Cold case breakthrough: Human remains found, man charged over Susan Goodwin’s 2002 disappearance
A dark shadow, for more than twenty years of South Australian town Port Lincoln, one of them, their families, friends and local community is haunted.
For 23 years, the disappearance of the Washaggi woman Susan Marie Goodwin remained a cold case, a disturbing mystery that left unanswered questions and then broke lives.
On Thursday, September 18, after years of attentive investigation, a potential breakthrough brought both relief and renewed grief; Human remnants, believed to be Mrs. Goodwin, were discovered and accused of a 64 -year -old man murder.
For those who knew him, Mrs. Goodwin was gentle and full of energy. He was a seven -year -old partner Michele Peterson, described as “entertainment loving ,, who loves the little tastes of life, prepared food shopping, dinner and spent quiet evenings at home with Mrs. Peterson.
However, in July 2002, on a regular Friday, it occurred unthinkable: Mrs. Goodwin disappeared without leaving a trace.
The day Susan disappeared
On Friday, July 19, 2002, Mrs. Goodwin was celebrated as the ‘Capital of Seafood of Australia’, where she was seen in Port Lincoln, a coastal city in South Australia.
Witnesses reported that he saw him in both Coles and Woolworths in the afternoon, visibly troubled when shopping for food.
He bought fresh meat for dinner, and a routine action, which later became an important detail, emphasized how sudden and characterless the disappearance is.
The absence of that day was immediately concerned. Mrs. Goodwin would take Mrs. Peterson from work at 16:00, a routine she never missed.
When time came, Ms. Peterson returned home to find the couple’s car locked on the way to Mrs. Goodwin, who usually unlocked her car.
Nothing appeared in Moona Crescent Home; Dinner was prepared and hidden in the refrigerator and the house is regular.
“From the moment I came home from work at 16:30, I felt something very wrong,” Peterson said.
Ms. Goodwin’s clothes remained in the wardrobe, and the toothbrush, an item that she never left without her home, stayed in the bathroom cabinet.
“There was no note to say where he was, so I called friends and family, but I couldn’t find anything, Anderson remembered.
Or It was strange because we were inseparable, and I know it wouldn’t cause me any stress.
“I went to the police that night and I reported that it was missing. I thought I would buy a phone from my mobile phone from Susan while completing the forms. But it never happened.”
Mrs. Goodwin usually carried about $ 140 in cash, and the inspectors said that since the disappearance of neither money nor bank accounts.
Port Lincoln was known to socialize on the local drug stage, and the police interviewed a few acquaintances from this environment, but immediately no clue.
A case that is uncomfortable by tragedy
Susan Goodwin’s disappearance was immediately considered out of character. Port Lincoln State Emergency Service and the local police have launched comprehensive searches covering the city surrounding the city of about 25 square kilometers.
Despite these efforts, nothing was found.
Three years later, in 2005, the police watched a clue that took them to an old greyhound track in Port Lincoln.
The pieces of clothing were discovered, but none of them could be certainly linked to MS Goodwin.
Senior sergeant Hank Swalue said when he was talking at that time, the inspectors were no longer believed to be alive and re -classified the case as a great crime.
The police suspected that he had been killed by someone close to him, and predicted that more than one person could be involved in throwing the body in a 30 -kilometer radius.
Over the years, seven people were interested, but they were finally cleaned.
At one point, detective Amir des Bray, who directed the great crime investigation branch, said that the answer of this case was in the local community ”.
The anguish of the Goodwin family merged with tragedy long before Mrs. Goodwin disappeared.
In the 1980s, he survived a destructive traffic accident claiming the life of his two sisters and his brother.
His father, Don Goodwin, said Susan “Hell and his return” and the experience of the experience was feeding him.
Nevertheless, the uncertainty surrounding its disappearance added a new layer of grief for the family.
Former partner, Ms. Peterson, who was close to the family, described the ongoing torture as “sad and annoying, because she did not have any opinion of Mrs. Goodwin.
“The family is very stressful and his heart was broken.
Ms. Goodwin’s parents Don and Margaret Goodwin have never learned to hope until their deaths in 2017.
Margaret called on local journalists regularly to continue to publish appeals for information, hoping that someone could finally come forward.
Mr. Goodwin’s desperate defense echoed for years.
In 2017, Mr. Goodwin said, “You never overcome it in my mind day and night, and it just wears something terrible.”
“I am desperate for the answers… Our lives have been destroyed by these tragedies.”
Permanent police work and public appeals
Despite the last decades, police never abandoned Goodwin’s case. A $ 200,000 prize was offered for information that led to the discovery of the ruins or the conviction of those responsible.
The case was repeatedly emphasized in 2024 with calls for public aid during the National Lost Persons Week.
The inspectors also took unusual steps to raise awareness. Police cars were branded with information about Mrs. Goodwin, posters were distributed throughout the community, and even local businesses placed cups that detail the case.
In 2017, Lincoln was founded in 2017 and the playing cards containing Susan’s case were distributed among prison prisoners with incentives for reliable tips.
Up to 2023, judicial experts re -examined the old evidence using an advanced DNA test and narrowed the suspect list to a single person.
A long -awaited breakthrough
He finally arrived on Wednesday, September 17th. A renewed search operation, led by the Great Crime Investigation Branch detectives and supported by both Port Lincoln and Australian Federal Police Officers.
Special radar equipment was brought to help search.
Early that morning, the excavation bones revealed. Forensic anthropologists from Forensic Science SA quickly confirmed that discovery was human.
Detective Manager Andrew Macrae said the police were “very sure ,, they found the residues of Susan Goodwin.
He said that the DNA test is still necessary with the remaining relatives for full approval.
Inspector Macrae accepted the breakthrough as ür continuous review of the cold case and the continuous review of the existing evidence ”and more importantly“ information from the public ”.
Later on the same day, 64 -year -old Port Lincoln man John Mislov was arrested and accused of the murder of Mrs. Goodwin.
Mr. Mislov appeared on Thursday at the Port Lincoln Magistrate Criminal Court and has not yet made an objection to the accusation.
A step towards healing
For surviving family members in the Washaggi area of Mrs. Goodwin, the news has long been a long feeling of relaxation for a long time.
In a statement, the family, the investigation into this point of the tireless work to the authorities for the “heartfelt thanks” he said.
Inspector Macrae presented hope for other families struggling with unresolved disappearances.
“This investigation should guarantee that the Big Crime Investigation Branch continues to investigate cold case murders to the family and friends of other victims,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of public aid and called on everyone who has knowledge to come to the fore.
Permanent effect
The disappearance of Susan Goodwin threw a long shadow to Port Lincoln, which influenced not only his family but also a wider community.
Gizem, which has been going on for a long time, has left a permanent trace in the city. Nevertheless, 23 years later, the latest development offers a solution light.
While nothing can be lost, the discovery of suspects, the ruins that are believed to be Mrs. Goodwin, and the charging of a suspect, takes a long -awaited step towards justice and closure.
