What really happened at The Gap in Sydney | Forensic Files

in Bakersfield California in 1991 two boys stumbled Upon A grisly Discovery the murdered body of a young woman
in the shadows is the new podcast from wondery plus and casefile presents which follows the ensuing 32-year ordeal to
uncover those responsible for the crime and to bring them to justice during the investigation of in the
shadows several individuals revealed a shocking information previously unknown to authorities ultimately this new
insight turned everything on its head the first episode of in the shadows is available wherever you get your podcasts
you can listen to the rest of the series ad free only on wondery Plus join wondery Plus in the wondery app or
on Apple podcasts and take advantage of their seven day free trial stay tuned to hear the trailer at the
end of today's episode [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
time 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 [Music] Teresa Marsden was incredibly close to her firstborn daughter 20 year old Renee
the two were more like best friends and they told each other everything Teresa had separated from Renee's
biological father when Renee was just two years old affording the mother and daughter a close Bond
winter razor eventually remarried a man named Mark and had three more children Renee was delighted nurturing and
kind-hearted she loved being an older sister and adored her family she considered Mark to be her real
father as he raised her and was always there for her Renee's life motto was family comes
first and everything else comes after one Mother's Day Renee presented Theresa with an unexpected surprise a tattoo in
her honor written down the side of Renee's rib cage were the words Life is Beautiful
because of you when Renee arrived home early from work on the afternoon of Monday August 5
2013. Teresa could immediately sense that something was wrong Renee was typically happy and bubbly
with a bright infectious smile but as she walked through the marsden's living room at their home in Sydney's
Northwestern suburb of Glenhaven she was visibly deflated Theresa asked Renee if everything was
okay Renee assured her mother that she was fine before disappearing upstairs to her
bedroom although Theresa instinctively knew that something was going on she gave her
daughter space she trusted that Renee would talk to her when she was ready then Teresa's phone beeped
it was a text message from Renee's boyfriend Braden spiteri it read sort your daughter out
threatening to kill herself [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] Marsden was introduced to Braden spiteri
in late November 2011 through her close friend Camilla zaidan Camilla and Braden had dated in the past
but Camilla felt that Renee and de Brayden were a more fitting match and she was more than happy to set them up
Camilla gave Renee Braden's phone number and the two began exchanging text messages
Renee was immediately intrigued by Braden the 24 year old came from a wealthy family and had attended one of
Sydney's most prominent private schools one of three children he was already in the process of taking over his father's
successful construction business which specialized in high-rise buildings Braden took pride in his appearance
which was evident in his muscular physique and clean-cut dark hair a photo Camilla had of her and Braden
together captured his warm Smile as Camilla rested her head on his shoulder like Renee Braden also had clear goals
for his life that revolved around marriage and starting a family there was just one problem
not long before Braden and Renee began texting Braden had been involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in the
death of his best friend he'd been anxiously awaiting a court date and when the day came he was
convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to two years in goulburn prison located two hours south of Sydney
Renee was devastated that the two didn't get the chance to meet before Braden's conviction but he reassured her that the
time would go fast he'd be out before her 21st birthday and they could see how things panned out
then in the meantime their relationship didn't have to come to a standstill with his lawyer's help Braden managed to
sneak a mobile phone into his cell [Music] he couldn't risk speaking on it in case
anyone overheard him but he could continue messaging Renee in secret via text and on social media
as for their first real-life meeting that would have to wait Braden had broken a deal in which he
agreed to forgo visitation rights in exchange for a reduced sentence Renee and Braden kept in close contact
and their feelings towards one another continue to grow they messaged each other daily and it
wasn't long before their friendship turned into a romance when Renee told her mother about Braden
Theresa was taken aback Renee had only recently come out of a serious relationship with her boyfriend
Angus and Teresa wondered if it was too soon to enter into something else she was also concerned about Braden
being in jail but she kept those opinions to herself the last thing she wanted was to drive a
wedge between herself and her daughter Renee could be a hopeless romantic but she was also smart and Teresa trusted
her judgment at the end of the day she just wanted Renee to be happy other friends and family members also
questioned whether the relationship was a good idea but by December Renee was completely smitten
while she understood the criticism it was difficult for her not to take it to heart
Braden reached out to Theresa directly to reassure her of his good intentions he wrote
Renee is upset because everyone keeps telling her the obvious that I'm in jail and it will never work
she is everything to me and the last thing I want is to hold her down she chose to go through this with me and
after everything that happened she became my best friend I have fallen for her and she tells me
she feels the same Teresa I'm a good guy I would never disrespect her cheat or lie to her
she is everything to me and I could make her more than happy [Music] Renee and Braden began discussing their
life together on the outside their feelings towards one another were intense and they didn't hold back with
expressing how they felt Bryden sent Renee flowers cards and gifts and just three months after they
began texting Renee visited a tattoo parlor with her friend Camilla solidifying her love for Braden with a
permanent tribute she had the name b spiteri Inked into the right side of her chest
on New Year's Eve of 2011 Renee was looking forward to a night out clubbing she wore a red dress for the occasion
and snapped a quick photo to send to Braden rather than complimenting her he said
the dress was too revealing and warned that she'd better not cheat on him throughout the evening he bombarded
Renee with the jealous text messages after this another side of Braden started to emerge
in early April 2012 Renee's Mother Teresa was scrolling through Facebook when she came across a post made by
Renee's ex-boyfriend Angus Teresa had always been fond of Angus so she liked the post
Braden had access to Renee's Facebook account and when he saw the engagement from Theresa he was Furious
he hated that she was still communicating with Renee's ex and contacted Renee to express how much this
hurt him he then sent to razor an abusive text message accusing her of being an unfit
mother Teresa was appalled not only by the accusation but by the fact that Renee
had given Braden her Facebook password shortly after Braden underwent surgery which required several weeks of recovery
he was unable to use his phone during that time but his lawyer contacted Renee to let her know that the operation had
been a success by May Theresa could no longer bite her tongue she told Renee she found Braden to be
rude and arrogant and didn't think theirs was a healthy relationship Renee valued her mother's opinion and
agreed to end the Romantic relationship while still supporting Braden as a friend
in August 2012 Braden applied for parole and succeeded Renee was relieved that the two would
finally be able to meet in person but the feeling was short-lived shortly after Braden's release he got
into an altercation with his father who filed assault charges against him Braden was back behind bars almost as
quickly as he'd been let out and Renee was absolutely crushed Teresa was becoming increasingly
concerned about the impact that Braden's incarceration was having on her daughter
privately she thought Renee deserved better Teresa reached out to Braden and requested that he sees contact with
Renee at least until he was a free man Braden reluctantly agreed he told Renee to move on for the time
being but reassured her that his feelings hadn't changed and they could start things up again when he was on the
outside Renee tried to move on but the lack of contact with Braden left a void in her
life she was also going through a stressful situation at work and it all became too
much Renee took an overdose of medication and while she didn't intend to harm herself
the dose made her sick for several days she was nauseous and couldn't keep any food down
she eventually went to the emergency room where she told the attending doctor that she regretted the overdose
she was happy to be alive and had no lingering feelings of self-harm with no damage done she was discharged
that same day this signaled a turning point for Renee she started dating a co-worker named Ian
who was 12 years her senior despite the age Gap Renee's parents were thrilled Ian was a decent man who treated Renee
well and made her happy but the pair's relationship wasn't without complications
when Braden found out about Ian he raged he managed to get Ian's contact details
and sent him a message that warned stay the [ __ ] away from Renee in October 2012 Renee attended an awards
ceremony for work dolled up in a New Dress she took a photo of herself in her hotel room and
posted it on social media shortly after she received a message from Braden he had seen the post and made the astute
observation that Ian's shoes were visible in the photo this enraged Braden who began accusing
Renee of cheating on him Renee's relationship with Ian continued to progress but she resumed regular
contact with Braden Ian knew that the two were still in touch and although he wasn't happy about
it he seemingly accepted it in December Renee and Ian were attending a Christmas function for work after
which they intended to go to the casino Ian's phone vibrated it was a text message from Braden
you better be careful it read I'll be at the casino tonight watching you by January 2013 Renee and Dan were
engaged but Renee still maintained contact with Braden it had become a big problem in her and
Ian's relationship with Braden continuing to send threatening messages to Anne warning him to stay away
Braden made it very clear to weigh-in that he also intended to marry Renee eventually Ian had enough
[Music] in March he gave Renee an ultimatum it was either him or Braden Renee agonized over the decision but
eventually made up her mind she chose Braden [Music] it was a rocky transition as the two
worked to rebuild their relationship and serious cracks began to form one day they were loving and supportive
of one another and the next they were arguing Brighton told Renee he wasn't sure if he
still wanted to take over his father's construction business which she thought was a mistake
in turn he accused her of being greedy and only caring about money he also pressed her about her
relationship with Ian which he viewed as infidelity and to this deeply frustrated
Renee whenever they fought it was usually resolved by Renee apologizing and pacifying Braden's concerns
but there was one thing that Renee couldn't move past [Music] by mid-april 2013 the two had been in an
on and off relationship for one and a half years and she still had no tangible piece of Braden
there had been gifts and a small number of cropped selfies showing Braden's muscular torso but she wanted something
of his she could hold Braden had previously told Renee that all of his personal belongings were
locked up in a storage unit so she began asking if she could get hold of the key
when Braden rejected the request Renee was flawed she reminded Braden of everything that
she'd done for him and asked that he make the same effort in a series of text messages Renee wrote
I asked you for one simple thing a key not money not to escape jail nothing but a key
Braden I have nothing of you absolutely nothing I can't even get a photo of you anymore
it's hard for me Braden okay it's killing me [Music] in regards to visiting the storage unit
She Wrote I don't need anyone with me I want to go by myself just to touch something you have or see
it would mean more than the world to me just that once to go still Braden said no
when Renee persisted he accused her of being a quote materialistic [ __ ] and threatened to sell everything in the
storage unit just so she would shut up about it adding to the tension was Renee's
ongoing request to visit Braden's lawyer Braden had been having trouble with his
phone so Renee wanted to give him a new one given that she wasn't allowed to visit
him in jail she hoped Braden's lawyer could bring it to him on her behalf Renee was also considering studying
forensic science at Sydney University but before she made any concrete plans she wanted to know more about Braden's
possible release date [Music] Braden said this wasn't possible as he didn't know where his lawyer worked from
Renee found this hard to believe she knew that Braden had attended multiple meetings with his lawyer so she
questioned it Braden responded who the [ __ ] are you to question what my meetings are about and [ __ ] who with
this was the last straw for Renee she told Braden she'd had enough he quickly backtracked texting her an
apology that read I love you Renee you changed my life from day one I know there has been hard times [ __ ]
times and mean times I adore you and you're so beautiful in every way I miss you I love you so much Renee
without fail every day Renee said she was done with the relationship unless Brayden changed his
behavior and agreed to her simple requests Braden explained he just wasn't ready to
face what was in the storage unit he pleaded for Renee to have faith in him and to stop questioning him the same
way he'd agreed to stop questioning her about Ian they had to learn to believe in one
another justifying his behavior Brayden texted I [ __ ] love you more than you know
that's why I get so angry when you question me foreign eventually softened and by late May 2013
their relationship reached a peak they talked about marriage and their plans for a honeymoon in Greece
Braden texted Renee we will have the best wedding baby I'll make you happy I'll do whatever you want
just for you I want you to be mine forever and be mine for the rest of my life I want to be your husband and you be my
wife I adore you but the higher was short-lived Renee had recently started a new job as
a receptionist for a logistics company and Braden was jealous about the time she was spending with her new co-workers
a few days after discussing their wedding plans Braden asked Renee what she'd been up to and she said she hadn't
left the house Braden knew this was a lie he admitted he'd installed tracking software on
Renee's phone and could see that she'd gone to the gym he said he could no longer trust her the
relationship was over the only way he'd consider forgiving Renee was if she stopped socializing
with her work colleagues Renee apologized profusely but the argument continued for days until she
eventually told Braden she no longer wanted to marry him she'd only reconsider if he agreed to
make a list of eight changes she'd identify it as problematic Braden agreed as long as Renee promised
to remain loyal and agreed not to spend time alone with her male colleagues by mid-june their relationship was back
on track Braden's parole date was looming and the pair were optimistic about the future
Braden told Renee you're the best thing that ever happened to me Renee responded no baby where the best
thing that has ever happened to each other we Define true love we haven't met we
haven't held each other we haven't done anything together yet we love each other
more than anything we have a family and we have our life planned in the lead up to Braden's parole he
informed Renee that he wouldn't have access to his phone for a whole month being out of contact was hard for Renee
but she used it as a period of reflection on July 22 she wrote a letter to Braden
she hoped to give to him later on it read in part this time away has made me realize we
argue over stupid things too often and it's pointless I love you beyond words and I'll never let you go
I can't be without you baby you're my rock my hero my everything and our love and cherish you all the days of our
lives together I can't wait to be your wife and to give you the happiness you deserve
[Music] even though Renee wasn't sure when Braden would have access to his phone
again she texted him every day in the hopes of receiving a reply by the morning of Monday August 5 2013
over a month had passed with no word from him the silence was starting to take a toll
on Renee she told her work colleague Joseph what was going on and the two arranged to
have lunch together later that day and just before midday Renee finally received a text from Braden
they began messaging back and forth but they weren't the warm affectionate messages Renee had been expecting
she emailed Joseph saying she was upset because Braden was being blunt the couple continued texting until
Renee's lunch break rolled around at 1pm as she and Joseph began walking to a nearby coffee shop Renee received
another message her hands began to shake and she started to cry she showed the phone to Joseph
the message was from Braden and red I think I need a break and so do you Renee and Joseph continued on to the
coffee shop but Renee was beside herself she sent Braden a bunch of messages but
he didn't reply Renee was too upset to return to work she went home where her Mother Teresa
instantly noticed that something was wrong Renee assured her mother she was fine
before retreating to her room Teresa then received the text from Braden saying that her daughter was
threatening suicide Teresa responded please explain to me why a young woman would want to kill herself to which
Braden said ask her yourself maybe explain to me why you never got her help last time
have you ever thought you have neglected her when she clearly needs help Teresa went straight up to Renee's
bedroom and showed her the messages from Braden she asked whether she should be concerned
Renee responded don't be stupid mum I finally found out what he's all about you don't have to worry about him
anymore mum it's over case File will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this
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you support case File to continue to deliver quality content [Music] Teresa left her daughter alone but went
back to check on her shortly after Renee was getting changed into black tires a black jumper and a black ballet
flat she applied some fresh makeup and pulled her long hair back into a bun Renee said she was going out to dinner
with some work friends in the Eastern suburbs but wouldn't be out long reassured that Renee was feeling better
Teresa left home to take two of her younger children to swimming lessons while she was there her phone beeped at
5 49 pm it was a message from Renee I love you so much it's sad I'm sorry for everything and the pain I
will now cause you but I'll be okay I'll still be here when you need to talk to me just call my
name and I'll be there you're the most amazing person and mother ever and my very best friend
I wasn't happy and I need you to understand that it's okay don't let this ruin everything else you
need to take care of I need you to be strong for me I love you Mama I always will and I'll
be waiting when you come [Music] Teresa wasn't entirely sure what to make of her daughter's text message
it wasn't out of character for Renee to send her affectionate texts but this one
was significantly different Teresa called Renee's phone multiple times but there was no answer
she went and showed the text to a friend who suggested that she called the police
officers arrived at the marsden's house at 7 50 p.m and were immediately concerned for Renee's welfare
they put an alert out for Renee's car a radar Mazda 2 and started patrolling the
streets on the lookout for the 20 year old meanwhile Teresa texted Renee's friend
Camilla zidane and asked if she'd heard from Renee the two friends had recently had a
falling out but Theresa knew they usually patched things up Camilla responded she messaged me a while ago is
everything okay Camilla later said she'd received a message from Renee just minutes before
Teresa had in it Renee said that she loved Camilla and was sorry given that they weren't speaking Camilla
assumed the text was in relation to their falling out she offered to come over and help to
raise her look for Renee they drove around to various locations where Camilla thought her friend might
be including a nearby McDonald's it then occurred to Camilla that Renee might have gone to Braden's sister's
house Camilla directed them to a residence in Glenhaven but when they drove by Renee's
car was nowhere to be seen [Music] the police contacted Renee's mobile phone provider who informed them that
her phone had been switched off just before 6 PM in the vicinity of vauclues a Sydney suburb 40 kilometers east of
the marsden's home this location raised immediate red flags for police Vore Clues was the gateway to the Gap a
high Ocean Cliff top on the south head peninsula due to its views over the Tasman Sea the
area was a popular tourist destination but it was also a notorious suicide spot [Music]
measures had been put in place to deter those considering ending their own lives
including an inward leaning concave barrier security cameras and phone booths providing access to 24 7 crisis
counseling regardless some reports estimated that up to 50 people killed themselves at the
Gap each year by taking the 100 meter leap into the sea and rocks below police headed towards the area and at 8
45 PM they found Renee's car parked roughly 150 meters from the steps at the Gap
her wallet was inside along with an old iPhone she'd stopped using two months prior a Valentine's Day card from Braden
and a small collage made up of the very few photos that Braden had sent Renee written in the condensation on the car
windows were the words I love you Braden Renee's parents were notified and they rushed to the scene in a panic
Renee's car was usually filled with personal items like clothes and makeup but it struck them as odd that it was
now completely empty as police conducted both land and air searches Theresa and her husband Mark
walked the coastal Cliffs and surrounding paths and Parklands shouting Renee's name before the search was
called off due to Darkness it resumed the following morning sitting neatly near an old gun turret in
a reserve known as Jacob's Ladder Teresa found Renee's black ballet flats another air search was conducted while
the water police scoured the surrounding sea and three police divers searched the
rocky sea floor still there was no sign of Renee police made the tragic conclusion that
Renee had taken her own life the waters were clear with the visibility of around 100 meters leading
them to determine that Renee's body would be recovered within three days Teresa refused to believe that her
daughter had suicided it simply didn't make sense just two days earlier Renee had a ball
celebrating her cousin's 21st birthday and she was looking forward to her own 21st in a couple months time
she was excited about studying and was making plans to move into the city if she really had taken her own life
something must have happened to trigger such an out of character decision Teresa was convinced that Braden spiteri
held the answer but despite her efforts she couldn't get in touch with him two days after Renee's disappearance
Teresa sent Braden several texts asking if he knew where Renee was and demanding
answers there was no reply Renee's friend Camilla zidane urged to raise her not to blame Braden saying
that he was hurting as well when Teresa asked how she could possibly know this Camilla explained that on the
night Renee went missing Braden had called her from a private number he was worried about Renee but didn't
want to speak to anyone because he knew he'd get the blame according to Camilla Renee had expressed
Suicidal Thoughts in the past but had promised she'd never act on them Camilla told to raise her
it didn't have anything to do with Braden I think Renee was just an upset person
she always felt like everyone was against her police were interested in the role
Braden spiteri might have played in Renee's disappearance they gathered phone records and CCTV
footage to help piece together Renee's last movements and her final interactions with Braden
Renee's primary mobile phone was never recovered therefore the content of the messages couldn't be ascertained
police attempted to extract the messages from the old iPhone found in Renee's car
but it was protected by a passcode which they couldn't unlock based on the available records it was
ascertained that on the day that Renee died she and Braden had exchanged 91 text messages
after Renee assured her mother that she'd ended things with Braden for good she continued sending him messages
Braden didn't reply Renee then drove towards the Gap arriving at around 5 20 pm there was still no response from Braden
she texted him again before walking around the area and sitting on a brick wall near the old gun turret
she sent Braden five more messages and at 5 46 pm he finally replied Renee sent Braden three more texts Each
of which was met with silence she then sent a text to her friend Camilla zaidan it was followed by the goodbye message
to her mother before Renee removed her shoes and climbed to the nearby fence as she glanced over the rocky Cliff Edge
she received a text from Braden Renee replied straight away two minutes later she threw her phone
over the cliff before disappearing from View by the time Braden wrote back at 5 55 PM
Renee was already gone [Music] a phone call Renee had made at 2 44 PM was also significant
it appeared that shortly after receiving their text message from Braden saying that they needed to take a break Renee
had called a goblin prison what transpired on that 90-second phone call was unknown but it was possible
she'd learned what the police had come to know for themselves that there was no inmate at Goblin
prison named to Braden spiteri Renee Marsden and Camilla zidane had been best friends since year nine of
high school during the early stages of their friendship the marsden's noticed considerable changes in Renee's Behavior
Renee had always been outspoken and outgoing but the more time she spent with Camilla the more with the drawn she
became Camilla didn't like Renee's boyfriend at the time so Renee broke up with him
she started smoking cigarettes and ditching school with her grades suffering as a result
Renee had always been incredibly close to her cousin Stephanie who felt that Camilla tried to tear them apart
Renee once confided in Stephanie that Camilla was being violent towards her sometimes pushing her and punching her
hard enough to cause bruises Stephanie had no reason to doubt this as she'd noticed the controlling behavior
for herself she'd once been with Renee when Camilla had tried to call her 16 times in a
50-minute period Stephanie advised Renee to stop seeing Camilla but the Friendship continued
[Music] in 2008 Renee made another confession to Stephanie Camilla had tried to kiss her several
times she would alternate between trying to seduce Renee and being violent towards
her although Renee considered herself heterosexual the two eventually experimented physically
Renee made it clear that nothing would ever eventuate given that she was straight
but Camilla's feelings were significantly stronger than Renee's in one email to Renee Camilla wrote
I swear to God kid you're going nowhere do you understand you abuse me I'll laugh you kill me I'll be your ghost you
hate me I'll still love you run away chase you hide I'll hunt you down only I'll own you
you got no way to escape babe because only I'm in love with you only I'll own you and only I'll have you forever
Daphne told Renee's mother what was going on Teresa went through Renee's room and
found several Love Letters From Camilla she confronted Renee who admitted to everything and said she was afraid of
Camilla Renee's parents organized meetings with the girls school and Camilla's parents
in a bid to end the Friendship but the two girls continued seeing each other regardless
Camilla Raven provided Renee with a mobile phone she could use to contact her on exclusively
in 2009 Renee was sick of the way Camilla treated her she attempted to distance herself by
leaving school to study hairdressing shortly after Camilla enrolled in the same course
Renee confided in Stephanie that one day Camilla had chased her down the hall and
pulled her hair she said she was scared but didn't know what to do it was in 2010 that Renee began a
relationship with a young man named Angus and tried to put even more space between herself and Camilla
however Camilla would show up at Renee's workplace Uninvited and Teresa noticed her lurking around outside of the
marsden's home she had a habit of showing up at the same place as Renee and calling it a
coincidence one day Renee and Teresa were at the library when Camilla appeared out of
nowhere and said as long as you refuse to answer my phone calls I will continue to follow you
Renee ultimately dropped out of her hairdressing course to avoid Camilla she organized a meeting with both of
their mothers to let Camilla know she was done with their friendship for good Camilla became so upset that she
physically tried to prevent Renee from leaving forcing Teresa to intervene after this Camilla continued to contact
Renee Renee mostly ignored her until August 2011 when she eventually caved in and
the two resumed their friendship things didn't improve one night Renee received 54 missed calls
from Camilla in a text Renee wrote I'm sorry but that's possessive if you can't see that then there is something
terribly wrong with you undeterred Camilla continued to make snide remarks about Angus and complained
that Renee always treated her second to best Renee constantly tried to appease Camilla but it wasn't enough
at the start of September Camilla told Renee to make a choice between her and Angus
Renee responded that there would always be another person if not Angus than someone else
two months later Braden spiteri entered the picture [Music] given that Camilla and Braden were close
friends Camilla was privileged to an Insider's view of the couple's relationship
when Bryden would display jealousy Camilla would warn Renee not to cheat on him she was their biggest supporter and
always encouraged Renee to remain loyal to Braden and to work through any of their rough patches
as Renee and Braden's relationship progressed the friendship between Renee and Camilla continued on Rocky grounds
periods of closeness were followed by weeks of arguing Renee made multiple attempts to distance
herself but Camilla always found a way back in March 2013 Renee confided in Braden
that Camilla had hit her and pulled her hair after a night out she told him that she was done with
their friendship for good whenever things went sour Braden typically tried to smooth things over
often taking Camilla's side and telling Renee to be more understanding other times he told Renee to break away
from Camilla and find new friends by June 2013 Renee and Camilla's relationship had become particularly
volatile Camilla was about to embark on a month-long holiday to the United States
and Renee saw this as an opportunity to put some distance between them once and for all
she sat her mother down and told her just how bad things had become in addition to the punching and hair
pulling Renee said she'd recently been driving when Camilla suddenly ripped the steering wheel from her hands
Renee told Teresa she'd put up with Camilla's abuse for too long and was genuinely frightened of her
in Late July while Camilla was in the USA Renee sent her a text message saying she was done with their friendship for
good she told Camilla not to contact her upon her return home Renee was relieved to have cut ties but
it was a lonely time for her given that Braden also didn't have access to his phone at this time due to his pending
parole hearing she recorded her feelings in a letter to give to Braden later in it she said
I can tell you I have finally let Camilla go for good and I feel so much better about it now
after discovering there was no inmate by the name of Braden spiteri at golban prison police investigating Renee's
disappearance made further inquiries with Correctional Services as well as the high school Braden claimed to have
attended there was no record of him anywhere either Braden spiteri had been lying to
Renee all along or he didn't exist at all Renee's ex-boyfriend Angus had been devastated when Renee abruptly entered
their relationship in late 2011. curious to know more about her new boyfriend he had looked up at Braden's
Facebook profile and noticed that he listed many of the same hobbies and interests as Camilla
Angus reached out to Braden and the two started chatting back and forth anytime Angus asked bradent questions
about himself his answers were vague Angus also noticed that Braden's messages shared the same distinct
spelling and grammatical errors as the ones he'd seen Camilla send to Renee foreign
that his ex was being duped he voiced his suspicions to Renee that Braden and Camilla were one in the same
Renee became extremely upset at the allegation and strongly denied the possibility
Angus wasn't the only one with doubts from early on in Renee and Braden's relationship Renee's cousin Stephanie
had expressed concerns that she didn't think Braden was real to prove Braden's existence Renee gave
him Stephanie's phone number and the two began texting back and forth Stephanie remained dubious
something about the whole situation didn't feel right Stephanie suspected that Renee was being
catfished by Camilla but she had no evidence to prove it the skepticism frustrated Renee she told
a work colleague if I didn't think Braden was real I wouldn't have left Ian Renee's parents had ongoing concerns
about Camilla's feelings towards their daughter but they never imagined she'd stoop so low as to create a false online
Persona just to maintain control over her Camilla's strange behavior following Renee's disappearance had them thinking
otherwise she'd been unusually quick to jump to Braden's defense and had no issues with
laying the blame for Renee's problems on her family when the marsden's asked Camilla to say
the last message Renee had sent her she claimed she'd accidentally deleted it when Teresa told Camilla she'd given
Braden's phone number to the police Camilla panicked and demanded she asked for her back
although this was odd it didn't prove anything the police continued trying to access
Renee's old iPhone but were unable to bypass the security code desperate for answers the Marstons
contacted Renee's mobile service provider and requested a copy of all her text records
however this data was only held by the company for seven days by the time they asked for it it was
already too late on August 25 2013 three weeks after Renee's disappearance Camilla zidane
arrived at the police station for a pre-arranged interview she had been asked to bring some notes
about her friendship with Renee the pair's most recent Communications and her knowledge of Braden spiteri
Camilla presented a two-page statement as requested but it made no mention of Braden
all it said about her and Renee's most recent communication was that Renee's final text had read
I'm sorry for everything you will always be my best friend I hope one day you can
forgive me I love you Camilla said that Shea and Bryden had met at a nightclub called The Brewery
several years prior but she couldn't recall the exact date she gave the interviewing officer a
description of Braden but said that Renee never told her anything about their relationship
the officer asked Camilla for Braden's phone number she said she didn't have it as it was
saved on her phone which was broken and currently being repaired as the interview wound up the officer
looked at Camilla and said I want you to be honest with me the telephone call logs that I have here
in front of me suggest to me that you are Braden are you [Music] case File will be back shortly thank you
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when Camilla was confronted with the suggestion that she was really bright and spiteri she replied
no I know that a lot of people think I am everyone is against me I wish I was where Renee is now wherever
she is I just want to have the peace she is feeling now on September 23 almost one month after
her first interview police arrived at Camilla's home armed with a search warrant
They seized three phones but couldn't find the SIM card associated with Braden spiteri's phone number
in a rubbish bin they found a letter written from Renee to Braden but it had been torn to shreds
they also found a letter that Renee had written to Camilla in March 2013 in which she thanked Camila for introducing
her to Braden Renee wrote you don't understand babe how much it truly means to me if it wasn't because
of you I wouldn't have met the one person that means more than the world itself to me
I'll do anything I can to make sure I can give you what I found and make sure that person is your all
it's my life mission to see you happy and my life won't fully be complete until I see the day you have everything
you have ever dreamed of as the officers were leaving Camilla's bedroom one of them turned to her and
asked if there was anything she'd like to talk about Camilla paused she then admitted
I was sending the text messages to Renee before I left for America Renee asked me to
she wanted me to pretend that I was Brayden the officer asked why to which Camilla
responded I don't know I just did it because she wanted me to I didn't do anything else
she then asked what's going to happen to me the officer replied at this stage Camilla we are just
interested in finding out what has happened to Renee [Music] the police attempted to download the
contents of the three phones seized from Camilla but they didn't reveal much Camilla had already deleted a majority
of the communication between herself and Renee including the final messages sent
between them on Monday August 5. however she did have the photo of herself and Brayden saved on one of the
devices the sole photo that Renee had of Braden's face [Music] Camilla eventually admitted that she
didn't know the man in the photo it had just been taken at random in a nightclub
after three months of unsuccessfully trying to crack into Renee's old iPhone the police returned it to the Marsden
family as reported by Channel 9's Australian crime stories Renee's 13 year old brother Luke had a friend who thought
they could crack into the phone all they needed to do was purchase an app for one hundred dollars
the marsden's immediately handed over their credit card details and within 10 minutes they were in
suddenly they had access to countless messages over the three-month period from April
to June 2013 alone 11 000 text messages had been sent between Renee and Braden and Renee and Camilla
however the texts were all scrambled Renee's Father Mark began the long and arduous task of slowly unscrambling each
and every one and then attempting to piece them together as Mark entered the dates and messages
into a computer document he noticed that a pattern started to emerge at no point did Camilla and Braden both
converse with Renee at the same time Renee would engage with one of them before texting with the other but the
conversations never overlapped this was consistent with another detail that had been raised
in early 2012 Braden had been out of communication with Renee while he underwent surgery
this just so happened to align with the time while Camilla was away on holiday [Music]
likewise Camilla's most recent trip to the United States had coincided with the month that Braden went off grid as he
told Renee he awaited his parole hearing Theresa Marsden struggled to accept the
fact that her daughter was really gone given that Renee's body was never discovered Teresa continued to hold on
to hope that she hadn't really killed herself but had moved away to escape the threats from Camilla
Teresa distributed missing person posters all the way up the New South Wales Coastline and into Queensland
hoping that Renee would pick up the phone or walk through the door [Music] even though the police began preparing a
report for the coroner Teresa still couldn't comprehend it she told the Daily Mail
[Music] it's different if you see a body but there's too much evidence to suggest
she's alive there's no evidence to suspect she's not here in 2019 six years after Renee marsden's
disappearance advances in technology finally made it possible for law enforcement to have full access to the
contents of Renee and Braden's text messages with the full nature of their relationship clear at last there was no
doubt that Camilla zidane had been behind at the bradenton's pizzeri Persona all along
at one point Braden had even encouraged Renee to have sex with Camilla as a way to get some of her anger out a
suggestion which Renee met with a firm no the act of assuming a fake online identity in order to Target a specific
victim is known as catfishing catfishing itself isn't considered a criminal offense in Australia unless
it's done for the purpose of an illegal act such as fraud financial gain stalking or The Grooming of underage
persons even though Camilla's idea was clearly Braden spiteri she hadn't used the fake
account for any of these punishable offenses therefore there was nothing that New
South Wales police could charge her with a criminal lawyer told a current affair
unfortunately catfishing in most circumstances is probably best defined as a crime of the heart
although Theresa eventually accepted that Renee had passed away she needed answers
Shea requested that a coronial inquest be conducted to determine the true role that Camilla's actions played in Renee's
suicide the final messages sent between them remained a mystery and the marsden's
wanted to know if Renee had found out about Braden's true identity before deciding to end her own life
it was a long drawn-out process but Camilla's idean eventually struck a deal that ensured she wouldn't face
prosecution if she appeared at an inquest this meant that anything she said in court couldn't be used against her for
future charges as the inquest commenced in February 2020 the Marsden family held high hopes
that they'd finally get answers to the questions that had been plaguing them for the past seven years
the now 27 year old Camilla zidane had since moved on with her life getting married and starting a family
given that she'd been granted immunity the Muslims hoped that at the very least she would tell the truth about the final
conversations between Renee and Braden if nothing else they felt they deserved that closure
giving evidence over two days Camilla denied any of the obsessive Behavior she'd been accused of
she denied ever following Renee lurking outside of her house or calling her excessively
when presented with some of the intense texts and emails she had sent over the course of their friendship Camilla
reasoned that she had simply loved and cared about Renee Camilla admitted to playing the role of
Braden spiteri but explained it was because she and Renee were having a romantic relationship
they thought their families wouldn't approve so they created the character of Braden as a cover-up
according to Camilla Renee had played an equal part in the charade helping to set
up a Braden's phone and SIM card so the two could communicate in secret Renee had chosen the photo they used of
Braden cropping Camilla out of it and then sending it to herself as part of the ruse
the coroner presented Camilla with numerous pieces of evidence retrieved from Renee's old iPhone that challenged
her claims if Renee was in on the ACT why had she called goban prison and written to the
Greek consulate asking if a convicted criminal could obtain a holiday Visa why would she fight with Braden about
wanting to speak to his lawyer and to visit the storage unit if she knew such things didn't exist
why would she have booked an appointment with a wedding photographer and sent Braden photographs of brides and grooms
if she knew such a wedding could never go ahead Renee had sent Braden's sexual images of
herself and then gotten upset when he refused to reciprocate she had also written numerous messages
that contradicted Camilla's claims one text read do you ever wonder how strange it is
that we have never met but we have this Inseparable love for each other another said
Braden you will never get it because you're a male but to a girl finding that perfect someone is everything
Camilla's explanation for all of this was that Renee had simply been in character
the council assisting the coroner told Camilla you are saying that today but it does
not make sense you wanted Renee to yourself and creating Braden was the perfect opportunity because it meant you could
have her all to yourself back in August 2013 just days after Camilla returned from the United States
she participated in a soccer match Renee typically attended Camilla's soccer games and Camilla would get upset
if she didn't pay attention on this occasion Renee told her mother she would never go to another game
because she didn't want to see Camilla the coroner concluded that Camilla likely interpreted Renee's absence as
proof that she was serious about ending their friendship with her Pride heard the next day she
quote exacted her ultimate Revenge by having braid and break Renee's heart the Brayden Renee relationship ended as
it had started at Camilla's will Camilla appeared completely unaffected as she told the court she had no
recollection of what was said in those final text messages between Braden and Renee
the only thing she remembered was that Renee was talking about her lack of purpose in life
Camilla claimed she had no idea that Renee had driven to the gap on August 5 2013. nor that she was serious about
threatening to kill herself the inquest ran for four days and it took four months for the coroner to sift
through the abundance of evidence before reaching their conclusion the findings were handed down on May 20
2020 the coroner described Camilla's idean as disingenuous at best and called her
evidence nothing but a pack of Lies from the evidence it was clear to the coroner that Camilla wanted Renee all to
herself she created the Persona of Braden to manipulate and control Renee and to free
herself of the jealousy she felt whenever Renee was in a relationship with a man
as for whether or not Renee discovered that Braden was really Camilla the coroner concluded
I am of the view that Renee likely did not learn of this Camilla did not tell her because she is
unable to admit to having engaged in such appalling conduct involving such an extreme betrayal of trust of her friend
his Communications indicate Renee was very much of the view that Braden was not only real but certainly not Camilla
in most Australian jurisdictions it is a criminal offense to encourage someone to
take their own life although Camilla knew that Renee would be devastated by the breakup with Braden
the coroner concluded that by destroying the evidence of what was said between them that day there was no basis to
prove that Camilla had incited Renee suicide the coroner accepted it was likely true
that Camilla didn't know that Renee had driven to the gap on the evening of August 5 2013 or that she was serious
about the suicide threats phone records confirmed that Camilla had been casually texting back and forth
with other friends at the same time she was interacting with Renee as Braden and
was therefore distracted and quote Untouched by Renee's distress [Music] although the coroner stopped short of
blaming Camilla for inciting Renee's suicide they did accept that Camilla had quote
caused the herd and heartbreak that led Renee to take her own life the New South Wales domestic violence
death review team had recently released a report that suggested widening the scope of state laws to cover non-violent
types of domestic harm the coroner recommended that the domestic violence team consider Renee's
case in order to help progress their report [Music] by doing so it was possible that new
coercive control laws could be implemented that would apply to individuals who engaged in similar
conduct to Camilla Zidane this would essentially make catfishing a punishable offense similar to
intimidation and stalking the coroner noted that Camilla showed no warmth or regard to the Marsden family
and that she wasn't concerned about anything except furthering her own fiction quote
Camilla displayed a deplorable lack of kindness to Renee's family by the lies she told seeking to cast blame upon them
for Renee's unhappiness I can only hope that this inquest has given them some degree of comfort that
Renee's experience is documented and understood Renee had her entire life to look
forward to and it ended all too soon in unnecessary emotional turmoil and Trauma
I offer Renee's family and friends my sincere condolences the Marsden family were crushed by
Camilla's ongoing lies as Renee's cousin Stephanie who later told Australian crime stories they
couldn't comprehend why Camilla couldn't have at least met them halfway quote even if she didn't want to tell us
everything she could have at least told us 50 or 60 percent of what really happened in the end
outside Court Teresa Marsden told reporters to some extent going through the inquiry
and going through the findings today is just as bad as when we first heard about
Renee going missing Renee hasn't died in vain I'll make sure of that we can't allow this to happen to any
other kid we have to protect other victims [Music] in 2017 a law was passed in Australia
that made it illegal for an adult to use a carriage service to engage with minors
for the purpose of sexual activity as covered in episode 91 of casefile it was named Carly's law after Adelaide
teenager Carly Ryan was murdered by a 50 year old man who catfished her online pretending to be an 18 year old
inspired by this the Marsden family began campaigning to make catfishing a criminal offense when it is done with
the intention of causing pain and suffering the coroner's report supported the consideration of such a law noting
if Renee discovered that her relationship with Braden was but a fiction and she took her own life as a
consequence the community might consider that catfishing is an act which should be prohibited
even if Renee did not discover that Camilla had committed the deception and was simply heartbroken because Braden
had ended the relationship she has taken her life about a person who does not exist
that consequence is of such gravity that the community would expect to be sanctioned
dubbing the offense Renee's law Teresa started an online petition on change.org calling for catfishers to be held
legally accountable for their actions the petition States Renee had a beautiful heart that
radiated love to anyone who knew her ultimately her amazing personal qualities left her vulnerable to someone
with malicious intent Renee was lured into a trap set by someone who knew her best and she's not
alone with social media dominating people's lives today we find many others in similar situations
we will not let Renee leave us in vain innocent people need to know they are protected by the law from the cruelty of
catfishes in the lead-up to the inquest 31 year old carpenter Cameron had been going
about his day when a friend sent him a link to a new story about Renee's case Cameron froze when he saw the image of
Camilla zidane with the man she told Renee was Braden spiteri the man in the image was Cameron
Cameron had never met Camilla or Renee before and had no recollection of the photo ever being taken
judging by how young he looked he assumed it was a promotional image taken at a nightclub when he was in his early
twenties realizing His Image had been used to help catfish a young woman Cameron felt
sick he didn't want to leave their house fearful that someone would recognize him
and wrongfully think he was involved with Renee's death the anxiety plagued him and he
eventually reached out to the Marstons via Facebook as Teresa told sbs's Insight she was
reluctant to meet with Cameron at first although she felt sorry for him she just
couldn't separate his face from her family's tragedy after meeting however they formed a bond
Cameron is now close with the marsden's and they continue to stay in touch the photo taken at the nightclub is the
only photo of Cameron used in the catfishing ruse where the cropped selfies of Braden's
torso and muscles sent to Renee came from is unknown a secondary victim to Camilla's actions
Cameron supports the marsden's Endeavors to make catfishing illegal he told a current affair
it's daunting I'm shocked in a way because I've now got an image put out there that's an image no one wants to be
associated with [Music] as of 2023 the marsdens are still fighting to have Renee's law considered
by politicians a link to the petition can be found in the show notes of this episode
following the inquest Renee's cousin Stephanie voiced her opinion in a Facebook post
she spoke of Renee's kindness generosity and the ongoing support she provided to
those around her beautiful inside and out Stephanie believed it was these traits that made
Renee susceptible to such malicious crimes She Wrote in today's society with the dominance of
social media we find many people in similar situations as Renee it's not a lack of intelligence or being
gullible that make you a victim of catfishing particularly when you are as accepting and loving as our dear Renee
unfortunately it's good people that get taken advantage of Renee was an individual who deserved to
live a full life and not be robbed of such Simple Pleasures and freedom her only guilt would be that she loved
too easily and lived a life with her heart on her slave foreign [Music] night in 1991 a group of teenagers
gathered in their usual hangout a Barren stretch of desert next to a busy highway
near Bakersfield California a dismal spot littered with trash and shell casings by Nightfall it turned into a
sort of Lover's Lane where high school kids drank and smoked when two boys left their group and
headed into the darkness They Came Upon a horrific scene the body of a young woman murdered just hours before
she had no enemies besides girls at school teenage stuff not any kind of trouble that somebody would murder her
this 1991 murder made news headlines for years as it shocked and divided a quiet
working class community of course I knew about Maria's case everyone in Bakersfield knows about
Maria's case people were just they were glued to their TV sets and read the paper every day there was a lot of
speculation in Alaska that maybe he was not the all-around athlete that people thought he might be
when he lied about being her boyfriend I feel like he had something to do with it
justice took its course in a twisted and controversial case that captivated many
but what if the real killer were yet to be discovered because he warned me that he told me that detective that he was
here when he wasn't really here if you asked the sheriff's department and if you asked the prosecutor's office they
would say yeah we solved it it's just unfortunate how things ended up in this series we will hear brand new
Clues interview people that have never spoken publicly before and discover family secrets that shed light on who
may have killed Maria Rodriguez and why I kind of want all of our families hidden secrets and all of the dark past
I want it to come out to light I'm Octavia McHenry for casewell presents and this is in the shadows the story of
Maria Rodriguez

Case 238: Renae Marsden

20-year-old Renae Marsden was a bright and bubbly young woman who valued her family above all else. Her mother Teresa Marsden was therefore shocked when she received a message from Renae’s boyfriend, Brayden Spiteri, on August 5 2013 warning: “Sort your daughter out. Threatening to kill herself.”

Criminalising Catfishing Petition - https://www.change.org/p/dominic-perrottet-driven-to-suicide-but-renae-s-abuser-in-the-clear-criminalising-catfishing

CREDITS

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

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 Casefile Presents https://casefilepresents.com

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-238-renae-marsden

Brief Summary

Renee Marsden's tragic story reveals deception, mental health struggles, and the impact of catfishing on her life and death.

Key points

Renee's Life Motto. Renee's motto was 'family comes first,' reflecting her close bond with her mother.
Braden's Dark Past. Renee's boyfriend Braden was convicted of manslaughter after a motorcycle accident.
A Heartfelt Apology. Braden apologizes to Renee after a fight, expressing his love and devotion.
The Breakup. Renee receives a text from Braden saying he needs a break, leaving her devastated.
Police Concern for Renee. After receiving a concerning text, Teresa calls the police for help.
Tragic Conclusion. Police conclude that Renee had taken her own life after extensive searches.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Life is Beautiful because of you.

Renee's tattoo for her mother

2:28WatchMar 11, 2023

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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