Melissa Caddick’s mysterious death: What we do and don’t know after NSW coroner’s inquiry

The story of Melissa Caddick, a wealthy mother who swindled investors out of $23 million before disappearing forever, has captivated Australia in the two and a half years since she was last seen.

And on Thursday morning, NSW Coroner Elizabeth Ryan concluded that Melissa Caddick, 49, is dead, following an inquest into her disappearance in November 2020.

Wild theories had emerged as to whether the fraudster had gone into hiding or gone abroad after amputating her own foot – which was found in an ASICS shoe that washed up on a beach on the south coast of Thailand in February 2021. NSW.

It was also speculated that Caddick may have committed suicide on 11 November 2020 following a raid on her home in Dover Heights in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

The mystery surrounding her disappearance inspired a TV show, a podcast, and dominated headlines for months.

Magistrate Ryan’s latest findings in the case were heard in NSW State Coroner’s Court on Thursday and shed some light on what happened to Caddick.

While many questions remain unanswered, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at what we know about the notorious fraudster.

Caddick (pictured with husband Anthony Koletti) disappeared in November 2020

How did Melissa Caddick die?

Magistrate Ryan said she had accepted that Caddick had died but said she could not determine how or when she had died.

“The conclusion I’ve come to is that Melissa Caddick is dead. But for reasons that will be explained, I don’t think the evidence allows for a positive finding about how she died, or when and where this happened,” she said.

Police suspected that on the morning of November 12, 2020, Caddick committed suicide by jumping off the cliff at Rodney Reserve, about 500 meters from her home.

The inquest had heard from forensic psychiatrist Dr. Kerri Eagle who determined that Ms. Caddick may have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. She noted that patients with this condition are at risk of committing suicide if they experienced something that deeply shamed them.

But magistrate Ryan said while she accepted that Caddick could have considered suicide as “her only escape from personal and professional catastrophe,” there was not enough evidence to prove she had done so.

“I do not accept that the evidence is capable of proving suicide as the manner in which Mrs Caddick died,” she said.

The magistrate added that there were no reports of anyone seeing Caddick on the cliff, or CCTV footage of her presence nearby.

The coroner also couldn’t say for sure whether she died with the help of another person or from a misadventure.

“I regret that positive findings cannot be made as to the cause and manner of death of Ms. Caddick,” Magistrate Ryan said.

“Her disappearance from her family in traumatic circumstances must be a source of deep and lasting grief to them.”

Mr Koletti has given numerous accounts of what happened in the days after his wife disappeared, the court heard

What was her husband’s reaction?

Magistrate Ryan took several photos of Caddick’s barber husband Anthony Koletti as he delivered her findings Thursday.

She explained that Mr. Koletti had given numerous accounts of what happened in the days following his wife’s disappearance.

“I have formed the opinion that it is likely that on November 13, 2020, Mr. Koletti had some knowledge of Ms. Caddick’s movements over the past two days, but chose not to disclose it,” she said.

“I accept that Mr. Koletti’s inherent unreliability placed a significant burden on the investigating police.”

Mr Koletti had reported his wife missing on November 13, some 30 hours after she was believed to have been last seen.

He also refused to go to Rose Bay Police Station to press charges.

Mr Koletti reported his wife missing 30 hours after she was believed to have been last seen

His delay in reporting her disappearance “was of no use” to the detectives conducting the investigation, with one detective describing Mr. Koletti’s reluctance to go to the station as “extremely unusual and strange.”

Magistrate Ryan also said Mr Koletti has not given a “full and candid account” of what happened with the inquest.

Mr Koletti was described in the course of the inquiry as the ‘most impressive and unreliable witness’, whose lack of candor was one of the reasons why how or when Caddick died could not be determined.

His evidence at the inquest was “riddled with inconsistencies,” Magistrate Ryan said.

“Mr. Koletti has failed to explain in an understandable manner the many inconsistencies within and between these records,” Magistrate Ryan said.

Simply put, the differences are too numerous and persistent to be attributed to stress and (his) lack of intellectual sophistication.

“The inescapable conclusion is that at times during the investigation and inquest Mr. Koletti chose to make statements that are simply not true.”

Caddick’s right foot was found on Bournda Beach, 400 km south of Sydney, in an ASICs shoe, in February 2021

What happened to Caddick’s foot?

Caddick’s right foot was found in February 2021 on Bournda Beach, 400 km south of Sydney, in an ASICs shoe.

The gruesome discovery sparked a plethora of wild theories, including that Caddick cut it off himself to confuse the police.

Other theories were that her body had been mauled by a shark after she jumped off a cliff, or that someone else had been responsible for amputating her foot.

Forensic pathologist Dr Jennifer Pokorny determined that the foot had decomposed significantly from being in the water for some time.

“But the loss of soft tissue prevented her from determining the length of that period, or the circumstances under which the foot was separated from the body,” the court heard.

The court heard that amputating the foot at the tip of the ankle would not be considered ‘fatal’ because someone who wants to stay alive needs proper medical care after the foot is removed.

Medical examination of Caddick’s severed foot failed to determine a cause of death.

But the court heard it was unlikely that her foot had been deliberately separated by Caddick or any other person.

No one was safe from Caddick’s fraudulent behavior where the scammer even stole money from her parents (pictured), her brother, other relatives, school friends and friends of the family

Who Scammed Caddick?

No one was safe from Caddick’s fraudulent behavior, with the con artist even stealing money from her parents, her brother, other relatives, school friends and friends of the family.

She allegedly stole more than $23 million from her investors, financing “a very expensive lifestyle.”

The money went to high-end fashion, luxury jewelry and trips.

She had told her clients she would transfer their funds to an individual trading account, but it was all a sham.

“Instead, their money had stayed in accounts that Mrs. Caddick controlled, and she had used almost everything to buy things she loved,” the magistrate said.

Caddick watched as high-end artwork, designer clothes and expensive jewelry were taken by ASIC detectives when her home was raided.

Magistrate Ryan said her victims were devastated when they learned their savings had been stolen.

“For many, their losses represented all the money they had saved for retirement or for their children’s education,” she said.

“The financial and emotional damage they suffered will reverberate for years to come.”

Caddick watched as high-value artwork, designer clothes and expensive jewelry were taken by ASIC detectives when her home was raided