‘The Lady Vanishes’ podcast takes hiatus due to new leads

The popularity of True Crime podcasts has skyrocketed in Australia over the past few years, but The Lady Vanishes is a unique case.

The podcast is the creation of 7NEWS, but it is now on a forced hiatus because of the outpouring of new leads thanks to listeners.

The Lady Vanishes focuses on the disappearance of Gold Coast resident Marion Barter, after the much-loved mother, teacher and friend stepped on a plane for an overseas adventure and was never seen again.

It’s now generated over 2.5 million listens globally, and has put renewed pressure on government officials.

“While true crime podcasts are incredibly popular in Australia, The Lady Vanishes is a first-of-its-kind in that the investigation is playing out in real time with incredible help from the general public,” executive producer Alison Sandy said.

“We are chasing new leads, putting pressure on the NSW Police through the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal to release unredacted documents, and following up with the NSW Coroners Court to get further facts and clarity behind the case,” Sandy adds.

“Much of this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our podcast listeners, who have sparked a renewed interest in the case.”

Weekly bonus episodes will continue to be published while the podcast is on hiatus.

“Interest in The Lady Vanishes’ case shows that the power of podcasting is real,” said Acast content director Guy Scott-Wilson.

“The nature of podcasting has allowed us to follow this investigation in real time, driving the public participation needed to gather new evidence and hopefully solve the case.

“It’s great to see investigative journalism finding such a natural home in podcasting, and it makes for really compelling content with audiences all over the world.”

The Lady Vanishes can be streamed via Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.