Natasha Ryan’s story — Her bizarre disappearance

The trial involving the alleged murder of Natasha Ryan took a strange and surprising turn when the victim, who was believed to be dead, appeared in court to testify. As the trial of Leonard Fraser, a notorious serial killer, proceeded, prosecutor Paul Ruttledge made the announcement that Fraser was no longer being accused of killing Natasha Ryan.

“I am pleased to inform the court that Leonard John Fraser is not guilty of the murder of Natasha Anne Ryan,” Ruttledge told the court. “Natasha Ryan is still alive.” 

Natasha Ryan remained unseen and unheard of for a period of four years and eight months, with only her boyfriend Scott Black having any contact with her during that time. The Rockhampton community, as well as her family, had presumed her to be deceased and even organized a memorial service for her on her seventeenth birthday.

Natasha Ryan, a troubled teenager who had experimented with drugs, attempted suicide, and even pretended to be pregnant, grew up in a family that had gone through a divorce. Her father, Robert, had remarried and Natasha served as a bridesmaid at his wedding to Debbie, her stepmother.

On the 12th of July, 1998, Natasha disappeared while taking the family dog for a walk. After a few days of searching, authorities found her at the Rockhampton Music Bowl, and subsequently charged Scott Black with abduction. However, Scott was able to avoid any major charges and was fined only $1,000 for impeding the investigation into Natasha's disappearance.

After Natasha disappeared once again on August 31st, 1998, authorities believed that she would likely return within a matter of days or weeks. This presumption was supported by data from the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence, which indicated that approximately 95% of the 30,000 people reported missing were typically located within a month, with nearly half of them either making contact or returning home on their own.

Several witnesses reported seeing Natasha talking to an older man and smoking a cigarette outside a cinema, which further reinforced the theory that she had run away. The police waited almost a month before making the news of Natasha's disappearance public, and without any evidence that she was still alive, over 100 local State Emergency Service volunteers were called upon to help search for the missing teenager.

“I don’t believe Natasha would have let me go through all the pain if she was out there,” Jenny Ryan, Natasha’s mum, said.

As time passed, the chances of finding Natasha dwindled, particularly as the murders of several local Rockhampton women began to pile up. Following Natasha's disappearance, three women, Beverly Leggo, Sylvia Benedetti, and Julie Turning, were tragically murdered, sparking rumors that Natasha had also become a victim of the serial killer.

The frequency of these disappearances and murders in a relatively small city was striking, and Professor Paul Wilson, a criminologist at Bond University, remarked on the unusual nature of the situation at the time.

Natasha Ryan lived a reclusive life with her boyfriend

For a period of five years, Natasha Ryan lived in seclusion with her boyfriend, Scott Black, moving between various properties located in Rockhampton and the nearby coastal town of Yeppoon. Interestingly, the house where Natasha was ultimately found was just a short drive away from her family's residence.

Scott Black and Natasha Ryan

While initial reports had suggested that Natasha spent much of her time confined to a cupboard, it later emerged that she moved around the house with the blinds firmly shut. According to an article in The New Zealand Herald, Natasha spent her time surfing the internet, reading, cooking, and sewing during her years in hiding.

The article also revealed that Natasha had only gone outside on six occasions during her nearly five years of living in seclusion with Scott Black. To avoid drawing attention to herself, Natasha and Scott went to great lengths to conceal her whereabouts: for example, her washing never appeared on the line, and she even made her own sanitary towels from bath towels to avoid raising suspicion by having Scott purchase them for her.

To his neighbors, Scott Black was a reclusive milkman who lived alone, and Natasha's presence in the house was kept a closely guarded secret. Natasha later revealed to the police that she had considered returning home at one point but felt that the lie had grown too large to unravel.

Authorities were eventually tipped off to Natasha's presence by an anonymous note, which also included a phone number for her. The police subsequently conducted a raid on Scott's home.

Several weeks prior to Leonard Fraser's trial, Natasha had called the Kids Help Line counseling service, posing as a runaway named Sally who was living with a boyfriend. During the call, she expressed concern that a man was going to be tried for her murder.

Leonard Fraser had confessed to killing Natasha Ryan, claiming that he met her at a cinema and later murdered her at the showgrounds before disposing of her body at the pink lily pond near the airport. The police believed him as he had led them to the remains of other victims. 
However, when the authorities raided Scott's house, they found Natasha alive and hiding in a cupboard, her preferred hiding spot when people visited. Natasha reportedly refused to leave with the authorities, making it clear that she did not want to be found.

After Natasha's discovery, she and Scott got married 

“I know why I left,” Natasha said. “I’m not sure my mum and my sister completely know all the reasons. I’m not sure it would make any difference saying why I left – I feel whatever I say wouldn’t be good enough for the pain I’ve caused my family.”

When Natasha was found alive, her family was shocked and traumatized by the news. Ross Lo Monaco, the family's lawyer, said that Mrs. Ryan was in shock. Prior to Natasha's reappearance, the family had held a memorial service for her on her 17th birthday, believing she was dead. Robert, Natasha's father, expressed his uncertainty about what happened to his daughter, saying that he could go to his grave without knowing.

Natasha took responsibility for her actions and said that it was her fault, not Scott's, for running away and causing him to protect her by hiding her. She expressed that Scott had done something lovely and was only trying to protect her, and she felt that she deserved to be punished.

Natasha and Scott reportedly made a significant profit from the media attention that followed her reappearance. Numerous local and international media outlets paid large sums of money to secure exclusive rights to her story and photographs. Despite the authorities spending a considerable amount of money on searching for Natasha and investigating her alleged murder, they only recovered a small portion of their expenses.

According to reports, the couple received $200,000 from Woman's Day for exclusive stories both before and after their wedding.

“We were sitting at home… and suddenly he pulled out the ring,” Natasha said. “It caught me off guard and the emotions were overwhelming.”

After Scott spent a year in jail for perjury, he and Natasha got married in a small ceremony in Byfield, Queensland in 2008, attended only by close family and friends. Woman’s Day, who reportedly paid the couple $200,000 for exclusive stories, prohibited guests from taking photos.

According to News.com.au, Natasha now goes by the name Tash Black and works as a nurse, having studied nursing at Central Queensland University. She and Scott are said to have three children and lead a private life.

In 2011, the couple made their last known appearance in the news when they appeared before a Magistrates Court in Rockhampton.

In 2021, Jason Ryan, Natasha's younger brother, faced trial for domestic violence, inadvertently bringing his sister's story back into the public eye. Natasha had vanished when Jason was a toddler, and he was only six years old when she reappeared.

Jason was accused of assaulting his pregnant wife and child on several occasions between 2017 and 2020, and he pleaded guilty to 14 counts of domestic violence. His lawyer, Nick Larter, told the court that Jason had experienced family trauma and never received counseling to deal with it, including the trauma caused by Natasha's disappearance and subsequent media attention.

Judge Michal Rackeman sentenced Jason to four years in prison and described his conduct as "disgraceful" and "rightly to be abhorred."

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