Queensland
Rachel (Joy)
Antonio
D.O.B 20/03/82
Bowen, North
Queensland
Date last
seen: 25 April 1998
Description:
Rachel is described as 165cm tall, slim athletic build, hazel eyes, fair
complexion with sun-bleached brown shoulder length hair. When last sighted
she was wearing a short sleeved, collarless T-shirt with horizontal blue
and white stripes, a green skirt above the knee with large brass buttons
down the front and black dress sandals.
Rachel was
to attend a film screening at the local picture theatre at around 7pm.
She did not attend the screening after being dropped off by her parents
earlier. and has not been seen since. Many people strongly believe at Rachel
is still alive somewhere in Australia.
Rachel's 1998
disappearance sparked one of the biggest searches in Queensland history,
but her body was never found. Robert Hytch was found guilty of manslaughter,
but the decision was overturned on appeal and he was found not guilty at
a retrial in 2001.
Supreme
Court Transcript online
or PDF
of R v Hytch
ABC News
June 16 2001
Man
acquitted of Qld schoolgirl's murder
A Townsville
Supreme Court jury has found a 28-year-old man not guilty of killing North
Queensland teenager Rachel Antonio on Anzac Day in 1998. Robert Hytch was
acquitted of killing the Bowen schoolgirl, whose body has never been found.
The Hytch family collapsed into each others arms as Robert Hytch stood
in the dock with his hands to his face crying as the verdict sank in. The
manslaughter trial heard 11 days of evidence and defence counsel Harvey
Walters says he was confident of a 'not guilty' result from the outset
because of a lack of solid evidence from the prosecution. Mr Walters also
says his experience as defence counsel in numerous murder trials had led
him to conclude Hytch was not responsible for the death of Rachel Antonio.
"He just does not have the personality or the temperament to have committed
an offence such as this," he said. Mr Walters says the Hytch family are
now able to get on with their lives and try to forget the past three years.
Queensland
Police Service - Rewards
http://www.police.qld.gov.au/pr/news/rewards/posters/antonio.htm
MISSING
RACHEL
JOY ANTONIO
$50 000
REWARD
Reward:
The Minister
for Police has approved a reward of $50,000 be offered for information
which leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons
responsible for the disappearance of Rachel Joy ANTONIO at Bowen on 25
April 1998.
INDEMNITY FROM
PROSECUTION:
In addition,
an appropriate indemnity from prosecution will be recommended for any accomplice,
not being the person who actually committed the crime, who first gives
such information. The allocation of the $50,000 reward will be at the sole
discretion of the Commissioner of the Police Service.
Circumstances:
At about 6.00pm
on Saturday, 25 April 1998, Cheryl ANTONIO drove her 16 year old daughter,
Rachel Joy ANTONIO to the "Summer Garden" Cinema at the corner of Beach
Avenue and Murroona Street, Queens Beach. As the movie did not commence
until 7.00pm Rachel intended to walk down to the 'stinger nets' at the
end of Beach Avenue, some 200 metres from the Cinema. This she did and
was seen leaving the beach by a number of persons at 6.45pm. She was seen
walking on Queens Beach Esplanade shortly after, but has not been seen
since.
Rachel is described
as 165cm tall, slim athletic build, hazel eyes, fair complexion with sun-bleached
brown shoulder length hair. When last sighted she was wearing a short sleeved,
collarless T-shirt with horizontal blue and white stripes, a green skirt
above the knee with large brass buttons down the front and black dress
sandals.
Any member
of the public with information which could assist Police is asked to contact
the Homicide Investigation Squad, Brisbane, Phone (07) 3364 6122 their
nearest Police Station; or Crimestoppers, Phone 1800 333 000.
Office of the
Commissioner of the Police Service, BRISBANE
J P O'SULLIVAN
The Courier Mail
1-02-2002
Hytch
family clears latest hurdle
PERJURY charges
against the mother of the man cleared of killing Bowen teenager Rachel
Antonio were yesterday dismissed. But Sheila Hytch, 46, believes the ordeal
is not over, and that the family is the victim of a witch-hunt. Mrs Hytch
faced Townsville Magistrate's Court accused of making irreconcilable statements
about her son Robert's movements on the night that Rachel vanished. Police
alleged Mrs Hytch's testimony at a Townsville Supreme Court trial conflicted
with evidence she had given at a Queensland Crime Commission hearing.
Prosecutor
Roger Beal said Mrs Hytch had made clear to the commission her son had
decided to leave a family party to get a video and ice the night Rachel
disappeared. But she had told the Supreme Court she ordered Robert to get
ice, he said. However Magistrate Ian Fischer ruled there was not enough
evidence for a jury to convict Mrs Hytch. Rachel's 1998 disappearance
sparked one of the biggest searches in Queensland history, but her body
was never found.
Robert Hytch
was found guilty of manslaughter, but the decision was overturned on appeal
and he was found not guilty at a retrial last year. Mrs Hytch hugged her
sons and husband Paul after yesterday's decision. She said she was glad
the latest development was over.
"(But) I
don't think it's the end. They'll come back with something else," she
said.
.
.Information
sources:
On Rachel:
Missing
Persons Australia http://www.missingpersons.com.au
On Reward:
Queensland Police Service - Rewards
Others Sources
as stated.
Photographs:
Newspaper, Rachels friends website.
