Casefile True Crime The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron - Episode 1
Dec 13, 2025
Vicky Petratis, a long-form investigative journalist and true crime author, delves into the haunting mystery of Vivienne Cameron's disappearance amid the backdrop of a murder case from 1986. She shares insights into Vivienne's troubled marriage and her strained relationship with husband Fergus, who had an affair with the murdered Beth Barnard. Vicky paints a vivid picture of both women and explores community reactions. Suspense builds as past relationships and tensions converge on the tragic night of September 23, sparking more questions than answers.
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Unresolved Double Tragedy
- The Phillip Island case links a brutal murder and a simultaneous disappearance into one narrative that still lacks closure.
- Vicky Petratis highlights how coronial inquests concluded Vivian killed Beth and then took her own life despite Vivian's body never being found.
How The Book Began
- Vicky Petratis recounts how she first heard the story at a teacher conference and decided to write The Phillip Island Murder.
- She describes resistance from the Cameron family and two island camps: those who wouldn't talk and those who wanted answers.
Vivian's Quiet Complexity
- Vicky sketches Vivian as a community-minded woman who felt socially isolated within the influential Cameron family.
- Friends describe Vivian as caring, hardworking, and pressured by family expectations and a failing marriage.
