A volatile relationship and a missing woman | Forensic Files

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you'll need our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
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please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website case file would like to thank the
Queensland police homicide investigation unit the white ribbon foundation and the
family of Leanne Lapham for their assistance and support in creating this episode and highlighting the issues
raised the names of several witnesses have been changed in 1979 American psychologist dr. Lenore Walker developed
the cycle of violence a theory that explains the patterns of behavior within an abusive relationship the cycle
consists of three phases the first distension building has daily issues like employment finances children
illness and two misunderstandings caused pressures within a couple to increase during this time verbal emotional or
financial abuse intensifies to a boiling point where release is inevitable the cycle then enters the second phase acute
explosion abuse Peaks as the abuser establishes their dominance through action following this they may express
feelings of remorse or shame perhaps fearing their part and they leave or report them to authorities they try to
justify their actions by blaming external factors before seeking forgiveness sometimes threatening self harm to gain
sympathy it's during this final stage known as the honeymoon where the abuser promises to change and displays an
unusual amount of love and affection the survivor is distressed her confused than
humiliated he hopefull the relationship will improve if they give their partner another
chance their pair then enter a stage of denial downplaying the severity or refusing to acknowledge the abuse
entering a period of harmony and intimacy this stage can be short-lived to long lasting before the cycle repeats
itself [Music] [Music] situated on North Queensland's cassowary coast these Innis Vale a township of
approximately 10,000 residents surrounded by farmland and old-growth rainforests heavy rainfall coupled with
an average daytime temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius keeps the area lush and green all year supporting an
agricultural industry of sugarcane bananas and other tropical fruits by 2009 29 year old Leanne Maxine Lapham
had relocated to Innis Vale to be closer to her family she shared an unbreakable
bond with her mother Carrie although their personalities often clashed Kerry believed this had less to do with
animosity and more to do with astrology Leanne starsin was Pisces sensitive intuitive creative and emotionally
driven Kerry was a Capricorn confident practical hardworking and determined Leanne also had bipolar disorder
although her mood was unpredictable at times Kerry remained a pillar of support and to the pair shared more good times
than bad the end was good fun whenever she saw an opportunity to get a rise out of her mother her mischievous side would
come out during a shopping center visit Leanne started tap dancing much to Kerry's embarrassment
her mother's mortification only encouraged Leanne as a passerby I asked isn't it
lovely to see somebody so happy - which Leanne replied I just love my mummy joking they were running away from home
the to set out on a road trip heading south with the windows down and - music blaring LeAnn was at the wheel when
slippery conditions caused the vehicle to spin and hit a dirt mound on the roadside LeAnn was hesitant to get back
behind to the wheel so they checked into a caravan park for the night there a scientific era VN was perched on a
hilltop above a busy highway prompting LeAnn to taunt her mother with comments like wouldn't it be horrible if
we started rolling down the hill although it could drive her mad cari embraced who yen's playful
personality in innisfail LeAnn was staying between Carey and her partner Frank's house and the detached room at
the home of a family friend 57 year old Augie Augie lived on a wrecking yard that serviced his business mandoo towing
LeAnn was searching for somewhere more permanent while doing occasional bar work and tattooing she had several of
her own a gesture on her right shoulder a woodpecker on her stomach several flowers and stars on her legs and - the
name of her daughter who was currently living with her father on her left wrist hoping to make a career of it LeAnn
would practice her art on friends and family including inking a flower on Kerry's right calf
in early 2009 Lian was a Kari and Frank house when Frank invited over one of his
workmates 36 year-old Graham Evans the former butcher turned a laborer had recently moved to Queensland from New
South Wales settling in Nina's file where he worked as a self-employed painter when he laid eyes on Leigh Ann
Evans felt an immediate attraction and wasn't shy telling Carrie his feelings protective of Leanne she warned him that
it was her daughter he was talking about Evans excused himself to use the bathroom
but went to speak with Leanne instead inviting her on a date that evening Evans maintained a level of stability
and charm that separated him from other men around town until Ian returned from their date smitten Carrie portioned her
to take things slow but the two quickly became a couple theirs was a rocky relationship from the outset with the
erratic Evans often lashing out at Leanne Carrie felt it wasn't going to work but Liam excused his behavior by saying
mum is really nice he just gets angry the pair fluctuated between contentment and disharmony with Leanne's threats to
leave causing Evans to beg for forgiveness declare his love and promise to treat
her better [Music] in September 2009 lee-enfield pregnant determined to raise her child in a
stable two-parent household she believed Evans when he expressed the joy and eagerness at starting a family yet his
behavior remained violent and unpredictable causing Lee in to break things off only to resume their
relationship when Evans expressed remorse in early 2010 when Leanne was heavily pregnant
she and Evans travelled 16 kilometres north to camp at Ella Bay an argument broke out and Devon slapped Leanne
snatched her handbag and to push her out of the car he slammed her legs in the door before
driving away severely bruised on both legs face and arms Liane walked to a payphone and to called
her mother in tears her taxi was ordered to pick her up Carrie knew Evans was verbally abusive
and called her daughter names but Liane assured everything was fine when she saw
the injuries Evans caused Carrie encouraged her Liane to file a police report and she obtained a medical
certificate to corroborate it on March 15 LeAnn was scheduled to appear at the innisfail Magistrates Court to apply for
a domestic violence order against Evans who had no prior criminal record citing intimidation harassment and
verbal and physical threats however she had to leave before the application was filed to attend an antenatal class the
order was adjourned until April 13 on March 21 Liane sent a text message to a longtime friend Matt who lived in
Brisbane she was fed up with in his file and had plans to leave town if the judge
didn't issue the domestic violence order against Evans he had recently threatened
to steal the baby from her or failing that take it by force she detailed how Evans showed up unannounced at her
mother's house and refused to leave he verbally abused LeAnn causing her to lose her temper she wrote to Matt I got
so angry that I put Bob in danger that's real bad I'm angry at myself the unis failed Department of Communities Child
Safety and Disability Services contacted LeAnn on March 22 amidst concerns for her unborn child's welfare LeAnn
reported that her relationship with Evans had ended she also intended to obtain the domestic violence order
referencing the threats he'd made the department then contacted Graham Evans who said that he had no intention
of resuming the relationship citing LeAnn's bipolar disorder and their constant arguing Kerry didn't see Evans
for a few weeks and assumed the domestic violence order had been filed and their
relationship was over on March 24 2010 LeAnn gave birth to a boy named Bradley James Lapham Evans visited them in
hospital promising to change and provide for his family LeAnn was reluctant but agreed to get back together if he
delivered on his promises when her mother questioned to Leanne's decision she responded that she loved Evans and
wanted to make things work for Bradley the couple found an ideal family home a spacious three-bedroom house surrounded
by greenery 22 kilometers south of Innis Vale but it wasn't available until later
in the month Evans sent Leanne a text promising to fund a motel room for them in the
meantime writing I swear that Leigh I will do anything to make that happen I'm not losing you if I
can not then I'm no man I will get us out of this [ __ ] I need your love Lee and I will get it
the next morning he secured a one-week stay at the Riverside motel in the town center where he until the end had stayed
on prior occasions and on April 13 the trio settled in Lian failed to appear in court to complete her domestic violence
order against Evans seemingly eager to start afresh but this honeymoon period was only temporary but the evening of
April 15 the pair were fighting again Evans was failing to live up to his promises arriving home late drinking too
much and rumors had spread of his alleged infidelity he urged we and to be strong and to
persevere for Bradley's sake at 10 a.m. on Monday April 19 Evans dropped Lian and Bradley at Carrie's house a three
minute drive from the Riverside motel Lian and Kerry ran some errands in town including a visit to Bendigo Bank where
Lian withdrew $100 they entered the Cole supermarket where Leanne purchased food
for dinner she sent Evans a text suggesting she cook a seafood basket or creamy sauce
and reminded him to pick her up for a three o'clock post the Nadel appointment he responded sounds good hon see you
then Evans arrived after 3 p.m. enter Lian irritated by his tardiness silently climbed into his white 1994
Holden rodeo you and to the pair took off at 2:30 p.m. the next day Evans friend Sam arrived home to find
Evans and baby Bradley at his house Evans you was packed full of gear and he asked to stay the night saying she's
left me with the baby and had gone off he explained that the night before LeAnn was angry at him for being late and
slapped the beer out of his hand then stormed out of their motel room Evans assumed tissue is blowing off
steam and would return later but she never did two days later on April 22 Leanne's
sister received a phone call from Evans he said Leanne had gone to Cannes a coastal city 80 kilometers north of
Innis Vale to visit a friend who had just given birth and texted him saying she would be home later that evening
meanwhile Kari hadn't noticed that Leanne wasn't responding to texts or answering calls she phoned Evans who
claimed to Leanne had her mobile phone with her in Cairns but he hadn't heard from her at all while it wasn't unusual
for her daughter to travel to visit friends Carrie knew Leanne would not elect to leave her newborn in the care
of Graham Evans over the following days Evans spoke to friends about Leanne's departure telling some she would return
within the week and others that she wasn't coming back at all on April 28th Kerry arrived to innisfail police
station to file a missing-persons report to the best of her knowledge Leanne didn't know anyone money and was
well-liked within her social circle she detailed Graham Evans abusive behavior including an incident on Leanne's
birthday when he threw a hot drink at her burning her skin bank records revealed Leanne hadn't accessed her
account since the day she allegedly left the motel alone Graham Evans provided a
statement to police in which he attested that he had not heard from Leanne since
April 19 and had no knowledge of her current whereabouts he claimed she had gone to the
supermarket that night to get more dinner ingredients and to return to short time later with a white plastic
bag tucked in her brown handbag between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. Leanne grabbed her hand back and walked
out the door without saying a word she hadn't reappeared by the next day and wasn't responding to messages
despite having extended their stay for one more night heavens checked out of the motel with
Bradley and went to stay at his friend Sam's house convinced who Leanne had to left him for good
Evans admitted he and Julianne had a volatile relationship but denied the Ella Bache card or incident explaining I
would say when it was good that was good but when we were arguing it was bad he described to Leanne as headstrong and
that her bipolar disorder caused her to become easily upset and moody in the week leading up to her disappearance
Leanne threatened to end their relationship and to leave town but the pair managed to patch things up
Evans claimed that she quote would always go and come back Evans hinted his mobile phone to police
with text messages between him mentally and displaying a clear cycle conversations switched between
affectionate banter and chitchat before an argument would take place Leanne would express her disappointment
with Evans and to give him the opportunity to end the relationship but he begged her to stay on April 10 Evans
texted Leanne how much he loved her and was thankful for the chance to make things right the next night he wrote
love you with all my heart I am so mad with myself for letting it end up like this I can make it right and that's what
this man will do hon I swear by April 17 tensions escalated once more Leanne told Evans she had booked a
flight and was leaving for good as he pleaded with her to reconsider Leanne insisted that were better off apart and
Evans responded by swearing on their son's life that he would never snap at her again asking her to let him love her
by April 19 things seem to have improved as they text the dinner plans throughout
the afternoon until they were back together at the motel room there was silence until 10:30 5:00 p.m. when
Leanne's mobile received the text from Evans letting her know that he had fed the baby and gone to sleep she did not
reply over the following days of Leanne's disappearance Evans texted her to get in touch offering to pick her up
wherever she had gone and sending her his love she did not respond detectives were unconvinced who Leanne would
willingly leave her four week old son and were immediately suspicious about Evans a search of the couple's
three-bedroom house that they planned to move into and that form a room at the Riverside motel uncovered no signs of
foul play the motel manager revealed that during a previous stay in 2009 Leanne and Evans were heard arguing
followed by smashing glass Leanne called out for help but the fight dissipated soon after during their recent motel
booking in mid-april Evans approached the manager at around the lunch time on the 19th requesting to stay an extra
week citing their disruptive behavior the manager only agreed to an additional day and at around 4:30 p.m.
cited Leanne smoking outside that was the last he saw of her and there had been no reports of disputes or
suspicious activity immediately prior or after her disappearance at 8:00 a.m. the next morning the
manager noticed that Evans you´d wasn't in the parking lot it reappeared at around 1:00 p.m.
parked near the administration office with Evans loading items into the back tray the manager recalled seeing a
second person helping but couldn't be sure Evans then told reception the family would be moving elsewhere a cleaner
attended to the vacant room the following day where she noticed two bed pillows were missing
along with their slips and protectors two fresh pillows were found in a cupboard but were of a completely
different brand CCTV footage from April 19 showed Leanne visit the supermarket at 6:40 p.m. with transaction records
listing her cash purchase of cream mushrooms and onions three minutes later she was filmed heading back to the
Riverside motel with the Imperial tavern camera across the street recording her return at 6:51 this camera pointed
towards the road and captured a portion of the motel yard silhouettes of several
figures were recorded coming and going but Leanne was not cited to leaving the Riverside motel this didn't necessarily
prove anything as the footage only captured the left side of the motel whereas the couple
were staying in a unit on the right furthermore the cameras were shut down at 11:00 p.m. while the system was
backed up overnight resuming at approximately 9:00 the next morning Leanne's friends and acquaintances
provided further insight into her abusive relationship with Evans with witnesses reporting that in the past he
dragged her screaming by her hair and threatened to slit her throat Leanne had also been seen with red marks
around her neck telling others Evans had choked her unconscious this was of particular interest to detectives as
statistics showed women who are non fatally strangled by their domestic partners are seven times more likely to
be murdered investigators spoke with a former girlfriend of Evans who explained their relationship started
positively with friends predicting it was built to last she described Evans at the outset as a
normal country guy and a dependable provider who offered financial assistance to friends strapped for cash
then one afternoon as she drove an intoxicated Evans home he punched her for the first time she broke up with him
only to relent to his begs for forgiveness and reunite three weeks later the abuse escalated and peaked
when she lost their child from an ectopic pregnancy Evans spiraled afterwards wrapping his
hands around her neck and threatening to kill her she took his threat seriously as Evans was a gun enthusiast turn'd
owned several firearms in 2001 she left all her belongings and fled to a friend's house marking the end
of her five-year ordeal Evans continued to harass and stalker until he moved to Queensland in 2007 a
former cleaner who serviced Devon's home told investigators of three threatening
incidents in August and September of 2002 she reported him to the police after she found him waiting in his car
outside her home despite having never told him where she lived as she never made a formal statement she was unaware
if any action was taken domestic violence orders do not appear on the respondents criminal record unless they
are disobeyed meaning this information was absent from Evans own record when questioned about Evans demeanor the day
after Leanne disappeared his friend Sam failed to notice anything unusual although Evans was in possession of a
brown handbag adorned with diamond shaped patterns Sam was able to describe the bag in
intricate detail that far exceeded the rudimentary description circulating in the media proving he had seen it in
person electronic surveillance was later placed on Evans mobile phone it recorded
a conversation between him and Sam with Evans conceding he may have had who Leanne sent back with him when he
visited Sam's home on April 20 as the investigation progressed Kari was unable to shake the feeling that Evans
knew more about her daughter's disappearance than he was letting on he looked her in her eyes and swore he had
no idea where Leanne had gone Kari quote I just had that feeling that gut feeling
I thought he knows something I know he knows something but nobody could prove anything let me ask you something
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after having been made aware that CCTV footage was available from the Imperial Tavern Graham Evans agreed to
participate in a formal police interview his story remains the same except for one detail he stated he arose before
dawn and drove to Carrie's house to safely and was there but the lights were off so he left without knocking on the
door as he drove away the Sun was rising indicating it must have been around 6:30
to 7:00 a.m. in a subsequent interview two weeks later Evans explained to this return trip took
him roughly 15 to 20 minutes and that he never exited his vehicle police had driven all possible routes Evans could
have taken two carries and back again determining the longest took just ten minutes this revelation appeared to
rattle Evans a little but he stuck to his questionable timeline prior to her final departure Evans claimed that LeAnn
returned from the supermarket with a plastic bag but she never removed it from her handbag so he didn't say its
contents but during his second interview Evans stated LeAnn had purchased the mushrooms this raised the question how
he could have known if she never disclosed to him what she had purchased Evans deflected calling it an educated
guess as both he and LeAnn loved mushrooms and often added them to meals while their official stance was that
foul play was involved investigators had yet to uncover any evidence to support this belief in April
2011 just short of a year since her disappearance her fresh appeal was launched by Leanne's friends and family
her Facebook campaign titled come home Lee was used to generate attention with a post by Leanne's cousin Cassandra
stating it's unbelievable but true as we all go on about our normal lives a family still wonders every moment where
Leanne may be Lee's son Bradley spent his first birthday two weeks ago without his mother although it may have been a
precious moment it could have been better for others this may just be another story but the truth is lien is
someone's daughter mother and sister no one believes that someone can just disappear without a trace we know
somewhere there is someone with something by 2012 having exhausted all lines of inquiry
the investigation into Leanne's disappearance officially went cold in July 2016 the cassowary Coast police
district underwent a change in senior management with the newly appointed chief Steve Kerr's Lee declaring lien
lappam's disappearance would be treated as a priority Queensland's homicide investigation unit
was brought in to assist in us fails Criminal Investigation Branch as they re investigated the case
Graeme Evans remain - their main suspect but it quickly became evident they weren't going to extract any new
information from him instead they focused on eliminating every other person of interest so a jury could see
that all signs pointed to Evans as the perpetrator the CCTV footage taken from the Imperial Tavern on the night of
April 19 2010 was re-examined showing several silhouetted figures crossing the road from the pub towards the Riverside
motel the tavern had since gone into liquidation the detectives managed to obtain staff logs and purchase records
from its bottle shop and bar they tracked down former employees and customers that night in an effort to
identify those captured on CCTV this was a large undertaking as several people had since moved overseas but eventually
the detectives were able to account for every silhouette in the darkened CCTV footage determining LeAnn was not one of
them a task force was established to review over 100 crime stopper files and other reports to establish what
information could be confidently eliminated from the investigation key witnesses were reinterred many of whom
expressed their opinion that Leanne's former housemaid augie was involved it was well known he had unreciprocated
romantic feelings Fillion and did not like Evans Oggy was known to Venus foul police as he had worked with them for
over 25 years towing vehicles from accident sites during initial questioning he was honest
about his affection for the and disdain for her boyfriend having come to her aid after several
altercations Augie claimed he last saw Leanne on April 16 2010 she appeared happy
although commented she didn't like leaving Evans alone with the baby during this meeting Auggie declared his love
filly an and expressed his interest in pursuing a relationship he received the text from her later that night but
didn't hear from her again which was unusual given she usually made contact at least every two days when he heard
she was missing he contacted Evans to voice his concerns and asked to be informed of any progress in the
investigation aw geez wrecking yard man do towing was in the business of providing old cars to scrap metal
companies after collecting a certain number of vehicles a car crusher would be transported from Brisbane to a
paddock 500 metres from his property rumors circulated as to whether the car crusher had been used to destroy
evidence and if Leanne was buried on August property although detectives were not
convinced of his guilt they understood the importance of officially writing all the out of the investigation by 2016
Oggy was imprisoned for drug-related convictions a search and excavation of his former wrecking yard was carried out
but nothing was uncovered to link him to Leanne's disappearance statements provided by a third party placed the
spotlight back on Graham Evans when police were informed that he spoke of having choked Leanne until her eyes
rolled back in her head On February 8 2017 investigators located Evans on his boat on the Johnson River he agreed to
accompany them back to the inner spell police station to participate in another recorded interview during which he
adhered to his original statements from years prior when questioned about minor inconsistencies in his
versions of events he stated he was unable to recall although the evidence against him was mostly circumstantial
Evans was the only suspect remaining after the extensive police inquiries and he was charged with the murder of LeAnn
Lapham Evans former cleaner who had spoken to police following Leanne's disappearance was interviewed for a
second time she admitted to not being completely forthright in her initial interview in 2010 fearful Evans would
hurt her for speaking with police she now admitted to having been intimate with Evans on one or two occasions in
2002 but there were never a couple in late August Evans tracked her down to her sister's
house and asked her to come to his property to do some cleaning unnerved by his unexpected presence and tense
demeanor she refused and asked him to leave but Evans grabbed her by the arm and said you're coming with me she broke
free and Evans then said I've only come here to do one thing he grabbed her by the throat and applied pressure he spat
in her face and threatened to kill her only relenting when her sister emerged from the house and threatened to call
the police Evans left the property hurling verbal abuse as he went she initially hesitated to report the
incident to the police as she knew Evans owned a gun and was proficient with a knife having once seen him carve up a
sheep despite her fears she proceeded with the report and a domestic violence order was issued she never saw Evans
again soon after she moved interstate and changed her phone number partly motivated by a desire to distance
herself from Evans although she hadn't heard from him since she remained fearful that he would find her again
in August 2017 new legislation was passed in Queensland Parliament titled nobody no parole this law required
prisoners convicted of murder or manslaughter to reveal the whereabouts of their
victims remains in order to be eligible for parole it aimed to provide closure for families applying to anyone
currently incarcerated with inmates told providing the information now will be taken into consideration when their
parole applications were made on September 19 2017 Graeme Evans appeared in the Brisbane
Supreme Court to apply for bail the statements provided by his former partners were presented along with a
transcript of the text messages sent between him and Leanne which displayed the volatility of their relationship
the court also heard that since his time in custody Evans had been contacting witnesses and questioning them about the
statements they made to police bail was therefore denied On February 7 2018 one year after his arrest
Evans lawyer contacted detectives to discuss the possibility of a plea bargain under the no body no parole
legislation Evans would plead guilty to the lesser charges of manslaughter and interference with a corpse and to lead
detectives to Leanne's remains in exchange for the shorter sentences imposed by these less serious charges
Leanne's family were consulted and although they had too mixed feelings about Evans receiving less jail time
they sought to be reunited with Leanne after all these years On February 27 evan stood before the
cannes supreme court to formally enter his guilty plea he then led police to a hillside covered in dense bush lands on
a private property in Cowley Beach approximately 20 kilometers south of Venice Vale where he confessed the
dumping Leanne's body eight years prior within just 20 minutes of the search commencing the first of Lian's remains
were uncovered Evans proceeded to provide police with his version of the events that transpired on the night of
April 19 2009 beginning with LeAnn's supermarket trip to buy the remaining ingredients for dinner while she was
gone heavens open to the fridge and found an open packet of bacon with a knife inside
he placed the bacon into a container and left the empty pocket and knife in the sink when LeAnn returned and saw the
items in the sink Evans alleged an argument broke out and a struggle ensued Evans overpowered LeAnn and wrestled her
onto the bed where he repeatedly punched and elbowed her in the head until she slid onto the floor he left the room to
smoke a cigarette and when he returned 20 minutes later she was no longer breathing panicked he waited until it
was dark before wrapping her body in a sleeping bag and placing it in his car he intended to throw her into the river
but it had recently flooded and he realized that unless she was taken by a crocodile she would likely flow through
Innis Vale the following day instead he hid her body in an area of dense bushland
and a couple of days later discarded her clothing and phone in a river south of venice bail
when Kerri heard that LeAnn had been found she almost fainted quote I knew that she was gone but I still had that
little bit of hope that she might have just run away it was closure that's what I needed more than anything even though
it's hurting it will always hurt it's just that little bit of closure that I know where she is now on March 21 2018
then now 43 year-old Graham Evans was sentenced in the Townsville Supreme Court his defense lawyer argued his
client had showed significant remorse and reflected on the events of LeAnn's death every day stating the difficulty
of course is the initial panic and the lie it's like a getting on a roller coaster that you can't get off the
prosecution urged the judge to hand down the maximum sentence of nine years with
no parole arguing that Evans showed a complete lack of dignity and respectfully an which shouldn't be
discounted simply because he directed police to her body a victim impact statement highlighted the devastating
impact to LeAnn's death had on her family with Carrie telling the court her daughter's death left a hole in her
heart quote we were mother and daughter but also best friends who could speak about
anything and everything I wanted to believe she had just taken off and could walk back through the door
I've lost a part of my soul that can never be replaced and a part of my heart that will never recover in sentencing
Townsville Supreme Court Judge justice david north described LeAnn's death as senseless and brutal quote it arose out
of a trivial domestic argument that got out of hand and can only have done so because of an inability to step back and
take a count off or control your anger he acknowledged that while leavens had started with brutality deception and
allies he had cooperated with the authorities had he failed to do so justice north stated his sentencing
would be considerably higher he saw it at Evans lack of prior criminal history reported good character
and the shame he felt he also accepted that LeAnn's death had been unintentional and that Evans had taken
full responsibility Graham Evans was therefore sentenced to serve nine years in prison with the possibility for
parole after just four years pending his performance during incarceration Evans plea bargain was the first case in
Australia solved under the no body no parole of legislation in a subsequent press conference
detectives encouraged anybody else in a similar situation to come forward to discuss their options with police
declaring the importance of returning homicide victims to their families cannot be understated
Evans lawyer Phil Rennick stated that Evans looked forward to doing his time and upon his release would go on to look
after his intially and son Bradley quote I don't know what the child understands
he's fairly young but it's going to come a time when mr. Evans or some other family will have to explain it to
Bradley the circumstances of his mother's death reached Bradley's classmates at his primary school where
he was teased for having a murderer as a father Carey quote imagine how a little
six-year-old seven-year-old boy feels with all that happening leaving abusive relationships can often
be a slow process with many survivors returning multiple times before separating for good some stay to avoid
homelessness poverty custody issues the shame of a failed relationship or because they have been exposed to such
prolonged abuse that their self-esteem has been severely impacted others have been cut off from their families friends
or communities leaving them with no support network to turn to whilst others fear no one will believe their partner
could be capable of abuse in many cases survivors stay because leaving in itself
can be dangerous violence often escalates when a partner attempts to leave and it is during this time that
most domestic violence related murders occur according to statistics compiled by not-for-profit organization white
ribbon Australia one Australian woman is killed by her current or former domestic
partner every week with indigenous women 32 times more likely to be hospitalized
from family violence than non-indigenous women domestic violence is also cited as
a major contributing factor to illness disability and premature death for Australian women aged between 18 and 44
years old and is the leading cause of homelessness for women and their children Australian police deal with
thousands of domestic violence matters each week approximately one incident every two minutes not all forms of
domestic abuse are physical that can include stalking emotional financial social spiritual and image based abuse
signs of an abusive relationship included perpetrators who humiliate their partner in front of others monitor
what they are doing read their private communications unfairly accused them of being
Faithfull control what they wear or eat prevent them from practicing their religion or constantly criticized their
appearance intelligence or mental health silence and inaction are cited as reasons cycles of violence continued to
perpetuate it is encouraged to speak to people privately who appear to be trapped in an abusive relationship
if someone discloses their experience with domestic violence to you what ribbon Australia recommends you listen
with our judgement offer encouragement and support help the survivor discuss options ask if they need assistance
contact a support service and keep in touch to see how they are going respect their concerns and to reassure them they
have done the right thing by confiding in you and don't force them into making any decisions check with them first
before you say anything to their partner as violence may escalate if they discover you have been informed about
the abuse keep the information confidential unless children are involved and the laws of your state or
territory require you to inform police in support of this episode white ribbon Australia provided case file a statement
that read raising awareness is a critical part of preventing violence community's standing together and saying
no to violence against women and children can encourage people to speak out when they see behavior that isn't
okay or to question their mates behavior towards their partner or even their own
attitudes bringing violence against women and children into the spotlight is a key
step in ending disrespect and violence Kerry is waiting for the right time and place to scout aliens ashes explaining
I've got to let her be free cuz she was a free girl she hopes Leanne's murder will act as a warning to others to free
themselves from abusive relationships urging people to end things after the very first sign of violence as Leanne
would never have believed Evans was capable of escalating as far as he did well if there is anybody out there that
is going through with it going through it get out of it go report it there is always somebody around there to help
them there is somebody out there that can help them don't be scared yeah yeah gotta get out ma don't be
afraid hey thought it depends on how they've been threatened for you know like you
know thoughts still it out there and let somebody know about it yeah you've got to open your mind open your
eyes and open your mouth more than anything I think yeah and let it go on any longer than once only that once it's
all you need and there's a lot of people out there they'll be thinking oh well it
was just a one-off but it's never a one-off once they start that's it it'll just keep going and getting worse and
worse well I reckon if she had of if she hadn't gone and and hadn't charged the first pond I don't think this would have
happened but see he was probably thinking well I've got away with it this far and go even further if I want that's
what I said it's hard to know what anybody's thinking when this is all happening you know it's pretty hard but
I don't reckon she would have been dead now if she had to go on and saying somebody about it she wouldn't even talk
to me really properly about it you know cuz I used to say to her you were right like yeah everything's fine
well why'd you leave him no because he started mouthing off and round around around I said well that's fair enough
what do you want to go back for oh I love him and I said I you can love somebody but you don't have to put up
with [ __ ] it's not worth it my no hero and you want to do something about it oh
she liked my what does it take to get it through their heads don't put up with it it's
not worth it you can only give it voice by saying don't be there because it'll only get worse
that will get worse it'll never get better imagine what their families we think you know they get bashed and
killed and all that they're not just losing themselves what about their families how their families are feeling
about it or would feel about it it's not a good thing leave behind but you know what if it's not where I can
make whether you've got kids or not don't be there don't put the kids through that it
because they're the ones who's going to be suffering too my daughter's dead now and she was only 30 years old yeah and
there is younger than money up edits , you know there's help out there but people don't can I say they don't seem
to wanna look to find it you know go to their parents go to a friend go to somebody you know there is help out
there there is no I just wish to Ling in have it taken you know when I told oh you
want to do something about it now you know because otherwise it just get worse and look we're gotta
[Music] [Music] you

Case 122: Leeann Lapham

Casefile would like to thank The Queensland Police Homicide Investigation Unit, The White Ribbon Foundation, and the family of Leeann Lapham for their assistance and support in creating this episode and highlighting the issues raised...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research – Anonymous Host and Elsha McGill with assistance from the Queensland Police Homicide Investigation Unit Writing – Elsha McGill Production, scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn Creative director – Milly Raso

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-122-leeann-lapham

Brief Summary

Leanne Lapham's tragic story reveals the cycle of domestic violence and the consequences of abuse, culminating in her disappearance and murder by Graham Evans.

Key points

Cycle of Violence Explained. Dr. Lenore Walker's theory outlines the phases of abusive relationships.
Leanne's Playful Spirit. A light-hearted moment between Leanne and her mother showcases their bond.
A Dangerous Relationship. Leanne's relationship with Evans is marked by volatility and abuse.
Leanne's Disappearance. Leanne goes missing after a tumultuous relationship with Evans.
Kari's Gut Feeling. Kari sensed Evans knew more about her daughter's disappearance than he let on.
Closure After Years. Kari finally receives closure after the discovery of Leanne's remains.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I just love my mummy.

Leanne expresses her affection for her mother during a playful moment.

6:19WatchAug 24, 2019

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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