After decades of searching, a breakthrough in the Susan Goodwin cold case has come to light.
A dark shadow has lingered over the South Australian town of Port Lincoln for more than two decades, one that has haunted families, friends, and the local community alike.
For 23 years, the disappearance of Wonthaggi woman Susan Marie Goodwin remained a cold case, a troubling mystery that left unanswered questions and fractured lives after it.
On September 18, after years of painstaking investigation, a potential breakthrough brought both relief and renewed grief; human remains believed to be Goodwin’s were discovered, and a 64-year-old man has been charged with her murder.
For those who knew her, Goodwin was kind and full of energy. Described by her partner of seven years, Michele Peterson, as “fun-loving”, she was someone who cherished the small pleasures of life, shopping for groceries, preparing dinner, and spending quiet evenings at home with Peterson.
But on a regular Friday in July 2002, the unthinkable occurred: Goodwin vanished without a trace.
It was Friday, July 19, 2002, when Goodwin was last seen in Port Lincoln, a coastal city in South Australia celebrated as Australia’s “seafood capital”.
Witnesses reported seeing her that afternoon at both Coles and Woolworths, visibly distressed as she shopped for groceries.
She bought fresh meat for the evening meal, a routine act that later became a key detail, highlighting how sudden and out of character her disappearance was.
Her absence that day was immediately alarming. Goodwin was due to pick Peterson up from work at 4.15pm, a routine she never missed.
When the time came and went, Peterson returned home to find the couple’s car locked in the driveway, which was uncharacteristic of Goodwin, who usually left it unlocked.
Inside the Moonta Crescent home, nothing seemed amiss; dinner was prepared and stored in the fridge, and the house was orderly.
“From the moment I arrived home from work at 4.30pm, I had a feeling something was terribly wrong,” Peterson said.
Goodwin’s clothes remained untouched in her wardrobe, and her toothbrush, an item she never left home without, was left in the bathroom cabinet.
“There was no note to say where she was, so I called friends and family, but came up with nothing,” Anderson recalled.
“It was strange, as we were inseparable and I know she wouldn’t cause me any stress.
“I went to the police that night and reported her missing. While I completed the forms, I thought I’d get a call on my mobile from Susan. But it’s never happened.”
Goodwin usually carried around $140 in cash, and investigators noted that neither her cash nor her bank accounts had been accessed since her disappearance.
She had been known to socialise within Port Lincoln’s local drug scene, and police interviewed several acquaintances from this circle, but no immediate leads emerged.
The disappearance of Susan Goodwin was immediately recognised as out of character. Extensive searches were launched by the Port Lincoln State Emergency Service and local police, covering about 25sq km of rugged scrubland surrounding the city.
Despite these efforts, nothing was found.
Three years later, in 2005, police followed a tip that led them to an old greyhound track in Port Lincoln.
Fragments of clothing were discovered, but none could be definitively linked to Goodwin.
Senior Sergeant Hank Swalue, speaking at the time, stated that investigators no longer believed Susan was alive and reclassified the case as a major crime.
Police suspected she had been murdered by someone close to her and speculated that more than one person may have been involved in disposing of her body within a 30km radius of the town.
Seven persons of interest were identified over the years, but all were eventually cleared.
Detective Superintendent Des Bray, who led the Major Crime Investigation Branch at one point, stated that “the answer to this case lies in the local community”.
The Goodwin family’s anguish was compounded by tragedy long before Goodwin disappeared.
In the 1980s, she survived a devastating car accident that claimed the lives of her two sisters and brother.
Her father, Don Goodwin, said that Susan “had been to hell and back” and that the experience had made her cherish life.
Yet the uncertainty surrounding her disappearance added a new layer of grief for the family.
Her former partner, Peterson, who remained close to the family, previously described the ongoing torment as “sad and frustrating” because there hadn’t been any reported sightings of Goodwin.
“The family are very stressed and heartbroken … I think about Susan every day, wondering if she’s dead or alive, so there’s no closure,” Peterson said.
Goodwin’s parents, Don and Margaret Goodwin, clung to hope until their deaths in 2017, never learning what had become of their daughter.
Margaret regularly urged local journalists to keep publishing appeals for information, hoping that someone might finally come forward.
Goodwin’s desperate plea echoed through the years.
“It’s been on my mind all the time, day and night, you never get over it and it just wears you down something terrible,” Goodwin said in 2017.
“I am desperate for answers … our lives have been destroyed by these tragedies.”
Despite the decades that passed, police never abandoned Goodwin’s case. A $200,000 reward was offered for information leading to the discovery of her remains or the conviction of those responsible.
The case was highlighted repeatedly during National Missing Persons Week, most recently in 2024, with calls for public assistance.
Investigators also took unusual steps to raise awareness. Police cars were branded with information about Goodwin, posters were distributed throughout the community, and local businesses even placed coasters detailing her case.
In 2017, Task Force Lincoln was established, and playing cards featuring Susan’s case were distributed among prison inmates with incentives offered for credible tips.
As recently as 2023, forensic experts re-examined old evidence using advanced DNA testing, narrowing the suspect list to a single individual.
The breakthrough finally came on Wednesday, September 17. A renewed search operation, spearheaded by Major Crime Investigation Branch detectives and supported by both Port Lincoln and Australian Federal Police officers, focused on a property in Pamir Crt, adjacent to Goodwin’s former home on Moonta Cres.
Specialised radar equipment was brought in to aid the search.
Early that morning, excavation revealed bones. Forensic anthropologists from Forensic Science SA quickly confirmed the discovery was human.
Acting Detective Superintendent Andrew Macrae said police were “very confident” they had found the remains of Susan Goodwin.
He noted that DNA testing with remaining relatives was still required for full confirmation.
Superintendent Macrae credited the breakthrough to an “ongoing review of the cold case and all available evidence” and, importantly, “information from the public”.
Later that same day, a 64-year-old Port Lincoln man, John Mislov, was arrested and charged with Goodwin’s murder.
Mislov appeared in Port Lincoln Magistrates Court on Thursday and is yet to enter a plea to the charge.
For Goodwin’s surviving family members in the Wonthaggi area, the news, though deeply sorrowful, brings a long-overdue sense of relief.
In a statement, the family expressed their “heartfelt thanks” to authorities for their tireless work in bringing the investigation to this point.
Superintendent Macrae offered words of hope for other families still grappling with unresolved disappearances.
“This investigation is 23 years old and should provide reassurance to the family and friends of other victims that Major Crime Investigation Branch continues to investigate cold case homicides,” Superintendent Macrae said.
He also stressed the importance of public assistance, urging anyone with information to come forward.
Susan Goodwin’s disappearance cast a long shadow over Port Lincoln, one that affected not only her family but the wider community.
The long-running mystery, the failed leads, and the unanswered questions have left a lasting mark on the city. Yet, after 23 years, the latest development offers a glimmer of resolution.
While nothing can undo the grief or the years lost, the discovery of suspected remains believed to be Goodwin’s and the charging of a suspect potentially marks a long-awaited step toward justice and closure.
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