Cold Case Files

When Michelle Anne Riley was killed in October 1973, Tracey Riley lost more than a sister.

Michelle, the oldest of five, took on the role as second mum to her siblings when the family moved to Queensland in Australia.

Their mother Valerie made the decision to move from Sydney in search of a better life away from their father, who was an alcoholic.

Valerie worked a lot to support the family.

“It was just mum and five kids – there was no pension or anything in those days,” Tracey said.

Michelle, 16, quickly made friends with Gabriele Jahnke.

The two were inseparable and would often sneak into bars in Brisbane together.

One day when Tracey was walking home from school, she saw her sister accept a ride from a truck driver.

She told her mother, who berated Michelle for hitchhiking.

One night Valerie agreed to go out to dinner with a friend.

This was rare, according to Tracey.

“It was the first time mum had ever gone out,” she said.

“Obviously Michelle was in charge of us and Gabby was there too.”

Michelle convinced her brother Wayne to let the pair sneak out.

When Valerie arrived home, there was no sign of them.

The next morning a taxi pulled into their street in the Brisbane suburb of Annerley.

Inside were the two, who knew they were in trouble for sneaking out.

“It pulled into our street and mum knew it was Michelle and Gabby,” Tracey said.

However, the car did a u-turn and drove away.

“We think it was because my uncle’s car was at our place and he was very strict,” Tracey said.

“If we needed a belting, he would give us one and Michelle would have known she would have been in trouble.”

Sadly, that punishment would have paled in comparison to what happened to the two young women.

When they didn’t return home, Valerie reported the two missing.

At first the police believed they had run away – that Michelle had convinced Gabby to return to Sydney with her.

However, a week later Gabby’s body was found on the side of the Pacific Highway at Ormeau, half way between Brisbane and Surfers Paradise.

“She had been thrown out of a vehicle,” Tracey said.

“Michelle was found 12 days later on a property by a man walking a dog. She had been covered by branches.”

Her dental plate had to be sent to Sydney to ID the body.

But Valerie knew in her heart it was her precious daughter.

“Mum knew as soon as they found the body that it was Michelle,” she said.

Tracey said her sister’s death destroyed her family.

“Mum was never the same person,” she said.

“She had a nervous breakdown and she never wanted any of us to leave home.”

Tracey said there had been speculation over the years about what had happened to the pair.

She said one of Gabby’s friends had talked to the pair on the night they were last seen.

“She said she saw them in a greeny blue station wagon near Logan,” Tracey said.

She can’t understand why police didn’t do more to track down the owner of this vehicle.

Before Valerie died, Tracey promised her she would do everything she could to get answers about Michelle’s death.

“I told her ‘mum when you’re gone I’m going to do something about this’,” Tracey said.

She said the not knowing slowly eroded a part of her heart.

“All these years knowing no one has been caught is what destroys me,” Tracey said.

“I don’t understand how someone could have done this.

“He must have told someone.”

She said she missed her sister, who had an infectious free-spirited nature, every day.

Tracey said she would continue to search for the truth for her mum and Michelle.

“It’s very sad that mum didn’t get answers,” she said.

“That’s why I’m doing what I am – because I’m the last one left.

“I don’t want to die and not know what happened.”