Eden would have turned 25 on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
On that day, Jacqui Lambie, took out a full page ad in the Sunday Tasmanian paper, calling for an independent inquest.
In this episode we speak with Jason and Amanda and give you the chance to join us in a live podcast recording.
Dear mister and missus Westbrook. I'm writing response to your email to Commissioner Adams on the third of July twenty twenty four, and your query is regarding the outcome of inquiries in twenty twenty three into further information you provide cudding Eden's death. I'm reading a letter that Jason and Amanda the Commissioner of Police on the second of August twenty twenty four. It was after their request for more information about the interview that police say was conducted with a girl we're calling Kate just recently. Jason continues to read the letter.
I can confirm that Tasmanian Police is not in possession of any evidence that suggests Edenstead is other than a suicide, and there is no evidence linking any other persons.
To her death.
While I understand your design for copies of interviews with persons from these recent inquiries and in BRACK and other records, such material contains personal information that does not justify its release, particularly when there is no evidence linking any of the individuals to Eden's death. You can, of course make an application to the Rights to Information Act two thousand and nine. Any such application will be assessed in accordance with the requirements of that act. I recognize the toll Eden's death has had on your family and assure you inquiries have been made into all credible information that has been received. Yours sincerely, Assistant Commissioner.
How did you feel when you read that email?
Well rereading it to youj and that last paragraph. I recognize the toll Eden's death has had on your family and assure you inquiries have been made into all credible information that has been received. So what are you saying there, Mate, that Bobby Lee's not credible, Jason's not credible, Amanda is not credible, but Kate is credible.
Yeah, undescending, It is mate.
To of course make an application to the rights of information. Of course we can make an application, and we are right now making an application.
For all of that.
The team working with Jason and Amanda on finding out what really happened to their daughter almost ten years ago, has two information requests. Yesterday, Sunday, the eleventh of August, was a very bittersweet day for Jason and Amanda Westbrook and their family. I guess there was a bit of light and shade across the weekend. Eden would have celebrated her birthday on the eleventh.
Yeah, heavy heart mate in the family at the moment for that twenty five years young she would have been.
And how did you celebrate or commemorate her birthday?
Look Funnily enough, we've got a text on the last week on the Thursday Wednesday, Thursday afternoon, a couple from Queensland that have gone through a similar injustice with their family members, and yeah, we celebrated with them.
J It's just such a strange imagine.
To put to words day because you can't get a birthday cake, she's not here. You can't sing her Happy Birthday because she's not here.
The children even we're all just well.
We're a bit closed in what to do together. We're hurt with.
It's the twenty fifth k big moment and for all our children, the eighteenth and the twenty fifth is a big one in our family. Every eighteenth we're given the children.
Five hundred bucks.
That was just what we did for all the kids. And on that twenty fifth we're just given them a thousand bucks. That's just what we do as parents. We don't give even a thousand bucks.
It's really.
A fellow day for us.
I guess, but.
I do remember her in all of her glory to he was such a big, big personality. When you come home from school every day and you hear what all of your children have to say, and you give them all that time, one at a time, and you get to see something that you don't wouldn't see if you didn't listen and give the child the time to speak. And I'm just so grateful for the things that I did do for Edom when he was alive.
Where it rolls in my head the things I didn't do mate, because she was so academic and she was full of energy and conversation, and I was always so busy, Jay, And I really want to emphasize as a parent, don't be too busy for your kids because you just never know what's around the corner. And I live with you know, sometimes even following me around trying to tell me a story. And I was so busy, and I regret that, So you know, you have regrets as much as Aman is trying to remember.
The positive times.
Jay, also, something else happened on the weekend, which was a full page ad happened in the local paper. Tell us about that, Oh.
Well, it's a there's a whole lot of questions asked in asking people and the public to basically speak up and step up, and we need you, We actually need you to help us put these puzzles together so everybody can carry on with their lives and feel safe to do so. If this could happen to us, honestly, it can happen to any of you, then that's the pain of the matter. We do need to change things in the system. And hopefully the questions that the Weekend's paper have asked and the follow up by Amber with her article, hopefully that can sort of strike a chord with people that ten years has almost gone by, and Jason and I certainly haven't given up or changed the way we think of trying to clear Eden's name here and fix it the Thistle system basically.
Look also, what I like about it is it it reminds people that were at such difficulty in getting critical information, you know, and you know what I'm talking about Triple O calls, the CCTV footage, Eden's mobile phone records and their social media which we have through you been able to have a little bit of a look at, but it certainly wasn't investigated interviewing Comfortable Christmas. First, why was that never happened? Given you know, he made it very clear Eden was alive on the eighteenth at two am, arguing with an older woman under the skate pope.
In front of me. I've got a copy of that full page ad, which was facilitated by Jackie Lambie and her team. The ad poses questions that we've been asking for all along in this podcast still haven't been answered, or they have been answered, but those answers raise even more questions.
Was Eden murdered?
Today would have been Eden's twenty fifth birthday. A family should be celebrating, but they're still fighting for answers. There is compelling new evidence and witnesses that need to be examined. Why weren't the coroner's office released the autopsy photos? Pedophile policeman Paul Reynolds was in charge of the case. Did he hand over all of the evidence to the coroner? Joined the Jackie Lamby Network and pod Shape and calling for transparency.
You know, we've asked questions for the forensic DNA's examinations of the rope, you know, Eden's movements, you know, and there's just been procrastinating and delay and go slow on this. And you know, I've spoken to some pretty educated people and there doesn't even look like there was any mandatory basic testing, Dunjay, you know, at what stage basis did the local police determine if it was still sight being mindful as listening to your podcast with there were witnesses who police themselves set down and confirmed found Eden. We know Eden was definitely being groomed.
For them not to look into their social media, not to seize her phone, and even though I took the phone and I put it in with it.
To be cremated, doesn't matter. Jay, you can still as a police, as the police investigating that, they can source that through Telstra, they can get all of Eden's records and if they can't, the current Act certainly has the power. So they was Eden being groomed or reviews, absolutely, Mate, and for some reason they don't want us to know. And that's sickening, Mate, because I don't even want to put my mind in that thought. But I'm pretty confident now Eden was definitely groomed and there was evidence on a phone and someone knew it. That's why it was protected. And the people that were grooming they're clearly protected pedophile. Policeman. Paul Reynolds was in charge of the case and he did hand over all the evidence of the kinder and he failed miserably and as her dad, that needs to be sorted, Mate. We need a whole new investigation with We've got to get the date of Eden's death right.
You can't just sprawled it all over to the Coronial, the chief, the Court's networks, whatever they call it, and say Eden died on the seventeenth when it's wrong.
The Currenter's office say they get it right. Reinvestigate. You've got that wrong. Eden died on the eighteenth until I am up. She argued with that older woman, and you just didn't even check Edan's movements. You weren't interested in Eden's movements because you're rated off as suicide by nine o'clock that morning. That this is me right off, Jay and I will not stop fighting until we get it reopened and we get to the truth. And you know me by now, Jay, I'm not going anywhere, mate, and laws Amanda, you know it's hurting us, but we're not going to be the third We're going to be powered by it. If that makes sense, you know, there's no strength without struggle, so we're just going to use a struggle for strength. Man.
Over seven five hundred people have signed the petition at change dot org to have an open inquest into Eden's death. We'll put a link to that petition in the show notes. Millions have now heard the podcast, both in Australia and across the world, well downloads coming from the USA and the UK. People like Jackie Lambe and her party are starting to make more noise and more people are starting to listen.
Jackie's one hundred percent behind this. And you know, Jackie's been criticized since she's come behind us as anyone that's come over and supported us in any way. However, Jackie hasn't tarnished anyone, and she's not judging the Tasmanian Police. She just wants to fix it, mate, and that's a job.
She's there working for the people, with the people.
You're the lover or hater and that's okay. You the love of hate me, mate, I'm okay with that too. But she stands for what she believes in. She believes us and what's happened she can see. Look, you read it all. You've probably had some paperwork recently because we've got a couple applications gone in. Jay, They're really clear, it's really clear there's something went wrong here. It's really clear there's been a goost slow delay procrastinate the Westbrook family on getting their answers. Eventually they'll go way. You know, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out this was a botched investigation from the start. And because I don't know, Jay, what goes through my head is cruel. I reckon there's a cop out there, police officer buying at a bit mate to get involved and to find out what happened to Eden, because they wear the uniform with respect and integrity and honor.
Across the last year, so many of you have written in with information or support for Jason and Amanda and their family. Some people have had similar stories, and some just want the family to know they're there for them.
I have been listening to your podcast and I just finished the episode where Eden's sister spoke about seeing her and putting makeup on her at the funeral home. I am a funeral director and often I have families ask me if they can dress or put makeup on their loved one.
Hi.
I stumbled across this podcast yesterday and I have not been able to stop listening. Currently listening to episode twenty one. I grew up in Saint Helen's in my younger years until I.
Was seventeen and moved.
HI. Please keep my name anonymous. You probably know this byye.
Congratulations on the podcast. Great job on a tragic event as a local on the East Coast. I listened with great interest as I was living away for work at the time and only heard bits and pieces from family members. As I listened, I could not get.
We've been speaking with Jason and Amanda recently about doing a live version of the podcast on video, a chance for you to join in on the show and contribute a question or two, or maybe just offer your support. We've started a guest list for this one off video show. We can only accept one hundred guests so far, and a recording in the next few weeks in the early evening, So if you're interested, then you can join the wait list. In the show notes, seven and a half thousand people have signed a petition around a public inquiry into Eden's death, and that's from the podcast. We've had millions of downloads and next week, you actually get to chance to meet with the Attorney General. What are you hoping in that meeting?
Well, we're friends, so I'm hoping for benefits. Friends with benefits. I want God to hold my hand through this process from this point forward. That's what I wanted to do because I'm hurt and I'm upset and I'm teary, and.
I need his help since I'll ask conversations. Jay goud buy that and pe in Tasmania has personally rang us and he's had a discussion with a manner about meeting up to discuss Eden's affairs and what he can do to help.
So that's one step in the right direction. I am aware he's a politician and if they sometimes tell you what you want to hear.
But I think we're a little bit further than that.
So, as Amanda says, she wants him to hold her hand and help us get through to getting Eden's case and in question, to Eden's deep. So we go there Wednesday, and we're a meeting guy, and we're.
On the front foot too, because we actually have every single document that has been sent out or received. Now the police don't have that, the coroner doesn't have that the health system doesn't have that. Who else needs to have that? But we have it all. And when you read it from start to finish, the last nine and a half years, I'm so sickened, physically sickened by what I have to go back and read that.
Well, that's where I goes delay, procrastinate to day. It's so evident in reading the nine and a half years of paperwork, you know, because we've had to dive deep into emails that were sent from twenty and fifteen all the way to twenty twenty four getting our timeline right. And when you read our timeline, now, yeah, wow, day.
You've really got to feel sorry for these people, these two people, because looking back at the paperwork. But looking back at the paperwork, I I didn't have a clue what I was embarking on. I didn't know the rules, I didn't know the law, and I had to just trust these people and they just took all me honesty and genuine and sincerity and just threw it on the ground and stumped on it. Yeah, I'm feeling quite hurt, and I don't feel hurt very often because I don't like to hurt in return. And I know that hurt. People hurt, so I have to keep consciously thinking about not trying to inflict any hurt just in general. So yeah, it's a really poinstious path that Jason and I have walked. Actually, all the decisions that we've ever made for our children have been a conscious decision, So it's nothing new for us. Have your conscience so clear. I don't know how they're sweeping.
There is more that sits around the periphery of this case. We recently who questioned the recent WICE report into Paul Reynolds and why the terms of reference didn't also look into other officers, like the one on the East Coast too, allegedly let's people of traffic offenses in return for sexual favors. We've heard these stories in previous episodes of the podcast. Recentlykury Amber Wilson wrote a report with someone coming forward, an anonymous senior ranking police officer. He also slammed that Weete review.
Congratulations to them for talking to so many people.
We've used an AI generated voice to read his words taken directly from the Hobart Mercury report.
But if you actually strip all of the storytelling away, you have a report now that says Australia's worst police serial pedophile happened in Tasmania, but nobody, not one person is accountable for one thing except Paul Reynolds. What was the scale and the scope of victim numbers known to Tasmania Police when they recommended an independent inquiry? If they knew it was numbered in tens and tens of people, Why on earth was an independent inquiry with no powers the preferred mechanism to examine that?
He said the reviews terms of reference were written so narrowly that certain questions were not required to be asked.
The police I'm speaking to flabbergasted that a pedophile now with over fifty victims over thirty years, has not been subject to a formal commission of inquiry investigation.
He also said that other members of the force needed to be held accountable over the Reynolds scandal.
How could we have Australia's worst police serial pedophile and there's no formal inquiry and no one is responsible for anything.
I'll leave you with Jason Amanda's final thoughts on the responses they've been getting so far from all of their inquiries.
Because it's all just predictable. It's the same format. Kron has made a decision determined this Edendida suicide. Nothing look there that if both wash your hands whistled to dissatisfied greed parents, We're not satisfied grieving parents' day. We're parents that need to know the truth on what happened to their daughter the night a good kid went out and met up with the wrong crowd and she ends up dead the next day. That's alarming. And any parent has the right to know when your child was with people that are unsavory and wakes up and we wake up the next day to her de ceazed or them to seize the parent has the right to know exactly what happened. And as to the current, a hole in those autopsy photos mate for the coroner that's office to think they own them and the parents can't obtain them to have a look give to a forensic pathologist. That act has to change, Legislation has to change. Currents have too much power because we as families, we have the right to have experts look at our children's or topsy photos or our loved ones. No person should have the power to hold that back and if they do, that's dangerous.
Broken.
And yeah, we feel broken at times, but I'll break the system more before the system will break me. I have no intention of letting the system carry on the way it is after dealing with her like they have, someone's so precious, so intelligent, so much to give, and they just suck the life right out of people. Yeah, it's uncivil and it's unacceptable.