UPDATE | Expanse: The Nannup Four - Hope on the horizon

Summary

Expanse: The Nannup Four – Hope on the Horizon

Podcast: Expanse (ABC Australia)
Episode: UPDATE | The Nannup Four – Hope on the Horizon
Host: Dominique Bayens
Date: June 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

This update dives into new information surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the “Nannup Four” in 2007—Chantelle and Leela McDougall, Tony Popich, and Simon Kadwill (aka Gary Felton). Host Dominique Bayens shares recent developments from a media article featuring follower Cheryl Plo Chark, which potentially sheds light on the group’s fate. The episode also documents the efforts and challenges of a new volunteer search group, FOLLOW (Find Our Lost Loved Ones), in their upcoming plan to re-explore the Northcliffe bushland for answers.
Note: The episode discusses themes of suicide.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. New Testimony from Cheryl Plo Chark

• Background: Cheryl was a confidant of Gary Felton leading up to the disappearances.
• Coronial Inquest Recap: Previously known was a reported plan for a family suicide, with Gary, Chantelle, and Leela intending to take drugs, Tony to bury the bodies, then go off by himself and end his own life.
• The Update (01:50 – 04:45):
  • The recent article reveals Cheryl claims Gary discussed suicide plans a year before the disappearance.
  • Allegedly, another unnamed “follower”—an American woman living in Scotland—was so dedicated to Gary and his group (The Truth Fellowship) that she traveled to Mexico to buy euthanasia drugs and mailed them to Gary, believing he alone would use them.
  • Cheryl says she’s willing to share this information with police.

Quote:

"She reportedly says Gary, Chantelle and Leila would take the drugs before Tony buried the bodies. Then Tony would go far away... and end his own life."
– Dominique Bayens (03:13)

Insight:
This information, if true, suggests others may know more than they have admitted, and possibly possess clues critical to resolving the case.

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2. Family Reaction and the Police Response

• Chantelle’s family was blindsided; Cheryl never reached out to them, and they’d “never heard” of another follower supplying euthanasia drugs.
• Police are aware of the article and are looking into the claims, but add that “the case remains open” (05:15).

Quote:

"Cath and Jim have always believed there are more people out there who know what happened."
– Dominique Bayens (05:03)

Cath (Chantelle’s mother):

"She's hopeful police will follow it up and that it might create some new leads."
– Dominique Bayens (05:18)

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3. The Search Effort: FOLLOW Charity Steps In

• A new organization, FOLLOW (Find Our Lost Loved Ones), contacts the family to volunteer expertise and resources for a renewed bushland search in Northcliffe.
  • Matt Strickland, vice president and experienced in geology/exploration, offers help.
  • FOLLOW’s past successes include finding the remains of the missing Belgian tourist Celine Crimer and Peter Willoughby in Tasmania in 2026 (06:00 – 07:08).

Quote:

"None of us really knew each other before, but... we formed a bit of a bond and wanted to keep it going."
– Matt Strickland (06:35)

On the value of their work:

"I'm starting to doubt that there is closure... It's more the fact that you're just reducing that pain, providing just some answers to that question, 'what happened?'"
– Matt Strickland (07:08)

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4. Prepping the Northcliffe Search

• Matt travels to Northcliffe (first search outside of Tasmania) to study the terrain and coordinate plans with the McDougall family and retired police.
• First Impressions: The landscape is vastly overgrown and challenging; Dominique and Matt encounter thick foliage, steep terrain, and decomposing wildlife—a grim reminder of the difficulties ahead (08:59 – 11:20).

Quote:

"It is overwhelming to see that and go, well, there's just undulating sort of terrain and ground all around... But you have to start somewhere."
– Matt Strickland (11:22)

• The search is shaping up for late September 2026, with months of planning required (including examining lidar imaging for signs of disturbed earth).

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Memorable Quotes

• On the gravity of the search:

"I just got here last night and then it kind of dawned on me, like what you're actually doing, what we're, what we're trying to achieve here."
– Matt Strickland (08:59)

• On hope and perseverance:

"If anyone can take this on, it's him."
– Dominique Bayens (11:45)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:20 – Introduction and warning about sensitive content
• 02:00 – 05:00 – Cheryl’s claims, new revelations, discussion of unnamed follower
• 05:00 – 06:00 – Family and police reactions, push for new leads
• 06:00 – 07:30 – Matt Strickland introduces FOLLOW and their background
• 08:00 – 12:30 – Site visit to Northcliffe, terrain challenges, early planning
• 12:14 – 12:34 – Use of lidar technology and planning for efficient search

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Summary & Outlook

The episode provides a critical update to The Nannup Four story:

• Potential new evidence has surfaced from a previously silent follower, possibly opening doors for fresh investigation and family hope.
• A seasoned volunteer group is stepping in with technical expertise and real search experience, promising a thorough, methodical approach.
• The outcome hangs on careful planning and continued perseverance, with a new major bushland search now in the works for September 2026.

Call to Action:
If you have further information, listeners are encouraged to contact the production or authorities. Lifeline details are provided for those needing support.

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This update balances frustration and hope—capturing both the dogged persistence of families and the complexity of pursuing answers years after a baffling disappearance. Listeners are left with a sense of renewed possibility, tempered by the harshness and mystery of the Australian landscape.

Transcript

[A]

When you want to be stopped in your tracks, I'm running to shoot it. He's 50. 50. You can catch his gun or he shoots you. When you want to know the truth,

[B]

she was brainwashing her from from the start.

[A]

We're here to investigate. Something's gone wrong big time. Search Background briefing podcast on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts, ABC Listen, podcasts, radio, news, music and more. Hi, I'm Dominique Bayans, host of season six of Expanse, the Nanop 4A heads up. This episode talks about suicide. I'm dropping in again because I've got an update for you on the search to find chantel and Leela McDougal, Tony Popich and Simon Cadwell, aka Gary Felton. There's been some new developments. I'll fill you in soon. But first, you might remember us talking about a follower of Gary Felton's who spoke in the inquest about Simon Cadwell as she knew him, telling her about plans for a family suicide. From the coronial inquest, it sounded like she was one of the few people Gary Felton was confiding in before the disappearance. Her name is Cheryl Plo Chark, and from the moment I picked up this story, me and my team have been trying to get in touch. I've reached out to her over Facebook, Instagram, email and phone. Last weekend, another media outlet published an article featuring Cheryl, which seemed to have some pretty critical information about what may have happened to Shantel, Leila, Gary and Tony. And just a warning up front here, there's some pretty heavy details coming up in this article. Cheryl reportedly says about a year before the disappearance, Gary began talking about a planned suicide. He spoke about taking a bus somewhere and then hiking into the wilderness with a shovel and drugs. She's reported as saying Gary, Chantelle and Leila would take the drugs before Tony buried the bodies. Then Tony would go far away in a different direction and end his own life. Now, all of this so far we knew from the coronial inquest. But then the reporting goes on to say that after telling Gary he shouldn't go through with it because it would be murder, he then told Cheryl that actually only he would do it. What Cheryl reportedly says next was never recorded in the coronial inquest. She says that actually there was another follower close to Gary who knew about his plans for a group murder suicide. The article says she won't give the follower's name, but says it was an American woman living in Scotland at the time. Apparently, she was so dedicated to Gary and The Truth Fellowship. She'd given up a relationship, her home and her savings to fund Gary's lifestyle. Sounds a bit familiar. Cheryl reportedly claims it was this woman who supplied Gary with a euthanasia drug, that she travelled to Mexico to buy it and sent it to Gary before the disappearance under the belief only Gary would use it. Cheryl says she'd be willing to give all this information to WA police. It's a lot to take in. I can't verify any of this because Cheryl won't answer my calls, messages or emails. But if it is true, it means there were people who knew more about Gary's plans than they've ever admitted. It could also mean that there are people out there who have information which could lead to answers about where Shantelle, Leila, Tony and Gary are. I've spoken to WA police following this article who say they're looking into it, but can't give any more details except that the case remains open. I haven't been able to confirm if they knew this already or if Cheryl gave them this information when she spoke to them. As I was reading this, I felt almost winded. The first people in my mind were Jim and Cath MacDougall, Chantelle's parents and grandparents, to Leela. I actually called Cath after to check in. She said she and Jim were blindsided by this new information. Cheryl has never contacted them and they'd never heard of another follower providing Gary with a euthanasia drug. But she's hopeful police will follow it up and that it might create some new leads. Cath and Jim have always believed that there are more people out there who know what happened. Given what Cheryl has said about the supposed plans of the nanop 4, Cath says it's even more of a reason to do a thorough search in Northcliffe. You might remember retired detectives and Chantelle's uncle, Barry McIntosh and family friend Peter Greaves had just started a GoFundMe to raise money to get back to Northcliffe Cliff, where they've identified an area of bushland they believe could be a final resting place. Barry's still trying to raise the funds, but a few weeks ago, I got an email from a guy called Matt.

[C]

Well, I'm Matt Strickland. I'm the vice president of the Follow Organisation, which is a recently formed organisation charity. We help families look for their lost loved ones.

[A]

FOLLOW stands for Find Our Lost Loved Ones. It's a pretty new group, but they've had a cracking start. The group formed after a team of volunteers banded together to look for A missing Belgian tourist named Celine Crimer, who disappeared while hiking near Philosopher Falls in Tasmania back in 2023. Their search led to the heartbreaking discovery of her remains in January 2026. Matt was part of that search team.

[C]

None of us really knew each other before, but we all put our hand up and through that experience we formed a bit of a bond and an alliance and we wanted to keep it going. After that, it all finished.

[A]

Then four months later, in May, in their first search under the follow banner, they set out to find another missing person in Tasmania. A man named Peter Willoughby, who'd become lost in bushland in the state's north east in late 2025. It took less than two days for them to find Peter's remains.

[C]

I'm starting to doubt that there is closure. I think it's more the fact that you're just reducing that pain and providing just some answers to that question, what happened to their family member. But at the same time it is special to provide that. It's a gift.

[A]

Matt's got 30 years experience working in geology and exploration and his offer of help has been accepted by the McDougals and Barry. It'll be the first search outside of Tasmania that he's been part of. He's quick to point out it takes months of preparation and he wants to keep everyone's expectations in check. But he's also a fast moving guy. So within a couple of weeks he'd boarded a flight to Western Australia so he could travel to Northcliffe to see what kind of terrain he was dealing with. And on a surprisingly warm and sunny Saturday in June, me and my colleague Anthony meet Matt outside the Northcliffe General Store.

[B]

Hey, Matt. Hey Dominic. Good, how are you? Nice to meet you.

[C]

Yeah, good.

[B]

Thanks for coming down.

[A]

Yeah, no worries. Matt's tall, with grey hair and stubble. With his black cap and hiking gear, he's ready for action. He's come prepared with a bunch of maps for the area we're heading to. Have a look.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, Put on the bonnet here.

[A]

That's all of the. That shows kind of how hilly the terrain is. Is that right?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. That's the contours so you can see how steep it is through there.

[A]

After working out the best way to access the bushland, we head out. It's a bit of a drive to the spot we're looking for and we're swapping information on the case as we drive past cow paddocks and forest.

[B]

I just got here last night and then it kind of dawned on me like what you're actually doing, what I'm up to, like the gravity of what we're, what we're trying to achieve here

[A]

as we're driving. I'm beginning to understand what Peter and Barry were dealing with when they came to Northcliff on that first search. There's a lot of thick bushland where I live but down here it's next level. We get as close to the track we're looking for as the car will take us before we pull up and walk the rest of the way on foot.

[B]

So we can either go walk around that track to get to here, which I think is fine. That's probably better than going straight through the bush in a direct line.

[A]

It's as we're headed up that we spot a large hessian sack. Matt goes and looks inside, then I follow and see the decomposing remains of an animal in there.

[B]

There's bones. Yeah, that looks like a carcass of an animal. Oh my God that stinks.

[A]

Oh that smells bad. It feels like an ominous start and I'm feeling a bit spooked. The actual walk along the track is easy, slightly uphill but then it's time to do some bush bashing.

[B]

It's straight through there. How do you feel about going through there?

[A]

The foliage is so thick down there.

[B]

Yeah, the ground's really undulating unless it was really obvious.

[A]

I feel like the deeper we go in here the more it's setting in. How difficult this is going to be to find anything. We get to the area Barry and Peter have identified and now we're here. I'm feeling pretty deflated looking at this bush, the thickness of the ground cover. I have no idea how anyone's going to find anything. Luckily Matt's pretty cool headed and is already making a plan.

[B]

It is overwhelming to see that and go well there's just undulating sort of terrain and ground all around and covered in this foliage and, and tree litter. So where do you start? But you have to start somewhere. So I would start at the point of interest, clear a track into there and then we can just fan out and clear around it.

[A]

Matt's got some clear ideas of next steps. Over the next few months he'll gather information, cross reference and pull in other expertise and all this will be used to lock in a solid plan of action with Barry which makes me feel like if anyone can take this on it's him. How does it compare to the previous searches that you've been involved in?

[B]

I mean this is something different because we're potentially looking for buried human remains, so Barry's got some lidarce imaging that people are going to help him with, so we're hoping we can employ that to actually maybe see something that's man made.

[A]

The whole reason Matt travelled to Northcliffe for this visit is so he could see the area in person and get an idea of what he's dealing with. After spending two hours pushing through the scrub with him, I have an entirely new and different appreciation for what this search will involve. It's going to take months of planning, but it looks like it will go ahead in late September 2026. I'll be following the progress along the way and I'll drop back into your podcast feeds when there's another update. In the meantime, if you have any information that you think could help find chantelle and Leela McDougal, Simon Cadwill, aka Gary Felton, or Tony Popich, please get in touch. Details in the show Notes if this episode has raised any issues for you, you can contact Lifeline 24 hours a day on 1311 14. You've been listening to an ABC podcast. Discover more great ABC podcasts, live radio and exclusives on the ABC Listen Apparently.