Sydney's entrepreneurial figure, Le-Chelle Lesley, harbored an enduring determination to meticulously monitor the actions of her brother-in-law, David John Phillips.
Firm in her conviction, she believed that the former Victorian detective had successfully evaded justice for the alleged killing of her father, Leslie Ralph Ball, who mysteriously disappeared in Queensland back in 1993.
Upon encountering a death certificate documenting Mr. Phillips' demise and subsequent interment in a Victorian cemetery in 2015, Ms. Lesley felt a measure of relief, though she harbored doubts regarding the dispensation of justice.
Recent revelations by the ABC, however, shattered this tenuous peace. Despite a designated burial ground and an elaborate tombstone inscribed with Mr. Phillips' name atop a grave in a Victorian cemetery, his remains were nowhere to be found.
"I'm confounded," remarked Ms. Lesley, who had persistently questioned law enforcement's inaction against Mr. Phillips. "Is David genuinely deceased? This has always been a haunting specter. I demand a thorough investigation."
The desolate tombstone bearing the engraved name "David John Phillips."
The ostensible gravesite of David John Phillips in the serene Yan Yean cemetery, located just north of Melbourne, does not contain his remains. (Supplied)
This empty grave in the quiet confines of the Yan Yean cemetery, situated just north of Melbourne, represents the latest enigmatic turn in the unresolved mystery surrounding Mr. Ball's disappearance—an inquiry still underway and the focal point of an adjourned inquest in Queensland.
The 71-year-old World War II veteran was initially reported missing by Ms. Lesley in the mid-1993 period when he failed to honor a scheduled meeting with her.
During that time, Mr. Ball was residing in Townsville, spending his retirement days engrossed in golf and assisting in the care of his grandchildren.
He had endeavored to distance himself from two former spouses with whom he shared strained relationships, according to Ms. Lesley.
His first marriage yielded four children—Genine, Wayne, Michelle, and Leanne—but was marred by a tragic incident. In 1956, a tragic accident occurred at the factory where Mr. Ball worked, resulting in the death of his four-year-old son, Wayne.
Subsequently, Mr. Ball divorced his first wife in the 1970s and married Ett Ison. This union bore one child, Ms. Lesley, but met a similar fate, concluding in divorce.
Residing in his daughter's garage
By 1993, Mr. Ball was subsisting on his veteran's pension and had taken up residence in the garage of his daughter Leanne and her husband, Mr. Phillips, in their modest home.
His living quarters were confined to the couple's garage.
During this period, Mr. Phillips worked as a laborer while Ms. Phillips was employed at a local marine tourist attraction, a considerable departure from Mr. Phillips' earlier life as an accomplished detective in the Victorian police force, where he was frequently lauded for his bravery in confronting armed bank robbers from Melbourne's tumultuous underworld.
Accounts of the relationship between Mr. Phillips and Mr. Ball varied—depending on who was asked, some portrayed their interaction as mostly amicable, while others suggested strains in their association.
Mr. Phillips later informed the authorities that his interactions with "Les" were amicable, yet Ms. Lesley contended that her father was eager to extricate himself from the living arrangement.
Leslie Ralph Ball, pictured casually posing with a beer in a white shirt.
Mr. Ball's vehicle was discovered at the Townsville Railway Station, and his trailer was found burnt out in the nearby bushland. (Supplied)
Regardless of the varying accounts, Mr. Ball's financial records indicated his intention to move out, as he had made a deposit on a property in Cardwell, situated north of Townsville.
Around April 21, 1993, before finalizing the acquisition of the Cardwell property, Mr. Ball reportedly parked his Chrysler Valiant, packed with his belongings and cherished golf clubs in the trunk, at the Townsville railway station. Subsequently, he allegedly boarded a train to Brisbane to visit Ms. Phillips, who was undergoing a medical procedure at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Ms. Phillips later informed the authorities that she remembered Mr. Ball visiting the hospital and expressing his intention to return the next day.
However, he was never seen again.
His car was discovered locked in the railway station's car park, while a trailer he owned was later found destroyed in nearby bushland.
A 1994 inquest into his disappearance determined that the rail ticket supposedly purchased for his journey to Brisbane was counterfeit and never utilized, suggesting that he had never left Townsville.
The coroner concluded that deliberate efforts had been made by one or more individuals to create the impression that Mr. Ball had traveled to Brisbane by train.
Neither Mr. nor Ms. Phillips provided testimony during the 1994 inquest, as both were reportedly in poor health, as noted by the coroner.
Ms. Lesley was informed at some point that Mr. Phillips had suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair.
A new witness steps forward
For a considerable period, little progress was made in the investigation until the 2010s, when the case underwent review and a comprehensive investigation was initiated.
During this phase, it is understood that Queensland police journeyed to Melbourne to conduct a re-examination of Mr. Phillips, who once again disavowed any knowledge of Mr. Ball's fate.
In the course of the interview, Mr. Phillips vehemently denied any involvement in Mr. Ball's disappearance. He appeared lucid, having apparently recovered from the stroke, appearing fit and trim albeit older, sporting a shock of white hair behind his glasses, as per information obtained by the ABC.
Subsequently, in 2015, Queensland police were made aware of a previously undisclosed witness possessing information about Mr. Phillips' purported involvement in Mr. Ball's disappearance.
Reportedly, on August 1 of that year, Mr. Phillips was reported to have passed away in Epping, Melbourne, after sustaining a head injury resulting in a "traumatic subdural haematoma," as documented in his death certificate.
According to the death certificate, which has been examined by the ABC and attributes Ms. Phillips as the informant, he was interred at the Yan Yean cemetery, situated just north of Melbourne.
Notwithstanding the reported demise, the Queensland Attorney-General ordered the inquest to be reopened in 2017.
During the preliminary hearings in 2019, it was disclosed that the police suspected Mr. Ball met his end at the Townsville property where he had been residing with Leanne and David Phillips.
David Phillips was believed to be "likely responsible" for the unfortunate event, as highlighted by Megan Jarvis, the legal counsel aiding the coroner during the hearing.
Jarvis conveyed that the police suspected the motive behind the incident was financial, given that Mr. Ball had been footing the living expenses of Mr. and Ms. Phillips.
Moreover, she detailed the statements of a new witness who asserted that Mr. Phillips had confessed to the crime.
David John Phillips
Law enforcement purportedly believed that Mr. Phillips was "likely responsible for the murder". (Supplied)
According to the police's belief, Ms. Phillips was privy to her father's demise but had refrained from providing accurate accounts to the authorities.
The inquest was adjourned in 2019 following amendments to the coroner's act by Queensland. As of June this year, it is officially listed as "adjourned with a date to be fixed for hearing."
Exasperated by the delay, Ms. Lesley anxiously anticipates the resumption of the inquiry, despite the chief suspect resting in a Victorian grave—or so she initially believed.
This week, an employee at the Yan Yean cemetery verified that Mr. Phillips was not interred in the grave embellished with an extravagant headstone, indicating his birth and death dates alongside the inscription: "Devoted Husband to Leanne. Very proud and loving father and grandad. Rest In Peace."
'Body exhumed and cremated'
Upon being questioned this week regarding the vacant grave and Ms. Lesley's speculations concerning Mr. Phillips' potential survival, Ms. Phillips reacted vehemently.
"He is deceased," affirmed the 62-year-old, a mother of four.
"The authorities confirmed his demise, and the coroner officially declared him deceased. He succumbed in a hospital. The police confirmed his identity. He was submitted to the coroner, and there exists a death certificate."
Ms. Phillips revealed that the body had been exhumed and cremated.
She conveyed that due to his ailing mental state, he had requested burial, but previously expressed a preference for cremation.
"I relocated and did not wish to leave him behind...so I took him along," she stated.
"My children were displeased that he was buried. There's nothing more to it."
The grave of David John Phillips at Yan Yean cemetery
Ms. Phillips stated that her husband's remains had been exhumed and cremated (ABC News)
According to her account, he had been ailing for an extended period due to prior head injuries and had been residing in a care facility, where he used a protective helmet.
Subsequently, he suffered a fall in the facility, which led to a fatal head injury when he was not wearing the protective gear.
Ms. Phillips declined to disclose the name of the care facility where the incident occurred and questioned the reason for Ms. Lesley's preoccupation with Mr. Phillips' remains.
"The last I heard, my father was on his way to see her [Ms. Lesley]. So, I am truly fatigued with this."
When confronted with the damning allegations stemming from the pre-inquest hearing, Ms. Phillips vehemently refuted any knowledge about her father's demise.
"All these are baseless accusations, devoid of factual basis. I'm affirming that they are untrue."
Last week, in response to Ms. Lesley's appeals for an investigation, the Queensland police declined to comment, citing the ongoing proceedings before the coroner.
A representative for the Queensland Coroner's office confirmed that the inquest is still ongoing, with no scheduled dates for further hearings at present.
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