Cold case breakthrough of missing model’s presumed murder | 60 Minutes Australia

tonight startling developments in a confounding 30-year mystery The Disappearance and likely murder of Ravel Balmain back in 1994 Revell was a beautiful model and dancer but she kept a secret she also worked as an escort when the 22 year old vanished suspicion fell on one man her last client at the time there wasn't enough evidence to bring charges so the case gathered Decades of dust until a fresh team of detectives was assigned to investigate now they've uncovered new Clues and new Persons of Interest meaning there's finally genuine Hope For long-awaited answers [Music] hers was a face to remember but no one could imagine it would be for all the wrong reasons nearly 30 years ago Ravel Balmain suddenly disappeared she hasn't been seen since and her presumed murder remains unsolved when you have someone in your orbit that has come to Harm's Way is very jarring and distressing and you carry that with you forever can you believe that we're still wondering what happened to Revel who's responsible I can't believe that I really can't in 1994 Jane King was reveal's boss she ran a Sydney escort agency with then husband Zoran stanojevich Revell was a part of the murky world of the sex industry joining Jane's agency as an escort just six weeks before she disappeared the 22 year old was also an aspiring model her first magazine cover coming out in the days just after her disappearance there's a huge billboard there at the top of William Street she was on a number of the bus shelters as well I just had Goosebumps all over it was it was terrible it was like she was everywhere and she was nowhere [Music] plagued by evasion and silence it was a troubled and challenging case right from the start but tonight for the first time Jane King publicly reveals shocking new details of the night Revell went missing that piece of evidence was never found beforehand details that expose new suspects we have information that that person could be involved in The Disappearance of Ravel Balmain what can you tell me about The Disappearance of Balmain anything and fresh evidence laying bare contradictions and false alibis he lied from the beginning I don't believe a word that comes out of zoron's mouth that's why we have a fresh inquest at the coroner's Court to examine evidence that was never tested before [Music] the unfortunate thing is that we didn't get enough time to spend we did as much as we could in the time that we had ravel's older sister Sue Ellen Simpson has lived with grief and uncertainty for too long do you remember the moment you were told that your sister was missing I was beside myself I just yeah felt like I was going to break into a million pieces [Music] on Saturday the 5th of November 1994 Ravel had a booking with new client Gavin Samer at his home in the Sydney suburb of Kingsford her appointment ended at 7 pm before leaving Ravel called a friend it would be the last time anyone heard from her police in Sydney fear for the safety of a young model who's been missing for six days Ravel balbain has failed to keep several Gavin same acclaimed soon after that call he dropped Ravel at a nearby pulp but it was the discovery the very next day of the young woman's bag shoes and diary discarded not far from his home that left reveal's family fearing the very worst if you know of anything just ring the police that's as easy as that I just wrote the book when I had heard that the residents of Kingsford had handed her items in then it became real to me and that's when I yeah I just went into shock so it was the discovery of her possessions that really scared you yeah well it just gave us knowledge that there was something terribly wrong terribly wrong that her possessions were found so quickly so soon after she'd gone missing did you think you'd know in a more concrete way what had happened to her you would think that but as the days went on and the weeks went on you lose hope pretty quickly at the time all suspicion was on Gavin Samer and for many it remains a well-founded focus can you tell me what you know about The Disappearance of Ravel Balmain see I've got no thoughts I've got no interest just piss off as the last known person to have been with her and with her possessions found so close to his home Sameer was the immediate prime suspect in revel's presumed murder an allegation he has always denied and one he's never been charged over now a stunning Revelation ravel's boss Jane King claims there is new evidence Gavin Samer is telling the truth I did not ever think that Gavin's summer was involved in The Disappearance of Ravel Balmain and why is that I just thought he was just way too obvious and I have had evidence put to me that does take Samer out of the picture to some degree evidence that the initial place never found can you tell us what that is I can tell you that his whereabouts were verified and they weren't verified by the first batch of police that investigated that new information turns the case on its head in fact a number of recent breakthroughs have been so significant there to be put before the coroner in February next year it may have taken nearly 30 years but police have now uncovered glaring contradictions that have changed the entire focus of the investigation the lines of inquiry that you're pursuing at the moment how confident are you that they could well crack open the case solve the case well they'll go a long way to solving the investigation we were trying to establish uh if Ravel was to meet any other person on the night that being a client associate or friend on the night she disappeared and that's the key that's the key detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell was tasked with the near impossible to make Headway where no one else had he spent the last three years combing through the archive re-interviewing Witnesses and employing new technology to hunt for old Clues to build his case do you feel you know what happened to Ravel Balmain and and at whose hands I'm hopeful that the inquest and the testing of the evidence will give a clearer picture of what happened to Ravel on the 5th of November 1994. while the evidence is yet to be tested much of the new Focus centers on Jane King's now ex-husband Zoran stanovic and his changing story he has never been arrested or charged over ravel's suspected murder but police believe he deserves further investigation zoron was the co-owner of the escort agency select Companions and its principal driver delivering escorts to and from their appointments but there are inconsistencies in what he told police just 10 days after Revel was reported missing Zarin claimed he wasn't working the night she disappeared he said he was at home with a heavily pregnant Jane why did Zion tell police that he stayed in that night initially I didn't did he say that well I wouldn't know why he would say that because he didn't stay in then four years later a backflip zorin admitted he wasn't home that night but as you'll see his new version of events still doesn't add up where were you on the night she disappeared Zoran said why did you tell police initially that you were at home that night when you weren't I think you do former escort agency co-owner and Driver Zoran stanojevich is under intense pressure to explain his whereabouts the night 22 year old Revell Balmain disappeared in November 1994. after first claiming he was home all night Zoran said he was out driving another escort to and from jobs but phone calls critical to his Alibi were never made according to official records something that confounds former wife Jane King who ran the escort agency well the story that Zoran told does not match the phone records when he said he was being called and told to pick up and drop off none of that matches well that's very strange why would he lie about that I don't know I don't know why he would lie about it why do the phone records not match your stories Lauren silly Ravel Balmain was working as an escort to raise extra money to support her first love dancing she was due to join an ensemble in Japan and Saturday the 5th of November 1994 was to be her last day at the select companions agency as well as an appointment with Gavin Samer in Kingsford Ravel had been booked by zorin to meet Serbian friends later that night 10 o'clock booking do you remember who that was with it was for somebody that Zora knew a man called boyan and is that usual well someone would nominate usual that he would ask for Revel to see someone specifically but I think when the clients were people that he knew then he would ask the booker to assign you know the most attractive people on the books to those clients and that was revealed for whatever reason police back in the day did not interview zoran's Serbian friends who were due to meet Ravel at 10 pm that night incredibly in 2021 Crime Stoppers received an anonymous tip-off warning them about the man in this photo detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell now running the investigation is appealing for more detail we have information that that person could be involved in The Disappearance of Ravel Balmain we want to identify that person and speak to anyone who does know him and hopefully they can come forward and provide that information to us not enormously does that person live in Australia or overseas I can't comment on that sorry Tara we believe this man is boyan privilovic zarin's friend and revel's last intended client while Jane has never met boyan she now has some startling information about what zorin did for him the day after reveal's disappearance zorin arranged a ticket for that client to leave Australia the next day through a travel agent we used to use all the time you have evidence that he did that I've seen it and did someone say why he did that I didn't know I didn't know that at that time and how well did Zara know boyan well that's hard to say but clearly he must have known them fairly well to organize a flight out from Australia for the following day to Thailand is this your friend I'm knocking yeah yes why did you organize for him to leave Australia the morning after Revel disappeared why did you do that all right I have to work I'm very sorry where were you what happened can you tell me a history World it started twists and turns of this case are extraordinary while zorin has changed his story over time we now know Jane's actions immediately on learning of ravel's disappearance were also curious she's always maintained in the hours before Ravel went missing she and zorin were dining at a pizza restaurant the following morning on learning reveal couldn't be reached Jane made an urgent call to the restaurant the whole conversation there was a degree of panic in the conversation um and there was a degree of urgency in the message it was obvious that you know someone was trying to establish this timeline um quickly Adam Irwin was the maitre d of The Edge Restaurant and at the time made a police statement recounting Jane's conversation can you remember the words that the woman used to you on the phone we were in your restaurant on Saturday um can you identify us there's a police investigation into a murder we need to sort of establish that we're in your restaurant can you do that I certainly didn't say that there's no way I said that are you sure absolutely sure I didn't use that word there's no way I would have used the word murdered I said missing I did not say murdered she says she never used murder but said that someone was missing if I said that in the statement I would very much feel that that's the truth yeah and I I guess what I'm trying to say is I actually really stand by that statement whether Jane used the word murder or missing what raises questions about her actions is the haste with which she tried to cement her whereabouts on the night Ravel vanished it came before she even reported revel's disappearance why did you act so quickly this is just the morning after she's gone missing you know I just thought it was a an important thing to do as soon as possible but you've rung the restaurant before you've rung the police yeah I did given the nature of the business that we were in I felt that it was important to be able to account for our whereabouts should we be asked feels like you thought you would be asked that something serious had happened to this woman and that you would be suspects well I'd never been involved in anything like that in my life that you didn't even know what you were involved with at that point no I didn't even after all these years Adam Irwin remembers his encounter with Jane as odd at the time he offered to confirm he'd seen her at the restaurant if she came back in and he remembered her but she never did do you believe she was there personally no I don't believe she was there I remember the conversation I was thinking that's just not true and but that's that's just my personal opinion well why didn't you go to the restaurant to identify yourself because I was just exhausted I was so huge during that pregnancy but you definitely went you definitely went to that restaurant oh yeah absolutely absolutely we did we were in there early at about five o'clock we were definitely in that restaurant Jane maintains over the past 30 years she has always told everyone including police the truth about what she knows of reveal's disappearance was there any suggestion that they thought you were involved no in the murder at all there's never been any suggestion about that ever and I have always assisted the place in every way that I have been able to but the most burning question remains do you know why Ravel Balmain was murdered foreign Simpson will always fight for her little sister Ravel Balmain over the past 30 years she has physically searched for her body today she is still searching for answers I have a need to see the person who murdered reveal charged with her murder and put in jail for the rest of their life why is that a need because when murder is involved um you don't know who or where or why and you're forever asking those questions and you're walking around in some sort of days wondering where she is why did someone kill her [Music] Revel was a 22 year old part-time escort dancer and model who disappeared on the evening of Saturday November 5th 1994. one of the last people to speak to her that day was her boss Jane King Jane owned the escort agency with her then husband Zoran stenaiovich and do you know why Ravel Balmain was murdered no no it's a question that confounds family and investigators there are plenty of theories though for instance did Revell owe money was she hurt in an altercation was she The Accidental victim of rough play and then disposed of or as an escort did she Moonlight see clients off the books and deny the agency it's cut as her last client Gavin Sameer said she did with him on the night she went missing so the night that Ravel belman went to Gavin Samus and stayed for the extra hour would that have triggered Zone to go and find her to see if she was Moonlighting no how can you be so certain well that was just not something that we'd ever happened it just didn't we didn't go um looking to catch people red-handed for things like that see I've got no thoughts I've got no interest just piss off if Gavin Samer is to be believed he dropped reveal at the Red Tomato Inn around 7 30 p.m and she was never seen again the only other people who officially knew Revell was in the Sydney suburb of Kingsford were a Booker from the escort agency Jane and zorin staneevich is a person of interest as he has changed the story of his whereabouts a number of times and has never been able to verify his movements for a critical period of around four hours that night why did you tell police a very complicated and elaborate alibi why do the phone records not match your stories Lauren silly do you believe zorin had something to do with this I don't want to believe that zorin had something to do with it I don't think he Stacks up well [Music] in December 2021 police made a dramatic Dawn raid to arrest zorin he was wanted for shoplifting possession of stolen goods and proceeds of crime he already had a conviction for cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis his charges were unrelated to Ravel belman's suspected murder but it was the renewed police investigation into her death that uncovered his most recent crimes he served eight months in jail and is now out on parole Zoran also assaulted his then wife Jane King in 2003 for which she underwent domestic violence and anger management courses how do you expect your former husband to respond when he sees you I suppose he'd be angry I certainly wouldn't make a point of going somewhere where I might run into him but I I don't think he's going to come kicking my door in either but I would say he'd be pretty angry for me to come on here and talk so openly about this talking openly is what detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell is appealing for Anonymous tip-offs have helped to propel his investigation to this point but now he needs those people to go on the record people have given information anonymously over the years and we would encourage that personal persons to recontact the police leave your name so we can interview as a witness that suggests you value the information yes we do we would like to that person to come forward so that we can set a timeline for the investigation it's clear that they are aware of some of the events that occurred in 1994. and that's what you need a witness uh we need a witness yes or else family and colleagues need to know what happened to her have you made a commitment to the family about that I promised Sue Ellen that I would give her a better investigation and then she previously had [Music] the main Persons of Interest suspects the right questions weren't asked um and even the questions that were asked the answers that were given they were brushed over our family sort of questioned these things and we were just just brushed off just fogged off and I'm still wondering who what and why Sue Ellen and her family felt like the initial 1994 police investigation was simply going through the motions ravel's broken parents died without knowing what happened to their precious child it destroyed them why do you think that original investigation was conducted in that way I think because the detective didn't care much about escorts or prostitutes or working girls whatever you want to call them but people can't just kill people and get away with it this new police investigation which has led to a second inquest to be heard early next year maybe fighting against the odds of time but it offers the best hope yet of finally solving this tragic case I think it's fantastic do you dream of the day when the fight for justice is over I'm on the edge you know it's I think we're so very close and that would be fantastic outcome the most important thing now is for anyone who knows anything to come forwards I mean that's just so critical because there won't be a fourth investigation Into The Disappearance of Revel Balmain and there won't be a third inquest I mean we're really at the pointy end now so now is the time to just pick up that phone if you know anything at all and just ask for the re reveal bow main team and they will contact you [Music] if you have any information about Revel Balmain which could assist the police investigation call Crime Stoppers on one eight hundred Triple Three triple zero hello I'm Tara Brown thanks for watching 60 Minutes Australia subscribe to our Channel now for brand new stories and exclusive Clips every week and don't miss out on our extra minute segments and full episodes of 60 Minutes on nine now.com dot a u and the nine Now app

Channel: 60 Minutes Australia

Views: 1,777,598

Keywords: 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes Australia, Liz Hayes, Tara Brown, Tom Steinfort, 60Mins, Amelia Adams, news, world news, news australia, investigative journalism, 60 minutes australia youtube, 60 minutes youtube, 60 minutes episodes, 60 minutes australia episodes, 60 minutes australia, 60 minutes, revelle balmain, crime, investigation, cold case, murder, presumed murder, kingsford, sydney escort, sydney escort service, 90s murder, missing persons, 1990s cold case, sydney crime

Id: NyLGUM0sU8Y

Length: 27min 36sec (1656 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 17 2023