Cursed by a Nigerian witch doctor | Forensic Files

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[Music] website 69-year-old Maria Yan adored volunteering at the eastend Opportunity
Shop the store was attached to the living and learning center a community space that provided adult education and
Recreation programs in the regional Victorian town of Hillsville the up shop supported the
center financially by selling recycled clothes and household goods at affordable prices it also provided
retail experience for those looking to expand to their career opportunities it was this community
spirit that had drawn Maria to Hillsville in the first place located in the Yara Valley less
than an hour's Drive Northeast of Melbourne the town was known for its Lush Greenery Charming Main Street and
spectacular Mountain views with the population of fewer than 7 th000 residents Hillsville had a
village likee feel with the strong focus on community and the two things Maria cared about most in life were community
and family Maria who was widowed with three adult children took her managerial position at the East End Opportunity
Shop very seriously she went above and beyond to turn it into something special she put
her co-workers skills to good use assigning them jobs that elevated the humble secondhand store into an
attractive Boutique even when she wasn't working the shop was never far from Maria's mind
if donations came in that weren't in cable condition Maria took them home to wash and mend she did then give them to
single mothers who were struggling to make 's meet Maria's family joked that her house
smelled like a secondhand store but Maria didn't mind from a young age she'd always been drawn to helping those in
need having grown up in a large Italian family with little money she knew what it was like to
struggle but in early 2003 staff at the eastend Opportunity Shop noticed an obvious shift in Maria's Behavior saying
she seemed on edge anytime A car pulled up outside she appeared visibly nervous and asked them to see who it
was according to her colleagues Maria ad committed to feeling terrified at one point some customers
said they overheard Maria arguing on the phone they said when she hung up Maria told them the caller had just threatened
to kill [Music] her on the morning of Tuesday September 30 2003 Matthew Clifton made his way up
Juliet cresant although the residential street was just a short drive from the center
of Hillsville the sizable properties that dotted either side of the road were surrounded by trees and Hills giving the
neighborhood a pride priv at secluded field at roughly 8:15 a.m. Matthew arrived at the Steep driveway that led
to Maria Yan's home Maria had purchased the idilic single story Blu Stone property in
1997 with three bedrooms and two large living areas it provided all the space Maria needed to host her ever growing
extended family Maria's husband Ronald had passed away in 1984 and their three children
had long since flown The Nest but family remained Maria's number one priority she cared for her four young
grandchildren and loved to host guests from all walks of life but with one and a half acres of
both manicured Gardens and Native vegetation the property on Juliet cresant required a lot of
upkeep Maria was a very house proud woman and she liked things to be immaculate to maintain her yard she sought help
from locals who needed extra cash Matthew Clifton had been working as Maria's Gardener for the past 2 years
with a focus on attracting more birds to the property Maria often joined him in the
garden but when Matthew arrived on this occasion Maria wasn't outside he tapped on the door to let
Maria know he was there then got to work but after 30 minutes he needed her help Matthew had some new roses to plant
and he wasn't sure where Maria wanted them to go Matthew knocked on the front door
there was no answer he turned the handle of the mesh security door and found that it was
unlocked so was the main door Matthew took his boots off and led himself in calling out Maria's
name the entrance led to the open plan living and kitchen area Matthew noticed that Maria's wallet
was lying on the floor near the kitchen bench with its content scattered about the TV was on but the volume had
been turned all the way down that's when Matthew saw Maria she was sitting in a club lounge
chair facing the television her body slumped to one side Matthew thought Maria must have
fallen asleep but as he got closer he realized that her head was covered with blood within hours Juliet cresant was
teaming with police in total Maria Yan had sustained 22 blows to the top of her head the
repeated blunt force trauma had resulted in extensive cranial fractures a severed
earlobe and ultimately death the murder weapon was nowhere to be found and was difficult to narrow down several items
could have caused such injuries including a plank of wood an ax handle or an iron
bar blood spatter dotted the living room and was smeared on Mara's purse it appeared that at least one
credit card was missing however nothing else appeared to have been stolen and the rest of the house was
Immaculate the beds were all made the furniture was in place and there were no signs of a
struggle in fact Maria didn't have a single defensive wound similarly there were no signs of
forced entry apart from the front door on the western side of the house all of the
doors and windows were locked a search for fingerprints and DNA came up a dry outside the living room window lay a
Blood Stained tow other than that the killer had left behind no clues Maria's three grown children Jeff
Rond and Pauline were beside themselves when they heard the news the Yan were incredibly close-nit
Maria and her husband had worked hard to give their children a joyful childhood instilling in them a great appreciation
for food nature culture and family they lived in the coastal suburb of Frankston before Maria and Ronald
retired to a hobby Farm in the regional town of aaran Maria loved the land and took
pride in growing her own produce but after Ronald suffered a fatal heart attack the farm was too difficult to
maintain on her own she moved to Hillsville to be closer to her family the three siblings adored their
mother and couldn't understand how such a generous and caring woman could meet such a violent hand
as Jeff later told Sky News it sounds a bit corny but Mom was one of the good ones Maria's eldest daughter Ronda found
the news particularly hard to process Maria had called Ronda the previous evening at around 7:40
p.m. the two had spoken for just under half an hour and it had been a completely normal
conversation at no point did sound like Maria had company nor did she mention that she was expecting
anyone just after 8:00 Maria said she had to go the ABC television show Australian story had just started and
was covering a story about journalist Mike Monroe that Maria was eager to see Monday nights were considered
Maria's chill out night and watching Australian story was part of her usual routine based on this information
investigators started to piece together Maria's final moments a pathologist determined that
she had died between 9:00 p.m. on Monday September 29 and 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday September
30 the evidence indicated it was on the earlier end of that timeline when Maria's body was found the
living room curtains were open and a single lamp was on Maria was wearing pants and a jumper and hadn't yet
dressed for bed the muted TV was still switched to ABC the channel she had been watching at
8:00 p.m. one of Maria's sisters had tried to call her at around 11:15 p.m. but there
was no answer this was unusual and indicated that Maria was likely already dead when
the call came through for Maria's children there was another detail that gave them
pause Maria had been killed while sitting in the club lounge chair that sat directly opposite her
television when Maria watched TV she always sat in her favorite recliner chair she only sat in the club Lounge
when talking to guests investigators quickly made a key assumption this wasn't a robbery gone
wrong Maria Yan likely knew her killer and had willingly invited them inside the question was who would want to kill
this innocent grandmother by all accounts Maria Yan was a pillar of the community her
volunteer work went far beyond the op shop she also helped people experiencing homelessness and individuals overcoming
addictions either by offering them work or giving them a place to stay her compassion knew no bounds even
on Christmas day when Maria was always busy hosting her large extended family she took the time to deliver extra meals
to people who were doing it tough or had no one else to celebrate with investigators considered whether
Maria's Good Deeds could have played a role in her demise Maria's friends and family said
she trusted people implicitly some of those she'd helped were individuals trying to get back on
their feet after serving prison time several disadvantaged members of the community who had recent dealings with
Maria were looked into but each was able to provide a solid Alibi for the night of Monday September
29 Hillsville residents struggled to come to terms with Maria's Murder One outraged local told
reporters it was a cowardly act for anybody to walk into somebody's house at night while they're sitting down by the
fire watching television and beat them to death and I hope they catch the mongrel investigators obtained Maria's
will which stipulated that her entire estate be divided equally among her three children suspicions were immediately
cast on Maria's son Jeff Yan who lived roughly 80 km south of Hillsville he seemed to know the most
about her movements and habits investigators were aware that the perpetrators of violent crimes are often
closest to the victim but not only did Jeff have a solid Alibi it quickly became clear that
he was a doting son who considered himself his mother's protector despite Maria's trusting
nature Jeff disputed that she would open her door to just anyone he told police that she always
locked both the security door and the main door and would only open them to people she knew especially at night the
entrance to Maria's property was secured by a set of Steel automatic Gates Jeff said that if Maria wasn't
expecting visitors she kept these locked while also keeping all external lights off to conserve
power September nights in Hillsville could be bitterly cold but according to Jeff Maria only lit the fire if she had
guests over and wanted to make them comfortable if a guest wasn't welcome or Maria hoped to keep the visit brief she
wouldn't light the fire on the night of her murder the fireplace in Maria's living room had
been set up but not lit on the day Maria was killed she' visited her sister carela who also lived
in Hillsville Maria confided in Carmela that she had just been to see a counselor
it had been an eye-opening experience according to Carmela Maria explained that she'd discussed
everything from her childhood to her personal Grievances and was feeling empowered she said she was no longer
going to be a passive Observer who put up with poor treatment Carmela suspected she knew
exactly what Maria was referring to over the past few months there had been one situation in particular that had been
troubling Maria it related to The Marriage of her youngest daughter Pauline Pauline had met a man named
James unaru in 1982 and the two quickly commenced a romantic relationship Maria adored James from the
moment she met him he was a Nigerian immigrant who'd moved to Australia on his own in the
1970s realizing James had no family down under Maria embraced him with open arms she loved the new culture that he
brought to her already diverse family and quickly became his biggest supporter in the years that followed
Maria became like a mother to her new son-in-law she supported the couple financially by selling them her home in
Frankston at a low cost on the Proviso that they pay her back over time she also provided James with
emotional support which according to those close to her was no easy task from the outset Pauline and James
had a turbulent relationship marred by fighting and multiple separations according to Pauline James
was a very possessive husband Pauline claimed that while he wasn't physically abusive he had a
volatile temper this prompted her to take out two intervention orders against him over the
course of their their marriage Maria's son Jeff initially had a great relationship with his
brother-in-law until he accompanied James on a trip to his home country of Nigeria there Jeff claimed to have
witnessed to James cheat on Pauline when they returned to Australia their friendship was fractured Beyond
repair during a period of separation between him and Pauline James began a casual relationship with another
woman he and Pauline reconciled soon after but unbeknownst to Pauline James had become a father within that
time he kept his child a secret from Pauline for several years when she found out she was
devastated James and Pauline had been unsuccessfully trying to have a child together for
years Pauline had one pregnancy that tragically resulted in still birth regardless of how painful this
development was she took a James back Maria had raised her children to believe that marriages should be worked
on when times get tough she often played the role of Peacemaker in James and Pauline's marriage acting as a filter
for all their ongoing issues over time this took a toll as the relationship continued to
deteriorate Maria felt like she was being dragged into a constant emotional tug of
war by the start of 2003 Maria told friends and family that she felt James was becoming increasingly deceitful and
obsessive about maintaining control over Pauline she couldn't handle it anymore for the first time Maria
encouraged Pauline to leave the relationship and Pauline began taking steps to do
so in mid April 2003 Maria went to Pauline's house to help her pack some of her things according to her son Jeff
Maria told him that James became Furious grabbing Maria roughly and throwing her
from the house Maria was shaken according to Jeff Maria said she thought James unaru was a bad man but
she'd continue to support him for as long as Pauline wanted to remain in the marriage
that all changed on April 21 2003 that day Jeff's phone rang and Maria was on the other
line according to Jeff Maria requested that he get to James and Pauline's house in Frankston as quickly as
possible there had been an altercation between the couple and Maria said she was concerned for Pauline's
safety when Jeff arrived he claimed he found the couple standing in the kitchen he approached James and
said there's nothing I can do about you and Pauline but you don't ever manhandled
mom Jeff later reported to police that James suddenly pulled out a large Skilling knife and tried to grab him by
the throat Jeff said he managed to scramble away and grab a shovel that was lying
outside Pauline intervened by locking herself inside with the James Jeff called the police who visited
the property but no further action was taken according to Jeff James called him afterwards with a threat if Jeff ever
came to his house again James would kill him James's brother had recently passed
away and Pauline was doing her best to support him through his grief but she'd had enough she officially began divorce
proceedings according to an intervention order she submitted James issued her with a
warning I'll kill you if you leave me but don't worry I'll make it quick and you won't
suffer the breakdown of her daughter's marriage caused Maria Yan a great deal of stress some around her claimed she
became increasingly scared of James unaru and started jumping anytime a car arrived at the option
Shop friends said Maria told them that James had caught her at work threatening to kill
her after that she took an extended leave of absence she went into State and tried to recover from what some
described as an emotional breakdown upon her return Maria focused on helping Pauline leave the
relationship for good Pauline moved into a rental unit keeping the address a secret from James but according to
Pauline he started following her and it didn't take long for him to figure out where she was
living Maria agreed to store some of Pauline's personal belongings in her shed among them were the ashes of
Pauline and James's still born baby Jeff said he was concerned that James would come looking for the ashes
and bought a large padlock for the shed Maria promised to keep it LO Ed one day after this a friend said that
Maria told them about an incident in which she was burning off some vegetation in her padic when she
returned to her house she was shocked to find a James inside after that she told friends and
family she was convinced that he was trying to steal the ashes Maria's sister Dorothy remembered
receiving a call from Maria at 11:00 one night Maria was frightened she said she
could hear a shuffling noise outside and didn't know what it was Dorothy told her
to go out and investigate while she stayed on the line according to Dorothy Maria returned
to the phone saying it was James unaru according to an affidavit signed by Maria and filed in the Family Law
Court James showed up to her house on July 24th 20 three he'd become increasingly concerned
that Pauline was seeing someone else James appeared groggy and weak and collapsed onto the
couch Maria was worried claiming in the affidavit that James had recently threatened suicide multiple
times James told Maria that he'd taken something which she believed to be sleeping
pills Maria called an ambulance but the ATT attending paramedics determined that
James hadn't taken a lethal dose and didn't require any treatment according to Maria after they
left James swallowed more pills Maria said she stayed up all night keeping a panicked eye on him the next
day James returned home but Maria said in her affidavit that a few days later she received a phone call from one of
his neighbors saying that James was trying to hang himself she stated that she and Pauline
spent the night at the couple's house trying to console him during which time James confiscated Maria's car keys to
prevent them from leaving following this incident Pauline went to stay with Maria for the
weekend she later told police that the two made a packed Pauline would leave James for good and Maria would do
everything she could to support her and make sure the separation worked this time according to a mutual friend
Pauline said that she and her mother discussed plans to sell their homes and buy a property they could live in
together Pauline claimed that when she returned to her rental unit she noticed something wasn't
right from the outside everything appeared to be in place there were no signs of forced entry or any damage but
once inside Pauline quickly noticed that several items were missing including large items of
furniture a picture frame she'd hidden beneath some clothes was sitting out in the open the photo inside it which had
featured Pauline's boss had been stolen Pauline immediately suspected her husband was
responsible according to Pauline James had become increasingly fixated on the the idea that she and her boss were
having an affair she also suspected that James had the means to let himself into her
flat when Pauline and Maria consoled James after his latest suicide attempt he' ducked out briefly saying he needed
to buy groceries Pauline and Maria both said they suspected he'd taken her keys to
get [Music] copied when Maria found out about the break-in she was Furious as detailed in her affidavit she
believed that James unaru was responsible Maria didn't think that James had acted
alone Maria claimed he' likely had assistance from his nephew whom she suspected had recently entered Australia
using a false passport enraged Maria reportedly called the police and named James's nephew as
an illegal immigrant she then gave James a piece of her mind telling him what she'd done and
urging him to accept that his marriage was over according to Maria's affid David
James drove her to Pauline's place so that she could mediate a meeting between the
two as they drove he started rambling about his suspicion that Pauline was involved with her boss Dominic the man
whose picture had been taken from Pauline's house Maria said she assured James this wasn't
true even though friends later confirmed that the two had in fact commenced a romantic
relationship according to Maria James suddenly handed her his mobile phone and told her to listen a man on the other
line introduced himself as babba he explained that he was a witch doctor from Nigeria Baba alleged edly told Maria
that James had sent him a photo of Dominic and he and his family had put a voodoo curse on
it Baba said that Dominic was going to die he urged Maria to encourage Pauline to work on her marriage with the
James as Maria later told her sister Baba warned that if she didn't comply something bad would happen within 7
days Maria claimed she hung up in disgust and told James he was being ridiculous she said James told her this
was all part of his Heritage in Nigerian culture a witch doctor is a type of healer who works outside of conventional
medicine many believe that witch doctors have a connection with the spirit world
and that they can help protect against evil forces according to Maria's affidavit
James told her that if Dominic didn't die in the next few weeks as Baba predicted he'd slit Dominic's throat
himself James apparently stated I've lost everything I have got nothing to lose I don't care if I end up
in jail nobody is going to win out of this one Maria was a spiritual person and she
told people that the conversation with the witch doctor had left her shaken now that she'd seen a sight of
James unaru she didn't like she felt responsible for letting him remain in their
family she believed if it hadn't been for her then Pauline would have left him 10 years
earlier by the start of September 2003 friends and family observed that Maria was increasingly exhausted by the
ongoing phone calls and visits from James pleading for her help with his marriage several friends said that Maria
told them she was afraid of what James might do she feared he would either kill himself Pauline or
her to make matters worse James placed a caveat on the Frankston property to prevent Pauline from selling it it was
at this point that Maria submitted her official affidavit to the Family Court outlining her allegations about all of
James's recent erratic and controlling Behavior she stated that he and Pauline still owed her $40,000 for the purchase
of the property and supported Pauline's claim to a larger percentage of the estate after the affidavit was filed
James appeared to accept that his marriage to Pauline was over he started putting wheels in motion
to sell the Frankston house and told Pauline he was thinking about moving into State he asked Pauline to go with him
but she reiterated that there was no chance of the two of them getting back together she had one priority and that
was to take care of her mother on Monday September 29 Maria apparently told her sister carela that
she was Fed Up according to Carmela Paulina had told her she still loved James Maria said she was tired of people
walking all over her and she intended to start standing up for herself Carmela fully supported her
sister and encouraged her new attitude hours later Maria was dead to investigators it seemed entirely
plausible that James unaru could have arrived at Maria's home unannounced as she settled down to watch TV for the
night they theorized that she might have invited him in and sat down in the club
Lounge to have a conversation without warning unaru could have struck her from behind beating her
to death before rifling through her purse to make it look like a robbery James unaru agreed to provide a
witness statement to the police in which he explained that Maria Yan had been an
ongoing supporter of his marriage to Pauline UNAM Madu said the two spoke often and that he occasionally visited
Maria to help with odd jobs but the last time he'd stopped by was four weeks prior to her
death on the Monday that Maria was killed UNAM Madu had the day off from his job working a production line for a
packaging company he said he'd spent most of the day cleaning the Frankston property in
preparation for it being sold he'd hired a 3 cubic met skip bin to help with the
process he claimed he was home all day save for a couple of hours between 3 and 5:00 at around 510 p.m. he came inside
to soak some white clothing in bleach in the bathtub because he didn't have a washing
machine he then made dinner and sat down to watch Australian story he didn't typically watched the
show but said he was interested in the story about Mike Monroe unaru said that after this he
rinsed out his laundry unsuccessfully tried to call Pauline a couple of times and then went to
bed unaru denied ever threatening or intimidating Maria Yan he said he considered her like his own
mother but investigators were suspicious about some of his answers Australian story was an ABC
program yet in his statement James unnadu said he had watched the show on Channel 9 before switching the TV over
to the ABC his comment that the last time he'd visited Maria was four weeks prior was
also contradicted by others Maria's sister Dorothy said she had dropped by for a visit exactly one
week before Maria was killed Dorothy claimed that James unaru was inside when she arrived arguing with
Maria she said when namadu saw her he became fidgety visiting Maria on a Monday evening was a weekly routine for Dorothy
but she told Maria this was the last time she'd be doing so as she had just accepted a new
Commitment if fadu had been there as well he'd Del likely overheard this meaning there was a strong chance he
knew Maria would be home alone on the night she was killed because zadu lived alone he
didn't have a an alibi for the crucial window between 6: and 11:00 p.m. on Monday September
29 these factors along with the concerning statements that continue to roll in from Maria's friends and family
officially propelled James unaru to the position of prime suspect in the murder of Maria
[Music] Yan UNAM Madu told police He was unaware that he owed Maria any money he only learned of this four weeks prior
when his lawyer told him about the affidavit Maria had submitted to the family court unaru claimed he never saw the
affidavit he also said that money wasn't an issue and that he would have happily
paid Maria the outstanding debt he denied ever threatening Jeff Yan with a knife saying he'd only held up a
stick while he acknowledged the breakdown of his marriage he insisted it was amicable and that he and Pauline
remained friends who were working towards a Reconciliation he rejected allegations
that he was responsible for the Breakin at Pauline's unit he also denied having a dispute with Maria about the property
stored in her shed or attempting to break into it as for the suggestion that he'd
attempted suicide under Maria's watch unaru insisted that he'd simply been tired when asked about the alleged
conversation Maria had with the witch doctor unaru firmly denied that such a call ever took place he said that as a
Christian he didn't believe in Witch Doctors he also claimed to have no idea that his nephew was in the country
illegally nor had Maria ever said she'd report him to immigration as far as unaru was
concerned he'd never threatened Maria and she had no reason to be frightened of him
he refused to believe that Maria would ever say such a thing to anyone else and firmly denied having anything to do with
her death according to unaru Maria was his pillar 6 days later police obtained a
search warrant for unu's Frankston home in a manhole in the laundry they found a
black bag inside were various personal documents including court papers intervention orders various servu debts
and a photo of Pauline's boss Dominic unu's vehicle a white Mitsubishi Express van that he used for contract
cleaning jobs was also examined when police had first questioned unaru an officer had noted
that the van's exterior and interior were filthy the dash was covered in a thick layer of dust and the rear carpet
was torn and stained scattered about inside were cleaning products rubbish and cigarette
BTS this time the exterior was unchanged but the interior was markedly different the majority of the rubbish
had been cleaned up and it appeared that new carpet had been fitted to the rear according to Pauline this was
unusual she said that in the year unnadu had owned the van he'd only ever cleaned
it once James unaru told police that on the night of Maria's murder his van was parked outside his house under the
carport however at that time the 3 cubic met skip bin had been sitting under the
carport and at 500 kg it couldn't be moved by hint the skip was no longer on the
property but based on its size investigators determined it was impossible for unu's van to be parked in
the carport as well they spoke to a neighbor who could not recall seeing the van parked in the
street on the night of Monday September 29 in a bid to establish whether James zadu was indeed home that night as he
claimed police obtained his phone records he had previously told them that he was out between 3:00 and just after
5: but records showed a dial up internet connection from his home computer at 4:15
p.m. at 5:52 p.m. telephone records indicated that unaru used his mobile phone to call a
plumber data showed that his phone was in Frankston at the time of this call a phone call came through to unu's
mobile at 8:40 p.m. but he didn't answer it therefore no data had been recorded to ascertain the device's location
there was no further activity on either line until 11:15 p.m. when un amadu tried calling poine Yan from both his
landline and mobile he claimed he'd wanted to discuss a letter from their Bank regarding their
morgage this meant there was a window of 5 hours and 25 minutes where no data existed on unu's phone and his
whereabouts couldn't be ascertained between 552 and 11:15 p.m. investigators wondered did that
leave enough time for James unaru to commit the crime the most direct route between
unu's home in Frankston and Maria's home in Hillsville was 81 km investigators traveled the route
themselves departing from Frankston at 5:52 p.m. on a Monday evening they traveled the speed limit
until they reached Juliet cresant at 7 24 p.m. leaving Hillsville at 10: p.m. they
arrived back in Frankston at 11:09 based on standard Monday evening traffic they determined the minimum
round trip was roughly 2 hours and 41 minutes James unaru would have had plenty of
time unaru told police that nobody else had access to his mobile phone he also claimed he hadn't seen Maria for 4 weeks
before her murder if that was the case his phone data raised another significant
question at 10:14 p.m. on Wednesday September 24 5 days before Maria's murder unu's phone had pinged off a
tower in Hillsville according to various friends and members of the Yan family UNAM Madu
didn't know anyone in Hillsville other than Maria and they knew of no reason reason for him to be in the
[Music] area the case against James unnadu looked to be stacking up he had a motive
to kill Maria Yan and seemed to have been caught in a number of Lies but after months of Investigation the case
was still entirely circumstantial with no evidence tying him to the crime according to a Yan family friend
unaru admitted to Pauline that he was responsible for the Breakin at her rental unit Pauline told police he had returned
most of the items he'd taken and she decided not to press charges in May 2004 Pauline Yan gave the
police another statement refuting her ex-husband's claim that he didn't believe in Witch
Doctors Pauline said it was actually an intrinsic part of his culture she said that UNAM Madu had
admitted to her that during their separation he'd sought help from a witch doctor in the hopes that they'd get back
together according to Pauline he'd also told her about the core between Maria and
BBA this was supported by phone records which showed two calls to Nigeria from unu's phone on the night Maria alleged
the calls occurred furthermore Pauline insisted UNAM Madu was fully aware of the debt
they owed Maria Pauline told police that UNAM Madu knew the significant role that Maria
played in dictating Pauline's decisions about the future he knew exactly how close they were and that Maria's death
would devastate her Pauline claimed that on a number of occasions during their marriage and separation unnadu told her
you think this is hell I'll show you hell regardless Pauline didn't think he was capable of murder he loved Maria and
for all his shortcomings he would never have hurt her she told one friend that if unaru had killed her mother she would
have no choice but to kill herself a close friend of unu's was aware of the issues between the couple
she claimed that unaru had told her all about the Nigerian Witch Doctor Who Would curse anyone who tried to separate
him and Pauline she told police that when Pauline moved out of the matrimonial home unaru had stated it's all out
War months continued to pass but still police found no concrete evidence tying James unnadu to Maria Yan's
murder for her family there could be no greater Injustice than the case going cold relationships among family members
had already become fractured in the wake of the crime they needed answers to heal
and move on for Maria's son Jeff his mother's murder had to be solved not just for her
family but for her community Jeff told reporters mom was such a worker for the community and people like her should be
looked after a bit better than that by February 2006 6 2 and A2 years had passed since Maria was killed and
still there had been no arrests an inquest was held to go over all the available
evidence over two days numerous Witnesses testified about Maria's growing fear of James unnadu and her
Rising belief that something bad was going to happen unnadu didn't testify on the
grounds that he could incriminate himself but Pauline Yan disputed the claims against him she defended her
ex-husband and criticized police handling of the case saying they'd ignored Persons of Interest who didn't
fit their theory of what happened in total there had been 20 different Persons of Interest during the
course of the investigation the lead detective rejected Pauline's assertion saying all of the people nominated have
been eliminated and have aliis there is only one person in this inquiry who remained a suspect and that's James
unaru as the inquest wrapped up investigators were approached by a woman named Andrea King Andrea had previously
told police she didn't know James unaru but that was apparently a lie she now claimed the two had been
casually dating around August 2003 during unu's separation from Pauline and she had something she needed to get off
her chest according to Andrea King UNAM Madu had been open and upfront about the
issues he was having with Pauline and Maria Yan following the robbery of Pauline's unit Andrea claimed she
overheard unu's side of a telephone conversation according to Andrea he told the unknown
person on the other line the stuff is safe and it is in storage if police ask you you know nothing I had gloves
on Andrea said she warn dunam Madu that he shouldn't be taking the Law into his own hands he responded you wouldn't
understand you don't know what I have been through according to Andrea unaru repeatedly told her that Maria and
Pauline were hassling him he couldn't understand why Maria was taking Pauline's side when Nadu had been like a
son to her he felt betrayed as though he'd been stabbed in the back and was convinced that Maria didn't think he was
good enough for her daughter UNAM Madu had told police he didn't answer the 840 p.m. phone call to
his mobile on the night Maria was murdered because he thought it was a plumber chasing
money in reality the caller was Andrea King Andrea also spoke with dunam Madu after police executed the search warrant
of his home and vehicle she told police that she noticed him become edgy when the subject of the
search came up and he started tapping his foot furiously Andrea said that unaru began
asking how police could possibly know whether he was in Hillsville on the night of Maria's murder
according to Andrea she then overheard unu's side of another phone conversation this time he spoke in a
combination of English and a language that she didn't understand Andrea claimed to have heard unaru
say the stuff's safe you know nothing if the police ask you know nothing don't say
anything Andrea said that about 10 days after Maria's death unnadu arrived at her home
unannounced according to Andrea unaru was smiling as he told her I did this I killed
her she said he then boasted that he wouldn't go to jail because the police had no proof he was
responsible Andrea claimed to have cut him off saying she didn't want to be involved she asked that he leave and
stop contacting her sure shortly after this alleged confession Andrea moved house she said she didn't report unaru
to police because she assumed they would have enough evidence to charge him armed with Andrea's statement
investigators felt they didn't need to wait for the inquest findings to make their move on February 8 2006 they
arrested James unnadu for the murder of Maria Yan unaru maintained his innocence
pleading not guilty at trial 2 years later in January 2008 almost 4 and a half years had
passed since Maria's death and the case had long since faded from the headlines although Pauline was now in a
new relationship she continued to believe in her ex-husband's innocence for other members of the Yan
family the long awaited trial was their chance to finally see Justice served but
when the day came they were disheartened to see that there was almost no media in
attendance at the time Melbourne's Gangland killings were dominating the new cycle this disparity pained Jeff Yan he
later told the Australian newspaper that white trash Mafia got more coverage than our dear old
mom the prosecution's case was relatively straightforward forward James unaru who was Now 52 was a man
embittered by his impending divorce and the withdrawal of Maria Yan's support he viewed Maria as standing in
his way of reconciling with Pauline and there were Rising tensions about how the
money would be split after the sale of the Frankston home having gotten away with the
breaking into Pauline Yan's unit he felt confident he could eliminate Maria according to the prosecution
circumstantial evidence pointed to a carefully planned premeditated killing the defense cast doubt on the
circumstantial case pointing out there's no forensic evidence there's no fingerprints there's no
eyewitnesses they questioned why unaru would ever confess to Andrea King when he barely knew
her they urged the jury to discredit the alleged confession entirely suggesting that Andrea King was simply hoping to
collect the $100,000 reward that had been offered by police after 2 weeks of evidence it took
the jury just 5 hours of deliberation before reaching a verdict not guilty Maria's loved ones sat in stunned
silence this was something they'd been mentally preparing for prior to the trial the judge had deemed several items
of evidence inadmissible the prosecution were prohibited from making any mention of
the alleged call from the Nigerian witch doctor or the alleged death threats unaru made to Maria and
Pauline they were also forbidden from mentioning unu's alleged manhandling of Maria or his alleged knife attack
against Jeff Yan without Maria around to give firsthand evidence relating to these
incidents the evidence was deemed prejudicial hearsay James unnadu was free to go members of Maria's family struggled
to understand why this evidence which they viewed as highly compelling couldn't be presented in
court Jeff told the Herald's son the whole ordeal has been surreal for all of us it's been an incredible
emotional Journey Journey we were just a normal family good people but I think as
a family we stand dignified with the James un amadu declared not guilty no further Avenues
were investigated and the case was filed away the Yan family did their best to move on but the trauma of Maria's murder
followed them anger swelled not just because they were left with unanswered questions
about the crime but because of the expectation that they simply carry on with their lives as though nothing had
ever happened those who believed dunam Madu was guilty like Jeff Yan struggled to comprehend that he was free to
continue living in their community and that he could strike again Jeff's daughters Esther and Bella
had been just seven and N when their cherished n was killed at the time they didn't fully
understand the weight of what had happened but as they grew older They Carried scars from the ongoing
experience both Esther and Bella eventually pursued careers that involved helping victims of
crime it was a legacy that Jeff was proud of but Esther and Bella were haunted by the unfairness of it
all they adored their naor and felt robbed that their memories of Maria were tarnished by the facts surrounding her
murder appearing on the podcast Australian True Crime Esther said this case has done a lot of damage
I love my family we're super strong but at the same time it's done a lot of damage on a good day we look normal and
we're celebrating and we're happy but on a bad day it has left its Mark in 2021 the Victorian police
launched their Cold Case Hub an online portal where civilians can learn more about the state's unsolved homicides and
help solve them detective inspector Tim day appeared on radio station 3aw to promote
the Hub as the interview wrapped up the presenter asked day if there was one case in particular that he'd like to see
solved day didn't hesitate before answering the murder of Maria Yan asked why da responded I think that
it's solvable when Maria's family heard about the radio appearance they were ecstatic detective day had been one of
the original investigators on Maria's murder and if he still thought the case was solvable after 18 years it gave them
a glimmer of hope since James unu's trial changes had also been made to Victoria's Double
Jeopardy laws which meant that a person could be charged with the same crime twice if new and compelling evidence
emerged Jeff later explained to Sky News journalist denim Hitchcock that up until
that point the investigation only had a faint pulse after the radio segment quote it
was like music to our ears all of a sudden that slight pulse was a defined heartbeat and it's just become stronger
and stronger following detective day's comments on 3aw in 2021 a review was ordered of Maria Yan's case a new lead
investigator was assigned to start looking at Maria's murder from scratch she made it clear that the new team
would go into things with an open mind reviewing all 20 Persons of Interest nominated during the original
investigation they would not be clouded by tunnel vision the lead detective told the
Australian it is basically in our eyes an unsolved investigation we're not bound At All by
what's happened in the past investigation and in fact we like to work freely from
it as the 20-year anniversary of Maria's murder approached in May 2023 Victoria Police announced a $1 million reward for
information relating to Maria's case they also released crime scene photos in the hopes that might jog
someone's memory a police spokesperson said police have spoken to dozens of people as part of
this investigation however there is always the possibility there is someone out there who is yet to speak to us
alternatively it might be someone who has never felt ready to provide detectives with particular information
and for them the time is now right Jeff Yan hoped that the significant sum would compel someone to
come forward forward telling reporters that he still carries a lot of anger quote that's been one of the worst
feelings that this person committed such a brutal and cowardly act has been walking freely in the community for 20
years he could be living next door to you as of late 2023 the renewed investigation into the murder of Maria
Yan has not resulted in any charges if police have any new information they are keeping their cards close to their
chest case File acknowledges James unu's presumption of innocence in the eyes of
the law he has been acquitted of the crime and he continues to deny any involvement UNAM Madu told the
Australian newspaper for years I was persecuted of this vile murder I did not commit I
spent two years of my life in remand while the police and Fe family smeared my name on Google my name remains as the
suspect I am innocent and the police needed to look elsewhere but didn't when confronted by denim
Hitchcock for the 2023 documentary who murdered Maria Yan UNAM Madu denied ever confessing to the crime and refused to
comment any further according to the documentary Pauline continues to believe in his
innocence Maria's family runs a Facebook group titled help Maria Yan catch her murderer
which includes all public updates relating to the case After All These Years Maria is
never far from their minds Jeff Yan keeps a larger than life photo of Maria on his living room wall
it's the first thing he sees when he walks in the door and he talks to her every
day outside of the Hillsville living and learning center a garden bench sits in Maria's honor offering a place where
those touched by her life can sit and reflect Maria's sister deian avoids Hillsville as much as she can the memory
of what happened there is too painful and Maria's mark on the community too strong for Dean Maria exists in the
small things she told the star male every day Maria is with me every day she's in the wind she's in
everything nothing will bring her back but nothing will take her memory from me until I'm no longer
here anyone with information relating to the murder of Maria Yan is encouraged to
contact Crim stoppers on 18003 or reported anonymously at crimestoppers.com.au [Music]
[Music] [Music] that

Case 265: Marea Yann

For Marea Yann, two things mattered most in life – family and community. When the 69-year-old was found violently bludgeoned to death in her Healesville home, the small Victorian town was left shaken. It seemed impossible that anyone would want to hurt this doting grandmother and dedicated volunteer worker.

But as investigators learned more about Marea’s life, it quickly became clear that Marea had been living in fear of one person in particular.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Elsha McGill Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-265-marea-yann

Brief Summary

Maria Yan's murder in 2003 remains unsolved, with her son-in-law James Unaru acquitted despite strong suspicions against him.

Key points

Maria Yan's Community Spirit. Maria Yan was a beloved figure in Hillsville, known for her volunteer work and community support.
The Discovery of Maria's Body. Matthew Clifton finds Maria Yan's body in her home, leading to a police investigation.
A Mother's Love and Tragedy. Maria's children struggle to understand how their caring mother could be murdered.
James Unaru's Dark Behavior. James Unaru's volatile behavior and threats escalate, causing fear in Maria.
The Threatening Calls. Maria received threats from James Unaru, raising concerns for her safety.
The Witch Doctor's Warning. James consulted a witch doctor who predicted dire consequences if Maria didn't comply.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Mom was one of the good ones.

Jeff Yan reflects on his mother's character after her murder.

9:06WatchOct 28, 2023

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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