How the Australian con artist, who had only one leg left, died is a mystery

Melissa Caddick lived as a wealthy Australian businesswoman. He wore clothes from luxury brands, owned a luxurious house and went on expensive vacations abroad. But the status symbols with which he surrounded himself were only part of a well-constructed outer image.

In fact, Cadick was a fraudulent man who made money by defrauding others. A complex web of fraud began to unravel in 2020, but before they could be held accountable, Caddick disappeared.

However, a few months later, the impostor returned, meaning not her, but a disfigured leg.

The question is rightly raised as to whether Caddick is truly dead or whether he staged his death to avoid the consequences of his actions. Could her disappearance have anything to do with her suspicious husband? The coroner confirmed last week that he believed the uncrowned queen was dead, but the circumstances of her death were unclear.

Crores of fraudulent money

Melissa Gadick was known as a successful financial advisor, but it was only when she went missing in November 2020 that she became known across Australia. But her name was already known to the authorities: they suspected the 49-year-old woman of stealing 30 million Australian dollars (about HUF 6.6 billion at end-2020 exchange rates) from more than 60 clients. Including many of his family members and friends. To fund his lifestyle.

According to Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan, Caddick was able to create an image to the outside world that she was a wealthy and successful woman, and because of this, her clients believed her.

It is valued at 10 million Australian dollars Lived in a villaHe bought clothes from luxury brands worth a hundred thousand dollars and jewelry worth 370 thousand Australian dollars.

On top of all this, he went on expensive vacations, which made people think he must be doing something good. Also, the investors usually came from Kadik’s family or friends, who also trusted him a lot.

“I sold my business and retired in 2017 as I believed my money was safe. (…) To add insult to injury, he also stole money from my mother, my wife, my mother-in-law, my son, my brother and my sister. From my family” – He testified One of the victims.

According to investigators, his methods were not particularly sophisticated: his clients entrusted him with the management of their investments. If they are they will receive dividends.

For the business, he used a friend’s license as a financial advisor, on which he photoshopped his own name. But the authorities got fed up with the chanting and when the police came and raided it in the early hours of November 11, 2020, the façade built by Khadik collapsed.

Missing, strange husband and leg

The day the police visited is interesting as it was the last day the woman was officially confirmed alive. According to her husband, Anthony Colletti, Caddick disappeared two days after the police visit while she went for an early morning run. The woman left behind her car and her personal belongings.

However, strangely, Colletti was not reported missing for more than 30 hours. In fact, she only told authorities about it after they called her after Kadik failed to show up for a court hearing. Coletti himself was surprised that his wife did not go to trial.

Police initially explored two theories:

1. Caddick is still alive and absconding to avoid justice.
2. The girl committed suicide.

Investigators said Coletti was not overly concerned about his wife’s disappearance. Because of the man’s strange behavior, the police initially suspected that the husband might have something to do with Kadik’s disappearance. In addition, Colletti experienced his grief in a slightly unusual way: he commemorated his wife’s disappearance with a music album, which included songs such as “Melissa is missing” and “A tövén söbel”. But it’s not just about that. According to Ryan, he was not very honest in his reporting.

Senior Detective Michael Kinour said that after his wife’s integration, Colletti went to a cliff near their home and took a picture of a shoe print that the officer thought was “unusual.” “It’s a dog park. It’s like saying I found a footprint on the beach,” he said, wondering why anyone would photograph random footprints, just like that.

According to the investigation, Colletti also sent police text messages from his wife’s phone He wrote, he was “too busy” to attend the trial due to his work. The man, who works as a hairdresser and DJ, later gave conflicting versions of events. For example, he explained what his wife was wearing on the morning of her disappearance, but said he never actually saw her that day.

Coletti denied knowing about his wife’s crimes or having anything to do with her disappearance, and police said they found no evidence to disprove that. But still According to Ryan Based on his testimony, it is “strongly suspected” that even if he did not hurt her, he may have known more about what happened to his wife.

In February 2021, the investigation took a terrifying turn when a trainer was found with a rotting foot on a beach 500 kilometers south of Sydney.

Forensic experts used DNA tests to identify the body part and confirm it was Catic’s leg. On the other hand, during the post-mortem examination, they could not determine whether it was cut intentionally or as a result of decomposition.

The inquest heard several theories to explain how the leg ended up on Porta Beach, including that a shark ate it and later retrieved the body parts. Police also considered throwing the pig’s body parts, hidden in running shoes, into the ocean to determine what role shark behavior or ocean currents might have played in the woman’s leg being swept up. Oceanographers say currents may have carried the legs that far, while a pathologist described how human legs could separate from the body during decomposition.

An orthopedic surgeon said Kadik was unlikely to amputate his own leg because cutting the bone would have required “significant force”, would have caused massive blood loss and required special post-operative care. At the end of the investigation, it was concluded that Kadik did not cut his own leg to stage his own death and avoid the authorities. But the exact circumstances of his death could not be shed light on, not even the leg in his possession.

The police stabbed him so that the victims would not be rich

At the last court hearing, when Ryan also presented his findings, police misconduct in the investigation was revealed. For example, Kadik’s house was not searched until 19 days after he disappeared. Ryan’s attorney questioned authorities for not immediately involving the homicide unit, to at least rule out foul play.

Even though suicide is an easy possibility, some say officials who worked on Kadik’s case were adamant that she disappeared voluntarily. According to expert evidence Caddick suffered from narcissistic personality disorder, and the shame and humiliation he was exposed to may have caused him severe psychological stress, which eventually led him to take his own life. This is also indicated by the fact that the woman had a life insurance policy that also provided cover in case of suicide, so that her family could also receive the money after her death.

Caddy has repeatedly hinted over the years that he might one day end his life.

However, police initially allocated limited evidence in investigating the possibility of suicide.

“Perhaps the most convincing evidence that Caddick is dead is that she has not contacted her son,” Ryan said, according to court documents. Because of his deep attachment to her, Ryan feels that he would not have sought her out in some way if he had been alive.

Australian police were forced to confirm that Ryan had jumped from cliffs near his property. A lawyer representing the authorities called this a very clear explanation talked about, “there is no evidence to the contrary”. Caddick’s family shared the suicide theory. However, Ryan eventually He did not make a definitive statement About how she could have died – even if he thought it would have been better for everyone.

“I have come to the conclusion that Melissa Caddick is dead. However, I believe that the evidence does not allow us to confirm how, where and when he died.”

– wrote the Deputy State Coroner. However, his discovery did not end the case: the identity of Caddick’s death remains unclear, and his clients’ losses remain unresolved, although Caddick has managed to repay them several million Australian dollars over the past year. from his auctioned movables.

“It’s a loss for many That means all their money, they set aside for their retirement or their children’s education. The financial and emotional damage suffered will reverberate for years to come,” Ryan said.