Casefile Presents: Julie's Gone

Julianne Garcia-Soleil disappearance revisited after fifty years

On the first night in July 1975, 19-year-old Julianne Garcia-Soleil vanished from her Melbourne apartment. What began as a social evening with pizza and beer became one of Australia’s most enduring mysteries. Decades later, investigative reporting has re-examined the night, uncovered new witness statements, and surfaced previously overlooked leads that challenge the original investigation.

New witness testimony and the phone booth last known location

Several witnesses now claim a young woman was dragged into a car from a nearby phone booth—an area that the original investigation reportedly failed to canvass thoroughly. These accounts include a detail that a shoe was left behind, suggesting an altercation occurred near the telephone box. Such eyewitness descriptions reposition the phone booth as a crucial last known location in the case.

Forensic samples and unexplained traces of blood in the flat

Investigators in the recent report described how the flat and surrounding areas were fingerprinted and sampled. Items tested included a tea towel from the bedroom, the kitchen, a stairwell, and the telephone booth opposite the flat. The presence of what appeared to be blood in multiple locations raises questions about what evidence may have been missed or underexamined in 1975.

Police procedure scrutiny and missed canvassing opportunities

Family members and journalists point to procedural failures, including an apparent lack of neighbor canvassing immediately after Julianne disappeared. Those omissions may have left crucial leads unexplored—for example, the witnesses who say they saw a woman forced into a car were not interviewed at the time. Reassessing such procedural gaps is a key component of the reinvestigation narrative.

Connections to other crimes and suspect links

One person present the night Julianne disappeared was later linked to the Easy Street Murders, raising the possibility of connections between separate violent crimes from that era. The podcast explores whether that link is coincidental or indicative of a broader pattern of offending that went undetected for years.

Family persistence and journalistic discovery

Julianne’s mother repeatedly implored authorities not to close the case, traveling to Australia and demanding continued attention. The new series, produced and reported by an investigative journalist who has worked similar cold cases, compiles fresh evidence, witness interviews, and renewed leads in an effort to answer the central question: what happened to Julianne Garcia-Soleil?

• Listen to the full series to follow the reinvestigation, witness accounts, and forensic revelations that have resurfaced after five decades.