More than 50 years have passed since the tragic disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon, raising enduring questions about their fate. Joanne, who was 11, and her four-year-old sister Kirste vanished from Adelaide Oval in 1973, with evidence strongly suggesting they were abducted and murdered.
Suzie Ratcliffe, Joanne’s sister, expressed the profound emotional turmoil faced by families of missing persons, stating, “We can’t move on; we’re living a life of limbo, not knowing what happened to our loved ones.”
Recent developments reveal a renewed investigation aimed at unearthing answers about their disappearance. South Australian journalist Bryan Littlely is optimistic about the ongoing efforts, asserting, “I’m adamant this is going to solve the case; if it doesn’t, at least it can be checked out.”
Private investigators have begun exploring two significant locations in the mid-north region, specifically targeting areas near Jamestown and Orroroo. The first site is a farm north of Yatina, and the second involves returning to a tunnel at the Pekina Reservoir. These locations were identified based on claims made by convicted paedophile Mark Trevor Marshall, who implicated his grandfather, Stanley Arthur Hart, in the alleged abduction of the girls.
Previously, authorities had searched Hart’s farmhouse, but this new private endeavour aims to scrutinise surrounding areas closely. Littlely highlighted the importance of Marshall’s statements, indicating he pinpointed the spot where he alleged the girls were buried in barrels.
In a prior investigation in 2009, barrels were found in the tunnel, but no evidence linking them to the girls was discovered. The current operation aims to excavate the site more thoroughly, with Ratcliffe emphasising the need for a meticulous search. “If it’s thoroughly excavated and thoroughly searched, then we can rule that out,” she remarked.
In a related case, a private dig last month at North Plympton concerning the Beaumont children’s disappearance yielded no results. However, as this latest investigation unfolds, there is a glimmer of hope for the Ratcliffe-Gordon families.
“I’m tired of being quiet, I’m tired of waiting, I’m tired of just being tired; I want the girls home,” Suzie Ratcliffe lamented. This ongoing search continues to highlight the heartache and unresolved nature of this decades-old mystery, as families and investigators alike yearn for closure.