Mandy Sheer has bravely come forward to recount her traumatic experience involving a man resembling the prime suspect in the 1973 disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon, who vanished from Adelaide Oval. She shared her ordeal, which occurred during a football match in Port Broughton in 1979, when she was just five years old.
Recalling the event, Sheer described how an oddly dressed man approached her, acting suspiciously. Following the incident, she found herself frightened and vulnerable, believing someone was coming to rescue her. The man reportedly threatened her silence by placing money in her pocket and instructing her not to tell anyone about the encounter. Although she has previously reported this incident to the police, Sheer is now sharing her story publicly for the first time, motivated by a desire to bring closure to the families involved in the case.
In a related effort to uncover the truth behind the girls’ disappearance, Sheer has participated in searches coordinated by private investigators at a site in Yatina, South Australia, more than five decades after the vanishing of Ratcliffe and Gordon. The local landowner, Robyn Clark, supports the ongoing excavation, highlighting the importance of closure for affected families.
Investigator Bryan Littley noted that these areas for digging were identified on information provided by Mark Trevor Marshall, a convicted pedophile, who implicated his grandfather, Stanley Arthur Hart, in the crimes. Littley pointed out that over the past 16 years, substantial evidence has come to light that corroborates Marshall’s claims, prompting this renewed search for more facts.
During the latest search, a bone was discovered, although its origin remains unverified as investigation continues. Importantly, while the police are not actively involved in the dig, they stand ready to assist if significant findings emerge. The community continues to rally behind the effort to provide answers and seek justice regarding the historical case of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon.