Krystal Fraser: Coroner says father to her unborn baby Peter Jenkinson involved in disappearance

The man who called a heavily pregnant Krystal Fraser just before midnight the night she disappeared was likely involved in her death, a Victorian coroner has found.

Ms. Fraser, 23, was nine months pregnant when she disappeared from Pyramid Hill in the northern state at 9:30 p.m. on June 20, 2009, after visiting a friend’s house.

Bodyless and without criminal charges, her family has waited more than 13 years for answers.

Coroner Katherine Lorenz finally shed light on what happened to Ms Fraser on Thursday, when she relayed her findings about the disappearance.

She concluded that Mrs. Fraser, who was living with an intellectual disability, had died and that her death was caused by another person.

Ms Lorenz said that Peter Jenkinson, the potential father of Ms Fraser’s unborn son, had something to do with her disappearance and death.

“I have considered the circumstantial evidence in court, which meets the required civil standard that Mr. Jenkinson was somehow involved in her disappearance,” she told the court.

Ms Fraser died “very shortly” after receiving a call from a payphone in Leitchville just before midnight on June 20, she said. Her phone then pinged two towers, in Patho and Leitchville, in the early hours of June 21.

Mr. Jenkinson, who was exempted from giving evidence for the investigation because it could incriminate him, was likely the person who called Ms Fraser from the pay phone.

After the call, he was involved in transporting Ms. Fraser from her Pyramid Hill unit to an area near Patho and then near Leitchville, where her phone was pinging in those areas, Ms Lorenz said.

Mrs Fraser died ‘very shortly’ after receiving a call from a Leitchville payphone just before midnight on June 20, a call reportedly from the potential father of her unborn child Peter Jenkinson

Phone records showed that Mr. Jenkinson was awake and not at home when Ms. Fraser’s phone moved between those locations, she said, and he had made several statements about his whereabouts that evening.

In addition, she discovered that he had lied to the police about his sexual relationship and communication with Ms Fraser, saying they were probably together around the time the baby was conceived.

“I accept the parties’ contention that there is insufficient evidence to conclude to the requisite standard that Mr. Jenkinson was responsible for Krystal’s death,” she said.

“However, there is no evidence to rule out Mr. Jenkinson as a person who may have been involved in her death.”

About a month before Mrs. Fraser disappeared, she said that Mr. Jenkinson stopped calling Mrs. Fraser from his cell phone or landline and started calling her from a Leitchville.

He did this to “hide his contact with her before she disappeared,” the coroner said.

Mr Jenkinson has denied any involvement in Ms Fraser’s disappearance and said he did not speak to her on the Leitchville payphone on June 20, in the submissions to the inquest.

Ms Lorenz has referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions as she believes a criminal offense has been committed in connection with Ms Fraser’s death.

She said it was unfortunate that the investigation could not determine how Ms. Fraser died, nor the location of her and her baby’s bodies.

A spokeswoman for the Victoria Police Department said police were reviewing the findings and a $1 million reward was still available to anyone with information that could lead to successful prosecution.

Ms. Fraser, 23, was nine months pregnant when she disappeared from Pyramid Hill in the northern state at 9:30 p.m. on June 20, 2009, after visiting a friend’s house.