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In the intricate puzzle of an ongoing investigation, the disappearance of a young woman has left authorities piecing together the events that transpired on that fateful evening. The woman, after meeting with a client named Gavin Samers, was last seen when he dropped her off at a hotel in the quiet suburb of Kingsford, at approximately 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, her employer, Jane King, along with her husband, Zoran Stanojevic, claimed to have spent that afternoon enjoying a meal at a local pizza restaurant. This alibi, however, remains unverified by police. Despite this uncertainty, a twist emerged when a witness came forward, revealing a peculiar interaction involving King.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell, leading the investigation, shared an intriguing detail in court on Monday. According to the witness, King had made a call to the restaurant’s manager. During this conversation, she allegedly requested confirmation of their presence at the eatery, citing a grave reason: her employee had been murdered.
“The words used were quite intriguing,” Bell remarked, underscoring the unusual nature of King’s request. As the investigation unfolds, this detail adds another layer of complexity to an already mysterious case, leaving authorities to untangle the truth from a web of claims and unanswered questions.
“The words used were quite intriguing,” Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell told a Sydney court.
King disputed the witness’s account, saying she said the word “missing” not “murdered”.
But the lead detective queried why she felt the need to contact the restaurant to substantiate her whereabouts.
“I find that odd,” he told the inquest into Balmain’s disappearance.
The detective found King’s claim she had reported her employee missing “very strange”, noting he found no police records to support it.
Balmain owed the company about $400 at the time of her disappearance and King knew she was preparing to leave the country imminently, the inquest was told.
There are lingering questions around calls King made that night, Detective Inspector Bell added, as well as her husband’s whereabouts between 6.30pm and 10.30pm.
The detective wanted to know more about Stanojevic’s knowledge of Balmain’s appointment on the day she vanished and his associations with two Serbian clients.
It was stressed throughout the investigation that the men had been important clients and it was necessary to understand why, Bell said.
The duo returned to Europe after Balmain’s disappearance and a request to the Serbian government for assistance had been pending since 2021, the inquest heard.
The detective’s unresolved questions were aired during the first day of a resumed inquest into Balmain’s disappearance that began in 2024.
King and Stanojevic are scheduled to give evidence before the coroner later in the week.
A previous inquest in 1999 found Balmain died at the hands of a person or persons unknown and the matter was referred to unsolved homicide detectives.
A fresh investigation between 2007 and 2009 followed by a formal review in 2020 failed to produce any compelling new evidence.
Authorities offered a $1 million reward for information in 2021, a year after Det Insp Bell took charge of the investigation.
The inquest runs until Thursday.
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