Investigating the cold case of Anthea Bradshaw's murder tested me in ways I hadn't imagined
By Hannah Sterling|
What if the world forgot about you?
This is a question I've asked myself ever since Nine News' Ben Avery asked if we'd help him investigate the cold case murder of Anthea Bradshaw.
When I opened the podcast pitch for Just Married: The Anthea Bradshaw Mystery, I was hooked. I wanted this project. But I'd soon discover the parallels between her life and mine were going to test me in ways I hadn't imagined.
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Anthea was just 26 years old when her life was abruptly, and brutally, cut short. Just three months after her beautiful wedding day, she was left in a pool of blood, having been strangled to death before being callously stabbed post-mortem.?
She was on the cusp of an exciting new chapter, a future brimming with possibilities having just joined her newlywed husband in Brunei, South East Asia.
Instead, her family went from helping her pick a wedding dress to choosing a coffin in just a matter of months.
I'm 25 and from my personal experience, I feel like life is truly just beginning.
I wonder how many of our listeners to the podcast and readers of this article feel the same?
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The deeper I dig into Anthea's story, the more I'm confronted with the stark reality that life is so fragile. I find myself struggling to balance objectivity, which is crucial in true crime investigations, with empathy จC imagining myself in her shoes.
It's a delicate dance.
In each episode, her family and friends reveal how her murder shattered their lives, how they are forever altered by the void she left behind. Listening to their interviews, the grief is palpable. They are all still searching for answers, clinging to the hope that her killer will be brought to justice.
This ongoing quest for closure is a poignant reminder of the impact of violent crime on the lives of those left behind. It's not just about solving a mystery or uncovering facts, it's about acknowledging a young woman's dreams and the devastating loss felt by those who knew and loved her.
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With no active investigation currently underway, it is a betrayal of the fundamental promise that justice will be served.
The fact that Anthea's case might remain a cold file is a harsh reminder of how easily such tragedies can be sidelined. What if the world forgot about you?
Anthea's loved ones deserve more than the void of unanswered questions. They deserve to see their relentless pursuit for justice honoured and they deserve to have the pain of their loss acknowledged and addressed.
Anthea herself deserves more than to be a footnote in a cold case file. She deserves to have her story put to rest with the dignity and respect that every victim of violence is owed.
Her life, filled with promise and potential, should not be overshadowed by a lack of resolution.?
In Just Married: The Anthea Bradshaw Mystery, we're telling her story, and the story of her loved ones' fight for justice. Her life was valuable, her dreams were real, and her case deserves to be solved.
The world should never forget about Anthea Bradshaw.
Just Married: The Anthea Bradshaw Mystery is out now and a new episode publishes weekly. Search "Just Married" in your podcast app and press the follow button.
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