A mysterious vanishing during a night out in Croatia | Forensic Files

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January 31 2009 teen [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website as her 21st birthday approached in 2008
Britt Catherine mail app Thorne asked her parents for just one present the biggest two troubled backpacks she could
carry Britt was planning a solo backpacking trip through Europe for the middle of the year taking the time off
to explore the world do a little soul-searching and find inspiration for her future career the RMIT University
student had been working hard at completing her international business degree that was looking forward to
spending some time away from the books after deferring a semester of her studies Britt was scheduled to fly out
of her home city of Melbourne Victoria in late June 2008 embarking on a four-month
solo backpacking track that would take her through multiple countries before returning home to Australia in
mid-october it came is absolutely no surprise to those who knew great luck thorne that she had itchy feet and was
seeking overseas adventure her passport read like an explorer's autobiography each stamp representing a wealth of
stories and experiences she had earned around the world when Britt was 8 years old her family
lived in China and by age 10 Britt was bartering with locals in Beijing's markets when she was 12 she was
navigating the ancient roads of use Becca stone by her early 20s Britt lap thorn had stepped foot on almost every
continent on the planet having traveled more in her twenty years than most would
in a lifetime she made it her mission to visit a new overseas destination every year
despite her wanderlust and thirst for adventure Britt loved coming back home to Australia she lived with her parents
Dale and Elka in the Victorian suburb of Eden Park a picturesque semi-rural Township 45 kilometers north of
Melbourne City at the end of each one of her trips Britt would collide all the knickknacks and photographs she had
collected along the way and display them on a pin board in her bedroom the board
was covered with photos of Britt with friends and two landmarks and with badges tickets pins lanyards and key
rings each item no matter how ordinary to others was a treasure Britt cherished when she was home Britt preferred a
low-key relaxed lifestyle she relished kicking her shoes off and getting into her comfiest old dressing-gown and
slippers settling in for a night on the couch watching television with her mom the mother and daughter bonded over
their passion for music and books and have loved indulging their shared sweet tooth together - Britt family was the
most important thing it was the foundation of her life she looked forward to family gatherings where she
took great pleasure in setting the dining table with the Lapp thorns best crockery glassware and candles Christmas
was her favorite holiday and her family celebrated inline with the traditions of
her mother's German heritage on Christmas Eve the luck thorns would share a delicious dinner and exchange
presents their after dessert was Britt's favorite cause she especially loved the
rich cheese cakes with berries the more decadent the better that's homeboy throughout her childhood
Britt grew up playing with her older brother Darrin and his friends she'd ride as a passenger on Darrin's pay way
bike an oversized helmet balanced on her head and two gum boots hanging off her feet
as Britain today lessons she became more interested in the typical teenage girl fascinations clothes makeup and perfume
but on breed got her driver's license her parents hardly saw her as she was always often her own independent
adventures in the family's old Sarkar despite trusting their daughter wholeheartedly Dale and oka would lay
awake at night until they heard the sob coming down the driveway finding peace only when they knew their daughter was
home safe Britt was an intelligent friendly and a loving young woman and it was her spark for life that charm thoth
boyfriend saw a minim burger he fully supported his girlfriend's free spirit referring to her or his trip thorn after
her love for travel as the departure date for bris European backpacking adventure approached she spent night
after night on her computer researching all the places she wanted to visit although she had a general idea of her
artillery she wanted the finer details to be spontaneous and unpredictable she planned to keep friends and family back
home updated through her Facebook page which she used as a travel log and virtual gallery littered with status
updates quirky stories and candid photos of her life abroad as such aside from her passport her most valued travel
companion was her Canon Powershot g9 camera although they would miss their daughter as she jets at it across the
globe Brits parents were proud of the head strong independent ambitious woman their little girl had grown up to be
Dale and Elka looked forward to reuniting with their daughter in Paris to celebrate her 21st birthday the month
after her departure before Brit headed off Dale and Elka presented her with an early birthday present it was the one
thing she had been asking them for and I leave in two black coloured black wolf brand backpack
the biggest one she could carry [Music] in late June 2008 equipped with her trusty camera brand-new backpack and
$5,000 in spending money Brit luck thorn departed Melbourne for Europe she arrived in Dortmund Germany in
industrial yet cosmopolitan city in the country's Northwest where her 25 year old brother Darrin was living at the
time Darrin was a professional cyclist who had been recruited by a German team after winning the 2007 Australian Road
Race championships the tulip thorn siblings had always been close Britt followed in her brother's footsteps they
both attended kilmore International School in their teens and later were both accepted into RMIT University in
Melbourne to study business the motivation and commitment his youngest sister showed towards her studies was
something Darrin greatly admired while his textbooks remained unopened until the evening before an exam Brits were
well worn bent and dogged from constant use she spoke of one day opening a spar business with several other friends but
hadn't yet decided what she wanted to do after graduating from University no matter what career path Britt decided to
follow Darrin had no doubt his sister was going to be incredibly successful boy early July Britt travelled to Paris
where she met up with her parents who had journeyed over to celebrate her upcoming 21st birthday
the family spent the lead-up to Britt's birthday experiencing the City of Lights
walking the beautiful streets and marveling over the striking Parisian architecture and history
Britt and Elka were left to explore the luge museum together walking arm-in-arm through the Grand Gallery admiring the
famous work of the great artists upon observing the Mona Lisa they pinched themselves with excitement Britt loved
films and was excited to see firsthand the masterpiece featured in the blockbuster movie The Da Vinci Code
the pair were sewing or of the sheer grandeur of the museum that they temporarily got lost in the seemingly
endless network of rooms and displays on July 13 the luck thorn celebrated Brits
21st birthday at a restaurant near the Arc de Triomphe a photograph captured Britain and doaker in a warm embrace at
an alfresco table their contentedness evident on their smiling faces the experience couldn't have been more
perfect they all described it as just happiness after Paris British courted her parents to Germany where the
close-knit family of four stayed in Darrin's small apartment with limited space they all slept on the couch whilst
Britain her mother lay head-to-toe in a single bed the pair found it rather humorous with Elka telling her daughter
quote this might sound corny Britt but this feels really special to feel your body next to mine cuz it may not happen
again by late July Dale and Elka lap thorn had farewell to their two children although it was only temporary as they'd
be saying Britt again in just a few months time when she returned home to Melbourne on October 15 by August Britt
solo backpacking journey had commenced and she made her way east to Poland it was easy for the friendly and
talkative Brit lap thorn to make friends on the road it was in Poland where she met a fellow was a backpacker named Tara
Reynolds and two the two enjoyed the sights together before Brit set out for her next destination the Czech Republic
Hungary and Austria followed soon after throughout her trip Brit kept friends and family in the loop of her travels by
periodically posting updates on her Facebook page although she had a mobile phone with her her social media site was
a much more affordable way to keep in touch on her tight budget Brits Facebook profile was littered with vibrant
photographs and excited status updates full of exclamation marks as she shared her travel plans and foreign experiences
dozens of photos captured the backpacker all smiles as she sampled new foods soaked up the views of sprawling cities
into partied with new friends she met along the way on September 5 Brit made the 300 kilometer journey south from
Vienna to Slovenia where she kayaked and swam in the pristine blue waters of Lake
Bled in the julian alps it was the highlight of her trip so far Brit logged into her Facebook account and posted a
status update there red Brit is in the best place she's seen in a while on September 9 after lapping up a couple
more days in Slovenia Brit made her way east to the Croatian capital of Zagreb a
bustling city celebrated for its 18th and 19th century austro-hungarian architecture on September 11 she cut
across the border into Sarajevo Bosnia where she sent her boyfriend a summoning burger a message to let him know she had
arrived safely Hey just arrived in Sarajevo so tired took so long to get here on a dodgy scary train but it was
really ok just glad I made it during a long bus ride from Sarajevo to the scenic Bosnian city of Moscow Britt
met a fellow young female backpacker who shared her sense of adventure a Canadian
named Chris Noseworthy the two immediately hit it off and were thrilled to discover they were booked into the
same hostel in Moscow becoming instant travel buddies Kris and Britt explored mostar's medieval streets together and
after sampling some exotic local cuisine Britt logged into Facebook and posted drinking yummy coffee and a never eating
brains again she loved at the ancient city his location on the Neretva River and its
iconic 16th century bridge providing a fairytale like atmosphere in an online message to a uni friend back home Britt
described Moscow as one of the best places she had ever visited she expressed her wish to stay in Moscow for
a few more ways but had to keep moving as southern Italy beckoned her it was whilst in Moscow that Britt met Brad a
fellow traveler from her home city of Melbourne as the pair exchanged travel stories and upcoming plans Britt
mentioned that the Croatian coast was her next destination having made the coastal trip before Brad
warned Britt that his experience hadn't been entirely positive he had found of the locals to be quite unwelcoming and
inhospitable and had also heard some horror stories from other travelers about their time there one young woman
who ventured to a Croatian island had apparently woken up in a stranger's car with absolutely no recollection of how
she had gotten there Britt took Brad's warning seriously though she wasn't deterred by them having travelled
constantly throughout her life Britt was not unfamiliar with the dangers presented to solo female travelers in
foreign lands she taught Brad about one of her own unnerving experiences during a train
ride through the Balkans strangers kept coming into her carriage making her feel
unsafe Brad could tell Britt was a smart switched-on traveler and he was confident the girl could hold her own on
September 15 Britt ventured out on a hot rainy day trip to Croatia's Dalmatian coast a picturesque and narrow shoreline
framing the Adriatic Sea after yet another unforgettable day britt posted a status update on Facebook which read
Britt had the best day jumping off cliffs into water swimming under waterfalls and getting soaked in the
rain upon learning from a friend that the croatian coast was an ideal gateway to southern italy britt made the
croatian seaside city of Dubrovnik her next destination her new friend and travel buddy
Canadian backpacker Chris Noseworthy also had the location on her itinerary as she looked forward to scuba diving in
the clear and tranquil waters of the Adriatic Sea the pair decided to travel together and were joined by Dominic
dubrovensky a Polish American backpacker they had met at their hostel in Moscow on the morning of September 16 has Britt
lap Thorne's friends and family you logged into their Facebook accounts they were greeted with a status update from
the traveler revealing her next destination note read off to Dubrovnik Croatia located on the southern coast of Croatia
lost the port city of Dubrovnik a stunning medieval town nicknamed the pearl of the Adriatic the city has
earned a status as a UNESCO World Heritage listed site for its perfectly preserved Renaissance architecture which
includes a centuries old stone wall encircling the broth neck central hub that is withstood foreign Empire's
earthquakes and invaders there are only two entrances into the walled city leading into a dense maze of cobblestone
streets lined with a myriad of shops restaurants and bars although it's a relatively small quiet city with a
population of just over 40,000 Dubrovnik has become Croatia's most visited city the local economy depends heavily on the
millions of tourists who visit throughout the year drawn to the pristine blue waters of the Adriatic Sea
picturesque old town and surrounding rugged limestone mountains despite being an expensive place to visit Dubrovnik
has become a popular hotspot for backpackers due to its reputation as a safe laid-back destination which
provides seafaring access to some of Europe's other standout coastal towns Brit lap thorn arrived to Dubrovnik
accompanied by her travel companions Chris Noseworthy and de domine dubrovsky the trio checked in to the
dubrovnik backpackers club a multi-story hostel perched on a hill in the newer part of the see the small yet vibrant
hostel was made up of three guest rooms containing two sets of bunk beds each and included all the quintessential
backpacker facilities like a communal kitchen and recreation room with internet access a projector screen and a
selection of David days the Dubrovnik backpackers Club was privately run by the local Perkovic family who lived
on-site in the ground-floor apartment to oversee the hostels daily operations as
Britt and her travel partners checked in London backpacker Gareth Hopkins arrived
at the hostel and struck a conversation with the group they all hit it off and two hours later the new
arrivals headed to the homicide where they enjoyed a seafood meal together at a restaurant before embracing
Dubrovnik's nightlife the following day September 17 2008 Britt chris dominic and gareth spent the day exploring
dubrovnik old quarter strolling through the narrow streets and hanging out at a cafe in one of the sunlit squares later
that day chris Noseworthy parted ways with the group to attend a scuba diving course on a nearby island but she and
Britt planned to meet up again in a few weeks time to continue their journey together to the Croatian city of split
where Britt had plans to take her transit ferry west to Italy Britt was in good spirits as the two said their
goodbyes excited about their upcoming adventures that evening while hanging out in the hostel Britt made a quick
Facebook post advising everyone back home that she had made it safely to Dubrovnik that night the Dubrovnik
backpackers Club was a hive of activity as guests crowded in the small kitchen space to cook and share dinner guests
were from a melting pot of nationalities and ranged in ages from 20 to 30 mostly solo travelers who intended to
stay in Dubrovnik for a short while before departing for their next destination in a day or two his time
after dinner the enthusiastic group had some drinks and hung out in the hostels recreation room at around midnight there
were no closer to settling down for the night and to their antics drew the attention of the hostel owners who
requested they keep the noise to a minimum still full of energy and wanting to socialize a suggestion was made for
the group to head out on the town they had heard the local hotspot for backpackers was a lively night club
called Club Fuego and although it was a Wednesday night the club was operating outside of its usual weekend hours to
cater to the busy tourist season the well-established and popular Latin themed a night club had been a
backpackers haunt since 2001 having earned a positive reputation for its professional staff and affordable
prices open from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. the club was the perfect place for late-night revelers Britt lap thorn
agreed to go check it out as did fellow Australians David Barbra lay Jason Levy and Olivia ham Brooke and
that the two men Britt had befriended over the previous days Dominic dubrovensky and gareth hopkins
they were also joined by Portuguese backpackers marina and Laura and a Gillian o al gusto after getting ready
the backpack is bought at a local bus to make the 3.8 kilometre journey to the nightclub at 12:30 8 a.m. they arrived
at club Fuego located near the main entrance of dubrovnik old town a stone's throw from the town's historic port
section the unassuming two-story building was marked by a large black sign depicting the figure of a dancing
female her pink dress billowing as she raised her arms in the air a banner painted across the front of the building
displayed the words Latino Club in bold yellow lettering and the mainstream dance music pumped from within club
Fuegos interior was dark with dim lighting throughout except for the bright neon lights flickering over the
massive dance floor there were crowds of people everywhere on both levels of the building with
around 200 other young club goers surrounding - 5 different bars milling around the standing tables and spilling
across the dance floor when Britt and her companions entered it wasn't long before they became separated through the
crowds the following morning of Thursday September 18 2008 a backpacker named in
Maria who was sharing a dorm room with Brit lap thorn at the Dubrovnik backpackers club hostel worked to find
at the Australian girls bed neat and unoccupied as though it hadn't been slept in overnight Maria had not
attended club Fuego with the rest of the group the night prior and assumed Brit must have had a big night and was still
out party despite Brett being the only club goer unaccounted for nothing about the behavior of the others in the hostel
indicated they were concerned about her absence therefore Maria didn't think there was
anything to worry about when nighttime descended Brit luck thorn had still not reappeared at the hostel and her
personal belongings including her 11 - black black wolf backpack remained untouched in her dorm room as the other
guests who had attended Clarke Wego in the early hours of September 18 pooled their recollections together they
determined that the last known sighting of Brit was inside the club at approximately 3:30 a.m. none of them had
seen Brit leave given Brits approachable and a talkative nature they considered the unnerving possibility that she might
have accepted a lift home from an ill intention to local or ran into danger while walking through the dark
unfamiliar streets alone when they tried calling Brits mobile phone it rang out and went unanswered and eventually it
stopped ringing him altogether the backpackers determined it was highly unlikely that Britt had moved on to her
next travel destination as her Australian passport was securely locked away in the hostel safe Libya ham Brooke
an Australian who had attended club Fuego became increasingly concerned when Brit still had not reappeared the
following day of Friday September 19 after a day out sightseeing Lydia returned to the hostel and noticed that
Brits belongings had been moved about relieved she assumed her friend had finally returned however she soon found
out Brits things had simply been shifted aside whilst the dorm room was being cleaned Brit lap Thorne's whereabouts
remained a mystery by the second night the backpackers discussed their next steps they each had plans to travel
onwards from Dubrovnik but it didn't feel right to just up and leave without knowing Brit was safe they decided to
inform the hostel owners of Britt's disappearance hoping they would know what to do when the Perkovic family were
informed that one of their guests had failed to return home two nights in a row they were immediately worried and
promised to keep an eye out for Brit at 2:00 a.m. hostel owner Milkha Perkovic a roast the
check if Brit was in her bed but it was still empty Milko expressed her increasing anxieties
about bread to her 33 year old son of itza he dismissed his mother's concerns telling her we will see in the morning
they just young crazy kids but the next morning there was still no sign of Brett
Chris Noseworthy Brits Canadian travel companion who was scheduled to meet up with Britt in a few weeks time logged
into her email account and was shocked to find an email from mutual travel friend Dominique de Brophy etske
notifying her that Britt hadn't returned to the hostel after an idea Dominic's email read she doesn't seem like the
kind of girl to just go home with some dude I'm really worried and desperately wracking my brains to see if I can
remember who she was with but so far no luck please get back to me Dominic's email triggered immediate alarm bells
for Chris she tried calling Brits mobile phone multiple times but it was switched off
so she proceeded to send private messages to Brits Facebook account desperately hoping for a response when
her messages remained unanswered her panicked Chris emailed Dominic looking for an update writing as she's
still not been found man I hope she's met back up with you guys by this point Dominic replied I'm crossing my fingers
that just some weird [ __ ] happened and she's okay I'll keep you updated concerned guests at the Dubrovnik
backpackers Club rifled through Britt's backpack looking for information to contact her family back in Australia
when they couldn't find anything they placed a phone call to the Australian Embassy in Croatia and explained the
situation an embassy official made numerous calls including to Dubrovnik law enforcement however local police
were hesitant to act as young tourists especially Australians were known to party hard in Dubrovnik they suspected
Britt was just another boozy backpacker on a bender who'd stumbled back to her still eventually nursing a hangover the
embassy official urged the Dubrovnik police to launch an inquiry into brittle up thorns disappearance but their
request was denied Brett laps thorns typically active Facebook feed had gone radio silent messages from friends
encouraging her to keep them in the loop of her plans when ignored back in Australia Brits boyfriend Simon in
burger had not heard from his travelin girlfriend so on September 21 Salman sent Brit a message which read
hey BAE hope dub down still rockin and to the bugs on his beak cape laugh and trip thorn Brits lack of contact had
been noticed by her parents as her regular calls home had also stopped the last time the luck thorns had spoken to
their daughter was a few days prior to her arrival in Dubrovnik when she phoned home to wish her father a happy birthday
they had teased her because the phone call was a day late but Britt had playfully brushed off their friendly
taunts saying mum I've been travelling on September 22 Elka laughs thorn wrote a message on her
daughter's Facebook page hoping to prompt a reply typing hybrid missing your travel log
meanwhile the luck thorns were completely unaware that their daughter had disappeared from a dubrovnik
nightclub days earlier it wasn't until September 24 when Brit lap thorn had been unaccounted for for a week that the
local Dubrovnik police were finally willing to formally consider her a missing person and initiate an
investigation they gave the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade permission to inform Brits family in Australia
distressed parents dial and alcala thorn were devastated that they hadn't been informed of their daughter's
disappearance sooner they all loved thorn quote I'm disappointed that the Australian Embassy knew about this on
September 19 and it took them until September 24 for us to be notified it's horrific
they were also shocked to learn that nothing had been done to find Brit during the first 72 hours of her
disappearance considered the most crucial time frame in solving a missing person case the odds of finding the
person safe and well dramatically decreased thereafter Dale and Elka feared their daughter had met with foul
play Britt was spontaneous and adventurous but also clever and self-aware far from the flaky naive
young traveler Dubrovnik police perceived her to be with Brits family now involved a missing person report was
issued by Victoria police and facts through to the Australian Federal Police have featured a picture of Brit lap
thorn her distinctive blonde bob haircut with a fringe framed her hazel eyes and
a trademark beaming smile the report described her as a white 21 year old female 152 centimeters tall weighing 47
kilograms with a light olive complexion and a start of nose piercing her last known whereabouts were listed as Club
Fuego in Dubrovnik with her attire described as summer clothing with black leggings
the report characterized bread as well-traveled worldly sensible friendly into talkative anyone with information
was urged to contact del collapse thorne or the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade in the dubrovnik backpackers club hostel brits cherished 21st birthday present her eleven green black wolf
backpack had been placed on a chair in the lobby alongside of ours of red and white roses left by well-wishers the
only items noted his missing were her wallet containing a small amount of cash and her beloved canon powershot g9
camera items it was believed she took with her to club Fuego her bank accounts passport and other travel documents had
not been accessed since her disappearance Tara Reynolds who had met Britt in Poland managed a website with
over 15,000 members dedicated to tracing the movements of global travelers upon learning of Britt's disappearance Tara
created an online group to help find Britt writing all we can do is spread awareness in the hope that someone
somewhere was around on that fateful night and may have seen her we are just hoping for clues and waiting for now I
miss Britt terribly especially since all my travel photos are constant reminders
of such a horrific thing to happen to such a beautiful soul it isn't me I worry about and so family I pray for her
safe return to them we are posting messages in Travel forums contacting hostels and doing everything we can on
the internet that we can possibly do the outrage for help in finding Britt like the one spread far beyond the stone
walls of dubrovnik Smiddy Havel City once the news that an Australian national was missing in a foreign
country made its way down under the Australian media rallied to raise awareness of the mounting search for
Britt dozens of Australian reporters and journalists arrived to Dubrovnik eager to cover the story there was a real-life
manifestation of fear straight out of popular Hollywood movies like austell and taken
in taken the protagonists daughter is abducted whilst traveling in France for the sole purpose of being sold on to the
sex trade mimicking a very real problem that plagued certain parts of the world the illegal trafficking of persons for
sex remains an ongoing issue in many South Eastern European countries including pro Asia as rumors circled
that Brit may have fallen prey to this fate Dale Luck thorn stated quite honestly that would be a good outcome
because I want my daughter back alive the overwhelming Australian media presence in the otherwise quiet and
sleepy coastal city rattled the local population Dubrovnik was well regarded for its low crime rate and serious
crimes were considered incredibly rare unlike other cities popular with budget backpackers that were often associated
with poverty and lawlessness Dubrovnik was a safe and affluent city protected and insulated within its defiant stone
walls the lap thorns believed the broth NYX low risk reputation may have caused bread to let her guard down and to
relinquish her usual cautious mindset while also being to blame for the hesitancy of the local police to take
her disappearance seriously Darren Locke thorne quote British street smart and a seasoned traveler but she
came to Dubrovnik really relaxed she was at the point where she might have been a
bit more complacent about meeting people and I think someone could have seen that
weakness the Dubrovnik police forces week long delay in launching an investigation was heavily criticised in
the Australian media as it was the presumption by local police the Brit was just a foreign party girl who would
reappear unharmed at any moment Brits friends and family were quick to dispute this interpretation of Brit claiming she
was far from the person police were painting her to be those closest to Brit described her as a conservative drinker
and although she enjoyed the occasional night out partying and socialising like most people in their 20s her main focus
was on experiencing all the world had to offer her days abroad were not spent in
hungover Hayes's but on energetic adventures as she covered large distances in short timeframes and soaked
up as many new experiences as she possibly could Brits thirst for travel was not fueled by alcohol and a tendency
for reckless behavior she wanted to learn more about the world its history and how people from different cultures
lived sedale his daughter's willingness to visit places like Auschwitz was evidence of her strength of character
and Demeter 'ti quote she wanted to understand suffering to see and really get a feeling for the places she was
going in Bosnia she said she wanted to understand what happened to there when Brits older brother Darren learned of
his sister's disappearance he rushed from Germany to Croatia arriving in Dubrovnik to aid in the search upon
arrival he was shocked to discover that local police still won't taking his sister's case seriously and
overall were uncooperative and reluctant to help police told Darren there has never been crime in Dubrovnik
and - there can never be crime in Dubrovnik when Darren enquired about the scope of their investigation police said
they had only managed to interview one backpacker who had been a guest at the Dubrovnik backpackers club at the same
time as Brit the other guests had since moved on to other countries and Dubrovnik police refused to track them
down telling Darren no was outside of their jurisdiction Darren asked to view the
CCTV footage recorded in the proximity of Club Fuego at the time brit was present there were seven security
cameras located throughout the two-story nightclub building including one in the
entry foyer and another directly above the dance floor police informed Darren that observing this footage would be
impossible as a mysterious electrical fault had occurred on September 18 rendering all the club's interior
cameras defective when Darren pressed the police for proof of this alleged blackout they changed their story and
instead claimed a wiring issue had interfered with the performance of the cameras according to police the
corrupted footage had been sent to a lab in an attempt to salvage it but efforts
were unsuccessful the vital images had been lost forever nevertheless the police assured Darren that they had
visited club Faygo and spoken to the club's bartenders and staff about group darn later visited club juego only to
discover that he had been misled as the nightclub staff revealed they hadn't been spoken to by anyone about his
sister's disappearance Darin questioned to the club employees himself but given the time that it since elapsed their
recollections of the early hours of September 18 were fake hindering their efforts was the fact that the club's
clientele were mostly young foreigners who didn't stay in Dubrovnik long which made remembering Britt from the hundreds
of indistinguishable ever-changing patrons incredibly difficult there were faint recollections of Britt being
served at the bar but no worthwhile information was given that hinted at her whereabouts one thing was certain if
Britt was involved in some kind of altercation or incident the staff would remember as such occurrences were
unusual at their establishment club Fuego management disputed police claims that an electrical fault had rendered
their CCTV network ineffective insisting that all seven of their internal security cameras were functioning during
the early hours of September 18 they had previously handed all CCTV equipment to
police including a hard drive that stored all recorded footage over the time period Britt lap thorn was present
and that they had no reason to believe the footage was defective a club Fuego bouncer recalled seeing
someone fitting Britt's description leaving the club in the company of two males and five females this group had
two cars between them and held a lengthy discussion as to who would travel in which vehicle it was clear to the
bouncer that none of the women wanted to get in a car with the men but he didn't
know who ended up travelling with who if his sister had been within this group Darren believed she might have wound up
in the car with the unknown men and that they may have been involved in her disappearance a close friend of bread
life Thorne's told the Australian press quote I find it very unconvincing that Britt would have got into a car with
somebody she didn't know if that's the case there must have been some pressure Darren contacted his parents in
Australia frustrated and upset by the indifference of Dubrovnik law enforcement in helping find his sister
the Lapp thorns felt the broth Nick police were being dismissive of their concerns and were treating their family
with contempt sharing his son's disappointment day olap thorn told the Australian media Darren was extremely
depressed after yesterday seeing the police doing absolutely nothing obviously telling lies lies lies and to
just hoping it would go away in a Facebook post l collapsed thorn pled the police are doing nothing we are beyond
grief they have been given so much information into doing nothing with it please all locals in Dubrovnik help us
help us help us the criticism leveled against the broviac authorities bug rates of loved
ones was reported throughout the Croatian media rather than prompting them to accelerate their investigation
Dubrovnik police became tight-lipped and refused to publicly divulge any more information in relation to the BRIT lap
thorn case this left Phillip thorn family completely in the dark about how the search for their daughter was going
or whether the investigation was proceeding at all Dubrovnik deputy police chief Ivan Koch
Rica defended the police response to Britt's disappearance saying we are only human beings but we are treating this
case Bukka would be treated anywhere in the world I understand the worry of the family and I understand their criticism
and I understand that it will force us to do more quality work but we really are doing the best job we can right now
I can't tell you everything we have done but this has not been a slow investigation deputy police chief cook
Rica indicated he personally believed that Britt was still alive and would be found safe in 2008 there hadn't been a
single murder reported in Dubrovnik or at Syrians which the deputy attested to the fact that Dubrovnik was quote the
safest and most secure county in all of Croatia it wasn't just Croatian authorities who came under fire during
the investigation into bread lab Thorne's disappearance a visibly emotional day all that Thorne told
Australian media that he and his wife had been contacted by the Australian Federal Police and asked to be mindful
of Australia's relationship with Croatia when speaking publicly about their missing daughter the distressed couple
were confounded when the AFP gave them a list of rules and undertakings to follow
to ensure they wouldn't create tension between the two countries they all at thorne quote I just got furious we
screamed at them on the phone we said you were public servants of Australia we are Australian citizens and we are not
going to allow you to sacrifice my daughter's life for the sake of relations the outcry prompted a response
from Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd Prime Minister Rudd empathized with the lap thorns and other families who
have had a loved one go missing overseas quote we take every case seriously because it
could be our kids any day at any one time there are a million Australians offshore our job is to do whatever we
can to help families who find themselves in these horrible circumstances we will
leave no stone unturned through the Federal Police through our diplomats through consular officials through our
political contact with the government to do whatever we can do to assist in this
really hard and difficult matter in Dubrovnik Darrin lap thorn was still seeking out any clue that might lead him
to his sister he spent his days trawling the city streets plastering up missing person posters written in both English
and Croatian along the way he logged on the Brits Facebook account contacting the friends she had recently added or
accepted to see what information they could provide desperate for answers Darren visited a local clairvoyant
seeking guidance as to where to focus his search the clairvoyant revealed their mystic vision that Brits case
would be solved when investigators located two men aged 21 to 31 years old the disappearance of Brett life thorns
swept mythical dogma throughout Dubrovnik as the lack of information about her whereabouts led concerned
residents to seek answers from higher collars superstitious locals spoke darkly of the Croatian belief in the
energy carried by Bora winds draw cool northern gusts the sweep / develop a mountain range out to the adriatic sea
when bora comes in had drives debris further north and clears up the sky providing uninterrupted panoramic views
from the mountains all the way to italy locals believed that when this change in
weather finally occurred the mystery of brittle up thorns disappearance would be
solved back in Australia porch lights in Melbourne zyada suburban streets were kept on as an expression of solidarity
for Braille up the once safe return from the Latvian family home in Eden Park her
parents were doing their best to remain positive Elka lap thorn quote every morning I wake up and I feel there is
still a glimmer of hope that British still alive and that's what's keeping us going but the Lapp thorns hope was
severely put to the test as time passed and still there were no answers as to what happened to their daughter they
compiled a reward of 100,000 euros and offered to sell their house to boost the Sun hoping it would compel someone to
come forward with information that would lead to bread frustrated by the lack of
progress in finding his missing daughter Dale lap thorn boarded a flight to Croatia to conduct an investigation of
his own joined by Brits boyfriend Simon on October 3 the pair arrived to the broth neck with Dale vowing not to leave
the city without his daughter refusing to give up hope that Brit might still be alive
quote I would like to think she's probably being held against her will I just couldn't imagine other than for
Darren and Brit there's no purpose in living their everything upon his arrival to Dubrovnik Dale was confronted by
dramatic scenes as police helicopters flew over the surrounding mountains and officers with tracker dogs trolled
outlying rural fields police tape was strung up around key areas related to Britt's disappearance whilst forensic
investigators searched the dubrovnik backpackers club hostel it was far from the idol investigation Darren had
anticipated and his spirits were lifted upon realizing police were taking efforts to find his daughter seriously
however the actions of police were viewed with skepticism as some found a suspicious that law enforcement had
suddenly ramped up their search efforts to coincide with dial-up Thorne's presence
in town the prophetic officials were unwilling to explain why this intensive search hadn't occurred much earlier with
local reporters suggesting police had finally succumbed to the pressure arising from the Australian media and
Aussie citizens critics believed the grant efforts displayed by the broth leak law enforcement were all for show
and today hadn't really escalated the investigation into Brett luck thorns disappearance at all
the profiting police vehemently defended what they ensured was now a full-scale investigation into Brett luck Thorne's
disappearance adamant they were doing all they could to wade with the search although admitting they had no leads in
the case Dubrovnik deputy police chief Ivan cook Rica stood firm in his belief that Brit
would be found alive certain they were investigating a disappearance not a murder he once again justified the slow
pace of the investigation stating this is not a crime movie where you quickly arrive at any answer the police are
doing everything they can these sorts of problems cannot be solved in a day or two as people may expect but
systematically as their appeal for information cast a wide international net the broth Nick police issued a phone
number for anyone anywhere to come forward with details that could lead to Brits whereabouts relieved Dubrovnik
police were finally taking their daughter's disappearance seriously the Lapp thorns still harbored resentment
that the effort hadn't been made sooner Darren lap thorn quote if Brit is still alive she might be on her last breath so
everything possible should be sped up it was evident that Dubrovnik law enforcement were way out of their depth
deputy police chief avantco Creek I didn't even have a computer in his office and was frustrated to discover
that most tip-offs were imparted to the media instead of the authorities even the locals didn't seem to be taking the
police work seriously trudging through areas cordoned off by crime scene tape with no suspects or useful leads deputy
police chief cook Rica narrowed his focus on the group of international backpackers Brit adventured two o'clock
fuego with on the night she vanished he was curious to find out why the group had seemingly left the club without
their friend and also found a suspicious that many of them had departed Dubrovnik
within days of Brits disappearance the deputy requested help in locating the seven backpackers from global police
organization Interpol but the failures of Dubrovnik Police were highlighted once more when it was revealed that many
of the backpackers had already provided their accounts of the night via the press or social media frustrated by the
lack of contact from authorities the individuals took it upon themselves to publicly share any relevant information
they had in the hopes that would lead to bread reports from Brits fellow club goers were hindered by patchy
recollections there's many admitted to consuming large amounts of alcohol throughout the night in question the
group spent most of the night scattered separately throughout the venue bumping into one another every so often and it
was through these interactions that a fairly uniform series of events was collided the group shared a collective
sentiment the BRIT lap thorn was in good spirits during her time at Club Fuego on
the ground floor of the nightclub British backpacker Gareth Hopkins looked across the room and witnessed Brit lap
thorn chatting happily with a group of people he didn't recognize Portuguese backpacker marina Moore era also saw
Brit talking to a group of strangers who she described as mostly tall men at one point during the night marina saw
Britt enter what looked like a star family door near the club's main bar area only to re-emerge a few minutes
later polish-american backpacker Dominic dubrovensky who had accompanied Bread on
the journey from Moscow to Dubrovnik crossed paths with Britt several times throughout the night usually on the
dance floor whether to acknowledged each other with a quick hello Dominic said I
could tell she was drunk but she looked happy I did not see her dancing with anyone in particular and when I saw her
talking to people it was with people from our hostel and approximately 2:00 a.m. several witnesses saw Britt drop a
glass on the dance floor causing it to shatter club Fuego employees confronted Britt over the breakage and requested
that she leave the premises Britt did leave but some 10 minutes later she was seen inside the nightclub
again here there having been let back or snuck back in at this point she ran into Gareth
Hopkins and asked him quote we're at the Croatians followed by something else he
couldn't hear over the loud music in the club Garrett wasn't sure who Britt was talking about but noticed she was
slurring her words the dubrovnik backpackers club crew slowly filtered out of club fuego in dribs and drabs and
made their way back to the hostel some reported asking British she wanted to share a cab but she wasn't ready to
leave yet so they departed without her the following morning the hazy revelers arose with foggy recollections of benign
when the realization dawned that Britt hadn't returned to the hostel they quickly pieced together what memories
they retained to try and work out where she may have wound up it was soon determined that the last anyone saw her
Britt lap thorn was in club Fuego at approximately 3:30 a.m. on the morning of Thursday September 18 2008 with some
reports stating there were three unknown males crowded around her at the time although it wasn't immediately noticed -
during initial searches of Britt lab Thorne's belongings Britt's mobile phone was later found in her dorm room at the
Dubrovnik backpackers club indicating she had left her behind the night she went near an inspection of her phone
records revealed a call had been made at 2:57 a.m. on September 18 just half an hour before she was last sighted at Club
Fuego the call was placed to a mobile phone belonging to a Vista Perkovic the 33 year old living manager of the
Dubrovnik backpackers club who operated the hostel with his parents this phone call immediately cast suspicions on a
Visa Perkovic who had left the country in the days after Britt disappeared on what he insisted was a work-related trip
whilst abroad Dubrovnik police contacted Perkovic and to request that he returned
to the city so they could speak to him in relation to Bria lap thorn Perkovic claimed he barely knew bread
having only met her briefly in the hostels recreation room at around 10:30 p.m. on September 17 the two had a brief
conversation about Australia his Perkovic hoped to travel there one day after this interaction Perkovic retired
the bed and later arose to complain to his mother that the reality group of backpackers were making too much noise
and keeping him awake as Perkovic lacked the confidence to confront them his mother spoke to the guests and asked
them to quiet down this prompted several of the guests including Britta thorne to
make the trip to clop Faygo several hours later the 257 a.m. call came through from Brits mobile phone Perkovic
claimed he was asleep at the time and his mobile phone was on silent so he was unaware of the call and a went
unanswered although he could often no explanation as to why Brett was trying to contact him he explained that his
mobile phone number was used as the main business line for the dubrovnik backpackers club a number of guests were
given upon checking in and told to ring should they need hope with bookings inquiries or emergencies adding another
layer to the mystery was the lack of explanation as to how exactly Britt's mobile phone wound up at the hostel the
lap thorns believed with utmost certainty that Britt would not go out with the auto mobile phone if she had
accidentally left the device at the hostel before she left for club Fuego had begged the question as to who made
the 2:57 a.m. call to a visa Perkovic and Dwyer if Britt did have her phone with her at the nightclub there was no
explanation as to why it was used to make a call to admits at Perkovic half an hour before she was last seen nor how
the phone ended up back in her dorm deputy police chief Arvind cook Rika confirmed that the phone call made from
Britt's mobile on the evening of her disappearance was of great interest but insisted the key to the mystery lay with
the backpackers who was with the club Fuego as such after 36 hours of questioning
haveta Perkovic was released from custody with police officially ruling he was no longer being viewed as a suspect
in the case upon his release evita Perkovic told a croatian newspaper that none of the other guests who had
attended club fuego with Brett luck thorn were at all worried when she didn't return from the club quote they
thought she was that kind of person he claimed to have spoken to staff at other hostels Britt had stayed in during
her travels and he said they described the 21 year old has a very kind polite person but with a reckless side
upon learning of Avensis comments he'll collapse Thorne was heartbroken and warned defeat sir to be careful quote
every mother knows their little girl I know my little girl and she's not that kind of girl I think he's being very
clever in trying to put the blame on Britt Tara Reynolds who had traveled with Britt in Poland said I'm very angry
and upset for Perkovic to say such things in one breath he says he doesn't know her and in another makes these
assumptions about her and makes me suspicious very suspicious Evita was not the only member of the perk of each
family that exhibited suspicious behavior during the Britt lap the one investigation as the search for Britt
continued the lap thorns received an anonymous phone call in their Dubrovnik hotel from a local who claimed to asine
Evita Perkovic his mother Nilka at the post office on the day of Britt's disappearance Milka Perkovic was
attempting to mail a passport to australia but left after being advised passports could not be sent through the
post the caller alleged the passport belonged to brittle ab thorn this information
although seemingly compelling could not be verified and to the luck thorns never
heard from the caller again the official investigation conducted by Dubrovnik law
enforcement in to Britt lap thorns disappearance lasted just 10 days and resulted in a brief two-page report
detailing their limited findings one new piece of information came from a Croatian witness who claimed to have
seen Britt lap thorn laughing and dancing with an English speaking man at Club juego throughout the night of her
disappearance it was unclear if this was someone unknown to breathe or one of her
companions from the dubrovnik backpackers club hostel it was the chief of the dubrovnik police
force ivan critic who fronted the meteor at a press conference after the release
of the report although the report provided no answers as to what could have happened to brit laughs Thorne
cressie was confident that Dubrovnik police would still locate the young australian alive quote we are not
searching for a body we are searching for a girl it is now a matter of time until we find an answer to the mystery
but I am sure that we will answer all the questions as to what happened and I will do everything as a human being and
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since day all apps Lewin arrived to the city of Dubrovnik it had been a hellish 18 days for the father a physically and
emotionally exhausting experience hindered by deficient police work and complex diplomacy despite all the
obstacles thrown his way Dale was fueled by unwavering determination to bring his daughter home
just a few hundred meters east from the entrance of Club Fuego is Dubrovnik's West harbour situated in a spectacular
stretch of shoreline known as Bona novo Bay the scenic bay is sheltered by a soaring 40 meter cliff face which frames
the crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic Sea the beach below is accessible via a
steep set of stairs with metal ladders affixed to concrete platforms that allow swimmers to exit the water after
launching off from one of the many dive spots the area is surrounded by holiday homes and five-star resorts popular with
tourists and locals alike who gather to sunbathe play cards will cook barbecues while admiring the picturesque coastal
views the serene deep waters of the bay hosts the variety of marine life making it an ideal location for boating and
fishing as eleven o'clock approach than the morning of October 6 local fisherman
boating off a cove near Bona novo Bay caught sight of something floating on the surface of the sea
upon realizing what they had come across they immediately contacted Dubrovnik law
enforcement water police arrived to the location where they found at the partial
remains of a human body in an advanced state of decomposition the remains were so severely damaged authorities were
unable to determine whether there were those of a male or a female making an immediate identification impossible
Dubrovnik police withheld news of the discovery from the public but it didn't take long for word of the body found
near Bona novo Bay - leaked to the press Dale and Darren lap thorn were still deep in their search for Brett when the
news of the body reached them they were immediately struck with overwhelming emotion assuming the body had to be hers
to make the situation even more traumatizing for the family they heard about the grim breakthrough via the
media instead of being personally informed by officials although the body had yet to be identified
they all that Thorne made the difficult call to his wife in Australia informing her their daughter may have finally been
found Elka lap thorn quote I don't know whether it was relief I sort of felt a calmness there because I said to Dale
and Darren I'm sure it's Brit we just have to be prepared for that however Dubrovnik police were quick to deny the
body was that of the Australian backpacker as Brit had only been missing for 18 days and the state of the human
remains found on Bona novo Bay indicated the body had been in the water for months deputy police chief Ivan cook
Rica held a press conference where he stated we can almost for sure tell that the body is not Britt's body he
explained the remains were more likely those of an illegal immigrant from Albania or Montenegro who had been
dumped or fallen over the side of a boat sometime ago whoo Creek is statements reignited hopes
Britt like thorne could still be found alive back home her mother told the press every day it's getting worse and
worse and I wonder what else we are going to hear why hasn't Britt been found for heaven's sake for dialup
thorne the discovery of the body almost brought an end to the painful mystery of
what happened to his daughter quote it is just extraordinary it is your worst nightmare in many ways with this body we
almost had some closure you know some closure I can at least say I'm going home with
Britt but now we are back to square one as the search for burlap thorne continued her father wrote a letter to
the public titled please help me find my bread which was published by Estrella newspaper The Daily Telegraph in a Dale
wrote my daughter Britt lap Thorne is missing there are no hires for our family right now
it's just lows too extreme lows I feel shattered I feel exhausted I feel broken and I
wonder if I will be able to go on the next day in this situation I just have to keep on
driving our family have got to do everything we can to find bread my son Darren and I ask how can we go home
without her the answer is we can not we are still discovering bit by bit what happened the night she disappeared there
are so many conflicting reports that make it difficult to get a true picture yet this case should be so simple hostel
night club the distance between a populated place lots of traffic it begs the question why is this so difficult to
solve she hasn't just vanished off the face of the earth that's just not bread she
hasn't done a runner there was no reason to she loved her life she loved being home
she loved her friends bridge story has touched the hearts of many people anyone who loves their family can relate to it
they relate to the fear of losing a loved one a child I am very thankful for the huge level of public support I have
only one goal and that's to find my daughter I will use every tool possible to do that I will not say I should have
nor will I say I could have despite the confidence of dubrovnik police that the body found floating in
the waters near Bona novo Bay was not bread lap thorn her family provided them with blood tests dental records and DNA
samples in order to rule out the possibility that it could be their daughter four days later an analysis
conducted by Croatian forensics determined the luck Thorne's worst fears to be true it had been 22 days since
their daughter mysteriously vanished from club fuego in the early hours of September 18 but finally Brit Luck thorn
had been found after taking time to address his overwhelming grief they all that thorn fronted the media quote I
came to Dubrovnik to bring bread home we did not achieve our main objective which
was to bring her home alive but we have the consolation that we are taking her home we go home with bread on her last
journey with us that is better than no closure at all it's a very shallow closure and one we
will never get over but we have something we have failed that we have not totally failed forensic experts
deemed it lucky that Britt's body had been discovered at all given there was very little tissue remaining to keep it
afloat only approximately 40% of Britt's remains were recovered with several organs and limbs missing as well as most
of her teeth and hair Deputy Chief of Police Ivan kukri confronted the press stating I have to admit that I had based
on the state the body was in really thought that it was not Brett this left the Croatian authorities to believe the
Australian must have been in the water for the duration of her disappearance an assumption which only raised more
perplexing questions for the lab thorns even if Brett had been floating in the water for the whole
eighteen days she was missing the timing didn't correspond with the severe extent
of decay and destruction sustained to her body the fact that no one saw Britt's body
during that time was even more baffling to her family given that bond an oboe bay was a high-traffic area popular with
swimmers and boaters and overlooked by an observation area visited by hundreds of tourists daily these considerations
further substantiated dayal that thorn suspicions that foul play was involved in Britt's death quote Britt did not
jump off a cliff cut her legs off on the way down and do something else to decompose herself as an explanation for
the rapid decomposition of Britt's body they all developed the theory that Britt
may have been killed and dumped at sea the perpetrators weighing her body down by stirring rocks in her clothing her
remains may have only recently arisen to the surface after the rocks became dislodged dales theory wasn't without
precedent an incident three years earlier in 2005 bore striking similarities to the Britt life Thorne
case when a badly decomposed body was found floating in the waters of Croatia's Istrian Peninsula
local police were adamant the body had been in the water for at least eight months ruling out the possibility it was
30 year old British tourist Peter Rushton who had gone missing from a nightclub in the croatian town of porec
five weeks earlier however the remains were later identified to be those of Peter Rushton
decomposition was accelerated due to the fact his badly beaten body had been put
in a sack filled with fishing weights before being thrown overboard two croatian men were later charged with his
murder upon the discovery of Brett lab Thorne's body rumours ran right over the circumstances leading to her death
some believe Britt had stumbled through the dark towards the West Harbor and accidentally fallen from the coastal
cliffs others suspected she may have participated in a late night swim before accidentally drowning in the surf others
shared the sentiments of the luck thorn family and were convinced that backpacker had met with foul play to
determine Brett's cause of death experts aimed to clarify key factors including the location where she had
entered the sea but this was soon deemed impossible as the area of water where Britt's body was found was characterized
by strong winds and powerful currents meaning the exact entry point could not be identified
to establish whether Britt fell from a high or entered the water at sea level experts studied her skeletal remains
however as the coastline framing Bona novo be featured steep jagged cliffs deep sea shells and rocky outcroppings
the cause of bone fractures could be from a multitude of possible sources breakages would appear the same
regardless of whether Britt fell from a cliff was thrown in or the current dragged her body into the cliff face the
rapid decomposition of Britt's remains only added more complexities to the yet to be determined cause of death the
profit police told de OLAP thorn the reason his daughter's body was so badly decomposed was because quote the water
was warm but the temperature of Bona novo Bayswater in late September and early October could vary anywhere
between 16 and 22 degrees Celsius significantly colder than the oceans mid year temperatures which peaked at 28
degrees prolonged water based the decomposition can cause hair and skin to come away from the body but experts were
at a loss to explain how most of Britt's teeth were missing including the more resilient molars although not an
impossible result of decomposition the loss of her molar teeth was highly unusual the possibility the marine life
played a part also seemed unlikely Croatian waters are home to a variety of marine life but very few would be
capable of removing human limbs sharks had been known to swim through the Adriatic Sea but their presence was
extremely rare a cursory search of the Bona novo Bay area only uncovered one of Britt's
personal belongings the shirt she had been wearing on the night of her disappearance which was found floating
in the sea a short distance away from her body the other items Brett had on her including her wallet Canon Powershot
g9 camera enter the remainder of her clothing including her leggings and shoes were not found the possibility
that Britt drowned couldn't be ruled out but it couldn't be confirmed either as her lungs were never recovered it was a
topic of debate as Britt's body was found unclothed which is unusual for drowning victims rumors she could have
gone skinny-dipping were refuted by those closest to Britt who described her as conservative and given the remainder
of her clothing was not located at the water's edge it seemed unlikely yet some suggest that her clothing may have been
blown away by the strong Bora winds the cliffs above Bona novo Bay were a local suicide spot but Britt had no history of
suicidal thoughts or self harming tendencies on the contrary she was consistently described as happy and
secure with many positive elements in her life including her travels studies friends family and a boyfriend
one of the last postcards Brits sent to her parents in Australia noted she wasn't ready to go home yet as she was
having so much fun longing for answers the luck thorn family anxiously awaited the results of
an autopsy certain would put an end to the speculation and to reveal the indisputable truth of what happened to
Brit it took a week for Dubrovnik forensic officials to complete the post-mortem examination of gridlock
Thorne's body the accompanying report immediately drew outrage from the luck thorn family the Australian media and
members of the public at just two pages along the autopsy report was noticeably underwritten and contained an obvious
lack of insight it described the damage sustained to Britt's body but made no attempt to explain how such damage had
occurred the report blamed to the lack of detailed information on the poor state the body was in but provided no
explanation as to why the remains had deteriorated so rapidly in one final blow the report indicated that no
further comprehensive scientific testing had been undertaken and simply ruled a print like Thorne's cause of death as
unknown a disappointed day all that Thorne slammed the autopsy report as childish stating quote a grade 12
student could do a better job than this up until this point the broth NIC law enforcement perceived in confidence had
been attributed to their lack of experience in dealing with a case of this nature but now their indifference
in determining what happened to Brit luck Thorne was being viewed as intentional Australians believed at the
Dubrovnik police were going to great lengths to sweep the case under the rug to ensure their city's positive
reputation would not be damaged by word of a foreign tourists being murdered on their streets
after the release of the Croatian autopsy report it was announced that the BRIT lab Thorne's body would be
re-examined in Australia by a Victorian coroner the lap thorns found solace in this decision with Dale telling the
media quote if it concurs with what has been investigated in Croatia fine and good I accept that I asked the Croatian
people not to see this as an insult or anything it's just a family right to be able to have a second opinion and for us
to rest peacefully in that the correct assessment was done before returning to Australia Dale and Daren lap thorn
boated in Bona novo Bay scouring the rocky bays and inlets near the location Britt's body was found when asked what
they were looking for they all said he didn't want to sound gruesome but they were worried something had been missed
like a leg or an arm despite their efforts no further remains were recovered at dawn on October 17 Dale and
Darren lap thorn together with Brits boyfriend Simon sailed out into the cool morning mists of Bona novo Bay where
they laid a wreath and scattered white rose petals upon the water where Britt's body was found mansard roof a song by
indie rock band Vampire Weekend was played from Brett so iPod the upbeat song bringing the essence of her vibrant
spirit to the somber occasion promising to remember breed as the vivacious young
woman she was they all loved or once dated the pain we can not bear is all those things that she wanted to do and
we'll never get the chance the following day October 18 marked a month to the day since Britt lap thorn
went missing that night more than 1,000 people gathered at Flagstaff gardens in Brett's home city of Melbourne Australia
to hold a candlelight vigil in her honor and pay their respects to her family Britt's friends relatives classmates and
strangers sat on picnic blankets watching in silence as the Sun set in the springtime sky as night fell the
parklands were illuminated by hundreds of flickering candles Nilka lap thorn told the crowd of
mourners quote I think people especially backpackers should get on with their adventures and experiences but just look
after each other a bit more I think Britt possibly was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person
and it just should not have happened not to Britt not to anyone else the next day
the entire luck thorn family were reunited after a challenging and painful period apart a formal memorial service
titled a ceremony of love for Britt was held in South Morang with over 600 mourners in attendance wearing ribbons
of Britt's favorite color purple the programs were covered with purple stars and featured a picture of Britt
her contagious smile and enthusiastic thumbs up perfectly encapsulating her lively personality stories of Britt's
idyllic childhood and adolescence were retold by loved ones including the time at age five she attempted to leave home
but only made it as far as halfway down her driveway another story revealed that Britt's
first ever mobile phone bill totaled more than $1,200 much to the horror of her father at age 15 the industrious
Brits sought out her first job in a local charcoal chicken takeaway food shop each tale was told with humor and
warmth and accompanied by a photo montage reflecting the full and adventurous life Britt created for
herself after the ceremony 21 purple balloons were released each one symbolizing a
year Britt's life day or Luck thorn thanked the crowd for their ongoing support during this
unspeakable tragedy and employed everyone to appreciate the preciousness of life and value their family a private
burial was postponed as Britt's family awaited the results of a second autopsy the second post-mortem of Britt lap
Dawn's body was conducted by David Ranson an associate professor from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
this examination incorporated a series of tests that the initial autopsy had failed to conduct including a
toxicological analysis that revealed no alcohol or any other common drugs or poisons were present in Britt system
the small amount of body tissue that remained was thoroughly examined and no bruises abrasions lacerations or
incisions were identified based on the damage to her skeletal remains it was determined that the trauma sustained to
Britt's long bones was consistent with wave and tidal action against rocky surfaces rib fractures were also present
although it couldn't be determined whether these occurred whilst Britt was alive or post-mortem damage to other
parts of the skeletal structure was attributed to scavenging marine life according to Professor ransom the
absence of trauma to Britt's skull and upper limbs suggested that she might have entered the water at sea level the
significant decomposition of Britt's body coupled with the absence of crucial remains led to Professor ransom
concluding that neither a time of death or a cause of death could be unequivocally ascertained although his
post-mortem report was significantly more thorough than the first Branson ultimately agreed with the results of
the croatian autopsy and ruled the cause of Britta Thorne's death as unknown on October 29 2008 the police chief in
charge of the Britt luck Thorne investigation Ivan kravec was fired according to a police
spokesperson CREZ extermination was part of a new direction for the county's police designed to curb the police
inaction the prolonged failings of the Dubrovnik police had been highlighted since the heavily publicized Brent Lapp
thorn investigation with the police spokesperson telling the media quote we weren't satisfied with the speed of
police reaction in the case of Britt lap thorn although the fact remains that she
would not have been saved with a faster police reaction somebody has to take responsibility for the fact that there
was a 5 to 6 day delay before a serious investigation and quality action was undertaken by leading police
these internal changes led to a total turnaround in the dubrovnik police forces conduct regarding the BRIT lap
thorn investigation by November 2008 they all upped the one told the press he felt the languishing investigation was
now being fast-tracked and believed police efforts had improved outstandingly key witnesses and to the
group of backpackers who had been a club fuego with Brett on the night of her disappearance had been tracked down and
questioned at length concise credible reports were distributed to the lap thorns on a weekly basis keeping the
family in the loop of any new developments in a much-anticipated move Dubrovnik police divers finally entered
the waters of bananas obey to conduct an extensive underwater search for Britt's
missing belongings including her wallet camera and a clothing a police spokesperson claimed to the dive mission
had been planned to long ago but blamed the delay on unfavorable weather conditions nevertheless the dive was
long overdue as a luck thorn family who hoped above all else that Britt's camera
would be fair on believing it held vital clues as to what happened to her the night she went missing
however the divers emerged from the waters of Bona novo Bay and be handed in late December 2008 Dubrovnik police
granted the Lapp Thorne's full access to CCTV footage captured in the vicinity of
Club fuego over the night Brett had attended although the footage from the club's seven internal security cameras
had allegedly been lost due to an electrical fault an adjacent War Memorial was overseen by four high-tech
cameras one of which faced Club Fuegos entrance this camera should have provided clear footage of all persons
entering and exiting the venue but upon being retrieved from the council it was discovered that this key camera was also
dysfunctional between the critical dates of September 17 and 18 the only viable existing footage of Club Fuego was
obtained from a council owned street camera located 50 metres down the road it didn't provide a direct view of the
club's entrance but did pick up the darkened silhouettes of the few people moving about in the area the grainy
footage showed a one-way palm-lined road with Club Fuego on the left and a large
block of apartments on the opposite side Dubrovnik police determined that the footage captured nothing of importance
whilst tirelessly reviewing this footage the luck thorns noted an occurrence at 446 a.m. on September 18 when a dark
blue van emerged from a side street and came to a stop at the front entrance of Club Fuego a person exited the club and
quickly climbed into the van before it sped off out of shot due to the low quality of the dark footage it was
impossible to make out the finer details of the vehicle or identify those inside
but given that Britt was last sighted in the club approximately an hour before the van arrived the lap thorns
considered the unnerving possibility that the figure getting into the vehicle could have been their daughter
their theory was substantiated by a post on an internet forum that had appeared in September just days after Britt went
missing warning club Fuego patrons to be on high alert as two unknown men had been acting
menacingly and preying on partygoers in the area in a bid to lure young foreign women into their vehicle the suspicious
man claimed to be police officers the forum post read quote a blue van stops two special police get out they showed
their ID and to then try and put you in the van on behalf of Australia's channel
7 current affairs program Sunday night veteran investigative reporter Ross Coulthard began independent
investigations into the Britt life thorne case cooled Hart's inquiries led him to Dubrovnik where he uncovered an
ominous pattern of ingrained criminal activity hidden deep behind the esteemed city's walls in 2007 an Australian
tourist was enjoying a night out at Club juego when she accepted a ride from two
local men driving a dark blue van when the woman realized she was being driven out of the city and away from her
destination she questioned where they were going but the men remained silent sensing she was in danger the woman left
from the moving vehicle and ran down the hillside with the men chasing close behind upon reaching a main road she was
rescued by a security guard and taken to hospital where her ordeal was formally reported to Dubrovnik authorities
in September 2008 an Australian tourist the left Club Fuego at around 2 a.m. and
began the short walk to the harbour where her cruise ship was docked for the night suddenly a dark blue van carrying
several men accelerated towards her her passenger hanging out the open side door
attempted to pull the woman into the vehicle but she escaped taking refuge in an isolated area away from the road
seemingly out of nowhere a group of five to seven armed men emerged and crowded around her
chanting police police she immediately recognized one of the men as the passenger in the blue van who had tried
to snatch her moments earlier the woman's friends rushed to help causing the group of men to scatter this
incident occurred just five days before Brett luck thorn vanished and it was reported to both the Australian Federal
Police and dubrovnik officials in the following month of october 2008 an American tourist was approached by two
local men inside klog Fuego who flashed what appeared to be a police badge they told the woman she was under arrest and
demanded she leave with them immediately when she refused the pair proceeded to beat up her male companion other
nightclub patrons intervened enter the attackers fled the club in the company of several other men
this occurred just 10 days after Brett lab Thorne's disappearance in another incident a solo female tourists
disembarked a bus at 3 a.m. in Dubrovnik Western port area a short walk from Club
Fuego she was talking on her mobile phone when a group of men circled her flashing a badge and claiming to be
police officers the group of men fled when a local stepped in to assist the woman the women targeted shared similar
characteristics they were all female young blonde slim and foreign all features matching those of grip lap
Thorne although minor details of their ordeals varied they were all confronted in nor
near club fuego by at least two local men claiming to be police officers the perpetrators used the distinctive dark
blue van the same type of vehicle caught on CCTV footage pulling up the club Fuego around at the time Britt lap thorn
vanished Dubrovnik law enforcement initially denied a knowledge of these alleged abductions but were forced to
backtrack and accept awareness when ross kuta presented them with official reports compiled after two of the
incidents one was a report sent to Dubrovnik law enforcement by the Australian Federal Police after they
were contacted by a survivor the other was a medical report collected from the hospital one of the other survivors
attended after her ordeal detailing the circumstances of her visit despite these
reports indicating the perpetrators were masquerading as police officers no action had been taken to identify or
apprehend the suspects in early February 2009 Ross called hearts incriminating findings into the Brit lab thorne case
were broadcasted on Channel Seven's Sunday night programme identical images of the two main perpetrators were
created based on descriptions provided by survivors one was tall with short dusty blond hair a pale complexion small
face narrow nose and two large ears the second two was shorter and had a square shaped face with cropped dark hair heavy
eyebrows dark eyes and itand complexion Sunday nights deeming expose quickly garnered the curiosity of the Australian
media and public open to the possibility Brett life thorn had been a victim of a
well-established criminal gang posing as the broth neck police the authenticates
of the two alleged ringleaders were widely circulated and in a confounding revelation it was quickly discovered
that the suspect sketches closely resembled two active Dubrovnik police officers Croatian authorities
were quick to hold a press conference addressing the accusations but instead of their usual hardline to denial
approach they accepted at the identicals matched to the appearance of two members
of Dubrovnik local police this revelation opened to many questions but the spokesperson didn't well on the
validity of the claims instead assuring reporters that the unnamed officers in question were exemplary members of law
enforcement Croatian publication Nacional revealed the identities of the two police officers at the center of the
allegations with other news sources quickly following suit if it's Arruda Novik into dragon Palomita were both
married fathers who worked alongside one another in Dubrovnik snark otic squad harboring varying reputations within the
force whilst the Dragon Palomita was a long serving officer with the clean record
Evita rudin overtures reputation was marred by an undisclosed - disciplinary procedure that resulted in a severe
demotion from the coveted special police force - beat cop the integrity of routine Ovitz was considered dubious as
it was rumoured that the officer had intentionally lied during an investigation in order to clear
colleagues of assault charges made against them during each of the alleged abduction attempts a visa rudin ovitch
and a dragon Palomita were roasted on patrol duty together dressed in plain clothes the pair
surveyed Dubrovnik's nightspots as part of narcotic reduction efforts they didn't deny confronting foreign women in
and around flood fuego whilst on duty but maintained any interactions were purely part of their undercover drug
operations meanwhile the search to locate the crucial dark blue vin revealed there was one vehicle
registered in Dubrovnik to fit the description a Volkswagen Sheeran multi-purpose
vehicle used by the Dubrovnik police force as Lac cosa Cola had recently replaced
diving cresset cuz Dubrovnik's police chief and was working tirelessly to make positive progress on the mishandled
brittle app thorne investigation if there was any truth to the allegations that fellow police officers were
involved in the abduction and assault of foreign women sekolah knew he'd struggled to get to the bottom of the
matter the reputation of the Dubrovnik police force was tainted by lingering rumors of corruption and cover-ups with
residents perceiving their city as a place where organized crime thrived accusations that terminated police chief
Ivan crazy Hadid are underestimated ignored or tacitly tolerated dedicated to restoring
the reputation of the Dubrovnik police force and eradicating any disgraced officers police chief sekolah made a
brush and shocking move relieving 70% of command personnel from GE despite the tenacious efforts employed by police
chief sekolah to clear Dubrovnik's tarnished police force and renewed the investigation into Brit lab Thorne's
unresolved death years past with virtually no fresh information coming to light seven years after Brett lap thorns
body was found in Bona novo Bay hopes of finding a resolution to the mystery were
renewed when Victorian State Coroner Ian gray was tasked with holding a cranial inquest into the 21 year olds death all
available evidence leads reports and witness statements relating to the brie larvan investigation were compiled and
scrutinized during the inquest and in April 2015 Ian gray presented his findings in the
Victorian coroner's court Coroner gray concluded the following facts between midnight and 12:30 a.m. on
September 18 2008 Britt life thorn arrived by bus the club Fuego with a group of backpackers after consuming an
unverified quantity of alcohol there Britt continued to consume alcohol and became heavily intoxicated she was last
seen in the club between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. her remains were located 18 days later in Bona novo Bay on October 6 2008
no further facts could be unequivocally ascertained Dubrovnik police claim to their investigations into the young
Australians death involved over 500 interviews with potential witnesses polygraph examinations execution of
multiple search warrants and a retrieval of data from mobile phone towers during
the critical time period between September 17 and 18 2008 the Australian Federal Police had since conducted an
inquiry into Dubrovnik law enforcement handling of the case and found police were quote professional and determined
in their efforts the coroner acknowledged that while there were several deficiencies in the
initial treatment of Britt's disappearance Dubrovnik police had since exhausted all available avenues during
their ongoing investigations the possibility that Brett had fallen victim to the same gang of local men who had
attempted to abduct several other young female travelers during their time in Dubrovnik was disputed by coroner grey
who determined quote there was no evidence or information found indicating the attacks on the women were linked to
each other or to Britt's death however the coroner was able to resolve one lingering theory quote
based on evidence there is no reason or basis to conclude that bread at any time
acted with the intention of ending her own life by therefore conclude that her death was due to either accident or foul
play when it came to the exact cause of brids death coroner gray officially ruled the evidence does not support a
finding as to when or how Britt's death occurred why therefore formally find that the cause or causes of Britt lap
Thorne's death remain an acetate Dale lapsed Thorne addressed the court on behalf of his family thanking them for
their efforts in attempting to establish the truth about what happened to his daughter although the life Thorne family
would continue to seek answers they all admitted they had come to terms with the
fact they may never know for sure how Britt lost her life one positive day or took from the overwhelming tragedy was
that Britt's death had created a legacy that compelled other young backpackers to be more cautious when travelling
overseas the realization that his daughter's case prompted dramatic changes in the leadership and practices
of Dubrovnik's problematical law enforcement was also a source of comfort for Dale quote I don't like saying this
but maybe she didn't die in vain our side court Britt's older brother Darren told the media had had been a tough 7
years and stated although we may never really find out what happened to Brett I know I still live in the hope that one
day as long as I live I'll find out any answer one day someone will need to clear their conscience
there was a sentiment shared by his mother Elko quote whoever did this to our daughter they have to live with
their guilt I hope it torches them like we're tortured every day but in the end nothing we do will bring our daughter
back to us our feeling is we've just had to learn to live with it upon the conclusion of
the coroner's inquest dubrovnik law enforcement have since conceded it was highly unlikely that Brett luck Thorne
took her own life all voluntarily entered the waters of Bona novo Bay prior to her death
although the case is still considered an ongoing criminal investigation Croatian
authorities surmise Britt's death was the result of misadventure it's a conclusion the lots the ones have always
disagreed with certain Brit was murdered many aspects of the case remain unexplained or unresolved including the
identity of the person seen on CCTV footage getting into the blue van outside Club Fuego the purpose of the
257 a.m. call made from Britt's mobile phone the morning of her disappearance the whereabouts of her wallet and to
Canon Powershot g9 camera and what caused the considerable damage sustained two Brits recovered remains although
suspicion has been cast on a range of people over the years including the backpackers who attended platf Wego with
Brett the manager of the Dubrovnik backpackers club hostel Evita Perkovic entered the Dubrovnik police officers
accused of attempting to abduct female tourists there are no formal suspects in the case media coverage of the case has
since waned but the general consensus from the Australian press and public supports the theory that Brett was
abducted and killed day all that Thorne quote as to whether we will ever find out what happened to Brett I'm not sure
but we gave it everything what we did is we gave it our best shot she was our daughter we loved her we still do what
more can I say we tried to cope with the pain of their daughter's unresolved to death Dale and
Dell collapse the one focus on the many happy memories they have of Brett for a long time afterwards her bedroom was
kept just as it was when she departed for her big solo European adventure and sometimes they
would sit in Britt's old Saab car listening to her favorite CDs he holds on to the small reminders he has of his
daughter including the final text message she sent to him just days before her disappearance which simply read
happy birthday dad thousands of photographs chronicling Britt's travels across the world are safely stored on a
hard drive which her family look at often grateful there are so many the photo Dale holds most dear is the last
image he took of his daughter in Paris on her 21st birthday a memory he will always remember with overwhelming
fondness years after Brits death Dale retraced his daughter's final journey by embarking on his own solo backpacking
trip through Europe for the grieving father the profound experience delivered a sense of comfort as though Brit was
alongside him every step of the way he boarded the same trains visited the same landmarks and ate at the same
restaurants Britt had relishing the landscapes she had once described as the best places she had ever seen Elka lap
thorn has not been her daughter goodbye but instead of a dazeem no German expression meaning until we see each
other again despite the high-profile nature of the Brit lapse Thorn case Dubrovnik has
successfully maintained its reputation as a safe travel destination an endless flow of tourists continue to visit the
medieval city each year further popularized for being one of the main filming locations for the fictional city
of King's Landing in the HBO television series Game of Thrones club frege's reputation was irreparably
tarnished following accusations the thriving night spot was a hotbed for sleazy criminal activity
eventually the nightclub underwent a complete rebranding and successfully reestablished itself as a popular
tourist hangout which remains in operation today back in late September 2009 the owner of Club Fuego vinco Cosmo
observed the Australian media swarming outside his premises their intimidating presence deterring the club's usual
revelers and leaving it uncharacteristically empty Cosmo lifted himself off his barstool and invited the
reporters into his establishment telling them you from Australia have taught us a
good lesson you lose one Australian and you care you sent people to find her you pressed the
police to really do something it is a good example for us Australians caring when we suffered the war nobody tried to
see what happened to look for people we could learn [Music] you

Case 102: Britt Lapthorne

As her twenty-first birthday approached in 2008, Britt Kathryn May Lapthorne asked her parents for just one present – the biggest travel backpack she could carry...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Episode researched and written by Milly Raso and Elsha McGill Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-102-britt-lapthorne

Brief Summary

Britt Lapthorne, a 21-year-old backpacker, vanished in Croatia; her body was found weeks later, raising questions about her death.

Key points

A Special Family Bond. Britt cherished family gatherings and traditions, especially during Christmas.
A Thrilling Journey Begins. Britt's solo backpacking journey across Europe commenced, filled with excitement and adventure.
Britt's Disappearance. Britt Lapthorne goes missing after a night out at Club Fuego, raising concerns among friends.
Family's Alarm. Britt's family is devastated to learn of her disappearance days later, prompting a search.
Darren's Fury. Darren Lapthorn expresses his anger at authorities for their handling of his daughter's case.
Elka's Hope. Elka Lapthorn shares her daily hope for her daughter's survival amidst despair.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This feels really special to feel your body next to mine.

Elka to Britt, reflecting on their close bond.

11:28WatchDec 1, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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