parents about her mobile phone use the previous night.
Her frantic family spent hours scouring the streets searching for Eden before her body was found hanging in a tree in a park in the main street early the next morning.
The following year, a coroner ruled that Eden had died by suicide.
Nine years on, Jason and Amanda Westbrook are adamant their adventurous, athletic and funny daughter didn’t take her own life and believe something more sinister must have happened to her.
Many challenging questions were raised when Channel Nine’s Under Investigation program examined Eden’s death on Tuesday night, including why CCTV wasn’t made available as part of the police investigation and inquest.
The body of Eden Westbrook, 15, was found hanging in Fisherman’s Memorial Park in the seaside town of St Helens in Tasmania ‘s north-east on February 18, 2015
The issue of the missing CCTV is very disturbing for Eden’s parents, who claimed there were a lot of cameras in the area that could have captured the teen’s final movements.
There was CCTV on the route that Eden would have taken to Fisherman’s Memorial Park, including the local skate park.
There were also cameras along the waterfront of St Helens and at the police station located less than 50m from where Eden’s body was discovered.
‘The BP service station, you’ve got the wharf,’ Mr Westbrook said.
‘You’ve got businesses that have their surveillance cameras on at night.
‘You know, it just doesn’t make sense.’
The coroner’s report made no mention of any CCTV or that police provided any footage.
The program also revealed that Eden’s parents were informed that a local police officer was aware that the teen had been captured on CCTV on the morning she died.
Eden’s father Jason Westbrook said there were a lot of CCTV cameras in the area that could have captured his daughter’s final movements. A recreation shown on Under Investigation is shown
The issue of the missing CCTV is very disturbing for Eden’s parents Jason and Amanda Westbrook (pictured)
Mr Westbrook also said that the police officer had told him that the CCTV cameras in the skate park revealed that Eden was with an older woman.
‘When I heard that Liz, I almost dropped to the ground,’ Mr Westbrook told presenter Liz Hayes.
‘Because I’m thinking, who’s this older woman with my daughter at 2am?
‘We’ve never seen that footage… they’ve denied that footage,’ Mr Westbrook said.
Amanda is adamant that her daughter didn’t take her own life.
‘There’s no way Eden would’ve done that to herself,’ Ms Westbrook said.
‘It just seemed so impossible.’
The program revealed that in a later review of the police operation, it emerged that there was CCTV footage, but due to its poor quality, images could not be seen properly.
Another police officer who was allegedly aware of the existence of CCTV was the police contact for Eden’s parents, Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds, who allegedly did not pass on any available CCTV to the coroner.
Senior Sergeant Reynolds had a 40-year career with Tasmania Police but took his own life in 2018 following a brief investigation into allegations of grooming and child sexual abuse.
February marked nine years since Eden Westbrook (pictured) was found dead in a park
Jason and Amanda Westbrook (pictured) will never give up their fight to find out what happened to their daughter Eden
The program also reported that police have not spoken to the woman believed to be captured on the CCTV.
Tasmania Police has rejected claims of failures in the police investigation, including the decision not to interview the woman believed to be in the CCTV.
‘We just want answers as a family… I’m an expert on Eden, she was my daughter. And I can assure you, she did not leave my home on that night to take her own life,’ Mr Westbrook said.
‘I can’t bring Eden back. But we’ve got to get the truth written.’
A panel of experts who appeared on the program believed that enough fresh evidence has surfaced to warrant another public coronial inquest into Eden’s death.
Her parents have renewed calls for a Royal Commission-style inquiry into Eden’s death and to examine new information and interview new witnesses.
They have vowed to never stop fighting for the truth.
‘We just want answers as a family and as a dad. And that’s why I’m sitting at this table – for my family,’ Mr Westbrook said.
If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
Unanswered questions surround the mysterious death of Eden Westbrook (pictured)
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