« Casefile True Crime

Case 14: Helen Munnings

2016-04-09 | 🔗

On the 23rd of July 2008 young mother, Helen Munnings disappeared from the port city of Burnie, on the North West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.

She was last seen by the father of her child Adam Taylor, who picked her up for a drive that afternoon. His actions later that night were described as “interesting”. Extensive searches have been conducted, but no trace of Helen has ever been found…

For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-14-helen-munnings

This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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on the twenty third of July. Two thousand and eight young mother Helen Money, disappeared from the port city of burning on the North West Coast, Tasmania, Australia, she's last seen by the father of her child, Adam Tyler. He picked her up for a draw. Is that after me His actions lighter that not one described is interesting. Extensive searches are being conducted, but no trace of Helen has everything found. A few different theories were raised at the colonel inquest Tony to the case did Helen Runaway. Did you commit suicide or she murdered. Helen money was born on the fifteenth of March nine. Ninety eight little is known about Hellenes father. She had no contact with him during a was. She was raised by another Carol money
Helen has an older brother mark and two younger sisters. Lingering Catherine Helen lived in Bernie her entire loss. Bernie is a port city on the North West Coast of Tasmania. That has a population of about twenty thousand people. The Bernie port, along with the forestry industry, provide the main source of revenue for the city is Tasmania is the largest general cargo. in two thousand and four Helen men, Adam Tyler Helen, was sixteen at the time and Adam was thirty, they had a sexual in Canada. Not I met Adam trod the part of the blame for recent cannabis, saying he was heavily affected by alcohol and it was telling you came on to him. He really didn't know what he was doing, who couldn't even remember, really wonder Helen instantly fell in love with item and thought of him ass. He saw me to remain friends after this initial encounter.
But when Helen two and seven AIM Adam says she started crushing to commence a full blown relationship. Adam says he. the great to a sexual relationship with Helen, because she certainly get at the place about their initial and cannot when she was only sixty Adam says, you're scared. So we agreed the Hellenes wishes, the age of consent and as many as seventy years of age, not long after Helen felt pregnant and in two thousand and six Sugar To her son Tom Tom is not his son's real name that has been changed for the story, Helen citing he's out at the time, and it was thirty two Adam at first, the, nor that he was the father, but a paternity tests and other wars.
This presented a problem for Adam. He was already in a long term de facto relationship with these partner Carolina, and I had two children together, he told Carolina. The Tom had been conceived with Helen was on a breaking their relationship a man who had a child with missing Bernie woman. Helen monies has told an inquest. She blackmailed human to having six Adam Tyler admitted first having sex with Miss brownings when she was sixteen years old Helen monies disappeared in July two thousand the night when she was twenty years old. She had a two year old son Adam Tyler and then fifteen ease her seigneur. The inquest has heard about Mr Tyler sexual history. With his lungs wasted time. I told the court he had sex with her once before. She was sitting
taking and then about a dozen times between two thousand and four and two thousand and seven Mr Tyler said afterwards running seventeenth birthday. She threaten to tell police about their sexual encounter when she was under age. If he didn't leave his popular when she turned seventeen, that's when she started getting on crazy about it. Mr Tyler said he slept with Miss brownings after the US to keep her happy because he was scared. He'd go to jail for having sex with a minor the council assisting the coroner Simon Brown asked, Mr Tyler. You had sex with her because she was scared. Mr Tyler replied, yes, Tyler said he was not attracted to MS monies and had contemplated suicide. After sleeping with her, he said, Miss Brownings had also threaten to harm these partner. Who was pregnant? Tyler. Given they now had a son together. The relationship between Helen and Adam had to continue and some level
I was on the understanding that there would be no ongoing physical relationship between them and I would only remaining contact diverse issues concerning Tom, but the evidence suggests Adam LAW to Carolina and continued. His relationship with Helen Item described Hellenes behaviour towards him as its horns. Demeaning, unpredictable, aggressive and antagonistic Helen constantly send text messages and make phone calls that item about Tom. This obviously credit It will be seen items long term relationship with Carolina. There were already dvds due to what had happened, but now Helen was making it any Asia. I led to a deal being made whereby all contact from Helen was to be sent to atoms. Mother, Judy, Tyler Carl
It was of the belief that there would be no personal contact between Adam and Helen at all, but the spot professing his wish to maintain these relationship Carolina. He continued his relationship with alone. He took active steps to try and keep it quiet, such as boring a second fun, I'm trying to the northern he maintained an intimate relationship with Helen, but text messages between them reveal what other wars Carol. Money Hellenes mullah strongly disapproved of Urban Tyler, four main concern being the baggage difference between them, but she had concerns about the treatment of Helen and these motives for continuing the relationship. She did everything in our power to prevent the relationship from continuing she made several complaints to the police adamant that element.
Broken the law. Helen munnings, mother Carol has been representing her family in court. During her questioning of Mister Tyler, Ms Munnings made hated accusations about him controlling her daughter. She said you were the cause of Helen's problems. You were the adult Helen was the child. Mr Tyler said Carol: Munnings had made threats and allegations against him over the years If they'd known each other for Helen only had one was for Adam and Carol. His actions were the cause of some conflict between them. They had numerous arguments and it actually got so bad that at one point they H had restraining orders. He had against each other. At the time of her disappearance, Helen was living in a block of units. One by her mother Carol in Bernie Helen lived in unit three incur lived upstairs in unit one.
Helen and Tom had only been living there for a few weeks, having stayed at various other places. Prior to that Tom was being cared for in a split week by week basis Helen would have him for one week, then Adam would have him for the following week and so on Helen owned, a car but didn't have a driver's license, so she usually walked wherever she wanted to go overlord on leaf spot family and and EU on the eighth of July, two thousand and eight. Finally, a few weeks before she disappeared Helen dropped a bombshell on at him. She told him she was pregnant again together they went to a local pharmacy Bernie where Helen purchased a pregnancy test. She took the test and then tried at him. The result Adam strongly to nausea was the father and says Helen told him that she was pregnant as a result of a drunken one.
the end with a mile that she didn't name the Hellenes friends and family side. Those nobody else Ellen had always for an item, definitely would have been the father. In the light of fear and item story about the drunken one, Nord Stream within nine mile to be untrue and said he was most likely, the father after initially being anxious and uncertain about the second child has made the decision to keep it. I'm didn't support this isn't. He gave was that a second job in place, additional demands and hellenes already taught financial situation, and it would compromise your ability to adequately look after Tom. That's the reason he says he was against. but it full there would have been a way to keep it quiet. That Helen was pregnant, even if he wasn't the father as it claims Helen was going to nineteen the father. This wouldn't be good news.
remember his mother and his car partner, Carolina or of the belief item, wasn't even speaking to Helen on the phone at this point on Wednesday. Twenty July two thousand, and I Helen spent a diet time. Most of its almost actually spend knocking carousing Tom was in the care of item at the time.
In the early to mid afternoon that day Helen left and walked into the center of town, she left the case to a unit with Carol and she didn't take a handbag with Aretha. She left that in her unit, her handbag contained her mobile phone, her purse and her medication. Her purse containing bank cards and her Medicare card for mobile phone was left at home, but the sim card had been removed due to problems she was having with a phone. It was common for Helen to remove missing card and use other people's phones. When she left the unit Helen told Carol that she had a doctor's appointment, but checks at the medical center revealed that she didn't have an appointment. She also left her medication. She didn't go to the medical center at all. Instead, she met up with Adam Tyler. Adam had been at work all day and IRAN time at about two. Forty five p m,
Was it I'm being careful boys partner Carolina when you arrive time, he swap cause it his car I'm and got into his mother's holding you. He left time about three thirty pm curling assist things out and put a sore into the rear view before he left Adam says Helen had arranged made up during the day he picked her up in his mother's. You need suddenly, building about four twenty p m. This was actually captured on security camera footage, so it could be barefoot, but as for what happened next, we only have Adam's version. He says I went for a drive and talked for a while they drive around until about six.
Damn during the trip. He says that he and Helen talked about matters concerning their relationship that were distressing for Helen. He says Helen became upset and started. Crowing kind of a brother told me dropped her off. He said she appeared to have calmed down. Helen mostly talked about her pregnancy and said she didn't want to have an abortion. After they finished item says he dropped telling off on the southern side of the best hallway in Bernie near the old paper mill. He says he dropped Helen of he as she said. She wanted to go for a walk along the beach to clear her head. The current uv light at my comment at the inquest that this was an unusual thing to do: drop a young girl off at that location when it was getting dark and it was some distance away from her home- was roughly just over a twenty minute, walk
After dropping off and am says, he had a time which was about a two minute drove away from that location, but before getting home you pulled, I would have to think about what Kane Helen I just discussed. He then send a text message to Helen. The message was sent at six. Oh, I think the message said: keep Eugene up. There was no response, but remember Helen didn't have a fine with me She just had a sim card. If you ve been diagnosed with breast organic logic, cancer. You need an entire team of experts by your side, empty Anderson Cancer Centre at Cooper. The Andersson Cooper understands no to women and no to women's cancer. Experience are the same. That's why they're approaches both personal and team directed comprehensive care means more than treating the cancer is about care. for the whole person
at M D Anderson Cooper. No one fights cancer alone. Item returned home. Shortly after sending the text message to Helen when he got home, he commented that he thought someone had tried to steal a small boat that, like kept in a yard, the boat belonged to Caroline his brother Adam said somebody had dragged the buck from the yard, where it usual they kept down to the water s edge. He told Carling adheres going beyond the dragged about back up, but he first put it in the water started motor up and drive it at a short distance before turning around and bringing it back in Borneo, it was dark. Adam then spend some time. He had in his back shit, but Carolina said that was unusual, and he would often do not on the water's edge. That item lived on at the time was actually the best strike. The large stretch of ocean that separates Tasmania from the rest of Australia.
Not next morning, Adam loaded, the boat onto a trailer and took it back. The Carolinas brought his house Karen. The king concerned is naming, went on that Helen had returned time to use hellenes case to let herself in the Hellenes unit, but there was no sign of her Carol remained worry, but when Helen Come back the next day the worry turned into full, going panic that next day, the twenty fourth of July, just after lunch Carol, reported her concern to the police.
And when Helen still haven't returned home by that not car went back to the police station to make a formal statement. Helen was scheduled to picked him up on fraud on the twenty fifth of joy, but she found the turn up on twenty eight and twenty nine July police commenced a sea bleeding dna search. The fishing area was expanded the next month, a helicopter, daughters and agree on search tree. We used to say. An extensive search, no trace of Helen was ever found. The information about Adams movements with both the night Helen disappeared, didn't become known until some time. Much lighter and a search of the Oceania Saudis Home wasn't done until June. Two thousand and Norman nearly a full year after Helen had disappeared.
The only thing of interest I found out in the water was a non light. A bucket filled with concrete embedded in the concrete at the top was a small white loop and a length of synthetic rope was attached. Adam admitted that it was his bucket. The current said he couldn't draw any conclusions from the bucket. It was found in a location which meant it was covered by about half a metre of water at low taught Adams said the bucket was there as he used it to secure the boat at Tom's house. police divers have said that it was found in an area where it would not have had a purpose for bringing about boat. The right was tested for human fathers, but none were found but given the brain in the ocean familiar YE, if there was anything the font, it could have been washed away long ago, block was if there was any other evidence to form the out there. That too could have been washed away long ago.
It was almost one year after Hellenes disappearance that the search was done and the best stride ocean is notoriously rough and nine for strong currents. The boat. Forensically tested, but that also return no result. There is no evidence that Helen mornings made contact with anyone after being dropped off by Adam Tyler about six p m. The twenty third of July two thousand and eight Adam is the last night person to say you're alive. There is no evidence to tell us what happened to Helen exactly, but there are only a few possibilities. The first being that she ran away and is still alive, and having somewhere else. This was the scenario
presented by Adam at the coronial inquest Helen was young and had lived her entire life in Bernie. All her friends were in Bernie and most of a family, she had limited education, limited income and no savings. She left her purse and all of the cards at home. She didn't take any clothing, all personal belongings, with her at all. She had never mentioned to anyone about ever wanting to leave or to run away. Extensive checks were conducted around the country and there is no record of her showing up anywhere. Her bank accounts haven't been accessed since the day she disappeared, plus Helen was pregnant at the time she would have required some kind of medical treatment, and there is no record of that ever happening, not to mention that would also mean she would have had to have a baby.
Henderson Tom, whom she was extremely devoted to Helen, didn't run away and the coroner actually rejected the suggestion that she ran away The possibility that Helen may have committed suicide was also raised. The lie. There was some evidence that Helen had spoken about, or sense and text messages to friends about suicide. It was only a very general and conversational way. There is no evidence at all all that she had ever made an attempt or a serious threat of suicide and again It would mean abandoning Tom, although Helen, had a tones by Jan before there was evidence that she was actively making plans for the future so saw. It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, especially considering her body still hasn't been found, which is unusual for cases
It was also she would have had very limited means to commit suicide. She had nothing. We said to haunt myself with. the Coronado, didn't rule it out entirely. He said it remains a possibility and the fact her body was never a fan would be unusual if it was a case of suicide, but it didn't remove the possibility entirely. One example: the coroner saw that it would be that if Helen had swung out into the ocean Sci FI that she couldn't return but most believe Helen was murdered. There is neither evidence to suggest another person is responsible for hellenes death. There is no direct evidence toying anyone to hellenes disappearance, including at him Tyler. Having said that, there is also no
It has to corroborate Adam Tyler's version of what happened that afternoon. We just have each word for the current fanny. Wasn't telling the truth about his account of the nature of these relationship with Helen Adam was trying to say it had finished, any wasn't saying her any longer, but text messages can between them painted a very different picture. In fact, he took active steps to conceal its relationship with Helen from Carolina, and these mother felons disappearance coincided with a torn Adam, was trying to preserve its relationship with Carolina. Circumstances that had been difficult for some time. The fact tell him was pregnant again would have impact it at him in a number of wise, the obvious one would baby increase straying that it would put on he's already strange relationship with Carolina.
There are also concerns whether the journey he described, the police would have taken the one they are and forty minutes he says he was with Helen and the story of the reaction I took during their draw changed. He gave to different versions of where exactly they went. The coroner commented that, just because Adam had been untruthful about the extent of his relationship with Helen, I didn't mean he was lying about his account of what happened. That afternoon, block was the carnage said, knight conclusions could be made from the inconsistency needs, a can of where exactly that that afternoon and what why they win. The behaviour with the boat was interesting, but the corona rude items version wasn't farfetched and could quite likely be true. Carroll and Hellenes grandmother visited at a few days off the Hellenes disappearance, her grandmother.
It is at a made a statement of her, which indicated he knew Helen was never coming back item denies. This happened. Carol claims that in October two thousand and one she approached at him in a supermarket and asked him where Hellenes body was. She alleges that item threatened, saying you get the same. Don T use Helen did Adam, of course, strongly the noise ever saying that the coroner had significant reservations about how true Carroll and Hellenes grandmothers allegations are given. In the end of the year, will cow in the grandmother have towards item the current idea that these comments, wherever made effectively, he was saying it. the waves Carroll and Hellenes grandmother made it up and he went on to say, If I had my days comments, he wouldn't regarding the statement as an admission of guilt.
The current EU inquest was held over annoyance separate days between the twenty ninth of November. two thousand and eleven and twelve January, two thousand and twelve on the fourteenth of June two thousand and twelve coroner Robert Peace made his official ruling. A coroner has found missing. Bernie woman, Helen Munnings is dead, but he hasn't been able to say how she died. The family maintains she was murdered and is taking further legal advice on the case. Civilian O'Brien reports, Twenty year old Helen monies disappeared for years ago. Her body has never been found, despond use of searching over nine days. The coroner Robert Peace heard evidence for more than forty witnesses. Today he handed down here.
Bonding, saying Helen Munnings died on or about the twenty third of July, two thousand and eight most likely in or around Bernie, but the coroner said. The evidence doesn't enable a finding of how her death occurred or the cause the coroner said there was a possibility. He Ms Munnings took her own life, but that was reduced because of her love for her young son. Ms Munnings was last seen going for a drive with Adam Tyler, the Father of the boy, the car and found it was likely that, at the time of her disappearance, Helen Munnings was pregnant and likely that Adam Taylor was the father. The counsel assisting told the inquest Mr Hyla had the motive and opportunity to kill
With was money, her mother hopes the findings allow police to further investigate how her daughter died were pretty place it. It's just. It's acknowledge that Kennedy's day and hoping that that kiss to say I blame Oakland, the coroner said there was no scientific or forensic evidence to find Mr Taylor contributed to the deaths. He said he found fanciful a suggestion by Mr Tyler's counsel that Ms Munnings is alive in Darwin. Her mother says she's seeking legal advice on what she believes was a police conflict of interest. When the investigation began claiming that the case wasn't dealt with properly at the beginning. Because of the conflict police say, the investigation has been reviewed several times with no adverse findings, the investigation into Helen mornings. There remains active and ongoing police still want to speak to anyone with information about how the young woman died. Selina Brian,
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Transcript generated on 2022-05-01.