Case 238
Renae Marsden
*** Content Warning: suicide ***
20-year-old Renae Marsden was a bright and bubbly young woman who valued her family above all else. Her mother, Teresa Marsden, was therefore shocked when she received a message from Renae’s boyfriend, Brayden Spiteri, on August 5 2013, warning: “Sort your daughter out. Threatening to kill herself.”
Police traced Renae to The Gap, a notorious suicide spot in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, where they concluded that she had taken her own life. Renae’s family refused to believe she would have killed herself on her own accord. They urged police to launch an investigation into Brayden Spiteri’s role in Renae’s suicide, and what emerged was shocking.
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research & writing – Elsha McGill
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
MUSIC:
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER:
Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska
PREMIUM
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RESOURCES
COURT DOCUMENTS
Inquest into the death of Renae Marsden
VIDEOS
Catfishing – Insight
Deadly Deception – Australian Crime Stories
NEWS ARTICLES
Parents of catfishing victim want law changed and named after Renae – Sydney Morning Herald
Coroner condemns catfisher over Sydney woman Renae Marsden’s suicide – The Guardian
Heartbroken family of catfishing victim ‘still waiting for justice’ – 2GB
‘Sorry for the pain I’m about to cause you‘ – Daily Mail Australia
‘You have no way to escape’: Bizarre emails emerge in ‘catfish’ suicide case where girlfriend warns ‘I own you’ – and left 54 missed calls in the one night – Daily Mail Australia
‘She was going to dinner and never came home’: Mother continues nationwide search to find her beloved daughter who disappeared almost one year ago – Daily Mail Australia
Tragic end to ‘evil’ catfishing ploy: Man who unwittingly became the face of the deception speaks – 9 Now
Coroner recommends the criminalisation of catfishing – NSW Courts
OTHER
Criminalising Catfishing Petition
Renae Marsden – Australian Missing Persons Register