An autopsy couldn’t determine if a washed-up foot belonging to accused Sydney fraudster Melissa Caddick was separated as a result of decomposition or force, an inquest has been told.
Key points:
- Ms Caddick allegedly stole more than $23 million from friends and family through a Ponzi scheme
- Her foot washed up onshore three months after her disappearance
- The court will hear whether Ms Caddick was “mistreated” by investigators during a raid on her Dover Heights home
The 49-year-old vanished in November 2020, hours after the Australian Investment and Securities Commission (ASIC) raided her Dover Heights home, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Three months later, her decomposing foot washed up on Bournda Beach, on the NSW south coast, and police believe Ms Caddick is dead.
Liquidators are attempting to recoup some of the $23 million she allegedly stole from investors through a Ponzi scheme, as a parallel case proceeds through the Federal Court.
During an opening address, Counsel Assisting the coroner Jason Downing said while DNA analysis confirmed the foot belonged to Ms Caddick, it was not possible to determine how it became separated.
He said the date and place of Ms Caddick’s suspected death are the subject of “significant uncertainty” and flagged the possibility of the inquest resulting in an open finding.
The court heard the last verified sighting of Ms Caddick was by ASIC and AFP officers just before 6.30pm on November 11, 2020, when the raid was completed.
But any information on…
