Julie's Gone – Episode 4: Go Higher

Host: Helen Thomas / Casefile Presents
Release Date: July 30, 2025

Overview

Episode 4 of “Julie’s Gone” dives into the turbulent Melbourne of the 1970s, unveiling the political, policing, and social chaos surrounding the disappearance of Julie Ann Garciacelay. Investigative journalist Helen Thomas situates Julie’s case amid rampant police corruption, failed investigations, and the heartbreak experienced by Julie’s family—particularly her mother, Ruth, who took unprecedented risks in a desperate search for answers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Melbourne 1975: A City in Crisis

• The episode opens with context: Australia in the mid-1970s, especially Victoria, was undergoing upheaval, both politically and institutionally ([01:02]).
• Widespread corruption plagued the Victoria Police. High-profile inquiries into police misconduct were underway, making public trust scarce.

“Culturally too, long-revered institutions like the police force in Victoria were suddenly under serious scrutiny. … An inquiry into allegations of police accepting bribes from abortion practitioners...”
— Helen Thomas ([01:02])

2. Police Corruption & the Beach Inquiry

• Criminologist Jude McCulloch and journalist Russell Skelton recount the Justice Beach Inquiry, focusing on the police's “brotherhood” mentality and cover-ups ([01:55], [03:44]).
• Despite damning findings—including collusion, fabrication of evidence, and specific officers imprisoned for corruption—little changed initially ([03:44], [04:11]).

"Justice Beach had serious problems with the way police went about their business. He said the practices were terrible. There was evidence of collusion. There was a brotherhood mentality."
— Russell Skelton ([03:44])

3. Homicide Squad’s Distraction & Consequences

• Journalist Andrew Rule details how anti-abortion laws brought criminal money into homicide investigations, directly implicating senior detectives ([06:34]).
• Corruption and distraction led to ineffective murder investigations—the very issue that stalled Julie’s case from the outset.

"The homicide squad was under enormous pressure and totally distracted from their actual job of catching murderers...if they were distracted, they were hopeless."
— Andrew Rule ([07:30])

4. Mishandling of Julie’s Case

• John Joseph Power, one of the last to see Julie alive and later tied to the notorious Easey Street murders, was never properly interviewed—even while under police surveillance ([08:06]).
• The episode suggests possible complicity or utility-driven neglect (“maybe they need him for something else”) ([08:41]).

“…justice wasn’t being properly served in this state during that time because of the compromised relationships between police and criminals.”
— Russell Skelton ([08:41])

5. Family’s Desperate Search for Truth

• In 1977, Julie’s mother Ruth and sister Gail returned to Melbourne following a tip Julie might still be alive ([09:06]).
• Their reception at the police station was hostile. Ruth describes the lead detective as "livid" at her appearance ([10:25]).

“I got the reception that it’s like maybe I was the devil. I walked in. They did not know we were coming back…”
— Ruth, Julie’s mother ([10:25])

6. Ruth Confronts John Power in Prison

• Taking matters into her own hands, Ruth independently visits Power in Pentridge Prison, hoping mother-to-father empathy might prompt answers ([12:08]).
• Ruth recalls Power making a chilling throat-slitting gesture and repeating, “Go higher,” suggesting—without clarity—what befell Julie ([14:52]).

“I asked him, what did you do?...he took his finger and went across his neck...and he said, ‘Go higher. Go higher.’”
— Ruth ([14:52])

• Power presented Ruth with a pile of his own convictions, apparently angling for her help or sympathy ([15:41]).

7. Consequences for Julie’s Family

• The aftermath of Julie’s disappearance devastated her family:
  • Gail became consumed by alcoholism and eventually drank herself to death ([21:34]).
  • Laurie, the youngest sister, also descended into instability and later Alzheimer's ([22:28]).

“…She was trying to push the hurt down, or what she might have cost because she asked her sister to join her. That’s why she drank herself to death.”
— Ruth on Gail ([21:34])

• Ruth received sporadic, false leads from police—for decades ([19:56]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Corruption and the Frustration of Injustice

• “I think the overall culture was one of resistance. That’s why they brought in Mick Miller… he quietly, internally went about changing things.”
  — Russell Skelton ([05:43])
• “If he’s going to do you harm, he’s going to do it. But I wasn’t there. I was there as a mother and he’s a father.”
  — Ruth ([16:52])

Family Tragedy

• “There is no family left anymore. The family's gone.”
  — Ruth ([23:10])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:02–01:55 — Setting the stage: Melbourne’s political and police turmoil
• 01:55–04:07 — The Beach Inquiry and deep police corruption
• 06:28–08:06 — How vice rackets compromised even ‘untouchable’ squads
• 08:06–09:37 — Julie’s investigation and mishandling by authorities
• 09:37–10:25 — Ruth and Gail’s emotional return to Melbourne
• 12:08–17:27 — Ruth’s prison confrontation with John Power
• 19:41–23:10 — Aftermath for the Garcia Soleil family

Closing Notes

Episode 4 paints a painful, systemic portrait of Melbourne’s mid-70s dysfunction—where policing failures and corruption tragically intersected with a family’s loss and unending grief. Ruth’s determined, dangerous efforts highlight both maternal love and the hopelessness inflicted by institutional rot, leaving listeners with lasting questions and empathy for the family’s ordeal.

Coming Next: A deeper look into the roots of violence against women and the continuing investigation into who harms—and fails—women like Julie ([23:27–23:53]).