210:
127:
260:
to the slightly (though unquestionably fit) built 5 foot 3 inch tall Rachel. It would not take much force, whether deliberate or unintended, for Rachel to be overpowered or suffer a fatal injury...I find that a meeting between the two of them occurred on that evening at a little after 7.00 PM and that shortly after that time Mr Hytch has caused a fatal injury to Rachel and thereby caused her death."
320:
Antonio's parents commemorated the 25th anniversary of their daughter's murder in 2023, and are still seeking answers as to where their daughter's body is located. They have refused to hold a memorial service for their daughter until they know where her remains are, but do always light a candle each
259:
O'Connell stated: "A physical altercation between the two of them has then occurred. It is not difficult at all to realise that if a physical altercation between them occurred Mr Hytch who was 6 foot, 5 inches tall, and of a physically strong, athletic build, could easily, and quickly, cause injury
236:
editor
Lachlan Heywood to state: "It's a sensitive case. We obviously understand the pressure the family is under, but this newspaper ... has also done a lot of hard work to get this inquest heard. He (Radford-Chisolm) wasn't being invasive. My understanding is that Ian, the father, went a long way
1001:
The
Courier-Mail's David Murray was named the 2017 Queensland Journalist of the Year. The Clarion judges said: "After being approached by the parents of missing schoolgirl Rachel Antonio, David conceived the idea of a podcast that could uncover seemingly neglected aspects of the investigation into
263:
O'Connell stated he was unable to determine how Hytch disposed of
Antonio's body but suggested he could have either buried it in a shallow grave somewhere in the vicinity of Kings Beach or he could have swum her body out to sea with the use of a surf lifesaving paddleboard where he could have left
255:
When O'Connell delivered his findings at Bowen on 28 July 2016, he concluded that Hytch had indeed caused a fatal injury to
Antonio during a physical altercation in which had become "enraged" at Antonio's naive, schoolgirl deception regarding her false claim that she had been pregnant. O'Connell
251:
Coroner David O'Connell described the 12 days of evidence as being an "extraordinary" amount of time for a coronial inquest but "understandable" when it had involved 367 witness statements, more than 2,600 pages of court transcripts, seven taped police interviews, four days of
Queensland Crime
221:
was held into
Antonio's disappearance throughout 2014 and 2015. It was opened on 26 May 2014, and evidence was heard throughout three separate time periods - between 21 July 2014 and 25 July 2014, between 1 September 2014 and 5 September 2014 and between 15 June 2015 and 17 June 2015.
344:
Diane Mary Angwin was stabbed to death in her home in
Leichhardt Street, Bowen on 2 December 1997 by an unknown male assailant. That murder also remains unsolved and a $ 250,000 reward is also offered for information which leads to the conviction of those responsible for her death.
179:
Diary entries uncovered after
Antonio's disappearance appeared to suggest she had been in a sexual relationship with surf life saving captain, Robert Hytch. However, Hytch maintained he had not had a relationship with her nor had any involvement in her disappearance.
98:
Robert Paul Hytch was charged with
Antonio's murder but at a trial in 1999 a jury found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to nine years jail but the verdict was overturned on appeal and Hytch was tried again in 2001 but was
340:
Herbert Edward Murray was shot dead at his residence on East Euri Creek Road near Bowen on 13 November 1997. That murder remains unsolved and a $ 250,000 reward is on offer for information which leads to the conviction of those responsible for his death.
275:
He also rejected Hytch's denial of having had a relationship with
Antonio, stating: "I specifically reject Mr Hytch's denial of there being no intimate, personal, relationship between Rachel and himself." As a result, O'Connell referred Hytch to the
231:
senior photographer Scott Radford-Chisolm. Upon leaving the Bowen Courthouse with his wife on 16 June 2015, Ian Antonio allegedly attacked Radford-Chisolm and repeatedly punched him in the head. The alleged attack on Radford-Chisolm prompted
328:
for anyone who provides information relating to the location of Antonio's remains. The award had previously been offered in an attempt to catch her killer but was amended in 2014 as the focus shifted to the recovery of Antonio's remains.
271:
as "significant" and found that this had occurred on the evening she disappeared, indicating that she had been seriously injured, perhaps fatally, in close proximity to Hytch who had offered no plausible explanation to how this occurred.
527:
931:
321:
Anzac Day in their daughter's memory. Antonio's father Ian Antonio has maintained his belief that his daughter's body had been taken to the Bowen rubbish dump which wasn't searched until many years after her disappearance.
877:
114:
David O'Connell delivered his findings in Bowen. He found that Robert Hytch had likely killed Antonio and had hidden her body. However, O'Connell was unable to determine the precise cause of death or where her body was.
173:. However, the cinema owner, who knew Antonio, has always maintained that Antonio never watched the film. It was later determined that Antonio had instead walked to the end of Beach Avenue, 200 metres from the cinema.
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494:
1103:
1041:
848:
903:
167:
At approximately 6pm on the evening of 25 April, her mother dropped her to the Summer Garden Cinema on the corner of Beach Avenue and Murroona Street in Bowen to see the 7pm screening of
225:
Antonio's father Ian Antonio was involved in several incidents with members of the media who were in Bowen to cover the inquest, the most serious of which was an alleged attack on
1015:
621:
864:
A young Mackay television reporter was hit in the face with her own microphone by the father of Rachel Antonio, Ian Antonio, as the family walked into the Bowen court house.
468:
He was found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to nine years in prison. But in 2001, he was granted a retrial and was acquitted of manslaughter.
309:
investigative journalist David Murray who had been approached by Antonio's parents who proposed he write a book about their daughter after having read his book about the
819:
337:
Somewhat unusually for a small Queensland town, Antonio's likely murder on 25 April 1998 was the third such incident to have occurred at Bowen in a six-month period.
790:
835:
Ian Antonio hit a Channel 7 journalist in the head with her microphone outside the Bowen Courthouse ahead of the second day in the lastest week of hearings.
277:
1222:
721:
Her boyfriend, Robert Hytch, was found guilty of her manslaughter in 1999 and served nine months of his sentence before being acquitted at a retrial.
675:
704:
370:
760:
195:
The diary entries were ruled inadmissible during Hytch's trials and he swore under oath that he had not had a relationship with Antonio.
138:
town of Bowen, where she had grown up. She was the fourth child of Ian and Cheryl Antonio and was a student at Bowen State High School.
1202:
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300:
118:
Antonio's body was never located. A $ 250,000 reward is currently on offer for any person who reveals the location of her remains.
734:
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176:
She was seen leaving the beach by witnesses at approximately 6:45pm and was last seen walking along Queen's Beach Esplanade.
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Since Antonio's disappearance, her parents had pushed for a coronial inquest into their daughter's death. An exhaustive
111:
908:
288:
146:
142:
287:
Hytch attempted to have the inquest findings overturned but was unsuccessful, but the findings were upheld by the
795:
430:
a reward of $ 250,000 be offered for information which leads to the recovery of the remains of Rachel Joy ANTONIO
417:
325:
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150:
264:
the body, possibly weighted down, which would have been an easy task for an accomplished surf lifesaver.
962:
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409:
1158:
1129:
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375:
91:(20 March 1982 – 25 April 1998) was an Australian teenager who is believed to have been murdered in
735:"Parents welcome inquest into teenager Rachel Antonio's disappearance at Bowen in north Queensland"
227:
198:
Hytch served nine months of his sentence before his conviction was overturned following an appeal.
188:
Hytch was charged with Antonio's murder and stood trial in 1999 where a jury found him guilty of
149:. She valued her experience with the Air Force cadets as she intended to pursue a career in the
528:"Rachel Antonio disappearance: Diary could play a part in getting justice for Bowen schoolgirl"
313:. For his work creating the podcast, Murray was awarded the 2017 Journalist of the Year at the
455:
169:
92:
54:
532:
451:"Rachel Antonio disappearance at 16 without a trace. A secret diary could change everything"
305:
218:
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107:
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237:
out of his way to get to him." Ian Antonio had also earlier allegedly hit a female
189:
932:"Supreme Court upholds Coroner's findings that Robert Hytch killed Rachel Antonio"
761:"Inquest opens into north Queensland teen Rachel Antonio's disappearance in 1998"
651:"Rachel Antonio: Alleged boyfriend Robert Hytch killed Bowen teen, coroner finds"
878:"Rachel Antonio: police still considering perjury charge against Robert Hytch"
371:"Rachel Antonio's parents hope for answers 25 years after Bowen teen's murder"
239:
160:, Antonio had attended a school Anzac ceremony on 24 April and then the local
1073:"The disappearance, murders that rocked a small Queensland town to its core"
626:
161:
157:
100:
164:
on 25 April before marching in the local street parade later that morning.
622:"Coroner rules 16-year-old Rachel Antonio's alleged boyfriend killed her"
495:"Rachel Antonio mystery: Parents remember 25 years on from disappearance"
281:
256:
found that Hytch had caused her death and that he had hidden her body.
141:
Antonio's extra curricular activities centred around volunteering with
958:"Meet the award-winner behind The Courier-Mail's first podcast series"
410:"Missing - suspected murder of Rachel Joy Antonio: $ 250,000 REWARD"
820:"Two different cadaver dogs led police to same site in body search"
904:"Rachel Antonio's likely killer wants inquest findings overturned"
791:"Rachel Antonio's father lunges at journalist outside Bowen court"
208:
125:
156:
With 25 April being a national day when Australia commemorates
1042:"Rachel Antonio: Bowen tip dug up in search for missing teen"
1016:"Rachel Antonio: Family believes they know where her body is"
267:
O'Connell described Antonio's blood being found on Hytch's
849:"Photographer knocked to ground in scuffle outside court"
252:
Commission hearings and the examination of 60 witnesses.
1104:"$ 2M reward to crack 10 North Queensland cold cases"
705:"Rachel Antonio 1998 disappearance: inquest date set"
324:
A $ 250,000 reward is currently being offered by the
1130:"Murder of Herbert Edward Murray: $ 250,000 REWARD"
78:
70:
62:
43:
28:
21:
280:to investigate whether he could be charged with
243:journalist in the head with her own microphone.
201:He stood trial again in 2001 but was acquitted.
1159:"Murder of Diane Mary Angwin: $ 250,000 REWARD"
1066:
1064:
1062:
1040:McMahon, Chris; Kyriacou, Kate (5 July 2017).
8:
676:"Reward offer to find slain Qld teen's body"
699:
697:
591:"Inquest into the death of Rachel Antonio"
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130:A view of Bowen from Flagstaff Hill, 2005
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303:about Antonio's murder was produced by
985:"Queensland Clarion Award winnes 2017"
364:
362:
360:
358:
134:Antonio lived with her family in the
7:
16:1998 murder in Queensland, Australia
876:Chamberlin, Thomas (22 June 2021).
818:Anderson, Christie (16 June 2015).
1071:Murray, David (20 November 2016).
1014:Murray, David (21 November 2016).
956:Joshi, Kruti (14 September 2017).
14:
1223:Missing person cases in Australia
589:O'Connell, David (28 July 2016).
82:165 cm (5 ft 5 in)
930:Kyriacou, Kate (18 April 2018).
493:Ekert, Janessa (25 April 2023).
369:Lavelle, Laura (25 April 2023).
847:Ekert, Janessa (15 June 2015).
526:Kyriacou, Kate (15 June 2020).
278:Director of Public Prosecutions
1102:Elder, Keagan (29 July 2019).
649:Notzon, Nancy (28 July 2016).
1:
759:Horn, Allyson (26 May 2014).
733:Horn, Allyson (27 May 2014).
902:Mann, Toby (19 March 2018).
599:Coroners Court of Queensland
449:Bath, Gemma (15 June 2020).
311:murder of Allison Baden-Clay
106:In 2016, following a 12-day
909:Australian Associated Press
147:Australian Air Force Cadets
1239:
192:but not guilty of murder.
143:Surf Life Saving Australia
1203:1998 murders in Australia
1193:Australian murder victims
1166:Queensland Police Service
1137:Queensland Police Service
796:The Sydney Morning Herald
418:Queensland Police Service
326:Queensland Police Service
315:Queensland Clarion Awards
151:Australian Defence Force
213:Bowen Court House, 1995
214:
131:
1198:Female murder victims
408:Stewart, Ian (2014).
299:In 2016, a five-part
212:
145:and serving with the
129:
1208:Murder in Queensland
1108:Townsville Bulletin
824:Townsville Bulletin
602:. Queensland Courts
333:Other Bowen murders
234:Townsville Bulletin
228:Townsville Bulletin
74:high school student
63:Cause of death
1157:Atkinson, Robert.
1128:Atkinson, Robert.
1002:her disappearance.
301:true crime podcast
215:
132:
112:Queensland Coroner
95:on 25 April 1998.
89:Rachel Joy Antonio
170:Good Will Hunting
93:Bowen, Queensland
86:
85:
55:Bowen, Queensland
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991:. 28 August 2017
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219:coronial inquest
136:North Queensland
108:coronial inquest
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711:. 29 April 2014
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682:. 28 March 2014
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66:Likely homicide
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799:. 16 June 2015
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630:. 29 July 2016
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51:(aged 16)
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47:25 April 1998
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39:20 March 1982
31:
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1169:. Retrieved
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1140:. Retrieved
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1111:. Retrieved
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1080:. Retrieved
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269:reef sandals
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162:dawn service
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49:(1998-04-25)
1218:1982 births
1213:1998 deaths
57:, Australia
1187:Categories
349:References
240:Seven News
122:Background
71:Occupation
35:1982-03-20
989:Mediaweek
963:Mediaweek
680:Nine News
627:Nine News
158:Anzac Day
101:acquitted
1171:27 April
1142:27 April
1113:27 April
1082:27 April
1051:27 April
1025:27 April
995:27 April
969:27 April
941:27 April
915:27 April
887:27 April
858:27 April
829:27 April
803:27 April
770:27 April
765:ABC News
744:27 April
739:ABC News
715:27 April
709:ABC News
686:27 April
660:27 April
655:ABC News
634:27 April
606:27 April
539:27 April
506:27 April
462:27 April
424:27 April
382:23 April
376:ABC News
247:Findings
456:Mamamia
282:perjury
205:Inquest
295:Legacy
184:Trials
79:Height
1162:(PDF)
1133:(PDF)
594:(PDF)
413:(PDF)
1173:2023
1144:2023
1115:2023
1084:2023
1053:2023
1027:2023
997:2023
971:2023
943:2023
917:2023
889:2023
860:2023
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805:2023
772:2023
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717:2023
688:2023
662:2023
636:2023
608:2023
541:2023
508:2023
464:2023
426:2023
384:2023
44:Died
29:Born
1189::
1164:.
1135:.
1106:.
1092:^
1075:.
1061:^
1044:.
1018:.
999:.
987:.
960:.
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862:.
851:.
833:.
822:.
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780:^
763:.
737:.
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