4338.211 · July 30, 2018 AD
Transcript of Follow-Up Emergency Call from Meredith Clarke
Thirty minutes before police arrive, Meredith Clarke calls back reporting escalating activity at the Owen property—multiple people, raised voices, possibly arguing. Two vehicles fled at high speed approximately twenty minutes earlier, leaving the scene unnaturally quiet. However, Clarke's account contradicts her earlier detailed observations: she now claims trees block her view, relies on sounds and "dust clouds," and grows defensive when questioned about her vantage point and surveillance methods.
TASMANIA POLICE
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE
000 CALL TRANSCRIPT
INCIDENT NUMBER: 2018-073-1448
CALL TYPE: Follow-up - Suspicious Activity / Welfare Check
DATE: Monday, 30 July 2018
TIME RECEIVED: 14:11:53 (AEST)
CALL DURATION: 3 minutes 47 seconds
OPERATOR ID: EC-227 (J. MORRISON)
CALLER: CLARKE, Meredith Jane
CALLBACK NUMBER: [REDACTED - 03 ████ ████]
LOCATION: [REDACTED], Collinsvale, TAS 7012
SUBJECTS: OWEN, Karen Elizabeth & OWEN, Christopher James
RELATED INCIDENT: 2018-073-1447
DISPATCH: Update to Unit S-14 / CIB notification (Det. Jenkins/Lahey en route)
PRIORITY CODE: P2 (Urgent investigation - possible active scene)
AUDIO QUALITY: Clear - Digital recording - Minor wind interference
TRANSCRIPT CERTIFICATION: Transcribed by K. Phillips, 31 July 2018. Reviewed and certified accurate.
[00:00:00]
[RING TONE - 1 ring]
OPERATOR (J. MORRISON): Tasmania Police, Emergency Communications. This is Jenny Morrison speaking.
CALLER (M. CLARKE): Jenny—yes, hello, it's Meredith Clarke again. I called about half an hour ago about the Owens?
OPERATOR: Yes, Ms Clarke, I have your earlier report right here. What's happening now?
CALLER: There's been—there was a lot of activity. Just now. Well, not just now, but—(audible breath, voice strained)—maybe twenty minutes ago? I'm not entirely sure of the exact time, but it was—it was concerning.
[00:00:24 - Caller's speech pattern more agitated than first call]
OPERATOR: Take your time, Ms Clarke. What did you observe?
CALLER: There were people there. Multiple people. I could hear them—voices. Raised voices. Maybe arguing? It was hard to tell from... from where I was. But they were definitely loud. Agitated.
OPERATOR: How many people did you see?
CALLER: I—(pause)—I didn't see them clearly. Two, maybe three? It's difficult to say. They were moving around quite a bit. Near the shed area, I think. Or maybe the house? The angle makes it... (trails off)
[00:00:51 - Operator makes note]
OPERATOR: Ms Clarke, are you observing from your property right now?
CALLER: Yes. Yes, I'm—I'm keeping watch. Like you said. Staying at a distance.
OPERATOR: And you can see the Owen property from where you're standing?
CALLER: (slight hesitation) Well, I have a view across to their place. I mentioned that before. The trees make it difficult sometimes, but I can see enough. Enough to know something's wrong.
OPERATOR: I understand. You mentioned raised voices. Could you hear what was being said?
CALLER: No, not the words. Just the... the tone. Urgent. Maybe frightened? One voice sounded like a man—definitely male. Deep voice. The others were harder to distinguish. Everything was muffled by distance and... and the wind.
[00:01:28 - Background wind noise audible on recording]
OPERATOR: Did you recognise any of the voices? Could it have been Karen or Chris Owen?
CALLER: (long pause) I... I don't think so. I know their voices fairly well—we've been neighbours for years—and these didn't sound familiar. But I can't be certain. Maybe I'm wrong.
OPERATOR: That's alright. You mentioned activity twenty minutes ago. What's the situation now?
CALLER: It's quiet. Very quiet. That's what made me call back. Because it went from all this... this chaos... to complete silence. Like someone flipped a switch.
[00:02:02 - Caller's voice drops, more uncertain]
CALLER: About ten or fifteen minutes ago—I think—I heard an engine. A car engine starting. Then another one. Maybe two vehicles? They left very quickly. I heard the tyres on the gravel—that distinctive sound, you know, when someone's driving too fast on loose stones.
OPERATOR: Did you see these vehicles leave?
CALLER: I... (hesitation) ...I saw dust. A dust cloud on the driveway. And I could hear them accelerating. The sound carried across—engines revving, quite loud.
OPERATOR: But you didn't see the actual vehicles clearly?
CALLER: The trees were blocking my view, and by the time I got to a better vantage point, they'd already... they'd gone. Down the driveway towards the main road.
[00:02:41 - Operator's tone becomes more measured]
OPERATOR: Ms Clarke, I need to clarify something. In your first call, you mentioned seeing a white ute making deliveries. Very specific details—the vehicle backing up to the east entrance, the driver's build, the cargo. But now you're saying the trees block your view?
CALLER: (voice becomes defensive) Well, it depends on where I'm standing, doesn't it? Different positions give different sightlines. I've been—I've been monitoring the property from several spots. For security. That's what neighbours do out here.
OPERATOR: I understand. So you've been moving around your property to maintain observation?
CALLER: Yes. Exactly. I wasn't just standing in one place. I was... checking. Making sure everything was alright.
[00:03:15 - Slight pause in caller's response, as if considering answer]
OPERATOR: And you said you heard arguing or raised voices. How long did that last?
CALLER: I'm not sure. Five minutes? Ten? It's hard to keep track when you're worried about what's happening. It felt longer than it probably was.
OPERATOR: Did you hear anything else? Doors slamming, objects being moved, any other sounds?
CALLER: There might have been... I think there was a door. Or maybe a car door? Something metallic. And footsteps—heavy footsteps on gravel. But I can't be sure. The wind was quite strong, and it carries sounds strangely out here. Makes everything seem closer than it is.
[00:03:47 - Caller's account becoming less certain]
OPERATOR: Ms Clarke, officers are already en route to the property. They should arrive within the next fifteen to twenty minutes. The property is quiet now, you said?
CALLER: Yes. Completely quiet. Too quiet. That's what worries me. After all that commotion, now there's nothing. Not a sound. Not even Hercules—the goose. I still haven't heard him.
OPERATOR: Alright. I need you to stay at your property and do not approach the Owens' house. The responding officers will contact you when they arrive. If you see or hear anything else before they get there, call back immediately.
CALLER: Should I be worried? Do you think they're—do you think Karen and Chris are in danger?
OPERATOR: We're taking this very seriously, Ms Clarke. The officers will conduct a thorough investigation. You've done the right thing by calling.
CALLER: I just... I hope they're alright. This doesn't feel right at all.
OPERATOR: We'll find out what's happening. Please stay safe and await contact from the officers.
CALLER: Yes. Yes, of course. Thank you.
OPERATOR: Take care, Ms Clarke.
[00:04:47 - CALL ENDS]
POST-CALL ACTIONS:
- 14:13: CAD incident upgraded to P2 - active scene possible
- 14:14: Unit S-14 notified of updated information and advised to approach with caution
- 14:15: Det. Sen. Const. Jenkins/Lahey notified by radio (already en route)
- 14:16: Patrol Supervisor (Sgt. Matthews) advised of escalation
DISPATCH RADIO LOG EXCERPT:
14:16:08 - DISPATCH to CITY632 (Jenkins/Lahey):
"CITY632, be advised. Second call from reporting party. Claims multiple persons at location approximately 30 minutes ago. Raised voices heard. Two vehicles departed at high speed. Scene now quiet. Approach with caution. Informant's vantage point and observation methods unclear. Discrepancies in account noted. Exercise appropriate caution on arrival."
INVESTIGATING OFFICER NOTES (Det. Sen. Const. K. JENKINS):
Follow-up call from Ms Clarke displays significant inconsistencies with initial report. First call: highly specific visual details (vehicle type, driver movements, cargo handling, specific building features). Second call: unable to see vehicles clearly, obscured by trees, relying on audio cues and "dust clouds."
Caller claims to be "monitoring from several spots" but this suggests active surveillance beyond normal neighbourly concern. Timeline unclear—caller uncertain of exact timing, estimates ranging from "just now" to "twenty minutes ago" to "ten or fifteen minutes."
Key discrepancy: How did caller observe the detailed delivery activities described in first call (13:42) if sightlines are as obscured as suggested in second call (14:11)? Binoculars mentioned as possibility in first call notes, but caller has not acknowledged use of optical aids.
Audio evidence: Wind noise present on recording. Caller mentions wind carrying sounds "strangely." This could explain audio observations but raises questions about accuracy of reported details.
Recommendation: Priority interview with Ms Clarke to establish: 1) Exact observation location(s) 2) Use of optical/surveillance equipment 3) Actual proximity to Owen property 4) Relationship to subjects beyond "neighbour" 5) Reason for sustained monitoring of property
Upon arrival at scene (14:28), property found secure and unoccupied. No evidence of vehicles present. No signs of recent altercation or disturbance visible from exterior. Scene remarkably tidy given reported "chaos."
Follow-up with Ms Clarke required to reconcile account with physical evidence.
See Case File 018-062 for full investigation.
DOCUMENT CLASSIFICATION: Police Investigation - Restricted
RETENTION PERIOD: Permanent (active investigation)
DISTRIBUTION: Investigation file only - not for public release
END OF TRANSCRIPT
