I don't know how to react to that. I feel I don't know, I feel gross or something. Oh, that's yuck.
I don't know why you would even do that.
Welcome to the third update episode of Dear Rochelle. You're behind the scenes access to this live podcast investigation series.
I'm your host, Ashley.
Hanson, Rochelle's sister, Christy, her mum Ann, Christie's best friend Mindy, and retired New South Wales detective Damien Loon joined me for this episode.
A new witness has come forward who's.
Detailed a troubling discovery. Not long after Rochelle's murder. David owned the unit Keith suspect Kevin Stephen Carell was renting in two thousand and one, but when he moved out in a hurry after police raided the property and it was forensically examined, he found this.
Pulling up the carpet, the carpet went into the wardrobe and tucked in where it lived. Did in the wardrobe found a word of newspaper clippings, all directly associated with the murder. I took them home and said to my wife, I found these and she said take it to the police, which I did the very next day and gave it to the detective and all of it was and I said, this is what I found. He's moved out and is what I found.
The discovery was news to Rochelle's family and Damien.
What the flud? What the fuck?
What is that worry?
Oh?
I just got like fucking weird chills.
That's oh, that's yeah. I don't know why you would even do that.
I don't know. I don't know how to react to that. I feel that, I don't know, I feel gross or something. That's just why under carpet or under a rug, under carpet, under carpet so that they pulled the carpet up at the side of the room, carpet that's on the floor and put it under there, and then what forgot left and forgot about them? I think that that's quite telling. Yeah, I mean, if you're keeping the articles, I mean you have to think of why are you keeping the articles?
Is it because you were close to Rachelle? Or is it because you had something to do with it? Why are you keeping them?
You put it in the bin, wouldn't you.
The information provided by the UNIDOTNA is somewhat disturbing. This is surprisingly disturbing and it should be looked at thoroughly.
Do you think these newspaper clippings were accidentally left behind, given that they were hidden?
I believe so, And I think what he's done is hidden them so well that at the time and when you vacated the innit that you've simply forgot to because they've been out of sight and they hidden under some carpet, that he's actually forgotten that they were there and only to be found by the unit owner once he's doing some renovations to that area.
Let's play Devil's advocate. If you did care eat them, that is understandable. You, as loved ones, have kept many of these newspaper clippings along the way, understandably so because you want to keep a record of what has been printed. But what I don't understand is the the hiding them, the secrecy. Why would you not be open about it? Why is it so secret would you have to hide about.
Keeping them?
Tell us a story, isn't it that's still done?
Why don't we know that? Why wasn't that brought up at coroner's court? Like I don't know whether the actual detective is on the case know about that? Did that ever actually get through to homicide or by that stage it would have still been iver? Did I ever know about that? Did that actually get through to the team just the strikeforce?
And don't forget he was extremely upset about Rachelle's homicide and deeply stirred by it, and yet he's keeping all the information about this horrible crime a hidden and in his flat and under carpet.
I mean, you're hiding articles. You refuse to engage with us when we were looking for Rochelle. So yeah, we'd love your help, Kevin, if you have anything to speak to us about you about any information, that would be wonderful.
Kevin Carrell strenuously denies any involvement in Rochelle's murder.
And has never been charged.
He has willingly participated in three records of interview with police and provided his DNA to investigators. A coroner presiding over Rochelle's inquest made an open finding. The full interview with the unit owner is in episode ten only, currently available with a Digital News Corp Australia subscription. Don't worry for Apple and Spotify allows it will be available soon. On June six, We also have a new statement from
New South Wales Police to share with you. This is an act of voicing their statement to US.
Strikeforce detectives are reviewing all original investigative material and are continually monitoring for information that can lead to new lines of inquiry to be further investigated. A two hundred thousand dollars reward remains on offer for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for Rochelle's death, and investigators have made an application in support of a proposed increase, which remains under consideration.
I think that's amazing. We've been fighting for this for how long, mindy A year longer at least, well longer than that, but since twenty and twenty one, really, but are actively campaigning I guess for this for about a year, So it's great. I am really pumped, and I think that I can't see a reason why it will get knocked back. I believe it goes to a panel, so I don't know how quick they move, but I know that when they increase the reward, they use it as
a strategy, as a tactic. So I'd love to know what's going on behind closed doors, love to know.
Do you know how much.
That's a good question, and I don't know how much. We don't know how much they've applied to increase it by.
We asked for five hundred thousand, and Nigel Warren said at the time that they would apply for at least seven hundred and fifty thousand, but we've always said that should be a million, so still better than two.
Hundred, Damien.
What would be going on in the background of an investigation of this nature.
I would imagine that they've pulled the original brief together and they're looking to see if there's anything that's been missed. And also with the new lines of inquiry generated by the Dear Rachelle podcast that's coming to light, that would be an avenue for the investigators to be brief the witnesses or speak with those persons that are making some of these allegations or our will have told their story
about their relationship with Kevin. And also I would imagine that there would be in the lines of inquiry, I would expect that that reward will be increased.
Police aren't giving a lot away. Is that usual in an investigation like this.
It's quite common because they don't want to. It's like having a full deck of cards and you're having a row flush. You don't want to show that to anybody what you've got. It's not only for that, it's also they don't want to give the family a false promise of success or a reason to believe that this may
be solved at some stage. It's important strategic investigation technique that's used not to show their fullhand because there are some things that the offender only may know, and the police may know that as well.
And in your Mother's day letter to Rochelle's killer, you called him a mongrel?
What else would you say to her killer if he was listening.
I just man up, and it's been too long, had enough, clear your conscience. It's just gone away on way too long. There's so much more I could say.
But probably do you worry that with the years going on? I mean, we're approaching her twenty fourth anniversary and this person is just getting older like the rest of us. Do you worry that he might pass before justice arrives?
Oh, don't give us stuff if he does pass. But that's just a not a cop out. But we would love just to know why and for him to admit it. But I don't think that's ever going to happen. I really don't. He won't admit to this.
No, he went to great lengths to conceal.
What he did, crazy stuff, very much.
To the point where he absolutely destroyed her body, so we couldn't even go and take goodbye to her. So I don't think he's going to go. Oh, I might go and admit what I did.
Yeah, twenty six of May Mars Rochelle's birthday.
It must be a hard day for you both, always, always, But I wouldn't say it gets easier. But we just we can't connected and we do our sinker drink and it's but as yeah, as we've said before, you just don't know what she would look like now, and especially at this point, what we're all going through right now is just this harder.
How old would she have been turning seven, Christy?
Have you ever reflected on what she could have been doing if she her life hadn't been taken.
I think she would have been a mom. I reckon she would have had kids. I reckon she would have gotten married. She you know, she liked being in love, she liked that, you know, she rode that rollercoaster with a couple of really special guys. I reckon she would have ended up getting married. I think she would have been a mom. She would have been an awesome mom. Yeah. I struggle with her birthday every year. I I don't know, I just just feel sick for her that she's not here.
What if you have planned this year, especially with everything going on, there must be these added feeling around that day.
Not that only you know what to expect. The years could be in two weeks time or how many ten days or so time. You don't know what sound actually, what turn up, what happened in the next week, or something that could change how we are feeling, which I'm already sure what we're feeling at the moment.
It's all a bit surreal.
The whole thing.
This year is different because we're actually doing something for her. So that's that's nice for us. I think like it's like we're giving her something. We're doing something for her on a birthday. We're not just thinking about her and being sad.
Well, we'll be thinking of Rachelle on this special day and hoping that we might get a breakthrough. Wouldn't that be a great gift.
The best, the best?
I think if we could get some evidence to you know, create an arrest. That would be amazing to make that day easier.
We know you have lots of questions about Rachelle's case and if we can answer them, we will. I'll be holding a Q and A with Damian Loon soon, so please get your questions into us by emailing.
Deroshelle at news dot com dot au.
And we encourage you to join our growing Facebook community search Deroshelle Official podcast discussion group. New episodes of Derosell drop on Fridays. Visit deroshell dot com dot au for more, and if you have any information you want to share with me, Ashley Hanson, you can do so confidentially. Please send an email to deroshell at news dot com dot au