The Skeleton in the Forest

The fourth and final episode of the special investigation begins with a surprising phone call we received about the panel van which retired police detective Jeff Beaman said Annette was last seen in on the night she disappeared. The revelation could change the course of the current police investigation. In Justice for Annette we also hear from Annette's younger brother Michael "Digger" Deverell, who shares fond memories of the protective sister whose mysterious death changed his life. The final episode of the podcast also hears from Annette's friends and acquaintances, who share their long-held suspicions about who might have had something to do with Annette's death.

In this episode, the entire police investigation is pored over, including the missing person examination conducted after Annette disappeared, the investigation held when her remains were found two years later and a review of the case in 1999. Annette's friends share the details of their involvement with police after her disappearance and again after the discovery of her remains. A startling piece of evidence, which has the potential to be tested for DNA, is uncovered. A serial killer theory, suggested by investigators and Annette's friends, is examined, while suspicions that a notorious Perth couple may be responsible for Annette's murder is debunked. Finally, we take a closer look at the panel van in which Annette was last seen.

In this episode of Annette: Cold Case Unlocked, we delve deeper into the mystery, and get to know Annette Deverell. From her family and her close friends, we learn about her life and how she faced more adversity as a young woman than some people experience in a lifetime.

On September 13, 1980, 19-year-old Annette Deverell disappeared after a night out dancing with friends. Two years later her remains were found in bush 30 minutes from where she was last seen. Four grief-filled decades later, Annette’s mother can’t shake the terrible suspicion that someone in her town knows something about her death. In this four-part true-crime podcast, journalist Carla Hildebrandt opens the cold case file on the death of Annette Deverell - a gruesome mystery that has haunted a seaside town for decades.