Con Artist, Cult Leader or Murderer?

The Disappearance

Carolyn French was excited to pick up her new dachshund puppy from breeders Chantelle McDougall (27) and Simon Kadwill (45). She had been in contact with the breeders since early June, 2007, and had agreed at the last minute to foster the puppy's parents until new homes could be arranged, as the dachshund breeders were emigrating to Brazil.

Chantelle and Simon lived on Roberts road, in the small country town of Nannup, Western Australia, a three hour drive from Perth, with their daughter Leela (6), and house-mate Antonio (Tony) Popic (40). Carolyn had arranged with Simon to collect the dogs on the 15th of July, 2007. Due to the long drive, Carolyn decided to call the breeders again on the 14th of July to confirm that everything was going ahead as planned. Chantelle answered the phone, informing Carolyn that Simon had departed for Brazil sooner than expected, and that she would be following him shortly. As such, Carolyn needed to come collect the dogs that very same day.

Carolyn departed immediately, arriving at the breeders remote cottage at around 2:30pm. She was greeted by Chantelle, who appeared to be a sweet, softly spoken young woman. Upon entering the bright blue cottage, Carolyn couldn't help but notice some oddities; the house was still filled with furniture, including a large flat screen TV - not at all what one would expect from a family in the midst of an international move. She queried this with Chantelle, who reassured Carolyn, stating that they would be leaving some large items behind. Chantelle also added that she would be travelling to Perth for a few days prior to departing for Brazil - a strange remark given that Chantelle had just asked Carolyn to drive 3 hours from Perth to collect the dogs that day.

Carolyn also noticed something else; Leela, who was home-schooled, was strangely absent. Carolyn hadn't met Leela in person, but had heard the loud and outgoing child in the background of several previous telephone calls to Chantelle and Simon. She asked Chantelle whether Leela wanted to say goodbye to the dogs, but Chantelle replied that Leela was unwell and resting in their house-mates caravan.

As Carolyn began collecting the dogs, Chantelle disappeared into another room in the house, returning a few minutes later looking rather anxious, stating that she might have to take Leela to the hospital. It appeared to Carolyn that Chantelle was attempting to hurry her out, so she quickly finished packing up the dogs and departed for Perth. As she pulled out along the gravel driveway, Carolyn noticed that the caravan in which Leela was meant to be resting was parked to the back of the cottage - not in the direction that Chantelle had gone in when she momentarily left Carolyn (presumably to check on Leela).

Upon arrival at home, Carolyn realised she had not paid Chantelle the outstanding balance for the puppy. She immediately rang and spoke to Chantelle on the phone that evening, to arrange a bank transfer for the puppy, and upon asking after Leela's illness, was told that a hospital visit had not been required after all.

The next day, the 15th of July, 2007, Carolyn again rang Chantelle to see if she had received the remaining funds, but only reached an answering machine. Carolyn repeatedly attempted to contact both Chantelle and Simon to discuss re-homing the adult dogs, but never heard or saw either of them ever again.

A strange aftermath

A few days after these events, Carolyn received a brief phone call from an angry sounding woman, who questioned Carolyn's identity and wanted to know the relationship between Carolyn and Chantelle. When Carolyn asked how this woman had found her number, the mystery woman stated that Carolyn's number came up in Chantelle's mobile phone history, then hung up... The mystery caller's identity has never been found.

Con Artist to Cult Leader - Simon

Simon Kadwill was actually born Gary Felton in 1962, in the UK. As an adult, Simon was convicted of two counts of fraud for using a friend’s password to access a computer system . In 1986 he began working at a software company where he met the real Simon Kadwill. He managed to steal the real Simon's birth certificate, and used it to obtain a British passport in the name of Simon Kadwill.

During the 1990's, Gary AKA Simon fully took on the Simon Kadwill identity, travelling extensively on 'spiritual pilgrimages.' He met a woman in India called Deborah, eventually moving with her to Melbourne, Australia, where they had a son. During this time he did not hold a formal, paying job; instead, he lived off Deborah and the small amount made off the sales of his books: 'The New Call, Servers of the Divine Plan' and 'Rare Insights'. These books discussed Simon's philosophical and spiritual beliefs. Specifically, Simon believed that some supposedly selfless few were moving from our three dimensional, physical plane, to a five dimensional, ‘vibrating’ plane' through an ‘ascension process'. This ascension process was achieved through death - although apparently it didn’t feel like dying; more like going to sleep. The few who enter this five dimensional plane were considered to pass through a purification process and ascend into vibrating energies of varying frequencies. When a sufficient frequency was reached, a new level of reality emerged for the individual, one where a ‘consciousness of love, compassion, peace and spiritual wisdom prevails’. This supposed transformation only happened to those who learned to relinquish personal desires and material possessions for a greater, collective good, and were therefore considered to be superior to those left behind. Simon further believed that we were heading towards an Armageddon; a judgment day; the end of the world (believed to be December 21, 2012). This apocalyptical philosophy was based on the premise that all ‘good’ people get to go home (which is the fifth dimension) whereas all the ‘sinners and failures are subjugated to reincarnation again for more suffering’ by staying in the third dimension (our world).

Simon also ran a website called ‘The Truth Fellowship’ as well as several on-line chat forums on which he discussed these beliefs and encouraged others to follow them. He chatted frequently to other members of the forum from around the world, many from the USA and Canada, spending a large amount of time on the internet at night and sleeping through much of the day. Simon’s forums were divided into three ascending categories, with the highest being reserved for his closest followers. Part of the time, he would go on to forums other than his own and pretend to be someone else. Simon was known to be reclusive and had no real friends outside the group or his associates on his forum. Occasionally, ‘clients’ visited him at the Nannup property during the day, but evidence was unclear as to who they were or what his involvement with them entailed.

Chantelle

In 1998, Simon presented a series of 'New Age 'seminars in Melbourne, outlining his beliefs. It was here that he first met Chantelle, who was only 18 at the time (Simon was 36). Chantelle had a happy, outgoing personality. Friends described her as a free spirit, who was open to New Age ideas, a really social person who loved people. She had good relationships with her parents and with her older brother and sister.

In 1999, Chantelle moved in with Simon and his partner Deborah, taking on the role of nanny to their young son. That same year, Chantelle and Deborah went to a women's spiritual group where they met another woman, who also became one of Simon's 'followers,' moving in with them and becoming romantically involved with Simon. It is unknown when exactly Chantelle also entered into a romantic relationship with Simon. What is known, is that she became pregnant to Simon in 2000. That same year, Deborah left Simon, taking their son back to the UK for good. The third woman also broke ties with Simon, stating that she found the break emotionally challenging, feeling as if the group had a kind of cult influence on her. Part of the context of the group when she was in it was a discouragement to contact her family or to focus on the past or on personalities. She further believed that Simon was possibly manipulating her, that he was the controlling person in the group, and that the others were his followers and supported him financially.

Chantelle gave birth to Leela in 2001, leaving the father's section on the birth certificate curiously blank. Although Chantelle was Simon’s partner, it appears that their relationship was not emotionally intimate. It seemed to Chantelle’s mother that they did not have a personal relationship and that they only shared in the same spiritual beliefs, predominantly those propounded by Simon. Chantelle had told her mother that it was ‘the relationship you have when you are not having a relationship’. A friend of Chantelle's further stated that she never saw Chantelle and Simon as a couple, and that ‘there was nothing that connected him and Chantelle together in a relationship. There was nothing there.’ One of Chantelles close friends in Nannup stated that 'she [Chantelle] appeared subservient to Simon', even describing Chantelle as 'controlled and brainwashed by him.'

Leela

Leela was by all accounts a happy, outgoing child. Simon and Chantelle home schooled Leela, although she was active in playgroups, swimming classes and karate. Simon strictly advised Chantelle's parents on what they were allowed to say to Leela, in case they 'poisoned her mind with their worldly ways'. Simon did not allow Leela to spend much time with her grandparents, even preventing her from saying goodbye as they left after a visit.

Despite this, Chantelle’s close relationship with her parent’s continued while she was with Simon. She spoke to them regularly by phone and they both visited her and her family in Nannup twice up to 2005. Her mother also visited them on her own in May 2007. Chantelle continued to maintain contact with her parents regardless of Simon’s apparent disapproval.

By contrast, Chantelle’s relationship with housemate, Tony, was one of best friends. According to friends, when Chantelle talked about Tony, she would laugh and say that they had a great time, and that he was hilarious and they could talk about anything.

Tony

In 2002, Tony Popic first moved in with Chantelle and Simon, sleeping in a tent in their backyard, despite the house having spare rooms. It is unknown exactly when and how Tony first met Simon and Chantelle, as he only told his mother his mother that he had met Chantelle in Perth some years prior. Tony would come and go as the years passed, always returning to live with Simon and Chantelle, wherever they happened to be in Australia. In 2006 he moved to the property at Nannup, buying an old caravan that he placed behind the house to live in.

Tony was universally seen as a kind, gentle man who loved nature and got along with everyone in general. He loved working in the garden and all forms of music. He was helpful around the rental property in Nannup and was known around the small town as ‘a beautiful … gentle dude’. It was clear to all that knew him, that Tony had a spiritual side, and was very much under Simon’s influence in spiritual matters.

Tony did not smoke or use illicit drugs, but was an occasional binge-drinker. He had no known medical or mental health condition, though his brother Joseph thought that he suffered depression from time to time and had lacked direction for many years. He never gave Joseph any indication that he would harm himself or take his own life. Joseph had met Simon and Chantelle when Tony lived with them in Perth. He had not warmed to Simon and had an uneasy feeling about him and his motives towards Tony. He felt that Simon was brainwashing Tony and felt strongly enough about it to warn Tony, but was brushed off.

A Plan is Formed

It appears that the plan for the group to leave the property in Nannup was initially formed around April 2007. The first hint of that plan occurred after the Landlords at the Nannup property arranged for a new electrical transformer to be connected to the blue cottage.

When a contractor turned up to begin the work, Simon confronted him, stating that the electromagnetic field (EMF) given off by the transformer was making him sick. The contractor explained that the EMF from appliances in the house was greater than that given off from the transformer, yet Simon did not appear to accept the explanation and became increasingly more agitated about it each time the contractor returned to continue working. Simon eventually told the contractor that he wanted to pack up and move away, mentioning Brazil as an option where he could get away from the EMF.

The suggestion by Simon that he might move to Brazil was likely started from an idea which members of his on-line forum had presented to him. They had done research on the Santo Daime Church in the Brazilian Amazonian state of Acre, and were trying to talk him into taking a trip there. One particular follower from the USA, Sheryl, later provided evidence that they were unsuccessful in talking Simon into going to Brazil. Simon rejected the idea and held to a spiritual hopelessness that was consuming him, also telling her [Sheryl] that he would be physically incapable of making the trip without months of therapy first.

The second motivation to leave Nannup first appeared in around July 2004, culminating in May 2007. An ex-boyfriend of Chantelle's (the one who had been with her when she first met Simon at the 'New Age' seminar in 1998) turned up at the blue cottage in 2004. It is unknown what occurred when he turned up unannounced, but Chantelle complained to police, and obtained a violence restraining order (VRO) against her ex. Upon his arrest for breaching the VRO, the ex-boyfriend told police that the group were part of a cult and that Simon, who was the leader of the cult, was a fake and that his real name was Gary Felton. The police followed this up, but were told by the WA Police head office that there was no 'adverse intel' regarding Simon Kadwill, so the matter was never fully investigated.

Coincidentally, one of these police officers ended up stopping Simon for speeding 3 years later on 5 May, 2007, 2 months before the disappearances. The officer, remembering the information provided 3 years prior, asked Simon about his background in England. Simon appeared to be nervous and uncomfortable about answering questions about where he came from. The officer further stated that 'He [Simon] seemed to be attempting to be excessively nice and cooperative.' This officer now believes that his questioning of Simon during that stop was what helped precipitate the groups speedy departure. This statement is highly likely, given that the next day, 6 May, 2007, Chantelle lodged a passport application for Leela.

Suicide?

In May, 2007, Simon told one of his followers, Sheryl, that the group in Nannup had a plan for a family suicide with a quick-acting drug. The plan was for the four of them (Simon, Chantelle, Tony and Leela) to wander into a wilderness area where he, Chantelle and Leela would take the drug and Tony would bury them. Tony would then wander further into the wilderness and take the drug where no-one would find his body. Simon told Sheryl that he thought that Chantelle could not do it because she kept delaying. Chantelle told Simon that it would be murder to kill Leela, and after that Simon was no longer as open with her regarding his plans. Sheryl said that she and others in the on-line chat group tried to convince Simon to move to another location (away from the EMF), but he refused their advice.

In early June 2007 Simon emailed Sheryl again, stating that he did not want to live any more and that he would end his life when he went off-line. He said that Tony was awake and knew of his intentions, but that Chantelle and Leela were asleep and he wanted to do it before they awoke. Sheryl did not hear from Simon again, trying unsuccessfully to contact Chantelle by phone and eventually hearing from another friend that Simon was dead.

We know that Simon was still alive during June and July 2007, as he arranged for Carolyn to pick up the dogs via telephone. This was the last reported contact anyone had with him, and he was never seen or heard from again by anyone in Nannup after July.

Final Days

Chantelle, on the other hand, was quite active during these months, seeing her parents on 24 June, 2007 and again in July. She told them that she and her family were moving in about six weeks’ time to a community on the outskirts of Rio Branco in Brazil. she also told her mother that she was still not sure what her address would be in Brazil, and that she was still packing, with most of the larger items to be sent to Brazil by boat. She added that Simon had already left and that she and Leela were going to follow by plane. Tony was going to travel around a bit and then go to Brazil on his own.

On 10 or 11 July, 2007, Tony went to see his parents in Manjimup to say good-bye to them. He said that Simon was going to spend a few days in Perth and then go to Brazil. Simon would make sure everything was all right in Brazil and then send Chantelle and Leela there as well. Tony said that he was not going to Brazil at that time and that he may go to Alice Springs. Tony had previously told his brother, Joseph, about the plan to go to Brazil. When Joseph had asked Tony about going to Brazil, Tony did not really answer his questions about the plan. After saying good-bye to his parents, Tony went to a car yard in Bridgetown and sold his car without bargaining.

On 12 July, an unidentified person bought a ticket at the Manjumup Visitors Centre for an adult passenger with the name J Roberts travelling from Bridgetown to Northcliffe on 15 July 2007. The telephone number provided on the booking record was the land-line at the property on Roberts Road, where the group lived. Given that Tony was visiting his parents in Manjimup the day before, and sold his car in Bridgetown (26 minutes from Manjimup), it is highly likely that this was Tony. Manjimup is also only 44 minutes from Nannup, where Tony, Chantelle and Leela were still being seen. This Bridgetown/Northcliffe ticket was never used.

Also on the 12th, Chantelle contacted the electricity company to arrange for a final meter reading to be done. A person, presumably Chantelle, also called the phone company from the land-line at the property, probably to arrange disconnection of the telephone service.

The next day on 13 July 2007, Chantelle, Leela and Tony went to Busselton, where Chantelle sold her car for $4000 at a car-yard. Chantelle told the proprietor of the car yard that they were going to Brazil. On the same day, she and the others went to a pet shop in Busselton where she sold three of their puppies. Before they left the pet shop, Leela played with the puppies and was upset that she had to say goodbye to them. Chantelle then went to a bank in Busselton, where she deposited the cheque for the car and cashed the cheque for the puppies. Tony went to the Busselton Courthouse and arranged for an enduring power of attorney, appointing his brother Joseph to manage his affairs. He immediately mailed the document to Joseph.

Also on 13 July 2007, a ticket was purchased with cash at the East Perth train station, for a return journey from East Perth to Kalgoorlie for the morning of 16 July 2007. The ticket was for a passenger named ‘J Robwerts’. The name was most likely a typographical error made by the employee taking the booking for a person claiming to be J Roberts. This person was likely to be Simon, given that Chantelle, Tony and Leela were all in Busselton (a 2 and a half hour journey from East Perth). Tony had also mentioned to his family that Simon was spending some time in Perth, before departing for Brazil.

On the 14th of July, Carolyn would be the last person to physically see Chantelle McDougall. They had all disappeared by the 16th, when Chantelle and Simon's landlords came to the house and found that it had been vacated, with several valuable furnishings left behind. There was a note taped to the door from Chantelle, indicating that they had left for Brazil. In Tony’s caravan was a note saying that the landlord was welcome to keep the caravan. The house and the caravan were in spotless condition. In the house, all of the food except for a bucket of rice, and all personal items including clothing had been removed. However, all the electrical appliances remained, including a large plasma TV, Xboxes, a DVD player, DVDs, two computers, clock radios, lamps and oil heaters in every room. The fridge door was left open with the inside clean and empty. All the furniture had been left behind, including mattresses on the beds, but the sheets and towels were all missing.

The Train Tickets

15 July 2007

At 2.20 pm on , a ticket was purchased for J Roberts at the Bunbury train station for a journey from Bunbury to Perth, departing at 2.45 pm. A man travelled to Perth on that ticket, arriving at the Perth train station at about 5.15 pm. From about 5.30 pm, Tony’s mobile phone was in the Perth city area, being used to call budget accommodation, and to order pizza. The pizza delivery driver later identified Tony as the person who ordered the Pizza.That night, a person using Tony’s driver’s licence as photographic identification checked into a double room at a hostel for two nights. Clearly Tony had travelled to Perth from Bunbury under the name J Roberts.

16 July 2007

At 6.35 am, Tony’s phone was used in Perth to call TransWa, the local train and bus company. At 6.53 am the same morning, his phone was used to call a bank trading service. This was the last known call from Tony's phone. At 6.54 am a taxi conveyed a fare booked in the name ‘Tony’ from the Hostel to the East Perth train terminal, arriving at 7.09 am (according to the taxi meter).

Concurrently, at 7.02 am at the Perth City Terminal (around 10 minutes away from East Perth station), a ticket was also being purchased for J Roberts for travel from Perth to Northcliffe, departing at 9.30 am that morning. An unknown adult male passenger undertook this trip on the ticket purchased that morning.

At 7.15 am that morning, an unknown adult male passenger undertook the journey to Kalgoorlie on the ticket purchased on 13 July, 2007, from the East Perth station under the misspelled 'J Robwerts'. This is the ticket that was purchased in person, in East Perth on the 13th, whilst Tony, Chantelle and Leela were in Busselton (over 2 hours away). It is likely that this male person was Simon Kadwill AKA Gary Felton.

Theories

Given that two adult males used the two separate tickets on 16 July, 2007, both in the name of 'J Roberts', it is highly likely that Tony and Simon were these passengers. Both passengers were men, both used the same last name (Roberts Road, where they lived), and both had the opportunity to purchase the tickets, as well as meet up and swap them in order to confuse police. Although Tony was dropped off at East Perth, he could have easily met someone (Simon) at the station and switched tickets - taking the East Perth ticket purchased on 13 July (most likely purchased by Simon). Or, Tony could have departed on the 9:30 am train to Northcliffe. We will never know.

What we do know, is two different men made these journeys.

We also know that there is enough evidence to suggest a suicide pact as there is to suggest the group merely wanted to disappear.

The evidence suggesting a suicide pact includes:

• they have not accessed bank funds;
• they had not contacted family;
• they had not been recorded as having left Australia;
• they have not come under the notice of any authorities or government agencies;
• their spiritual beliefs about ascending to a higher plane through death; and
• Simon’s apparent despondency and his remarks to forum followers about a contemplated family suicide.

Contrary evidence suggests that the group may have simply disappeared, namely:

• their propensity to disassociate from mainstream society as a result of their spiritual beliefs;
• Simon’s coercive influence over Chantelle and Tony, suggesting that he could convince them to disappear with him;
• Chantelle’s application for a passport for Leela the day after Simon was stopped and questioned by Police for speeding, suggesting that she was complicit in a plan to leave Nannup and possibly Australia as soon as possible;
• Simon’s disappearance three weeks before Chantelle, Leela and Tony disappeared, suggesting that it related to Police questioning;
• Simon’s history of disappearing to another country;
• Chantelle’s acquisition of $6,000 in cash through bank withdrawals and the sale of pets, giving the financial means to pay for short term living expenses;
• their preparatory behaviour before their disappearance; namely, arranging disconnections, paying off credit cards, selling vehicles and pets. To this I would add the Landlord's evidence that, when Chantelle and Leela left the house, they removed the bedding and the towels, consistent with a plan to use it elsewhere;
• Chantelle’s apparent lack of grief (to Simon's 'suicide'), and her unexplained disappearance to another room when speaking with puppy purchaser, Carolyn French, may indicate that Simon was still alive at the time; and
• no evidence of the acquisition of illicit drugs or the stockpiling of medications that could have been used to facilitate suicide.

Sightings and Suicides

There have been multiple sightings of the group; in 2007 in Albany, in 2008 in the Busselton and Dunsborough areas, and again in the suburbs of Bassendean and O-Connor. Yet, none of these have been officially verified by Police, and so cannot be taken as proof that the group is still alive and well.

On 24 July, 2007, Alixander Fominoff, a Canadian follower of Simon, killed himself with the ingestion of Nembutal. A year later, on 26 August 2008, more of Simon's followers, Kirk Helgason and his girlfriend, Christina Parrott killed themselves in the USA (Christina Parrott has previously send $6000 AUD to Chantelle). Both groups left notes saying that they were not depressed, but 'they were above this world, and were moving onto a higher plane.'

Police investigated all avenues, both in Australia and Brazil, and were able to determine that the group did not leave Australia by air or by sea.

None of their bank accounts have been touched since July 2007.

Conclusion

Unfortunately...there isn't one. A formal Coronial Inquest was held at the Busselton Courthouse in December 2017, into the suspected deaths of Chantelle, Leela, Tony and Simon (AKA Gary Felton). The coroner found, due to the conflicting evidence, that the deaths could not be established beyond reasonable doubt.

If you have any information about the group, please call Crime Stoppers on +61 1800 333 000.