Who Killed Belinda Peisley?
Tuesday 7 August at 9:30pm
In 1998, 19 year old mother of two Belinda Peisley went missing in the Blue Mountains town of Katoomba. She has not contacted her children, her parents, her aunt or any of her friends since her disappearance. Inexplicably, police did not report her disappearance to the Coroner for eight years.
As the inquest into Belinda’s disappearance finally gets underway in 2012, a striking cast of characters appear to give evidence, most linked to the drug culture prevalent in Katoomba. The long interval that has passed and the damage that drug addiction has caused present huge challenges. Much of the evidence has gone cold and the Coroner can have no certainty as to the veracity of the evidence he hears.
Investigative documentary-maker Helen Barrow has followed the case for over seven years, taking her cameras into the homes and lives of Belinda’s family, neighbours, friends, witnesses and persons of interest, and into the courtroom each day of the inquest, to follow Belinda’s story.
As the Coroner handed down his finding that Belinda died in or around Katoomba, of unknown cause, this compelling and shocking new documentary asks Who Killed Belinda Peisley? The 59-minute documentary is a grippy courtroom drama and investigation into the culture of a community who to this day harbour dark secrets about Belinda’s disappearance.
The documentary’s release is timed to coincide with National Missing Persons Week (Aug 5-11).
The six extra chapters released on ABC iview take the viewer deeper into the events through unique themed bonus episodes that raise important questions about a town, an inquest, the ripple effect on friends and family of an unsolved homicide; while also shining a spotlight on those who are missing presumed dead in our society.
Fear & Memory: Time passing and drug use clearly impact on the memories of witnesses but just as clearly so does a sense of menace in the courtroom.
Small Town Secrets: Hearsay and rumour obscures the truth at the inquest into the disappearance of Belinda Peisley and dark and isolated Katoomba keeps her secrets.
Belle: She inherited money but mental health issues caused by absent father and bipolar mother saw the animal loving attractive teenager Belinda become a drug addict.
The Ripple Effect: No body, no grieving, no funeral. Belinda Peisley’s family still suffers today. The Families and Friends of Missing Persons Unit helps families process their pain.
The Inquest: The inquest into Belinda’s disappearance focuses on three persons of interest that raise suspicions sufficient for the Coroner to refer the case to Unsolved Homicide Unit.
Finding the Missing: Belinda Peisley is one of Australia’s 2600 missing long-term persons that the AFP forensic unit use age progressing techniques to try and find.
The entire collection (one hour and extra chapters) are also available at the ABC True Crime website, home of the Unravel podcast. Find it here: abc.net.au/truecrime
