Revelle Balmain: breakthrough in the murder case of a young glamor model who disappeared 30 years ago
The former boss of Revelle Balmain claims to have new evidence that the police “never found” and which could solve the case of the missing model.
Ms Balmain was just 22 when she disappeared from the Kingsford area on November 5, 1994. The young dancer’s makeup bag, keys and a shoe were later found scattered near Ainslie Street.
She was reported missing that evening and has not been seen or heard from since.
A coronial inquest in 1999 found that Ms Balmain had died at the hands of an unknown person or persons, with the case subsequently referred to the cold case homicide unit.
The photo of missing model and dancer Revelle Balmain, presumed murdered since 1994
After an anonymous tip in 2021, police discovered a new person they believe is connected to the case and are urging the public to come forward with anything that can help.
“We want to identify this person and speak to anyone who knows them. And I hope they can come forward and provide us with that information, not anonymously,” Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell told Nine’s 60 Minutes on Sunday evening.
This new information, along with other police findings which they continue to investigate, has led to the case being reopened, which will be reviewed by the coroner in February next year.
The 22-year-old was working as an escort on the night of her disappearance and only joined the agency run by Jane King and her husband Zoran Stanojevic six weeks before she disappeared.
Ms King also claims to have new information, saying Ms Balmain was due to meet Mr Stanojevic’s Serbian friends later that night.
Former boss Jane King claims Ms Balmain met another client before disappearing
Mr Stanojevic is not the man police are seeking to identify, and there is no suggestion he is the subject of a police investigation.
She claims that he then left for Thailand the day after this meeting.
“Zoran arranged a ticket for this client to leave Australia the next day, through a travel agency we used all the time,” Ms King said.
It is understood police are not investigating Mr Stanojevic under their new line of investigation.
Initial investigations focused on his latest client, Gavin Samer, who denies any involvement and claims to have dropped off Balmain at a nearby pub after his meeting.
Mr. Samer has never been charged and there is no indication that police still consider him a suspect.
Ms King now says she has evidence he should be excluded as a person of interest in the investigation.
“I was presented with evidence that to some extent excludes Samer from the picture, evidence that the original police never found,” she said.
“I can tell you that his location has been checked and it was not checked by the first group of police officers who investigated,” she added.
A 1999 coronial inquest concluded that Balmain died at the hands of an unknown person.
Police are urging anyone with information about Balmain’s disappearance to call Crime Stoppers.
There is a million dollar reward for information on her disappearance.
