The Strange Disappearance Of Natasha Ryan

On August 31, 1998, Jennifer Kerwin dropped her beautiful daughter, 14-year-old Natasha Ryan, off at Rockhampton High School. When Natasha failed to come back home later the sunset, Jennifer phoned the authorities and reported her missing.

Natasha was categorized as a “troubled teen” with a record of school suspensions, drug use, and self-harm. Combined with the truth she had run away from residence just a month before, initially, the authorities didn’t take her disappearance seriously.

In July, Natasha disappeared and was discovered just two days later hiding out at a hotel with her 22-year-old boyfriend Scott Black, a milk delivery boy. The authority thought Natasha had escaped with Scott once again, but when they knocked on his door he claimed she was not with him and that he had no suggestion where she was.

Natasha was one of many females who had disappeared from Rockhampton in 1998 and 1999. 39-year-old Julie Turner disappeared just three months later in December. 36-year-old Beverly Leggo vanished in March of 99' and both 19-year-old Sylvia Benedetti and 9-year-old Keyra Steinhart vanished in April. The city was paralyzed with belief as they knew an insane serial killer was on the loose.

A widespread search was begun. More than 100 volunteers moved together in the expectations Natasha would be found alive — if discovered at all.

As the hours turned into days and the days turned into weeks, Natasha’s mum and dad, Jennifer, and Robert, worried she had fallen victim to a crazed lunatic and they were sure they would never see their daughter again.

Then, in May of 1999, a man named Leonard John Fraser, who was later named the Rockhampton Rapist, was arrested for the rape and killing of little Keyra. While in jail awaiting trial, he admitted to the murders of Natasha, Sylvia, Beverly, and Julie and even drew a map to where the police could locate Natasha’s remains, but they were never found.

In May of 2001, after almost three long years of mourning for their precious daughter, Natasha’s parents held a memorial service on what would have been her 17th birthday and said their last goodbyes. Their wedding was not able to withstand the difficulty and they finally divorced.

Nearly two years later, Natasha’s parents would face the biggest surprise of their lives when their daughter returned after the death.

Eight days into the murder trial, prosecutor Paul Rutledge declared that Leonard Fraser was not guilty of the killing of Natasha Ryan. As noises of shock filled the courtroom, Natasha’s dad almost fallen in disbelief.

It was disclosed that a mysterious note had been sent to the authority with Natasha’s location. It was proved she had been alive and well all along, living with Scott a mere five minutes away from the residence she grew up in.

Four years and eight months into her disappearance, 18-year-old Natasha followed her killing trial. She said to the court she had never confronted Leonard. She had simply run away from the residence because she could no longer stand her mum’s strict rules and their unstable relationship. Natasha disliked her school, her home, and her life, so she discovered herself a new one.

Natasha insisted that while in hiding she started to repent her conclusion and had a strong desire to rebuild her relationship with her mum, but she felt the story had gone on for too long and that it was far too late.

If not for the unidentified note, which was believed to have been written by a relative of Scott’s, Natasha would have possibly remained “dead.”

Natasha and Scott had gone to great importance to protecting her existence. She had wasted nearly half a decade indoors. Natasha would draw the curtains during the day and keep inside a bedroom cabinet when relatives would visit Scott — which is exactly where the police discovered her crouching when they raided his residence on April 10, 2003.

Scott was ordered to pay $16,000 for the $151,000 police inquiry and spent one year in jail for perjury. Natasha was ordered to give a $1,000 fine and never faced any criminal charges. She later accepted an agreement with 60 Minutes and Australia’s highest-selling magazine Woman’s Day who paid her more than $120,000 for special interviews.

Natasha and Scott wedded in 2008 and sold photos of the marriage to Woman’s Day for another $200,000. The couple now has three kids together and Natasha works as a licensed nanny.

Leonard Fraser died of a heart attack in 2007 at the age of 55 while serving life for the killings of Keyra, Sylvia, Beverly, and Julie, all of whose bodies were eventually found.

Sources: The Guardian, Wikipedia, Mamamia, Australian Crime Lab

Written By Fatim Hemrij, Medium