The Missing Matter

The Missing Matter

For more than 25 years, Sally Leydon has been waiting for answers about her missing mum, Marion Barter. In Season 2, Sal steps beyond her own story to speak with other families enduring the same unthinkable reality—the ambiguous loss of a loved one who has vanished without explanation. These are raw, intimate conversations about hope that refuses to die, grief that never finds closure, and the strength it takes to live in the in-between. If you know someone who is dealing with a missing person, and would like to share your story, contact Sally at info@themissingmatter.com

Episodes

May 1, 2025 4 mins

Just when you thought the story was over, the questions only deepen. Hosted by Sally Leydon - Marion’s daughter and the voice you know from The Lady Vanishes - The Missing Matter picks up the trail after the March 2024 coronial findings. With over 22 million downloads behind it, this fan-funded follow-up launches on its own new feed, ready to chart a fresh journey into the unknown.

Join Sally and her investigative team as the...

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Before you listen to the first episode of The Missing Matter, hear how the story has unfolded. In this bonus episode you can catch up on the story of missing person Marion Barter and her daughter Sally's decades-long journey to find out what happened to her mum, who disappeared in 1997. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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May 11, 2025 35 mins

On 29 February 2024, the coroner delivered her findings into the disappearance of Marion Barter, Sally’s mum. After almost 27 years, Sally was left with more questions than answers—questions she was determined to resolve. In this episode, hear what unfolded in the aftermath of the inquest and discover what comes next.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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May 18, 2025 52 mins

In this episode, Sal and Joni share the frustration of trying to move forward after the coronial verdict. For every step ahead, they’re pushed two steps back. Tune in to hear about the red tape, the blunders, the nightmares, the lack of empathy—and, finally, the breakthrough.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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May 25, 2025 43 mins

In this episode, Sally and the team join Search Dogs Sydney at two different locations in New South Wales, following up on leads that have emerged over the past few years. You can help Search Dogs Sydney continue their incredible work for people like Sally—who are living with the pain of ambiguous loss—by visiting https://searchdogssydney.org/ and making a donation.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

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June 1, 2025 37 mins

One of the last notes Sally received from her mum was written on hotel notepaper from a room at the Hotel Nikko Narita in Japan.

In this episode, Sally and Joni travel there to uncover answers: did her mum ever stay at this hotel? Did she get married here? And what immigration records might finally unlock the secret of Marion’s disappearance?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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June 8, 2025 35 mins

After leaving Japan with even more questions, Sal and Joni land in London.
Their first stop is the British Library, and then it's off to the Sphinx to try to place Marion—and possibly Rick Blum—in the same location back in 1997.

To find out more about Sally's search for her mum and the high tea, please head to https://themissingmatter.com/

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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June 15, 2025 48 mins

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally and Joni arrive in Amsterdam, following in Marion’s footsteps through rain-soaked streets, smoky hotel rooms, and winding tram rides. With one of them unexpectedly sidelined, the other takes on the city solo—navigating hidden corners, historic museums, and cryptic conversations in search of answers. What unfolds is a mix of emotion, determination, and discovery in a city that...

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June 22, 2025 48 mins

Sally and Joni head to Brussels on a mission to follow one of the strangest leads in the case: a mysterious coin cabinet inside Belgium’s Royal Library. As they dig through archives, flea markets, and fragile connections to Rick Blum’s past, they begin to uncover more about his aliases, his dealings, and possible links to stolen coins and foreign bank accounts. But a visit with one of his former victims — and a qu...

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June 29, 2025 41 mins

In Luxembourg, Sally and Joni set out to meet Monique Cornelius — a key witness in Marion Barter’s case — but instead stumble on a detail that stops them in their tracks:  As they trace old addresses, explore Luxembourg’s hidden banking secrets, and speak with locals in quiet villages, more strange coincidences emerge. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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July 1, 2025 33 mins

In this bonus episode, Sally interviews Gary Jubelin, one of Australia's most respected detectives, about her mother's unsolved disappearance. They discuss the importance of connecting key people and events in her mother's final days. Sally also asks Gary for his take on the coroner's findings, tendencies in Rick Blum's behavior, and whether police should dig deeper into his past. 

Don't miss out on these fascinating insights ...

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July 6, 2025 31 mins

Sally and Joni arrive in Lille, France, hoping to uncover long-buried records. But instead of answers, they find closed police stations, sealed archives, and endless red tape. Could one small detail still hold the key?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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July 13, 2025 64 mins

In this final episode of this series, Sally and Joni follow a curious lead about a passport found in Tasmania that belonged to the former owner of a house Rick Blum lived in and they journey to Rye, Tonbridge Wells and Burwash

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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August 4, 2025 50 mins

 

Sally and Joni hit the road to northern New South Wales, knocking on doors, and coming face to face with people who just might hold missing pieces of the puzzle. Along the way, Sally unveils the next chapter for The Missing Matter — an ambitious new direction that will open up the podcast to other families of the missing, giving their stories a voice and their loved ones a platform.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

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August 10, 2025 4 mins


For more than 25 years, Sally Leydon has been waiting for answers about her missing mum, Marion Barter.

In Season 2, Sal steps beyond her own story to speak with other families enduring the same unthinkable reality—the ambiguous loss of a loved one who has vanished without explanation.

These are raw, intimate conversations about hope that refuses to die, grief that never finds closure, and the strength it takes to live in...

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August 17, 2025 52 mins

In this new season Sally Leydon wants to help others who are dealing with ambiguous loss due to a missing loved one.

In this episode Jay Walkerden tells the story of his uncle Des Carr, who went missing in 1979 and has never been seen since. 

If you want to contact sally to have an episode feature your missing loved one, contact her here The Missing Matter

If you want to listen to the full podcast series on Des Carr's disappe...

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August 24, 2025 63 mins

In this new season Sally Leydon wants to help others who are dealing with ambiguous loss due to a missing loved one.

In this episode Jason Sallese tells the story of hsi Dad Nicola who was last seen in November 2008.

If you want to contact sally to have an episode feature your missing loved one, contact her here The Missing Matter

If you want to listen to know more or help Jason you cna visit him at  Help Find Nicola Sal...

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August 31, 2025 58 mins

On Easter Sunday 2008, engineer and devoted dad Warren Meyer set out for a short, well-planned hike at Dom Dom Saddle. He never came home. In this episode, Warren’s wife Zee shares who he was, the day he vanished, and the search that followed. We examine...

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September 7, 2025 52 mins

On Sunday, 25th June 2017, Jorn Jesper Jensen, known to all as Jesper, vanished without a trace. A devoted father and grandfather, Jesper’s sudden disappearance shocked his family and community. In this episode, we go back to the day it happened, retracing Jesper’s last known movements, the first signs that something was wrong, and the search that began to find him. More than 2,900 days later, the questions remain: what...

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September 14, 2025 53 mins

Dr. Sarah Wayland is a social work professor and leading researcher who has spent decades working with families of missing people. From frontline support to shaping national conversations on ambiguous loss and trauma, she brings unique insight into what it means to live in the “missing” space and why these stories matter

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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