Sally Leydon Spent 30 Years Searching For Her Missing Mother

On October 19, 1997, Sally Leydon called her brother Owen to ask if their mum, Marion Barter—who was on a year-long trip overseas—had phoned for his birthday. When Owen said no, Sally felt uneasy. Marion never missed birthdays.

She’d last heard from her mum in August, calling from the UK. But it was the '90s—no constant contact, no photo trail. Marion had vanished.

Someone suggested checking her bank account. A bank employee paused when Sally mentioned Marion was overseas, saying that they were seeing large withdrawals from her account.

That moment sparked Sally’s decades-long search for answers. A missing mother, a hidden identity, and a trail of secrets would become the focus of one of Australia's most gripping podcasts: The Lady Vanishes.

Find out more about The Missing Matter podcast here.

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Our new podcast Watch Party is out now, listen to our deep-dive into The Thursday Murder Club movie on Apple or Spotify.

Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.

CREDITS

Guest: Sally Leydon

Host: Claire Murphy

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Audio Producer: Jacob Round

GET IN TOUCH

We finally have an Instagram! Follow us @truecrimeconversations

Follow us on TikTok @truecrimeconversations

Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.