Natasha Ryan, former teen runaway whose 1998 disappearance sparked years-long search, found dead in Rockhampton


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In short: Police say the death of Natasha Ryan is not suspicious after her body was found at Rockhampton Golf Club on Sunday morning. Natasha Ryan, who was at the centre of one of Australia's most notable missing persons cases, has been found dead by police in Rockhampton, in central Queensland. Ms Ryan gained notoriety when she went missing as a teenager in August 1998.

Probable suicide, if her death was not suspicious. I had not heard from Natasha for at least 10 years. I am a little shaken about the news though.

“Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the sudden and non-suspicious death of a woman in Rockhampton,” the statement read.

As a 14-year-old in 1998, Ryan was at the centre of one of Aus­tralia’s strangest disappearance cases when she ran away from home to be with her then 21-year-old boyfriend, Mr Black.

She was presumed to have been murdered by serial killer and rapist Leonard John Fraser, but following a tip-off to police, she was found in 2003 hiding in a cupboard at the home of Mr Black in central Queensland.

Ryan had reportedly spent 4½ years in hiding, rarely leaving the house, before she was discovered during a police raid of the property.

The pair stood trial on ­charges of falsely causing a police ­investigation.

In 2005, Mr Black pleaded guilty to perjury for telling police he didn’t know where Ms Ryan was, and was jailed for 12 months.

Ms Ryan was also found guilty of causing a false police investigation and fined $1000.

They later married and had four children.

In interviews after her discovery, Ms Ryan said they were paranoid of being found as the “lie had become too big”. She had ran away on multiple occasions before her disappearance.

I drove down Ann St towards the Rockhampton Golf Course. I saw a set of helium-inflated balloons near a ditch. I felt that it must have been quite a horrific site to find the body so close to homes, out in the open like that.

The media scrutiny must have been too much and followed Natasha for too long.

Cause of death?  At that level of borderline it could be anything ...... sorry 'bout that.

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Jun 4^th, 2024 at 11:12am:

Cause of death?  At that level of borderline it could be anything ...... sorry 'bout that.

Allegedly, a hanging. Dad knew people who knew Natasha. That is what is being said. I was thinking about going to the funeral. But no notices have been posted. It might just be a family and close friends attendees only.