Missing Niamh

When 18-year-old Niamh Maye went missing in 2002, her family did everything they could to help the police find her. But, like so many missing persons cases, there comes a time when the leads dry up and there’s nowhere left to look. Researching what was to be a single episode, the Casefile host found so many intriguing elements, he took four years to make this incredible series.

Niamh Maye is a clever, free-spirited teenager from a large and loving family. She is strong-minded and stands up for what she believes in. Niamh finishes Year 12 and decides to begin her gap year with a stint of fruit-picking in Batlow. missingniamh.com instagram.com/caseys.snaps

Niamh and two friends, Jess and Brodie, leave Armidale to head 800km south. In 2002, Batlow is a magnet for international back-packers, stopping on their travels to earn a bit of money. After a rough start, the girls settle into a local caravan park. https://missingniamh.com

One day, Jack and Garth arrive driving an old hearse. Jess gets a bad feeling, but Brodie and Niamh become friends with them. By Easter, Niamh is living on a remote apple orchard and making plans to return home for a visit. She buys a bus ticket. https://missingniamh.com

When Niamh fails to use her bus ticket on Easter Sunday, her family report her missing. Her brother Kieron travels to Batlow to search for his sister and finds that a mix-up with the missing person’s report means the police aren’t looking for her. https://missingniamh.com

Kieron finally tracks down Jack and Garth. Jack said he dropped Niamh off to hitchhike, but she had a bus ticket, so his story makes no sense. Jack told police he left her on Gocup Road in Tumut. The police begin a search of the area. https://missingniamh.com

Niamh’s last known movements are pieced together and Jack is interviewed. There are several hours unaccounted for in his version of events. https://missingniamh.com

Because Jack’s story of dropping Niamh at Gocup Road seems to be accepted, the search focused on that area rather than Jack. His version is reported in the media two weeks after Niamh went missing. Witnesses come forward. https://missingniamh.com

After Niamh disappears, Jack and Garth head south and connect with friends. Jack puzzles his friends by behaving oddly. Jack heads north to a town in Queensland where he lands himself in more trouble before fleeing to Brisbane. https://missingniamh.com

Six months after Niamh went missing, Jack is arrested in Brisbane. When police take him into custody, it sets off a chain of events that will directly affect Niamh’s case forever. https://missingniamh.com

Women Jack dated in the past come forward with some disturbing stories about the way he treated them. These things include threats to kill, stalking, and rape. Two detectives continue to work Niamh’s case as the inquest is finally heard. https://missingniamh.com

With the inquest over, the family are left to keep searching, both for Niamh and the truth of what happened to her. Even today, people who remember Jack and the hearse in Batlow come forward to share their stories. A tip off leads to a search. https://missingniamh.com

Over 20 years after she went missing, Niamh’s friends and family still dream of her. With the passing of time, Niamh remains forever young and forever the free-spirited 18-year-old she was back then. Her loss still echoes for those who loved her. missingniamh.com

Some stories are so profound, so unimaginable, that they stay with us forever. The Unthinkable is the latest podcast from Casefile Presents, hosted by two of Australia's leading voices in true crime, Vikki Petraitis and Emily Webb. The series delves into tales of ordinary people who have faced extraordinary, often devastating events and emerged forever changed. From survivors of traumatic events to victims of relentless stalking, and even those who’ve confronted some of Australia’s most notorious criminals, The Unthinkable explores the depths of human resilience. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.