Four months after fraudster Melissa Caddick disappeared without a trace a detective spoke with a shark expert.
Detective Sergeant Steven Morgan is due to continue giving evidence at Caddick’s inquest on Thursday in NSW Coroners Court at Lidcombe.
In March 2021 Det Sgt Morgan was brought on as a consultant into the suspicious circumstances surrounding the conwoman’s disappearance and subsequent police search.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Australian Federal Police raided Ms Caddick’s Dover Heights mansion on November 11, 2021.
This is the last verified sighting of Caddick.
In February 2021 her decomposing foot encased in a shoe washed ashore at Bournda Beach on the NSW south coast.
Det Sgt Morgan was canvassing theories into what might have happened and spoke with “a shark expert” from NSW Department of Primary Industries.
“(He had) some doubt regarding the length of time that a foot had been in the water,” Det Sgt Morgan said on Wednesday.
He was also told of some concerns regarding the initial police search that no CCTV footage had been collected or adequately reviewed promptly, nor had a land search been co-ordinated in the early stages.
Also on Wednesday Sergeant Trent Riley gave evidence about his initial encounter with Caddick’s husband the day he reported her missing.
“I thought it was strange a husband would ring the police station, report his wife missing two days later and wasn’t prepared to come to the police station,” Sgt Riley said.
“Or didn’t really want police to go around and see him (because) he had too much work on that day.”
Sgt Riley’s suspicions prompted him to visit the Sydney eastern suburbs home and his body-worn footage was played before the court.
He noted Anthony Koletti gave two different versions of the last time he had seen his wife and that she was “in good spirits”.
Sgt Riley was asked if he noticed Mr Koletti crying during his visit to the home.
“They weren’t real tears in my opinion … I’m very confident they weren’t real tears,” Sgt Riley said.
The inquest before Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan continues.
