4338.211 · July 30, 2018 AD
Transcript of Meredith Clarke's Distressed Emergency Call
Meredith Clarke reports her neighbours Karen and Chris Owen missing after several days without contact. She describes unusual activity at their remote Collinsvale property—a white unmarked truck making repeated deliveries at odd hours, the couple's complete absence, and their dog missing. Despite claiming to observe from her neighbouring property over a kilometre away through dense forest, Clarke provides remarkably specific details about vehicle movements, cargo handling, and the property's eastern entrance.
TASMANIA POLICE
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE
000 CALL TRANSCRIPT
INCIDENT NUMBER: 2018-073-1447
CALL TYPE: Welfare Check / Missing Persons
DATE: Monday, 30 July 2018
TIME RECEIVED: 13:42:17 (AEST)
CALL DURATION: 4 minutes 53 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
ADDRESS: [REDACTED], Collinsvale, TAS 7012
DISPATCH: Southern Division - Uniform Patrol (Unit S-14)
PRIORITY CODE: P3 (Non-urgent investigation required)
AUDIO QUALITY: Clear - Digital recording - No interference
TRANSCRIPT CERTIFICATION: Transcribed by K. Phillips, 31 July 2018. Reviewed and certified accurate.
[00:00:00]
[RING TONE - 2 rings]
OPERATOR (J. MORRISON): Tasmania Police, Emergency Communications. What's your emergency?
CALLER (M. CLARKE): Oh, hello—yes, um, I'm—I don't know if this is really an emergency, but I'm... I'm worried about my neighbours and I wasn't sure who else to call.
OPERATOR: That's alright, ma'am. You've called the right place. Can I take your name, please?
CALLER: Yes, sorry—Meredith. Meredith Clarke.
OPERATOR: Thank you, Ms Clarke. And can you confirm the best number to reach you on if we get disconnected?
CALLER: Uh, yes—it's [REDACTED]. That's my mobile.
OPERATOR: Perfect. Now, you mentioned you're concerned about your neighbours. Can you tell me their names and address?
CALLER: It's Karen and Chris Owen. They live at [REDACTED], Collinsvale. I'm right next door at [REDACTED].
OPERATOR: And what's causing you concern, Ms Clarke?
CALLER: I—well, I haven't seen them for days now. Which isn't—I mean, they travel a lot for their work, conservation work, so normally I wouldn't think anything of it, but—
[00:00:52 - Caller pauses, audible breath]
OPERATOR: Take your time, Ms Clarke. When was the last time you saw either Karen or Chris?
CALLER: Um... (pause) ...Thursday morning, I think. Thursday. I saw Karen outside in the garden—she was picking wildflowers. Daisies. She waved at me. That was... normal. Everything seemed fine then.
OPERATOR: So that would be the 26th of July?
CALLER: Yes, that's right. Thursday the 26th. And I haven't seen either of them since.
OPERATOR: Ms Clarke, are you at your home address now?
CALLER: Yes, I'm... I'm in my front garden. I can see their place from here.
OPERATOR: Alright. What exactly can you see from your property?
CALLER: Their house—the cottage. The driveway. Part of the barn. I've got quite a good view across to them.
[00:01:42 - Operator makes note, slight pause]
OPERATOR: And have you tried contacting them directly? Calling their home or mobile?
CALLER: Yes, several times. The landline just rings out. Their mobiles go straight to voicemail. I left messages yesterday and this morning, but... nothing.
OPERATOR: You mentioned you normally wouldn't be concerned because they travel. What's different this time that's worried you?
CALLER: (hesitates) Well... there's been activity. At their property. Unusual activity.
OPERATOR: What kind of activity have you observed?
CALLER: There's been a truck. A ute, actually—white or maybe light grey. It's been coming and going. Multiple times over the past few days. It's not their vehicle, and it's not—it doesn't look like regular deliveries. No Australia Post or courier markings.
OPERATOR: Can you tell me more about this vehicle? Make, model, registration?
CALLER: I couldn't get the registration from... from where I was. But it's a single-cab ute. White. Fairly new—maybe a Toyota or Nissan? Hard to say. No company logos or anything on the doors.
[00:02:35 - Caller's voice becomes more detailed, more confident]
CALLER: I've seen it maybe five or six times now. Different times of day. Once it was late—maybe eight or nine at night, after dark. That struck me as odd.
OPERATOR: And what was this vehicle doing when you saw it?
CALLER: Making deliveries, I think. The driver would back it up near the side entrance—the one near their kitchen, on the east side of the cottage. Then they'd unload things. Boxes or bags, I'm not sure which. Heavy, though—the way the person was carrying them, you could tell they had weight to them.
[00:03:04 - Note: Level of detail increases]
OPERATOR: You said "the person"—did you see the driver clearly?
CALLER: Not their face, no. They kept their head down. Moving quickly. Like they didn't want to be seen. Male, I think, from the build. Average height. Dark clothing—hoodie or jacket. That's all I could make out.
OPERATOR: Ms Clarke, I need to ask—from your property, how far away is the Owens' house?
CALLER: Oh, well... (slight pause) ...we're neighbours, so not far. I keep an eye on things, you know. For security. It's quite remote out here.
OPERATOR: I understand. Have you noticed any other unusual activity? Lights on at odd hours, unfamiliar voices, anything like that?
CALLER: The house has been dark mostly. But I did hear voices. Two days ago—Saturday—in the afternoon. Male voices, definitely more than one person. Talking loudly, maybe arguing? It was hard to tell.
OPERATOR: Could you make out what they were saying?
CALLER: No, not the words. Just... the tone. Agitated. And it definitely wasn't Chris's voice. I know how he sounds.
[00:03:56 - Background wind noise increases slightly]
OPERATOR: Ms Clarke, have you noticed any signs of disturbance at the property itself? Broken windows, forced doors, damage to the building?
CALLER: No, nothing like that. From the outside, everything looks... normal. Peaceful, even. The shutters are closed, but that's not unusual. They keep them shut when they're away sometimes.
OPERATOR: What about Karen and Chris's vehicle? Do you know what they drive?
CALLER: They've got a Land Cruiser—dark green. Station wagon style. I haven't seen it there for days. The driveway's been empty except when that white ute shows up.
OPERATOR: And you mentioned their goose—Hercules? Have you seen or heard him?
CALLER: No. No, I haven't. That's... that's actually one of the things that worried me most. Hercules is always making noise—honking at everything. But it's been completely silent over there. Even the goose is gone.
[00:04:32 - Caller's voice wavers slightly]
CALLER: I'm probably overreacting, aren't I? They've probably just gone on one of their expeditions and forgot to tell me. But it feels wrong. The timing, the truck, the silence—it all feels very wrong.
OPERATOR: Ms Clarke, you're not overreacting. You're being vigilant, and we appreciate you calling this in. I'm going to dispatch officers to do a welfare check at the property. They should be there within the hour. If you see that vehicle return, or notice any further activity, I need you to call back immediately. Do not approach the property yourself. Understood?
CALLER: Yes, I understand. I'll stay here and keep watching.
OPERATOR: Thank you, Ms Clarke. An officer will contact you when they arrive. Is there anything else you'd like to add before I let you go?
CALLER: No, I... just please find out if they're alright. Karen and Chris are good people. They wouldn't just disappear without saying anything.
OPERATOR: We'll investigate thoroughly. Stay safe, and we'll be in touch.
CALLER: Thank you. Thank you so much.
OPERATOR: Take care, Ms Clarke.
[00:04:53 - CALL ENDS]
POST-CALL ACTIONS:
- 13:44: Incident logged in CAD system as P3 welfare check
- 13:46: Unit S-14 (Constables Morrison & Chen) dispatched to scene
- 13:47: CIB notified - file flagged for detective follow-up
- 14:12: Ms Clarke called back with additional information (see Incident 2018-073-1448)
INVESTIGATING OFFICER NOTES (Det. Sen. Const. K. JENKINS):
Initial welfare check escalated to missing persons investigation upon discovery of suspicious circumstances at property. Caller's claimed vantage point requires verification—property is approx. 1.2km from stated address across heavily wooded ridge. Visibility questionable. Level of detail in observations (vehicle backing to specific entrance, cargo weight assessment, voice tone analysis) inconsistent with claimed viewing distance and terrain barriers.
Recommend follow-up interview with Ms Clarke to clarify observation methods and actual proximity to scene. Possible use of optics/surveillance equipment not disclosed in initial call. Alternatively, caller may have been closer to property than stated.
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
