FLICKING through photos of her younger sister, tears well up in Suellen Simpson’s eyes as she wonders what her life would be like now.
Rather than pursuing her dream of modelling and dancing, Revelle Balmain‘s life is feared to have been cut tragically short – but the truth of what happened to her could be closer than ever to being revealed.
The AustralianRevelle Balmain was about to go on a dance tour in Japan when she vanished[/caption]
The model disappeared more than 30 years ago
AlamyRevelle had made her debut on the cover of fashion magazine Oyster[/caption]
The cover star, 22, vanished more than three decades ago in Sydney, Australia – and her sister Suellen believes she was murdered.
Heartbroken Suellen is still battling for answers to find out what really happened to her beloved sister.
Revelle was just a day away from embarking on a dance tour in Japan when she vanished without a trace on November 5, 1994.
She had picked up shifts as an escort with Selection Companions to make quick cash and Suellen fears her disappearance may have links to her secret work.
Suellen also believes police at the time failed to investigate properly as they judged her work as an escort.
Although the model’s body has never been found and no charges laid, cops are certain she was murdered.
After 31 years of torment, Suellen now hopes two witnesses due to take the stand at a final inquest next year could reveal crucial clues.
She told The Sun: “There are two more witnesses to take the stand: Jane King and her ex-husband Zoran Stanojevic, the former owners of the escort agency Select Companions.
“These two witnesses are crucial in detailing their whereabouts on November 5, 1994.
“All I ever wanted was the truth.”
Suellen blasted how long it has taken for the final inquest dates to be scheduled for next February after hearings last year.
The grieving sister added: “Nearly two years between inquests is an insult to her family and a disgrace to our legal system.
“If any consideration was given, it should have been for a family that has waited decades, and in this case, it’s been over three.”
Shoe found in a bin
Revelle appeared to have the world at her feet as a bright, bubbly blonde who had just made her debut on the cover of fashion magazine Oyster.
Her final shift as an escort was on the evening of her disappearance with keen surfer, Gavin Samer.
All I ever wanted was the truth
Suellen Simpson
After her appointment, Revelle – who studied at the former Bush Davies School of Theatre Arts in London as a teenager – was due to meet friends – but never showed up.
Samer, who claimed he dropped Revelle at a nearby pub, quickly became prime suspect after some of her belongings were found near the 26-year-old’s home.
One of the dancer’s cork-heeled platforms was found in a bin, her diary in a gutter, and her keys and make-up bag on a roadside.
Tragically, her passport and airline ticket to Japan sat packed in a bag at her home, never to be used.
NSW PoliceRevelle’s sister Suellen Simpson hopes two new witnesses could reveal the truth[/caption]
Her bag and one of her shoes were found after she disappeared
60 Minutes AustraliaAn inquest into Revelle’s disappearance is due to continue next year[/caption]
Samer was let off the hook after police failed to find any evidence linking him to Revelle’s potential murder, adding there was no plausible motive.
An inquest in 1999 concluded the dancer had died “at the hands of a person or persons unknown” – and the case was left with the unsolved homicide unit.
Revelle’s devastated parents Jan and Ivor died without ever finding out their daughter’s fate.
But since 2020, her case has been reexamined- and Suellen hopes King and Stanojevic can help shed light on Revelle’s final hours.
According to police, King and Stanojevic were two of only four people who knew her location at the time she went missing.
Senior counsel assisting Matthew Johnston told a previous hearing at Lidcombe Coroner’s Court there was evidence that Revelle was in debt to the escort agency she worked for when she disappeared.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell, leading the formal review, said he believed Revelle’s belongings were scattered near her final client’s home in a bid to implicate him.
Who was the prime suspect?
GAVIN Samer was named as a suspect by police after Revelle Balmain vanished in 1994.
When he was 26, he hired Revelle to go to his home at Kingsford, in Sydney’s south-east.
Revelle failed to meet friends after, and Samer said he had dropped her at a nearby pub at around 7pm.
He was named as a person of interest – but his involvement in her disappearance and likely death was dismissed by Deputy State Coroner John Abernethy in May 199.
Abernethy said: “Not only is she dead, but I am firmly of the opinion that her disappearance involves her homicide.
“While Mr Samer certainly had the opportunity to kill Ms Balmain, and rightly in my view is the main person of interest to police, there is no plausible motive proved.”
During a coronial inquest, it was revealed police did not search Samer’s house with a specialist forensics team.
His car was not searched for nine days and police did not ask him to hand over the clothes he was wearing that night.
Samer has never been charged over Revelle’s disappearance and has always maintained his innocence.
Bell told a previous hearing: “One of the theories of the investigation is that the person responsible…had to know that she was at Gavin Samer’s premises.”
Witnesses claimed they heard the sound of a woman’s scream and the loud skid of a car speeding away in the Kingsford area where Revelle vanished.
“I miss her and what could have been.”
Suellen said: “As with most cases, I believe Revelle’s investigation was evaluated based on the solvability factor, which means various facts were considered before her case was even re-investigated.
“Those facts include the likelihood of solving the crime, forensic evidence such as DNA found at the scene, and data analysis.
“As far as I know, with limited resources, there are only so many police available to handle these cold cases, especially after many years.
“People have moved on and started new lives, and finding those who may have moved interstate or changed their names is nearly impossible.
The Australian NewspaperA missing poster from when Revelle disappeared[/caption]
A young Revelle with dad Ivor in London when she was studying at Bush Davies School of Theatre ArtsSupplied
Revelle in her pink themed childhood bedroom with her great auntSupplied
“Time is the most critical factor in cold cases; some witnesses may no longer be alive to testify.”
Along with just a shred of hope for the truth, all Suellen now has are memories and photos of her sister – and a dream of what her life could have been.
She added: “Revelle was never given enough time to pursue any of her dreams, and for that reason, she should be remembered as a young girl whose life meant nothing to some of those around her.
“She had a talent for entertaining through dance and a personality that could melt your heart if she trusted you, but unfortunately, she was unable to recognise good from bad in this world.
“She was very loving to her family and close friends, still very young and just finding her way through life. Caring and compassionate, but more than anything, a beautiful soul whose life was taken too soon.
“I miss her and what could have been.”
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