A husband’s secrets and a woman’s fight for life | Forensic Files

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at 3:30 p.m. on February 9 2005 Greenville primary schools end of day Bell echoed through the suburban heart
of Greenville an upmarket inland suburb on the northern fringe of Melbourne Victoria a vibrant cacophony of noise
followed as hundreds of young students poured out of the classrooms they rushed with renewed energy to the school gates
where parents were waiting to take them home after a long day when 11 year old Greenville student Damien cork reached
the gates that warm afternoon it came as no surprise that his mother Maria wasn't
waiting for him 50 year old Maria cork was a machine operator at the Kaiser hosiery Factory in the nearby industrial
suburb of Kuler ooh at the end of each workday Maria aimed to leave the factory by 3:30 p.m. to pick up Damien from
school the drive from her workplace to Greenville primary took upwards of 15 minutes getting her to the school gates
by around 3:45 p.m. so Maria wasn't one of the earlybird parents waiting the moment the bell rang
however she never failed to pick up her son minutes tick by as cars rolled out of the carpark students on bikes pedaled
down the leafy streets and to those opting to walk disappeared down the Wandy suburban sidewalks Damien pastime
on the school playground whilst keeping an eye on the school gate he expected the C's mothers 1995 burgundy colored
Mazda 626 sedan pull up any minute dozens of cars stopped alongside the gate as students left into the back
seats as each car came and when Maria's Burgundy Mazda was nowhere to be seen the bell rang again at 3:45 p.m. over
there now quiet school grounds this second Bell informed all remaining students on school property to head to
the school's administration building to be supervised then after-school care as Damien headed to the admin building he
wondered if his mum was caught up a work lost track of time and had forgotten about him school star found a peculiar
to say Damien Corp in after-school care that wasn't luck Maria to be late nevertheless they weren't immediately
concerned they believed she was probably caught up at work stuck in traffic or maybe even had car trouble they
anticipated hearing from her soon however by 4:00 p.m. Maria still hadn't arrived nor contacted the school the
school admin tried to call Marie's mobile phone that it went straight to voicemail
over the following 20 minutes several more calls to Maria's mobile were made but there was still no response
when it was clear they couldn't get ahold of her the school found Maria's husband Joe Corp
47 year old Joe Corp was a manager at South Pacific tires a tire factory located in Somerton a few suburbs east
of Greenville he was at work when Greenville primary called informing him of Maria's absence Joe was perplexed and
could often no explanation why Maria hadn't picked up their son Maria prioritized her role as a mother
above all else she dropped whatever she was doing no matter how important to ensure she
reached her son on Taunton even those who knew little about her knew she was a devoted mother
it was incredibly out of character for her to abandon Damien without explanation
the prickling question lingered in the backs of concerned minds where's aria [Music]
joke or Petrovka Greenville primary to collect Damien after woods the two headed to the court family home in
McCallum hoping Maria might be there the courthouse was located on Mount Wrigley
Road which separated Miquelon to the north from Craigieburn to the south on the northern side of the road of Michael
Long's grassy farmland pastures Goddard with uniquely designed country houses few and far between on the southern side
other condensed maze-like block estates of the Craigieburn suburbs packed with identical modern houses tightly sitting
side-by-side back to back the courthouse was situated on the McCallum side of Mount Ridley Road Joe purchased the
empty five acre block of land cheap in 1998 confident it was the ideal place to build the court family dream home the
northern suburbs of Victoria were considered relatively rural at the time resting on the cusp of the countryside
with Melbourne CBD only around 40 kilometers sell an urban boom was anticipated up north over the following
years Joe walkest rated the construction of a five-bedroom country mansion with two bathrooms extensive living and
entertaining areas a theatre room a three-car garage with three separate doors and a large work shed out the back
of the property Maria helped out where she could and would proudly show off her contributions
to the construction when friends and family visited by early 2004 the house was complete the corpse impressive 700
square metre red brick estate loomed at the end of a circular crushed dirt driveway
it took almost seven years and over 500 thousand dollars to build the finished property was estimated to have a selling
price over a million dollars boasting it was the best house on the street Joe took immense pride in his handmade
homestead Maria found serenity in her large semi isolated house on the edge of the expensive Victorian countryside and
made her comfortably nostalgic bringing back memories of childhood growing up on a working farm
in the rural hillside village of Grimm mayor Lombardo in Portugal Maria migrated from Portugal to
Australia in 1976 with her first husband Manuel the two settled in the Greenville
suburbs and in 1978 they had a daughter Laura Manuel considered returning to Portugal one day Heluva Maria no longer
felt her homeland told much appeal she had come to fully embrace her new Australian lifestyle but 1987 the family
were well established spending warm days tending to the garden of their small family home whilst practicing their
English with neighbors over the fenceline but their ideal it suburban life fell apart abruptly in 1987 when
Manuel suffered a fatal heart attack sadly this wasn't the first traumatic heartbreak Maria had experienced in her
life so far when she was a teenager her childhood sweetheart was killed in the Angolan Civil War a sudden widow with a
nine-year-old daughter Maria had little choice but to return to work shortly after Manuel's death at that time maria
worked as a factory hand at south pacific toys in Somerton where she met her current husband Joe caught Maria was
a hard worker a trait ingrained by her family since childhood others marveled at her tenacity her
limitless energy and had never give up attitude where she found her immense power and energy was purely within Maria
was only a petite 52 kilogram figure staining it just far foot 2 inches it was easy to underestimate her but she
was much tougher than she looked [Music] the possibility maria was home the afternoon of february nor in 2005 was
dashed the moment joe turned onto the driveway leading to their red brick house her car wasn't in the driveway or
the garage there was no sign that maria had been home during the day at all at around 5:30 p.m. Joe planned to drive
the route Maria usually took between Hope workplace and Damian's school maybe Maria had a flat tire who had gotten
into an accident leaving her stranded somewhere along the way as he turned his car out onto Mount Ridley Road his
stepdaughter Laura passed him in her own car 26 year old Laura was Maria's daughter from her previous marriage with
Manuel she had been at work that day a hairstylist at a local salon Laura pulled her car into the garage and was
curious to find her mother's car wasn't there once inside her younger brother Damien
revealed that Maria didn't pick him up from school that day Laura knew this was unlike her mother but brushed away any
concerns by assuming there was a simple explanation she went into the study logged onto the family computer and
started listening to music a short time later Hirst that part that joke burst into the study he was visibly
anxious and began asking if she had seen or heard from a rail after driving around the local area he'd failed to
find any sign of her remaining level-headed Laura suggested Marija was probably out shopping or stuck at an
appointment but even she felt something wasn't right Joe paced the house waiting for Maria to
come home as hours past the front door didn't open and the home phone didn't ring as the Sun slowly said there was
still no sign of Maria and Joe was convinced she had found trouble at 7:30 p.m. he got back into his car and drove
straight to nearby a Craigieburn police station Joe Corp formally reported his wife as a
missing person he told police the last time he saw or heard from Maria was that morning February 9 Joe explained he got
up early to prepare for work downstairs Maria was in the kitchen making a sandwich for Damian's school lunch and a
salad roll for her own she didn't give Joe any reasons why her school pickup might be interfered with that afternoon
after giving his wife a kiss goodbye Joe entered the garage got into his car and
drove off to his workplace in Somerton clocking in a work around 7:00 a.m. joe stated he didn't hear from maria during
the day the fact confirmed by his mobile phone records there was little doubt Joe
had been at work all day notable co-workers saw him in the office consistently throughout and he was also
present at four meetings occurring at or around 8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 3 p.m. at 4:30 p.m.
no one saw Joe take a break or leave the premises and he wasn't absent for any extended periods of time
Joe was surprisingly upfront to police and confessed he and Maria had been through a recent bit of marital problems
that had made Maria depressed although he was quick to shut down any considerations Maria was suicidal
self-harm went against Maria's devout Catholic beliefs and she would never abandon her children from the police
perspective Joe seemed genuinely concerned for Maria's welfare yet there was no suggestion Maria was in immediate
danger or had met with foul play she was an unhappy suburban wife in a rough marriage the simplest explanation
seemed to the most likely maybe Maria had had enough and just ran away police agreed to conduct the precautionary
search for Maria that night a broadcast over police radio told officers in the area to be on the lookout for Maria's
car and squad cars circled the factory parking lot where she worked and shopping centres she frequented yet
there were no sightings local towing companies were contacted but none had her car in their possession calls to
Maria's close friends and relatives repeated the same fact over and over it was out of character for Maria to just
disappear Maria was described as personable and warm although she could be a little melodramatic this added
weight to the theory she might have run away to emotionally impact her husband no one had seen or heard from her that
day Maria's mobile phone was off and untraceable but her recent phone records showed no suspicious activity the last
time her personal banking account was accessed was two days prior her withdrawal of only one hundred and fifty
dollars police contacted Maria's work supervisor at the factory and to their surprise they found out Maria didn't
show up to work that day her supervisor also revealed Maria came into work late the day before she was late because she
had been at the Broadmeadows magistrates call all morning with her husband at Chow
they were canceling a restraining order she had previously placed against him the restraining order was taken out by
Maria a few months earlier and was used to prevent Joe from coming within 200 metres of the family home and from
harassing assaulting or intimidating Maria according to the Registrar who handled the case in court on the morning
of February 8 Maria appeared on edge when asking for the order to be repealed the registro
was troubled by her behavior so eased all conditions except one the one preventing Joe from harassing or
assaulting Maria this decision seemed to settle Maria's nose the search carried on that night with no sightings of Maria
although police did receive an interesting phone call the caller was Joe corks brother gust
news of Maria's disappearance had spread through the corp extended family and gust had his own pressing concerns about
the situation a rundown of what gust told police was noted at the end of Maria's missing-persons report quote
police were contacted by Joe's brother gust cork stated that he was concerned his brother Joe may have done something
to Maria stated that Joe stepdaughter Laura had mentioned she was woken by screaming at 6:30 a.m. and Joe told her
that she must have been dreaming also stated that Joe had forced Maria to change the content of her will also
stated the Joe had rung him and said Gus I think on [ __ ] gust helps Joe with his computer and said that he had read
some emails which Joe sent to his girlfriend Tonia Herman who lives in Greenville one of the emails went along
the lines of I have to do it alone I don't want you to be involved gusts wife Patricia told him that Tonya told her
that she would kill Maria before she gets Joe back at 10:44 p.m. that night three police
officers arrived to the courthouse the privacy that made the rural landscape appealing also felt rich with suburban
secrets Joe was welcoming to police when he answered the front door he permitted
them to search his house for clues to Maria's whereabouts taking them on a guided tour of his experience of
property Joe was forthcoming to authorities willingly answering questions allowing them to search his
car and giving them permission to check his bank accounts and phone records the interior of the court residence was
impressive there was little wonder why Joe had such immense pride for his creation rooms were spacious neat and
uncluttered decorated with polished timber furniture and authentic leather upholstery several large windows
throughout the estate gave an unrestricted view of the sparkling garden lots of Melbourne City in the
distance on the back wall of the theatre room was a large plasma screen the children's bedrooms were located at the
rear of the house giving both the kids and adults space and privacy from one another
the master bedroom at the front was upstairs and included a queen-size bed propped up on the wall above for frank
photographs of Joe and Maria on their wedding day a walk-in wardrobe led to a sparkling ensuite featuring a double
vanity expensive fixtures and an elevated spa bath the three-car Garage housed both Jose and Dolores vehicles
with an empty spot where Maria's car should have been Joe was especially fond of his study in
which he spent long nights in front of the family computer surrounded by memorabilia of his
favorite Australian rules football team the Collingwood Magpies Maria had her own sanctuary a prayer room featuring a
desk covered in Catholic imagery candles and incense as police conducted their search Joe confirmed no luggage was
missing from the house and at none of Maria's personal necessities such as toiletries or clothes appeared to be
gone raising doubts on the runaway theory in the backyard was a vegetable garden Maria cultivated that she called
her Costello washab Costello being the Portuguese word for castle she'd also read sheep on the property a throwback
to her childhood in which her family had done the same thing at the very back of
the lot was Joe's large work shed stocked with tools a workbench and gardening equipment the envy of every
handyman there was nothing suspect the Drewe police attention the house was well
presented cared for and maintained police spoke to Maria's daughter Laura wanting more insight into gust corpse
claims she had heard screaming that morning Laura confirmed the screams they seemed so real they'd been playing on
her mind to the whole day it was around 6:30 a.m. when she heard them they sounded as though they came from the
front of the house where her parents bedroom was located Laura quote when I heard the scream I went into my
brother's room I asked him if he was the one screaming he said no and went back to sleep then I went back to my bedroom
and went back to sleep police checked the corp amassed a bedroom from where laura thought she
heard the screaming but they found two no signs of foul play an orderly couple who were close friends with Maria
attended the core past that night whilst police were present pulling an officer aside to speak privately
the woman revealed Maria had considered running away from Joe recently she didn't go through with it though as she
didn't want to leave her children behind the woman then wanted the officer Joe cork shouldn't be trusted Joe Cobb
remained an enigma to police if what they were dealing with was a crime everything and everyone pointed to him
as the prime suspect yet he carried himself as anything but he seemed to genuinely concerned for Maria his alibi
was solid and he offered himself to police as an open book with nothing to hide before the police left Joe gave
them a photograph of Maria to aid in the ongoing search curious police were eager
to unravel Joe further however they decided not to push him too soon they didn't want to risk striking fear in the
man and having him completely shut down on them but they were watching him very closely they did have one last question
for him though if he could think of anyone who might not like Maria without hesitation Joe gave a name there was a
name police had heard before making it clear she was his former girlfriend the name Joe offered was Tonya Herrmann
by daybreak on February 10 an intensive search from area began helicopters circled the sky above the northern
suburbs as detectives from the broad Meadows Criminal Investigation Unit interviewed Maria's close friends and
family the topic of the restraining order resurfaced in a second interview with Maria's daughter Laura when her
mother took out the order she warned Laura that if anything were to happen to her to call the police laura was highly
suspicious of her stepfather with whom she had a tense relationship for the last year she had observed firsthand the
negative impact Joe's actions had on her mother after near 13 years of marriage Joe felt it had romantically fizzled and
Galacta Maseeh so he began going online to organize casual hookups with random women on his dating profiles his self
described himself as a Latino love God and uploaded images showing off his country mansion in detent muscles Joe
initially kept his Affairs from his wife hiding them behind lies about work-related business it was around 2
September 2004 when Maria confided to Laura that she believed the Joe was seeing someone else the evidence was all
around her unexplained withdrawals from their bank accounts higher car receipts frequent calls to run familiar numbers
on their phone bills and to let us sent to a post-office box when Maria found a racy photograph of a
tall blonde woman posing seductively in little else but Joe's Collingwood Football jumper she confronted her
husband Joe maintained a familiar liar and claimed she was just the work colleague but Maria wasn't naive about
her husband she knew he was fully capable of adultery in fact it was through similar circumstances that the
two had gotten together in the first place Joe met Maria in the early 90s when they
both worked at South Pacific tires he was a manager who had recently transferred departments to oversee the
factory area when Maria worked Maria found herself drawn to Joe called described as a charming persuasive
smooth talker with an engaging boastful personality Joe was also considered handsome with olive skin thick dark hair
and an athletic build draping gold jewelry at the time Joe lived in Craigieburn with his first wife Leone
they had been teenage sweethearts from back in the day back then Leone was reluctant to date him but Joe fancied
himself as a charismatic a ladies man who enjoyed the thrill of the chase and wouldn't take no for an answer the kind
of guy who liked to show off his desirability through grand acts of romantic exhibitionism he'd circle
around her house on his bike for hours yell out to her when he saw her and toss the bunches of flowers over her fence
Leone reflected on his relentless determination to get what he wanted quote he chased me until he caught me
that's basically what happened the two married in 1977 and moved to Craigieburn where they had two children in the
following three years within their marriage Joe was possessive and insecure he forbade Leone and their daughter from
wearing makeup as he didn't want them to attract male attention he'd call the only three to four times a
day whilst the work to check in to Leone Jo's controlling nature was indicative of how much he cared but for
Jo the monotony of domestic responsibilities was slowly losing his interest and it couldn't compare to the
addictive thrill of a lustful new romance we only started hearing the name Maria pop up in casual conversations
with her husband she initially didn't think much of it as Jo insisted Maria was just the work colleague when they
started spending more and more time together outside of work we only joked that Maria should find her
own man after a night out Jo entered the kitchen where Leone and their children were having breakfast using two recent
deaths in Leone's family as the mitigating factor for his decision Jo told his wife that life was too short
and he was going to be with Maria by October 1991 his divorce with Leone was finalized and he and Maria married Maria
took a new husband to meet her extended family in Portugal it was obvious to them Maria was happy and very much in
love they felt Jo was pleasant enough but believed he lacked sincerity they also caught glimpses of his controlling
side like when he draw issue anytime Maria spoke in Portuguese nagging concerns they had about Jo were
internalised after all the tragic heartbreak Maria had been through they didn't want to
ruin her new chance of love and happiness when Maria suspected Jo was cheating on her she blamed herself her
anxiety is heightened and weight plummeted emotions switched between extreme anger and bitterness to
self-loathing and long bouts of depression co-workers witnessed her breakdown at work falling to the floor
in tears during this time she kept a personal diary entries candidly chronicled her emotional torment of
restless nights broken promises and forgotten birthdays it was clear Maria couldn't bring
herself to leave Jo and go through yet another massively traumatic heartbreak she was determined to win him back
the suffering resulted in bizarre desperate behaviors a highly superstitious woman Maria believed a
Jo's infidelity was a curse against her as punishment for taking Joe from his first wife she sought the help of
priests clairvoyance gurus and psychics putting her family in upwards of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars debt
for their services she'd wander the house at night praying burning incense and making the sign of the Cross when
she found a long blonde hairs in the creases of Joe's carseats she suspected they belonged to one of his girlfriends
in the dust on the exterior surface of the car she drew hundreds of small crosses in an act she thought would
change her destiny maria state of mind at the time of her disappearance added to the very real and very sad
possibility that she may have committed suicide this was further substantiated when police were given a plastic bag of
belongings from a friend of Maria's Maria had given her friend the bag to be out a month prior with the instruction
to take it to the police should anything happen to her inside the bag was an odd
collection including a bunch of random receipts a piece of plastic hose a flip wallet containing a fake police badge
alongside a picture of Joe Maria's personal diary an adult playing card game and a racy photograph of a tall
blond woman posing in a Collingwood Football jumper there were also several notes in Maria's handwriting including
one that read quote dear Joe I love you very much I cannot keep going like this I have taken things into my own hands
god bless you love Maria at approximately 2:00 p.m. on February 10 Joe Corp arrived at the Craigieburn
police station for a formal interview he dismissed the restraining order stating
Maria took it out as punishment for his infidelity not because he harmed her in any way he explained that a few months
earlier he had returned home to find his clothes dumped at the front gate and the
locks to the house changed using a steel picket he attempted to force his way into the house to get his computer Maria
called the police and the following day they convinced her to take out the restraining order
four days later Maria calmed down and allowed him to move back in as things were going well they agreed to go to
court to quash the order once and for all which is what they did the day before Maria disappeared
[Music] detectives pressed the jury for details on his relationship with his former
girlfriend Tonya Herman Joe considered Herman a thorn in his marriage he'd met her online over a year prior and the two
had a casual less than serious on-and-off-again sexual relationship joe maintained it was now all over and he
tried to sever ties with her but she always maintained a presence in his life unwilling to accept their fling was over
when asked if he loved her Joe replied that he did at some point but it always lost Maria more two hours later the
interview was reaching its end Joe was asked if he had anything to do with Marie's disappearance he responded
with a confident no and was free to go at around 4:30 p.m. he left the station climbed into a sleek red Holden
Commodore SS and drove off unbeknownst the Joe tailing behind him was an undercover surveillance team they
watched as he drove down Craigieburn Road appearing to be heading home but then his vehicle slowed and stopped
alongside a footpath a surveillance officer took note of what happened next quote
I observed co-op wearing dark glasses get out of the vehicle holding a white plastic bag with blue stripes in his
hands observed a cop walked to an open green wheelie bin with a broken Brown lid on the nature strip he dropped the
bag into the bin walked back to the vehicle and to the vehicle moved off once Joe drove away police rushed to the
bin the contents of the bag included a spare set of car keys to his Holden Commodore documents and receipts
photographs of computers and notebook a walkie-talkie handset a balaclava and a vial filled with white powder a short
time later Joe's car pulled into the driveway of his McCollum home to find dozens of police detectives and forensic
officers in the midst of executing a search warrant they canvassed every room and scoured every inch cameras clicked
belongings were carried away and DNA collected every stain scuff and scratch was thoroughly inspected standing back
Joe watched the action with no resistance he chatted idly with attending officers and in one such
conversation he remarked Maria's body might be found in near Whittlesea a town northeast of McCallum he offered no
explanation for this thought there was no conclusive proof Maria was deceased but Joe considered the likelihood
possible as he'd even discussed her funeral arrangements with Laura Joe admitted to dumping the bag in the
rubbish bin on his way home that afternoon although he downplayed its contents stating had only carried papers
and photographs later an officer caught Joe digging through the pockets of a pair of khaki shorts in the walking
wardrobe of his master bedroom when the officer startled him Joe quickly grabbed
the coat off a nearby hanger and explained he felt cold before leaving the officer checked the shorts and found
a green colored security k2 courts workplace police were scratching their heads at his increasingly shady behavior
and the question arose what was Joe Coreper trying to hide after six hours of intense searching and evidence
collecting the police left the court residence the entire situation was shaping up into a rather perplexing
investigation surrounding a man that seemed to have both nothing and everything too hard
some people lauded the guy claiming Joe was a good bloke an accommodating boss and the favorite Uncle Joe's family
stood by him in a show of solidarity even gust caught who had called police only hours after Maria had been reported
missing to implicate his brother had an about-turn and was now one of his most vocal
supporters to his critics Joe was vain bombastic and a little full of himself they believed he thrived on attention it
was clear that there were many sides to Joe cork and police were ready to visit the one person who knew Joe intimately
aside from Maria his former girlfriend Tanya Herrmann just before 6 p.m. that night police
pulled up to a rather unassuming and small 1 story brick rental house in Greenville belonging to Tonya Herrmann
36 year old Tanya Herrmann was a single mother who'd recently moved to Greenville from a chuka a Victorian
country town on the border of New South Wales at the time Tanya was nursing the emotional scars of
multiple failed relationships in 1987 her first husband was physically abusive their union only lasted 5 months her
second serious relationship produced attend his first daughter but ended after two years when her partner left
her for another woman her third relationship which became her second marriage looked to be the most promising
Paul Herrmann and Tanya were married and had a daughter together Taylor however Tanya claimed Paul was an
alcoholic and a workaholic who had a short fuse around her young girls the catalyst for their separation in 2002
after this third failed relationship 10 years roommate introduced her to the world of online dating by 2003 Tonya had
a lot of online interest she was a wholesome down-to-earth Aussie country girl a tall lean blonde fit triathlete
Tanya longed for something more meaningful than abusive partners and fleeting hookups she was on the lookout
for someone long-term who treat her right and accept her for who she was on October 11 2003 Tanya received a
personal message from username joke a underscore 40 clicking on joke a underscore for T's profile brought up
images of an olive-skinned dark-haired athletic middle aged man who introduced himself as Joe Bronte according to his
online bio Joe was a single 40 year old from miquelon a builder by trade who owned his own construction company
Tanya didn't know it at the time but everything she was reading about Joe K underscore 40 was a lawyer Joe Bronte
was actually Joe Corp married 46 years old and a factory manager over the following four months they got
to know each other through online chat and webcam then over text messages and phone calls they met for the first time
in person on February 11 2004 Joe drove two hours to ten years house in a Jukka and they went to the local pub to hang
out from that moment on Joe would visit Tanya upwards of once per week witnesses
described them like teenagers in love their infatuation was obsessive passionate over-the-top and full of
flashy displays of Joe's trademark romantic exhibitionism hits shower both Tanya and her daughter with gifts and
spontaneously purchased a new car a bright red holden commodore SS because Tanya said he'd looked good in it often
they'd meet in hotels halfway between their homes other times of room wasn't necessary one of their preferred made-up
locations was on the banks of a dried-up lakebed with Tanya Joe was able to live
out his wildest fantasies maria was too prudish joe believed and unwilling to be
sexually adventurous but tanya was completely open to do whatever Joe wanted Joe introduced her into the world
of sex games swinging and group sex the pair posed as a married couple online and listed themselves as looking for
ways to spice things up in the bedroom they engaged in multiple hookups with other consenting couples for Joe he was
feeding his lustful addiction for romance in new irresistible ways he'd take risque photographs of Tanya for his
own pleasure including the image Maria later found of Tanya posing seductively wearing Joe's Collingwood Football
jumper Fatah yo the sex and smart men little to her in the long run she was more invested in her developing future
with Joe Joe had told police tanya was a former fling he no longer had an interest in yet as police searched her
house they found evidence to suggest otherwise a soppy love letter written by Joe listed the 20 reasons why he
of tatanya documents know that Joe is tenures emergency contact he was also listed as the executor of
Tania's will that detailed her ashes be scattered wherever Joe decides her rental
agreement was signed in both their names with Tonya's signature under the name Tonya Herrmann Corp police seized
documents clothes and a computer hard drive but most intriguing was a list handwritten by Tonya found in a
wastebasket underneath some chocolate wrappers it listed paper balaclava suit north backpacked gloves socks shampoo
and conditioner two hours later Tonya Herrmann was escorted to the broad meadows police station for a formal
interview of her own Tonya had heard about Maria's disappearance but denied any involvement her story was that the
night before Maria vanished she had been up most of the night because her eight-year-old daughter Taylor was
suffering from nightmares the following morning Tonya kept the school preparations at a leisurely
non-stressful pace meaning Taylor arrived a little late to school some time between 9:00 and 2:00 9:30 a.m.
Tonya had to go to the administration building to sign her daughter in because they were late according to school staff
Taylor was unusually distressed that day at first she wouldn't let go of her mother when she was dropped off
throughout the day she clung to the classroom comfort toy and cried twice teachers could tell she'd been through a
rough couple of nights police questioned Tanya about her relationship with Joe Cork according to her she was his
princess and he was completely committed and invested in their future together he'd offered to help her start a
business build her dream home take her holiday around the world have children together and even proposed a marriage it
was unclear exactly when Tonya found out Joe was married to Maria but the betrayal she felt was void once
Joe told her how miserable his marriage was Joe spent most of their time together venting to Tonya
how he was unhappy love deprived sexually frustrated and finally all because of Maria he'd burn own hell
Maria was putting the family in debt spending hundreds and thousands of dollars of his money on religious
crackpots and charlatans hell Maria was blackmailing him with photographs that could put him in jail but he never
actually revealed what the photographs were of divorce wasn't an option she'd fired him for the corpus state despite
knowing the house was his pride and joy he'd tell Tanya that there was no love between him and Maria anymore but Maria
had threatened to kill him and herself multiple times meaning he couldn't just leave her because he was scared of how
she would react Tanya never doubted Joe's claims and as she listened to him vent over and over
about the woman that was stopping them from being happy together forever Tanya herman grew to despise Maria Korb
the feeling was mutual Maria had identified her husband's mistress as Tanya and her seething hatred for the
woman was obvious they're toxic rivalry only grew when Joe cork encouraged Tanya
to move the green veil and came to a head when Tanya enrolled her daughter in the same school that damien attended on
November 3 2004 Maria wrote in her diary I saw the [ __ ] Tanya in the morning into when I went to pick Damien up at
3:30 I saw her again Joe did nothing to quell the conflict between the two women
he'd hold a crying Maria lovingly and reassure her that he would never leave her only to tell Tanya the same thing
later even though Joe portrayed his relationship with Kenya as long over tanya revealed the pair had seen each
other that day of Maria's disappearance at around a 10 a.m. tanya drove to joe's workplace to give
him a ham sandwich for his morning tea the two had a brief casual conversation about nothing in particular then Tanya
left when asked if she loved Joe Tonya answered yes and responded the same when I asked if he loved her she considered
Joe an honest forthright person and insisted he had never lied to her when police revealed that Joe had told them
he only loved Maria Tonya seemed shaken she responded quote in a way that comment shook me a little bit because
you know who was sort of planning our future and that sort of thing yeah so it's throwing me a little bit
but maybe he's just pod on her I honestly can't answer that because I feel his love and I know his love is
genuine the two hour long interview concluded with police asking Tonya whether she believed - Joe had done
something to Maria she responded no he would never harm another human being he couldn't he could never do it it's not
him police asked if she had any knowledge of Maria's whereabouts Tonya required I have absolutely none if
I did I would be telling you [Music] thank you for listening to today's episode we'll be back soon
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com slash case file for hims dot-com slash case file Rick Bryan didn't usually work on Sunday
he was a park worker who maintains the land in and around the shrine of remembrance and the Royal Botanical
Gardens in South Yarra on the southeastern edge of the Melbourne CBD Victoria's weather had been relatively
warm over the last few days but not stifling so a Melbourne summer could produce week-long heat waves of 30
degrees Celsius and tire the temperatures had been resting in the warm and comfortable low 20s during
these warmer months water features across the parkland and needed more frequent attention and maintenance so
Rick made the decision to go into work on Sunday February 13 to do just that at around 7 a.m. after finishing work on
two fountains in the parkland Rick went back to the depot to have a cup of coffee the depot was located on Dallas
Brooks drove a winding narrow road that framed the rear of the shrine of remembrance
led into the Botanical Gardens and reached the government house at peak times Dallas Brooks Drive was busy with slow
frequent traffic and its left sideline with parked cars but just after 7 a.m. that morning the road was near empty
except for a single car parked near a ticket machine when Rick noticed the lone vehicle he
immediately record a conversation with a co-worker the day before about a woman who'd been missing for four days and the
ongoing search for her car in 1995 burgundy Mazda 6 to 6 in good condition with the number plate ni w-30 6
- Rick surprise he was looking straight at it a mix of curiosity and concern propelled
Rick to go over to check out the car the windows were foggy from condensation did
several things inside caught Rick's attention strewn across the passenger seat were pens paper and a moldy salad
roll on the floor of the passenger side was an upturned black handbag on the rear seat was an open Street directory
Rick felt something wasn't right when he circled the rear of the car he was struck by a fare loader that seemed to
be emanating from the boot Rick knocked on it and yelled out is anyone inside there was no response by 10:30 a.m.
Dallas book stripe had been cordoned off as authorities surrounded the car its doors were locked and windows shut there
was no visible damage anywhere no tampering marks on locks or windows the car was in impeccable condition as the
morning wore on and the temperature slowly rose the pungent odor from the boot of the car became more pronounced
seasoned officers recognized that immediately the smell of decomposition the crime-scene unit canvassed the area
as technical crews worked on opening the boot they forced entry into the vehicle by
peeking at lock causing the jarring car alarm to go off across the quiet park lands located by the driver's seat was
the lever that unlocked the boot with a slight pull the boot clicked open lifting the rear hood or at least the
rancid smell of decay as officers caught sight of what was inside parts sank the
smell the colors and the wounds police knew they were looking at a corpse that had been dead for some time
Mireya caught skin was pale and covered in bruises crusted around her nostrils and mouth was dried blood her lips were
cracked and split the right side of her face was swollen she had a larger open head wound
suddenly they caught sight of the tiniest bit of movement Maria's chest slightly rose then fell
there was a shallow breath then another to the absolute shock of everyone looking down at her
Maria was still alive missing-persons detective Narelle fraser witnessed the harrowing moment quote I just wanted to
wrap my arms around her I wanted to hold her and tell her that she was safe Nia that no one would ever hurt her again
to see this woman so helpless so alone and in such a confronting state was heartbreaking I kept saying to her that
it was going to be okay as she was safe I don't think she heard me who knows Maria was rushed to nearby Alfred
Hospital in a critical condition she was unconscious and unresponsive to stimuli
it shocked both police and medical staff that she was still alive after the intense trauma her body had clearly been
through Maria was certainly tough to release pressure and swelling on her brain maria was quickly put into an
induced coma this allowed medical staff to start treating her extensive injuries without
putting her fragile body through more traumatic strain or pain the extent of her injuries were devastating Maria had
severe dehydration her heart was a weak barely pushing blood through her arteries blood pressure so low her blood
vessels were no longer visible a CT scan revealed brain swelling her flesh featured patches of black dead skin
blood cuts and ulcers caused by lack of mobility had formed throughout her body judging by the progression of these
injuries it was determined that Maria had been unconscious in the boot of her car for the duration of her
disappearance just over four days up to 102 hours a distinctive ligature mark was found around to Maria's neck her
eyes were bloodshot and enlarged experts concluded she had been strangled an abrasion on the right side of her scalp
a scar on the upper right side of her forehead along with the scab on the front of her nose was attributed to a
struggle Maria had with her attacker it appeared she fell or was pushed face-first onto a course hard surface
most likely concrete there was absolutely no question about what had happened to Maria now she met with foul
play the person responsible had fully intended to kill Mariah she had been strangled unconscious which fooled her
attacker into thinking she was dead the assault was amateurish it was clear the would-be killer was inexperienced and
incompetent there was someone out there who wanted Maria cork dead so a police guard was maintained at her hospital
room at 3 p.m. detectives arrived at the courthouse to give Joe the news he was overtly
ecstatic and grateful to the police and asked to go see Maria Maria's chance of survival was at the
time only 25 percent authorities hoped she'd pull through and offer insight into what happened but there was no
guarantee she'd ever record the event after the trauma her brain had been through she had a long arduous road to
recovery police couldn't sit waiting by her bedside in the hope she would wake up and recall something they needed to
find - the perpetrator now Joe begged the officers to take him to visit Maria instead they clamped down on him either
reinstating the restraining order Maria had previously taken out on him legally banning him from going to see his wife
in hospital if Joe was involved in her attack they needed to protect her Laura was quick to visit her mother's
bedside in hospital and was absolutely devastated to see her in such a dire state she did notice something strange
about her mother though bringing up her realization to police quote when I went to see mum I noticed that her
wedding-ring cross and earrings were missing mum's wedding ring is a plain gold band and I
cannot recall the last time I saw her without a wedding ring on she wore the ring all the time
you would have to physically remove the ring to get it off Maria's necklace was a chain with a
crucifix and medallion attached the earrings were a small pair of gone and the cluster studs
police checked Maria's car and house for the jury but their whereabouts remained
unknown on the evening of February 14 the night after Maria had been found at all broad-shouldered by key in a leather
jacket fronted police introducing himself as Steve Deakin Tonya Herman's brother after hearing on the news Maria
had been found he felt he needed to tell police what he knew he didn't know Maria personally but
he did know Joe core and Steve had strong feelings about him tanya was besotted with the bloke the Joe made a
bad impression on Tanya's family the boastful stories Tonya bragged of Joe raped of him being too good to be true
although tanya was enamored by his confident charm all her family saw was a smooth-talking loudmouth they also
witnessed firsthand the dangerous control joe had over tanya when joe abruptly stopped contacting tanya she
became depressed and attempted suicide it was at this point her family became more vocal in their dislike of the
unhealthy relationship Tanya's mother felt Joe was intentionally driving a wedge between her daughter and her
family to cut her away from her network of support and to gain more control over
her his immense control was clearest in August 2004 when Joe told Tanya he was going to Barcelona to look after his
mother who had recently suffered a heart attack during his trip Tania received a call
from Joe's brother who revealed Joe had been killed in a car accident the new shuddered Tania and she had to be
hospitalized her family were immediately suspicious about the entire situation but Tania didn't doubt it for a second
for two days she remained in the fetal position rocking back and forth unable to eat or sleep weeping for her lost
love she wrote a message to be read at Joe's funeral quote Joseph William Bronte you
came to me on the wings of an angel my world was complete we had dreams hopes a future together everything was perfect
and planned Joe I love you with all my heart and soul your Sun shone upon me together we were going to grow but your
life was taken suddenly I prayed especially for you my love for you are the special one I know God sent you to
me somewhere you have wings my darling angel you are now where no one can hurt you I won your heart for being myself we
were one we were true soul mates days later Tanya's phone lit up she couldn't believe it when the caller came up as
Joe and when she heard his voice on the other end she felt dizzy Joe maintained he'd been in the car accident in
Barcelona but he didn't die he even called Tonya via webcam to show off his bruises eleven days later he appeared at
her doorstep fully recovered before Tonya's family could question him about the legitimacy of his unbelievable story
Joe was asking them for their blessing to marry Tonya Tonya was happy to have Joe back and didn't allow herself to
question him if she had she would have easily picked apart all the obvious holes in his story and discovered it was
entirely made up it was all a lie his mother's heart attack the trip to Barcelona and the car accident
tanya was just happy to have Joe back but Joe learned a valuable lesson Tonya couldn't live without him it was
late 2004 at a pre-christmas barbecue where Steve Deacon was first introduced to his sister's new beau Joe Corp when
he found out job is married Steve was both shocked and disappointed in his sister after all the scumbags she dated
she'd managed to hook yet another one Steve was not shy about his disapproval of their relationship
he felt Joe gave off bad vibes but Tonya was quick to defend their relationship explaining Joe's wife was a [ __ ] and
Joe had had enough of her Steve told police that on the morning Maria disappeared February 9 sometime
before 9 a.m. Tonya surprised him by turning up to his workplace a motorcycle shop located on
Elizabeth Street in Melbourne City she was dressed in workout gear a hoodie leggings and runners she was red in the
face sweaty and flustered Tonya told Steve that she'd been at a job interview in Camberwell and
afterwards decided to go for a run into the city she asked if he could give her a lift back home to Greenville Tonya had
been a fit athlete her entire life she even once participated in marathon training so it wasn't unusual for her to
run the ten kilometers from Camberwell win to Melbourne nevertheless Steve felt she was lying to him
Steve Dagon wasn't the only person to come forward to police with information on Tonya Herrmann after Maria had been
found at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday February 15 a school friend of Taylor Tanya Herman's daughter gave her own startling
revelations she recalled a conversation she had with Taylor days after Maria had
disappeared eight-year-old Taylor was sitting amongst a group of friends under a secluded tree in the schoolyard
for almost a year she had been an invisible victim of the drama surrounding her mother's love life
Saylor knew all too well about Maria she was the nasty woman keeping Joe from being a part of her
family but tailing knew even more than that she had a secret beneath the shade of the tree surrounded by her chatty
friends she blurted out that she knew who strangled Maria the girls fell silent Taylor explained it was her mum that did
it because Joe told her to and that she had left a lot of blood in the garage she added her mother was going to bury
Maria at the Greenville Reservoir Park but didn't the group of young schoolgirls were shocked Tyler told her
friends to promise not to tell anyone about what she said as she didn't want her mom to go to jail when asked what
she didn't tell an adult straight away Taylor's friend told police she was afraid Tania was going to get her but
afterwards much like Taylor she couldn't carry the burden of the secret any longer and fessed up to her mum
there was an intriguing story Todd with certainty and purpose by a little girl who didn't appear to be alone but
Maria's story had been plastered all over the news including the key fact she had been strangled
there was the talk of Melbourne perhaps the girl was making up an elaborate tall
tale stitched together by facts she'd heard from various sources when police laid a question to Taylor
about the story she denied it with all the incriminating statements piling up around her
there was no wild stretch for police to assume tenure Herrmann had a part to play in what happened to Maria but
police were not so quick to assume she acted alone life had been rough for tanga since
Maria had been found the media named her as Joe's mistress and the body in the boots story was at the forefront of
every news publication flocks of reporters have her front door surrounded keeping Tanya from leaving her house
counselors who she permitted to visit described a highly anxious and emotional woman the love of her life was no longer
answering her calls or responding to her messages worse still was these comments
to the media in which he absolutely maintained his deep undying love for Maria Tonya felt abandoned sending Joe
angry message after message expressing her devastation at his betrayal but she still maintained her
love for him the media attention had woven tied around to Joe too but he came out looking better than Tonya his
willingness to brave the cameras and answer questions allowed him to portray an image of himself to the public that
was favorable he was the concerned husband loyal to his wife dealing with an unstable and infatuated lover his
cooperation with police was long gone though police were steadfast and kept the restraining order in place meaning
he still couldn't visit Maria in hospital whatever information the police needed from him would have to be dug up
elsewhere at 10:00 a.m. on February 16 Tania's brother Steve visited her Tanya looked
ragged the bright spark of love and romance that had her bouncing off the walls months earlier had dimmed and what
remained was a defeated heartbroken woman they talked over coffee Steve felt his sister had suicide on her mind she
wasn't coping well under the intense police and media pressure she had become a prisoner in her own home she
constantly worried about her parents and her daughters Tanya's eldest teenage daughter lived with her father
it was eight-year-old Taylor who was her main concern paranoid Tanya believed that the police had
bugged her home with listening devices Steve reassured her they hadn't Steve didn't visit that day for just a coffee
and ketchup he was fed up and he was looking for the truth he knew if Tanya did have something to do with what
happened to Maria then without a doubt Joe Corp had some sort of involvement - Steven said I know what you've done what
did he do Tanya replied he organized the whole thing her back and forth followed
Steven ask Tanya questions about what Joe had done trying to get more detailed information
Tanya replied in short vague answers brainwashing she said that's what he's done to me
he's brainwashed my head Tanya discussed the shameful ways in which her and Maria
competed for Joe's affection how Maria sensing she was losing him began to dress similar to Tanya and was growing
her hair and dyeing a blonde in an attempt to be more like her more like the woman Joe wanted Maria was also
participating with Joe's sexual fantasies despite her own discomfort about the whole scene in a desperate
attempt to win him back Tania asked her brother well what do I do what would you do
Steve remained supportive and encouraged the sister to go to the police until the
truth Tania considered that option she wanted to do the right thing that was conflicted she didn't want to be the
embarrassment of her family or for her daughter to be ridiculed and she didn't want to go to prison
Steve assured his sister that he would support her no matter what you've got to give this guy up
you really have to he told her a short time later Steve left leaving Tania to chew over the thousands of thoughts
circling her head Tania had no idea she was right her entire conversation was being recorded by police through a
listening device but it wasn't where she had originally suspected it was concealed underneath her brother's shirt
after encouragement from detectives Steve made the difficult decision to wear a wire during the conversation with
his sister in the hope she'd revealed the truth that had worked someone Tania was elusive and nonspecific but she made
it clear that Joe had done something the details of which we're about to emerge that afternoon police arrested Tonya for
the attempted murder of Maria Korg as she was being driven to the police station
Tonya surprised everyone when she broke down into a long emotional breathless confession of what exactly happened to
leading up to and on the morning of February 9 2005 it was early February when Jo pitched the idea of murdering
his wife it wasn't the first time he had broached the topic with tenure did fairness I asked about it before
thinking up ideal ways to successfully carry it out but in those previous times Tonya believed it was just all talk this
was the first time she felt he was serious jo was adamant the only way they could
be together was if they got rid of Maria Jo had a plan Tonya would strangle Maria
to death in the garage of the core poem Joe couldn't do it as it would be the number one suspect
so instead he'd go to work to create an alibi even if the police did suspect him
he'd have a concrete proof he couldn't possibly have done it Tonya doubted her ability to get away with murder but Joe
assured her he was looking out for her she'd wear a pair of his shoes and gloves during the attack so she wouldn't
leave behind any forensic evidence Tonya Herrmann quote he was so convincing about how it would be done
that I never for one minute thought would be caught over the following weeks Joe put the wheels in motion intricately
planning the murder of his wife it all came to a head at a meeting between the pair at around 7:15 p.m. the night
before sitting together in Tonya's car at a service station across the road from where Joe worked Tonya record
feeling white headed and breathless as Joe went over his method of how she would kill Maria reluctant Tonya told
Joe she couldn't go through with it how much do you love me he asked Tonya answered you know how much there's no
way out of this joe said you have to get rid of her for me at 5:20 a.m. on the morning of February 9 Joe's car pulled
up in front of 10 years house Tonya put on dark leggings under hoody she pulled her hair back tight when Joe entered the
house he kissed her you know what I want you to do he told her I want her strangled and dead she's not to come out
of the garage alive her bag held tengas tools a swimming cap to keep her hair from being left at the scene a pair of
gloves to avoid fingerprints a balaclava so witnesses couldn't identify her and have made a long thick carry bag strap
her murder weapon on the short drive to the courthouse Tonya internally considered the
situation in which she had found herself Joe had set up the perfect crime for him they had completely distanced
himself from what was about to occur if Tonya were to get caught there would be no proof he was involved only her a
prickly sense of doubt lingered in the back of her anxious Morand she expressed this worry to Joe he immediately
dismissed her telling her not to worry and that everything would be fine for the first time in their relationship
Tonya took a long hard look at Joe Corp he was a man willing to go to the deadliest lengths to get his own way
kill any woman who became a problem she quickly swallowed her concerns the only way she could get through this now
was to trust the man she loved and hope he had our best interests at heart around 5:50 a.m. Tania Herrmann wearing
a balaclava dark clothing and Joe shoes crouched in the dim corner of the cork family garage clutching a bag strapped
tightly in her clothed hands 15 minutes later Joe who had gone inside to prepare for work reappeared before he
got into his car to leave for work he embraced Tania in what felt like a final goodbye she was stiff and trembling I
love you he told her you don't know how much I love you how much do you love me are you going to show me today I don't
want her out of this garage unless she's dead you've got to do this for me at 6:30 a.m. maria rented the garage and
headed towards her car without any sense of danger as she opened at the driver side door Tania lurched out from the
shadows and threw her arms over Maria's head using all her strength she pulled the strap tight against Maria's neck and
jerked the far smaller and lighter older woman's back into her broad chest Maria managed to slip her hands between
the strap and her neck giving herself a brief reprieve and a desperately needed inhale of air she twisted herself around
until she was facing her masked attacker using her free hand she grasped the balaclava that covered tenures face and
pulled it away in the heat of the life-and-death battle Tania and Maria laid eyes on each other it was the first
time they had met Maria screamed out her daughter's name several times for help in a morbid twist Laura had woken to the
sound of her mother's screaming the garage was located underneath the master bedroom where Laura had incorrectly
thought the screams had come from she'd gotten out of bed to investigate but didn't check the garage
assuming she must have dreamt what she heard Laura went back to bed and fell asleep 10 his adrenaline picked up once
the fear settled in that she might be caught the two women fell against Laura's car and then down to the
concrete floor Maria hit the concrete face-first blood poured from her nose and mouth as she continued to fight for
her life Tanya climbed on to Maria's back pulling the strap tighter and tighter until
finally she stopped struggling and her body went limp Tanya believed with utmost certainty
that she had just killed Maria Cork she placed her unmoving body into the trunk of her own car with tenure at the wheel
she recalled Joe's instructions to dump Maria's car as far away from the house as possible but he'd never specified a
location Tanya's memory of the drive was cloudy shock had well and truly set in she couldn't record the exact route she
took but did recall one startling memory the stomach-turning sound of Maria stirring and gasping for air in the boot
upon realizing that Maria was not dead Tanya drove on in a nervous panic weaving hastily through the
early-morning work traffic with no end in sight for over an hour she sped around to melbourne before winding up in
South Yarra she dumped the car in the quiet Dallas Brooks Drive by now Maria had
stopped stirring and Tania could only hope she was finally dead before abandoning the car
Tania removed anything from the vehicle that could be used to identify Maria she
emptied Maria's handbag on the passenger seat and took Maria's mobile phone wallet and some exercise books climbing
out of the car Tania removed her swimming cap and gloves and sprinted towards Melbourne City whilst crossing
Prince's bridge over the Yarra River Maria's mobile phone started ringing in a panic Tanya tossed it over the bridge
into the river a short time later tanya reached the motorcycle shop her brother worked out
on Elizabeth Street where she asked for a lift back home after her brother dropped her off tanya cleaned herself up
and rushed Taylor to school arriving late at 10 a.m. haunted by the prospect that Maria wasn't dead Tanya called Joe
at work and asked the same Joe was reluctant but agreed tanya took him a sandwich and expressed their concerns
about Maria still being alive Joe reassured her but was angry to find out that Maria had bled on the garage
floor joe warded tenure to burn the evidence of the crime the bag strap Maria's wallet into the balaclava later
Tonya drove to Lake epilogue an old made-up point for her and Joe at the start of their affair it was there she
set fire to the evidence of her crime using bleach Joe cleaned up Maria's blood on the garage floor the following
day he gave tenure a bag of items he demanded she discard for him it included the cleaning materials he used to remove
the blood the pair of Maria's diamond earrings and his running shoes Tony Award during the murder which had
bloodstains on them Tanya buried the bag in an isolated area within greenville reservoir after answering 719 questions
over four hours Tanya Herman's a massive confession was over teams of crime-scene investigators
swarmed like at block and Greenville reservoir in search of the evidence claim to a stashed at each location in a
pall of char - at the lake bed they found the only thing that survived the flames the metallic pieces from the bag
strap at Greenville reservoir they dug up the plastic bag containing Joe's blood-stained runners a red scrubbing
brush and a pair of diamond stud earrings a crime scene was established at the court residence chemical luminol
was sprayed over the concrete floor in the garage under the cover of darkness as slowly illuminated patches of blood
that were no longer visible to the naked eye surveillance camera footage was collected from sources all throughout
Melbourne CBD showing Tanya driving Maria's car on the morning of February 9 2005
Maria's mobile phone that Tonya claimed to have thrown into the Yarra River after the attack was never recovered nor
was her wedding ring or necklace joke or was the rest that the day of Tonya's confession he was charged with
conspiracy to commit an indictable offense intentionally causing serious injury attempted murder
as well as four counts of theft the theft charges were unrelated to the attack on Maria in the blue striped
plastic bag Joe had thrown in the bin after his first formal police interview was a collection of seemingly
unimportant photographs of computers the computers were later found at Joe's home
their serial numbers revealed that were actually stolen property from his employer at the tire factory in total
Joe Corp had stolen up to ten thousand dollars worth of equipment and stationery from his workplace the thefts
had always been a mystery is there had been no sign of forced entry into the factory suspecting it might be an inside
job all managerial staff were forced to turn in their green colored master security key however Joe pocketed one to
continue his crime spree it was later found in the pocket of the khaki shorts Joe was seeing rummaging through during
the police search of his home a police member confiscated the key and at the time didn't understand why it was so
important to Joe Joe's 150 thousand dollar bail surety was covered by putting up his parents home
the restraining order still remained in place protecting Maria but now Joe was also banned from contacting his
stepdaughter Laura as well as his son Damien almost four months later on June 28 2005
Maria was still fighting for life in the Alfred hospital when Tonya Herrmann fronted the Supreme Court of Victoria
and pled guilty to attempted murder the guilty plea along with the pledge to testify against Joe Corp in his trial
dropped two of her charges one for conspiracy to murder and another for intentionally causing serious injury
her lawyers tried to answer the incredibly complicated question as to why Tonya Herrmann went along with Joe
courts murder plot months of joe grooming Tonya into hiding Maria had worked in his favor
Tonya fully perceived Maria as some sort of villain in her fairy tale romance and
when Joe offered his princess the opportunity to get rid of the villain of course she agreed in hindsight
Tonya was embarrassed by her naivety and now saw Joe for what he really was a predator Tonya Herrmann quote on 100%
sure that Joe concocted our relationship and befriended Ben for the sole purpose
of helping him get rid of his wife from his life others believed Jo's intentions went
further than that perhaps as he had done so with others in the past he had grown
bored of Tanya too he had always lusted after thrilling new romances but she was
looking forward to settling him down into another marriage many feldjoe wanted both of them out of the picture
with Maria dead and Tanya in prison Joe would be a free man to pursue his next paramedic conquest a psychologist who
treated Tanya concluded she was not psychopathic and did have a conscience once free from Joe's control deceit
dishonesty lies and hollow promises she felt a strong sadness and hold deep regret for what she had allowed herself
to be coerced to do it was widely accepted that if Tanya Herman had never met Joe Corp she would never have tried
to commit murder due to her cooperation with authorities her guilty plea no prior convictions and indications of
genuine remorse Tonya Herrmann was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine years the
judge assess her prospect of rehabilitation as excellent [Music] as Joe Corp had Clent not guilty to all
charges a committal hearing was hold in August to determine if there was enough evidence to send him to trial one of the
witnesses were Steve Dagon tenures brother he revealed towards the end of December 2004 he was at his sister's
place watching an episode of the crime drama CSI with Joe and Tanya that led to what initially seemed like a light
insincere conversation on what would be the best way to get away with murder Steve came up with the idea of
strangulation with piano wire but then said a more practical item would be a belt Steve felt uneasy when Tonya
mentioned offhandedly that she and Joe wanted to kill Maria afterwards Steve warned to Tonya to let Joe go but
she didn't the topic of murder arose again after New Year's Tonya mentioned her and Joe had crushed up 24 sleeping
tablets and discreetly given them to Maria but it only made her drowsy Steve was shocked at how frequently the pair
discussed motor and the way Tonya readily agreed with absolutely anything joe said no matter how disturbing but
steve couldn't take their murderous admission seriously their casual impassiveness and the lack of concern
convinced him they were just joking the witness whom everyone was waiting in anticipation to see appeared on day two
of the committal hearing Tonya Herrmann entered the overcrowded courthouse and marched with intent into the witness box
eager and excited reporters and journalists were pouring out the doors jotting down notes on her every
expression the only person who wasn't transfixed on her was Joe he didn't acknowledge her his focus was on his
hands turning his wedding ring around his finger questioning led tenure back through the events of February 9 the aim
of Joe's defense team was to prove Tonya acted alone labeling her a jilted mistress who
killed today with a man she loved they bolstered their theory by referring to Maria's wedding ring and necklace
which had never been found the defense insisted Tonya had stolen the jewelry as a vengeful and symbolic
souvenir of her crime of passion acclaimed Tanya coolly denied the authenticity of
Tanya's character was called into question in regards to her having heard Maria stirring in the boot after the
attack if Tanya truly felt guilty for her actions she would have pulled out at that moment released Maria and called
emergency services instead she drove around for an hour looking for the perfect place to hide Maria where she
wouldn't be easily found at the end of the committal hearing who was determined is that there was enough evidence for
Joe cork to face trial his bail was continued sensing her mother didn't have long to go Laura applied to have Maria's
will remade Maria's will named Joe Corp her beneficiary and executor of her estate he stood to collect her half of
the family home $100,000 from her life-insurance policy and to two hundred and thirty two thousand dollars in
superannuation savings Laura fronted court asking for Joe cork to be disinherited from Maria's will the court
granted her application Joe cork would receive nothing as those responsible for her injuries were being brought to
justice Maria continued to lay in an unresponsive state in the general medical ward of the Alfred hospital she
was no longer in a medically induced coma but still remained unconscious specialists performed an
electroencephalogram a test used to record electrical activity in the brain positron emission tomography was also
conducted to observe her metabolic processes the results of both tests were discouraging Maria's brainwaves were
very low in amplitude and her brain activity was lower than a patient under a deep anaesthetic her body reacted to
painful stimulus but this was due to a spinal reflex not the result of brain activity she showed no evidence of
visual fixation or tracking no blink response to threat she did not follow commands or make a comprehensible speech
her nourishment came from a tube that saved liquid nutrition directly into her stomach muscles were withering Judit
inactivity heart attack and infection could cause death at any moment a precious aura the base of a spine
refused to heal specialists concluded Maria Corp had no meaningful sense of the world and was in a vegetative state
her body was deteriorating by the day the likelihood of recovery was considered exceedingly small Maria's
situation was compounded by the fact she had no legal guardian the person who'd usually be responsible for the role was
Joe but being a suspect in her attempted murder entered the restraining order meant he couldn't fulfill the duty
Maria's thought of Laura was also not eligible for the role for three months Maria had no guardian as her body showed
no signs of improvement difficult decisions needed to be made the Alfred Hospital applied to the Victorian Civil
and Administrative Tribunal to have an independent public advocate take the role as Maria's medical guardian a
guardianship hearing was held in which a judge tasked the job to Public Advocate
Julian Gardner Julian went to great lengths to determine what would be the outcome of
Maria's faith he quizzed doctors specialists physicians neurologists and palliative care specialists who all gave
their opinions on Maria's health he spoke with her family friends colleagues and even her priest yet Maria had never
discussed her personal views on the controversial topic of euthanasia with anyone or whether in the most dire
circumstances she would choose to sustain her life or end it Julian read Maria's personal Diaries in an effort to
gauge the kind of person Maria was under the reasoning behind her thoughts and decisions what he gained was a great
sense of injustice Maria did not deserve her fate Maria was a personable and warm
woman who prioritize being a mother above all else she loved her children and had never wanted to leave them
ongoing public interest in Maria's plight brought with it a highly emotional ethical debate about her
future some believed a bureaucrat did not have the right to play God and determine the fate of a woman he had
never met others saw prolonging her life through medical intervention as unnatural they didn't want to prolong
Maria's suffering others were more hopeful and wanted to believe she could still one day wake up Joe Corp was vocal
in his opinion on the matter he stated voluntary death was against Maria's religious beliefs and she would
never agree to it although his agenda was questionable if Maria died he would be facing a murder charge
Julian Gartner spoke with two Catholic ethicists on the matter who both formed the view that within the principles and
policies of the Catholic Church that was appropriate to permit Maria to die after
deep consideration and soul-searching Julian came to a decision after multiple medical assessments which determined
that palliative care was futile and she had no prospects of recovery Julian sat at Maria's bedside and told her I'm
sorry Maria but there's nothing more we can do for you Julian Gardner authorized
the medical staff to stop administering Maria's food and water with his decision
came another wave of strong public opinion both in favor and against his choice anti euthanasia campaign has held
peaceful protests outside of the hospital criticizing a decision they considered inhumane they called Julian
the public executioner members of Maria's family in Portugal were also against the decision they refused to
believe Maria was dying and held out hope for her recovery Maria's daughter Laura indicated she did
not oppose the decision most others close to Maria kept their opinion on the sensitive matter private Julie and
Gartner received hundreds of letters from the public the claim to the supportive letters outweighed the
unsupportive despite the debate of whether the decision was right or wrong Maria's fate was set to Lynne Gardner
explained his decision in an interview with the ABC quote I do believe in this case that we did protect somebody with a
disability because we were able to stand aside and not have a conflict of interest not be overborne by emotions or
some of these very virulent comments that were made that might in the end push our decision-making into a
situation where you looked after your own skin rather than hers it would have been far easier for me to
simply keep her alive but I'm not here to make decisions in my best interests I'm here to make a decision in hers as
Maria Corpse guardian Julian Gardner had one final decision to make on her behalf
whether or not to permit Joe Corp from seeing her one last time to say goodbye Julian Gardner also told the ABC quote
that was a decision that I had to make in the best interests of Maria and in making that decision it was important to
try and understand what she might have wanted and I had evidence to indicate that she wanted to try and keep the
marriage together I had evidence that she was a strong Catholic and therefore I had assumptions that I drew from that
that compassion and forgiveness would be part of her thinking and also I had to take into account that there's a
presumption of innocence and if I thought it was in her best interests for other members of the family to visit it
was difficult to say why for all of these factors I should exclude him it wasn't technically a difficult
decision but it was nonetheless as a human being as an emotional situation a very difficult decision on the day her
feeding tubes were removed Joe cork was permitted a 30-minute visit to his dying
wife under police supervision after kissing her forehead Joe rubbed the backs of Maria's hands
whispering a prayer between tears it will never be known if Joe's initial opinion on keeping Maria alive was for
altruistic or selfish reasons but after this visit he revealed he had come to support the decision to end Maria's life
in the early hours of August 5th 2005 maria corp died peacefully in her sleep on august 12 her funeral was held for
Maria with more than 250 of her close friends and family in attendance a farewell letter written by her son was
read out during the service damien wrote of how he loved his mother's soft cuddles her cooking the way she helped
him with his homework but more than anything he loved the way she loved him this sentiment was shared
by his sister Laura who thanked her mother for making her who she was and for teaching her how to stand on her own
in the world Damien and Laura released four white doves at the end of the service
there was one notable absence Joe cork was not permitted to attend the funeral as his bail conditions being him from
being near Laura and Damien instead he watched news coverage of it on the television just after 10 p.m. that same
night a police car sped towards the court family house in Mechelen after several urgent emergency calls had
reached them gust Corp Joe corks brother was waiting for them at the front gate he directed police towards the large
work shed at the rear of the property the windows were blacked out and no one knew for certain what was going on
inside one of the officers banked the door and called out Joe can you hear me well they could hear coming from inside
was the pitched ringtone of Joe's mobile phone going unanswered [Music] once police gained access to the garage
they were confronted by a chilling sight hanging three centimeters above the floor and in front of a messy cluttered
shrine consisting of Collingwood Magpies memorabilia photographs of Maria court suicide notes and empty beer cans was
Joe corks body a thin nylon rope tied around his neck at 10:28 p.m. Joe cork was pronounced Abed
even in death Joe left police perplexed and scratching their heads for those at the scene there was a debate as to
whether Joe had genuinely intended to take his own life or if he had staged the entire scene as an elaborate cry for
help but never originally intended to go through with the act and it was all an accident it was difficult to determine
the intentions of a man who was a master manipulator as in life Joe Corp died carrying many secrets On
February 14th 2014 nine years and four days after she was jailed for the attempted murder of Maria Corp Tonya
Herrmann was released from minimum security prison during the final months of her life Maria Corp wrote a candid
letter to her husband Joe detailing a battle between two women in which the emerging Victor was the men who
controlled them both she titled the letter Tonya versus Maria part of which read Joe I've made my mind up about the
marriage I've tried everything to get you back but unfortunately you refused my help this week you nailed the last
nail in the coffin I've been very patient with you but tenure is your love Joe you're not the
man I married and I can't understand how far you went all I can see is what you have done to us is something I will
never understand as long as I live my heart is crushed and bleeding I don't know how I'm going to cope because I'm
back where I was seventeen years ago but remember I will always love you until I
die [Music] you [Music]

Case 82: Maria Korp

Maria prioritised her role as a mother above all else. She’d drop whatever she was doing, no matter how important, to ensure she reached her son on time.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

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RESOURCES

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Brief Summary

Maria Cork's disappearance leads to a shocking murder plot involving her husband Joe and his mistress Tanya Herrmann.

Key points

Maria's Disappearance. Maria Cork goes missing after failing to pick up her son from school, raising alarms.
Joe's Alibi. Joe Cork reports his wife missing, revealing marital issues but maintaining a solid alibi.
Joe's Infidelity. Joe's online dating and affairs come to light, raising suspicions.
Maria's Diary Entry. Maria's emotional struggles are revealed through her candid diary entries.
Suspicious Behavior. Joe's actions raise red flags during police investigations.
Tanya's Relationship with Joe. Tanya reveals her deep feelings for Joe despite his claims of no longer being interested.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Where's Maria?

The lingering question as concern grows for Maria's whereabouts.

5:20WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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