Casefile True Crime - Case 82: Maria Korp

Episode Date: April 21, 2018

50-year-old Maria Korp was a devoted mother of two, so when she went missing from her Mickleham home in Melbourne’s north in February of 2009, it was clear that she hadn’t left on her own accord. _ _ _  Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched and written by Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-82-maria-korp

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Please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website At 3 30 p.m. on February 9 2005 Greenvale primary school's end of day bell echoed through the suburban heart of Greenvale An upmarket inland suburb on the northern fringe of Melbourne, Victoria A vibrant cacophony of noise followed as hundreds of young students poured out of the classrooms They rushed with renewed energy to the school gates where parents were waiting to take them home after a long day When 11-year-old Greenvale student Damien Corp reached the gates that warm afternoon It came as no surprise that his mother Maria wasn't waiting for him 50-year-old Maria Corp was a machine operator at the Kaiser-Hosiery factory in the nearby industrial suburb of Kuala Roo

At the end of each workday Maria aimed to leave the factory by 3 30 p.m. To pick up Damien from school The drive from her workplace to Greenvale primary took upwards of 15 minutes getting her to the school gates by around 3 45 p.m So Maria wasn't one of the early bird parents waiting the moment the bell rang. However, she never failed to pick up her son Minutes ticked by as cars rolled out of the car park Students on bikes peddled down the leafy streets and those opting to walk disappeared down the windy suburban sidewalks Damien passed time on the school playground whilst keeping an eye on the school gate He expected to see his mother's 1995 burgundy colored Mazda 626 sedan pull up any minute Dozens of cars stopped alongside the gate as students leapt into the back seats

As each car came and went Maria's burgundy Mazda was nowhere to be seen The bell rang again at 3 45 p.m. Over the now quiet school grounds This second bell informed all remaining students on school property to head to the school's administration building to be supervised in after-school care As Damien headed to the admin building He wondered if his mom was caught up at work lost track of time and had forgotten about him School staff found it peculiar to see Damien Corp in after-school care. It wasn't like Maria to be late Nevertheless, they weren't immediately concerned. They believed she was probably caught up at work Stuck in traffic or maybe even had car trouble. They anticipated hearing from her soon

However by 4 p.m. Maria still hadn't arrived nor contacted the school The school admin tried to call Maria's mobile phone, but it went straight to voicemail Over the following 20 minutes several more calls to Maria's mobile were made, but there was still no response When it was clear they couldn't get a hold of her the school phoned Maria's husband Joe Corp 47 year old Joe Corp was a manager at South Pacific Tires a tire factory located in Summerton a few suburbs east of Greenvale He was at work when Greenvale primary called informing him of Maria's absence Joe was perplexed and could often know explanation why Maria hadn't picked up their son Maria prioritised her role as a mother above all else

She dropped whatever she was doing no matter how important to ensure she reached her son on time Even those who knew little about her knew she was a devoted mother It was incredibly out of character for her to abandon Damien without explanation The prickling question lingered in the backs of concerned minds Where's Maria You You Joe Corp drove to Greenvale primary to collect Damien

Afterwards the two headed to the Corp family home in Micolum hoping Maria might be there The Corp house was located on Mount Riebley Road, which separated Micolum to the north from Craigieburn to the south On the northern side of the road of Micolum's grassy farmland pastures dotted with uniquely designed country houses few and far between on the southern side are the condensed maize like blocker states of the Craigieburn suburbs Packed with identical modern houses tightly sitting side by side back to back The Corp house was situated on the Micolum side of Mount Riebley Road Joe purchased the empty five-acre block of land cheap in 1998 Confident it was the ideal place to build the Corp family dream home

The northern suburbs of Victoria were considered relatively rural at the time resting on the cusp of the countryside With Melbourne CBD only around 40 kilometers south an urban boom was anticipated up north Over the following years Joe orchestrated the construction of a five-bedroom country mansion with two bathrooms extensive living and entertaining areas a theater room a three-car garage with three separate doors and a large work shed out the back of the property Maria helped out where she could and would proudly show off her contributions to the construction when friends and family visited By early 2004 the house was complete the Corp's impressive 700 square meter red brick estate loomed at the end of a circular crushed dirt driveway

It took almost seven years and over five hundred thousand dollars to build The finished property was estimated to have a selling price over a million dollars Boasting it was the best house on the street Joe took immense pride in his handmade homestead Maria found serenity in her large semi-isolated house on the edge of the expansive Victorian countryside and made her comfortably Nostalgic bringing back memories of her childhood growing up on a working farm in the rural hillside village of Primero Lombarda in Portugal Maria migrated from Portugal to Australia in 1976 with her first husband Manuel The two settled in the Greenvale suburbs and in 1978 they had a daughter Laura Manuel considered returning to Portugal one day. However, Maria no longer felt her homeland held much appeal

She had come to fully embrace her new Australian lifestyle By 1987 the family were well established spending warm days tending to the garden of their small family home whilst practicing their English with neighbors over the fence line But their idyllic suburban life fell apart abruptly in 1987 when Manuel suffered a fatal heart attack Sadly, this wasn't the first traumatic heartbreak Maria had experienced in her life so far When she was a teenager her childhood sweetheart was killed in the Angolan civil war a Sudden widow with a nine-year-old daughter. Maria had little choice but to return to work shortly after Manuel's death At that time Maria worked as a factory hand at South Pacific Tires in Summerton where she met her current husband Joe Corb

Maria was a hard worker her trading grained by her family since childhood Others marveled at her tenacity her limitless energy and her never give up attitude Where she found her immense power and energy was purely within Maria was only a petite 52 kilogram figure standing at just five foot two inches It was easy to underestimate her, but she was much tougher than she looked The possibility Maria was home the afternoon of February 9 2005 was dashed the moment Joe turned onto the driveway leading to their red brick house Her car wasn't in the driveway or the garage. There was no sign that Maria had been home during the day at all

At around 5 30 p.m. Joe planned to drive the route Maria usually took between her workplace and Damien school Maybe Maria had a flat tire or had gotten into an accident leaving her stranded somewhere along the way As he turned his car out onto Mount Ridley Road, his stepdaughter Laura passed him in her own car 26 year old Laura was Maria's daughter from her previous marriage with Manuel She had been at work that day a hairstylist at a local salon Laura pulled her car into the garage and was curious to find her mother's car wasn't there Once inside her younger brother Damien revealed that Maria didn't pick him up from school that day Laura knew this was unlike her mother, but brushed away any concerns by assuming there was a simple explanation

She went into the study logged on to the family computer and started listening to music A short time later her stepfather Joe burst into the study He was visibly anxious and began asking if she had seen or heard from Maria After driving around the local area he'd failed to find any sign of her Remaining level headed Laura suggested Maria was probably out shopping or stuck at an appointment But even she felt something wasn't right Joe paced the house waiting for Maria to come home As hours passed the front door didn't open and the home phone didn't ring

As the sun slowly set there was still no sign of Maria and Joe was convinced she had found trouble At 7 30 p.m. He got back into his car and drove straight to nearby Craigieburn police station Joe Corp formally reported his wife as a missing person He told police the last time he saw or heard from Maria was that morning February 9 Joe explained he got up early to prepare for work Downstairs Maria was in the kitchen making a sandwich for Damien's school lunch and a salad roll for her own She didn't give Joe any reasons why her school pickup might be interfered with that afternoon After giving his wife a kiss goodbye, Joe entered the garage, got into his car and drove off to his workplace in Summerton

Clocking in at work around 7 a.m. Joe stated he didn't hear from Maria during the day A fact confirmed by his mobile phone records There was little doubt Joe had been at work all day Multiple co-workers saw him in the office consistently throughout and he was also present at four meetings Occurring at or around 8 30 a.m. 11 a.m. 3 p.m. At 4 30 p.m No one saw Joe take a break or leave the premises and he wasn't absent for any extended periods of time Joe was surprisingly up front to police and confessed he and Maria had been through a recent bout of marital problems that had made Maria depressed Although he was quick to shut down any considerations Maria was able to do

Self-harm went against Maria's devout Catholic beliefs and she would never abandon her children From the police perspective Joe seemed genuinely concerned for Maria's welfare Yet there was no suggestion Maria was in immediate danger or had met with foul play She was an unhappy suburban wife in a rough marriage The simplest explanation seemed to the most likely Maybe Maria had had enough and just ran away Police agreed to conduct a precautionary search for Maria that night A broadcast over police radio told officers in the area to be on the lookout for Maria's car

And squad cars circled the factory parking lot where she worked and shopping centers she frequented Yet there were no sightings Local towing companies were contacted Local towing companies were contacted but none had her car in their possession Calls to Maria's close friends and relatives repeated the same fact over and over It was out of character for Maria to just disappear Maria was described as personable and worn although she could be a little melodramatic This added weight to the theory she might have run away till emotionally impact her husband

No one had seen or heard from her that day Maria's mobile phone was off and untraceable but her recent phone record showed no suspicious activity The last time her personal banking account was accessed was two days prior for a withdrawal of only $150 Police contacted Maria's work supervisor at the factory and to their surprise They found out Maria didn't show up to work that day Her supervisor also revealed Maria came into work late the day before She was late because she had been at the Broad Meadows Magistrates Court all morning with her husband Joe That were cancelling a restraining order she had previously placed against him

The restraining order was taken out by Maria a few months earlier And was used to prevent Joe from coming within 200 meters of the family home And from harassing assaulting or intimidating Maria According to the registrar who handled the case in court on the morning of February 8 Maria appeared on edge when asking for the order to be repealed The registrar was troubled by her behavior. So eased all conditions except one The one preventing Joe from harassing or assaulting Maria This decision seemed to settle Maria's nerves

The search carried on that night with no sightings of Maria Although police did receive an interesting phone call The caller was Joe Corp's brother, Gust News of Maria's disappearance had spread through the Corp extended family And Gust had his own pressing concerns about the situation A rundown of what Gust told police was noted at the end of Maria's missing persons report Quote Police were contacted by Joe's brother, Gust Corp

Stated that he was concerned his brother Joe may have done something to Maria Stated that Joe's stepdaughter Laura had mentioned she was woken by screaming at 6 30 a.m And Joe told her that she must have been dreaming Also stated that Joe had forced Maria to change the content of her will Also stated that Joe had rung him and said, Gust, I think I'm fucked Gust helps Joe with his computer and said that he had read some emails which Joe sent to his girlfriend Tanya Herman who lives in Greenvale One of the emails went along the lines of I have to do it alone. I don't want you to be involved Gust's wife Patricia told him that Tanya told her that she would kill Maria before she gets Joe back

At 10 44 p.m. That night three police officers arrived to the Corp house The privacy that made the rural landscape appealing also felt rich with suburban secrets Joe was welcoming to police when he answered the front door He permitted them to search his house for clues to Maria's whereabouts Taking them on a guided tour of his expensive property Joe was forthcoming to authorities Willingly answering questions allowing them to search his car and giving them permission to check his bank accounts and phone records The interior of the Corp residence was impressive

There was little wonder why Joe had such immense pride for his creation Rooms were spacious neat and uncluttered Decorated with polished timber furniture and authentic leather upholstery Several large windows throughout the estate gave an unrestricted view of the sparkling golden lights of Melbourne city in the distance On the back wall of the theater room was a large plasma screen The children's bedrooms were located at the rear of the house giving both the kids and adults space and privacy from one another The master bedroom at the front was upstairs and included a queen-size bed Propped up on the wall above were framed photographs of Joe and Maria on their wedding day

A walk-in wardrobe led to a sparkling en suite featuring a double vanity expensive fixtures and an elevated spa bath The three-car garage housed both Joe's and Laura's vehicles with an empty spot where Maria's car should have been Joe was especially fond of his study in which he spent long nights in front of the family computer Surrounded by memorabilia of his favorite Australian rules football team, the Collingwood Magpires Maria had her own sanctuary, a prayer room featuring a desk covered in Catholic imagery, candles, and incense As police conducted their search, Joe confirmed no luggage was missing from the house And at none of Maria's personal necessities such as toiletries or clothes appeared to be gone Raising doubts on the runaway theory

In the backyard was a vegetable garden Maria cultivated that she called her Castello orchard Castello being the Portuguese word for castle She'd also reared sheep on the property, a throwback to her childhood in which her family had done the same thing At the very back of the lot was Joe's large work shed, stocked with tools, a workbench, and gardening equipment The envy of every handyman There was nothing suspect that drew police attention, the house was well-presented, cared for, and maintained Police spoke to Maria's daughter Laura, wanting more insight into Gus Cork's claim she had heard screaming that morning Laura confirmed the screams, they seemed so real they'd been playing on her mind the whole day

It was around 6 30 a.m. when she heard them They sounded as though they came from the front of the house where her parents bedroom was located Laura, quote When I heard the scream I went into my brother's room, I asked him if he was the one screaming He said no and went back to sleep Then I went back to my bedroom Then I went back to my bedroom and went back to sleep Police checked the Corp master bedroom from where Laura thought she heard the screaming

But they found no signs of foul play An elderly couple who were close friends with Maria attended the Corp house that night whilst police were present Pulling an officer aside to speak privately the woman revealed Maria had considered running away from Joe recently She didn't go through with her though as she didn't want to leave her children behind The woman then warned the officer Joe corp shouldn't be trusted Joe corp remained an enigma to police If what they were dealing with was a crime everything and everyone pointed to him as the prime suspect

Yet he carried himself as anything, but He seemed to genuinely concerns for Maria His alibi was solid and he offered himself to police as an open book with nothing to hide Before the police left Joe gave them a photograph of Maria to aid in the ongoing search Curious police were eager to unravel Joe further However, they decided not to push him too soon They didn't want to risk striking fear in the man and having him completely shut down on them But they were watching him very closely

They did have one last question for him though if he could think of anyone who might not like Maria Without hesitation Joe gave a name It was a name police had heard before Making it clear she was his former girlfriend The name Joe offered Was Tanya Herman By daybreak on February 10 an intensive search for Maria began Helicopters circled the sky above the northern suburbs as detectives from the broad meadows criminal investigation unit interviewed Maria's close friends and family

The topic of the restraining order resurfaced in a second interview with Maria's daughter Laura When her mother took out the order She'd warned Laura that if anything were to happen to her to call the police Laura was highly suspicious of her stepfather with whom she had a tense relationship For the last year she had observed firsthand the negative impact Joe's actions had on her mother After near 13 years of marriage Joe felt it had romantically fizzled and lacked intimacy So he began going online to organize casual hookups with random women On his dating profiles he self described himself as a Latino love guard and uploaded images showing off his country mansion and tanned muscles

Joe initially kept his affairs from his wife hiding them behind lies about work related business It was around September 2004 when Maria confided to Laura that she believed Joe was seeing someone else The evidence was all around her Unexplained withdrawals from their bank accounts, higher car receipts, frequent calls to unfamiliar numbers on their phone bills and letters sent to a post office box When Maria found a racy photograph of a tall blonde woman posing seductively in little else but Joe's Collingwood football jumper She confronted her husband Joe maintained a familiar lie and claimed she was just a work colleague But Maria wasn't naive about her husband

She knew he was fully capable of adultery In fact, it was through similar circumstances that the two had gotten together in the first place Joe met Maria in the early 90s when they both worked at South Pacific Tires He was a manager who had recently transferred departments to oversee the factory area where Maria worked Maria found herself drawn to Joe Corb Described as a charming persuasive smooth talker with an engaging boastful personality Joe was also considered handsome with olive skin, thick dark hair and an athletic build draped in gold jewelry At the time Joe lived in Craigieburn with his first wife, Leone

They'd been teenage sweethearts from back in the day Back then Leone was reluctant to date him But Joe fancied himself as a charismatic ladies man who enjoyed the thrill of the chase and wouldn't take no for an answer The kind of guy who'd like to show off his desirability through grand acts of romantic exhibitionism He'd circle around her house on his bike for hours, yell out to her when he saw her and tossed bunches of flowers over her fence Leone reflected on his relentless determination to get what he wanted Quote He chased me until he caught me. That's basically what happened

The two married in 1977 and moved to Craigieburn where they had two children in the following three years Within their marriage Joe was possessive and insecure He forbade Leone and their daughter from wearing makeup as he didn't want them to attract male attention He'd call Leone three to four times a day whilst at work to check in To Leone, Joe's controlling nature was indicative of how much he cared But for Joe, the monotony of domestic responsibility was slowly losing his interest And it couldn't compare to the addictive thrill of a lustful new romance

Leone started hearing the name Maria pop up in casual conversations with her husband She initially didn't think much of it as Joe insisted Maria was just a work colleague When they started spending more and more time together outside of work Leone joked that Maria should find her own man After a night out Joe entered the kitchen where Leone and their children were having breakfast Using two recent deaths in Leone's family as the mitigating factor for his decision Joe told his wife that life was too short and he was going to be with Maria By October 1991

By October 1991, his divorce with Leone was finalized and he and Maria married Maria took her new husband to meet her extended family in Portugal It was obvious to them Maria was happy and very much in love They felt Joe was pleasant enough but believed he lacked sincerity They also called glimpses of his controlling side like when he'd draw issue anytime Maria spoke in Portuguese Nagging concerns they had about Joe were internalized After all the tragic heartbreak Maria had been through they didn't want to ruin her new chance at love and happiness When Maria suspected Joe was cheating on her she blamed herself

Her anxieties heightened and white plummeted Emotions switched between extreme anger and bitterness to self-loathing and long bouts of depression Coworkers witnessed her break down at work falling to the floor in tears During this time she kept a personal diary Entries candidly chronicled her emotional torment of restless nights broken promises and forgotten birthdays It was clear Maria couldn't bring herself to leave Joe and go through yet another massively traumatic heartbreak She was determined to win him back Her suffering resulted in bizarre desperate behaviors

A highly superstitious woman Maria believed Joe's infidelity was a curse against her as punishment for taking Joe from his first wife She sought the help of priests clairvoyance gurus and psychics putting her family in upwards of $150,000 debt for their services She'd wander the house at night praying burning incense and making the sign of the cross When she found the long blonde hairs in the creases of Joe's car seats. She suspected they belonged to one of his girlfriends In the dust on the exterior surface of the car. She drew hundreds of small crosses in an act she thought would change her destiny Maria stayed of mind at the time of her disappearance added to the very real and very sad possibility That she may have committed suicide This was further substantiated when police were given a plastic bag of belongings from a friend of Maria's

Maria had given her friend the bag about a month prior with the instruction to take it to the police should anything happen to her Inside the bag was an odd collection Including a bunch of random receipts a piece of plastic hose a flip wallet containing a fake police badge alongside a picture of Joe Maria's personal diary an adult playing card game and a racy photograph of a tall blonde woman posing in a Collingwood football jumper There were also several notes in Maria's handwriting including one that read quote Dear Joe, I love you very much. I cannot keep going like this. I have taken things into my own hands God bless you Love Maria

I At approximately 2 p.m. On February 10 Joe corp arrived at the craigieburn police station for a formal interview He dismissed the restraining order stating Maria took it out as punishment for his infidelity not because he harmed her in any way He explained that a few months earlier. He had returned home to find his clothes dumped at the front gate and the locks to the house changed Using a steel picket. He attempted to force his way into the house to get his computer Maria called the police and the following day they convinced her to take out the restraining order Four days later Maria calmed down and allowed him to move back in As things were going well, they agreed to go to court to quash the order once and for all

Which is what they did the day before Maria disappeared Detectives pressed Joe for details on his relationship with his former girlfriend Tanya Herman Joe considered Herman a thorn in his marriage He'd met her online over a year prior and the two had a casual less than serious on and off again sexual relationship Joe maintained it was now all over and he tried to sever ties with her But she always maintained a presence in his life unwilling to accept their fling was over When asked if he loved her Joe replied that he did at some point, but had always loved Maria more

Two hours later the interview was reaching its end Joe was asked if he had anything to do with Marie's disappearance He responded with a confident no And was free to go At around 4 30 p.m. He left the station climbed into his sleek red Holden Commodore ss and drove off Unbeknownst to Joe tailing behind him was an undercover surveillance team They watched as he drove down craggyburn road appearing to be heading home

But then his vehicle slowed and stopped alongside a footpath A surveillance officer took note of what happened next quote I observed corp wearing dark glasses get out of the vehicle holding a white plastic bag with blue stripes in his hands Observed corp walked on an open green wheelie bin with a broken brown lid on the nature strip He dropped the bag into the bin walked back to the vehicle and the vehicle moved off Once Joe drove away police rushed to the bin The contents of the bag included a spare set of car keys to his Holden Commodore documents and receipts

photographs of computers A notebook a walkie-talkie handset a balaclava And a vial filled with white powder A short time later Joe's car pulled into the driveway of his Miclum home to find dozens of police Detectives and forensic officers in the midst of executing a search warrant They canvassed every room and scoured every inch Cameras clipped belongings were carried away and DNA collected

Every stain scuff and scratch was thoroughly inspected Standing back Joe watched the action with no resistance He chatted oddly with attending officers and in one such conversation He remarked Maria's body might be found near Whittlesey a town northeast of Miclum He offered no explanation for this thought There was no conclusive proof Maria was deceased But Joe considered the likelihood possible as he'd even discussed her funeral arrangements with Laura Joe admitted to dumping the bag in the rubbish bin on his way home that afternoon

Although he downplayed its contents stating it only carried papers and photographs Later an officer caught Joe digging through the pockets of a pair of car key shorts in the walk-in wardrobe of his master bedroom When the officer startled him Joe quickly grabbed the code off a nearby hanger and explained he felt cold before leaving The officer checked the shorts and found a green coloured security key to Corp's workplace Police were scratching their heads at his increasingly shady behaviour and the question arose What was Joe Corp trying to hide? After six hours of intense searching and evidence collecting the police left the Corp residence The entire situation was shaping up into a rather perplexing investigation

Surrounding a man that seemed to have both nothing and everything to hide Some people lauded the guy claiming Joe was a good bloke an accommodating boss and the favourite uncle Joe's family stood by him in a show of solidarity Even Gust Corp who had called police only hours after Maria had been reported missing to implicate his brother Had an about turn and was now one of his most vocal supporters To his critics, Joe was vain, bombastic and a little full of himself. They believed he thrived on attention It was clear that there were many sides to Joe Corp and police were ready to visit the one person who knew Joe intimately Aside from Maria, his former girlfriend, Tanya Herman

Just before 6 p.m. that night, police pulled up to a rather unassuming and small one-story brick rental house in Greenvale belonging to Tanya Herman 36 year old Tanya Herman was a single mother who'd recently moved to Greenvale from Ochuca, a Victorian country town on the border of New South Wales At the time, Tanya was nursing the emotional and emotional side of the family In 1987, her first husband was physically abusive. Their union only lasted five months Her second serious relationship produced Tanya's first daughter, but ended after two years when her partner left her for another woman Her third relationship, which became her second marriage, looked to be the most promising Paul Herman and his wife, Tanya Herman, were married at the age of 18 However, Tanya claimed Boer was an alcoholic and a worker-holic who had a short fuse around her young girls, the catalyst for their separation in 2002

After this third failed relationship, Tanya's roommate introduced her to the world of online dating By 2003, Tanya had a long relationship with her husband, who had a long relationship with his wife Tanya's roommate introduced her to the world of online dating By 2003, Tanya had a lot of online interest. She was a wholesome, down-to-earth, Aussie country girl, a tall, lean, blonde, fit triathlete Tanya longed for something more meaningful than abusive partners and fleeting hookups She was on the lookout for someone long-term who'd treat her right and accept her for who she was On October 11, 2003, Tanya received a personal message from user name Joe K. Underscore 40 Clicking on Joe K. Underscore 40's profile brought up images of an olive-skinned, dark-haired, athletic, middle-aged man who introduced himself as Joe Bronte

According to his online bio, Joe was a single 40-year-old from Michelin, a builder by trade who owned his own construction company Tanya didn't know it at the time, but everything she was reading about Joe K. Underscore 40 was a liar Joe Bronte was actually Joe Corb, married, 46 years old, and a factory manager Over the following four months, they got to know each other through online chat and webcam Then, over text messages and phone calls They met for the first time in person on February 11, 2004 Joe drove two hours to Tanya's house in Ochuca, and they went to the local pub to hang out From that moment on, Joe would visit Tanya upwards of once per week

Witnesses described them like teenagers in love Their infatuation was obsessive, passionate, over-the-top, and full of flashy displays of Joe's trademark romantic exhibitionism He'd shower both Tanya and her daughter with gifts and spontaneously purchased a new car A bright red Holden Commodore SS, because Tanya said he'd look good in it Often they'd meet in hotels halfway between their homes Other times a room wasn't necessary One of their preferred made-up locations was on the banks of a dried-up lake bed With Tanya, Joe was able to live out his wildest fantasies

Maria was too prudish, Joe believed, and unwilling to be sexually adventurous But Tanya was completely open to do whatever Joe wanted Joe introduced her into the world of sex games, swinging, and group sex The pair posed as a married couple online and listed themselves as looking for ways to spice things up in the bedroom They engaged in multiple hookups with other consenting couples For Joe, he was feeding his lustful addiction for romance in new, irresistible ways He'd take risque photographs of Tanya for his own pleasure Including the image Maria later found of Tanya posing seductively wearing Joe's Collingwood football jumper

For Tanya, the sex and smart meant little to her in the long run She was more invested in her developing future with Joe Joe had told police Tanya was a former fling he no longer had an interest in Yet, as police searched her house, they found evidence to suggest otherwise A soppy love letter written by Joe listed the 20 reasons why he loved Tanya Documents noted Joe as Tanya's emergency contact He was also listed as the executor of Tanya's will that detailed her ashes be scattered wherever Joe decides Her rental agreement was signed in both their names, with Tanya's signature under the name Tanya Herman Corp

Police seized documents, clothes, and a computer hard drive But most intriguing was a list handwritten by Tanya found in a waste basket underneath some chocolate wrappers It listed... Paper, Balaclava, Suit, Knife, Backpack, Gloves, Socks, Shampoo, and Conditioner Two hours later, Tanya Herman was escorted to the Broad Meadows police station for a formal interview of her own Tanya had heard about Maria's disappearance, but denied any involvement Her story was that the night before Maria vanished, she had been up most of the night because her eight-year-old daughter Taylor was suffering from nightmares The following morning, Tanya kept the school preparations at a leisurely, non-stressful pace

Meaning Taylor arrived a little late to school, sometime between 9 and 9.30 am Tanya had to go to the administration building to sign her daughter in, because they were late According to school staff, Taylor was unusually distressed that day At first, she wouldn't let go of her mother when she was dropped off Throughout the day, she clung to the classroom comfort toy and cried twice Teachers could tell she'd been through a rough couple of nights Police questioned Tanya about her relationship with Joe Corp According to her, she was his princess, and he was completely committed and invested in their future together

He'd offered to help her start a business, build her dream home, take her holidaying around the world, have children together, and even propose a marriage It was unclear exactly when Tanya found out Joe was married to Maria, but the betrayal she felt was void once Joe told her how miserable his marriage was Joe spent most of their time together venting to Tanya about how he was unhappy, love-deprived, sexually frustrated, and lonely, all because of Maria He'd bemoaned how Maria was putting the family in debt, spending hundreds and thousands of dollars of his money on religious crackpots and charlatans How Maria was blackmailing him with photographs that could put him in jail But he never actually revealed what the photographs were of Divorce wasn't an option. She'd fight him for the Corp estate, despite knowing the house was his pride and joy He'd tell Tanya that there was no love between him and Maria anymore, but Maria had threatened to kill him and herself multiple times, meaning he couldn't just leave her, because he was scared of how she would react

Tanya never doubted Joe's claims, but he didn't believe it was true Tanya never doubted Joe's claims, and as she listened to him vent over and over about the woman that was stopping them from being happy together forever Tanya Herman grew to despise Maria Corp The feeling was mutual Maria had identified her husband's mistress as Tanya, and her seething hatred for the woman was obvious Death to the woman was obvious Their toxic rivalry only grew when Joe Corp encouraged Tanya to move to Greenvale And came to her head when Tanya enrolled her daughter in the same school that Damien attended

On November 3, 2004, Maria wrote in her diary I saw the bitch Tanya in the morning, and when I went to pick Damien up at 3.30, I saw her again Joe did nothing to quell the cops Joe did nothing to quell the conflict between the two women He'd hold a crying Maria lovingly and reassure her that he would never leave her Only to tell Tanya the same thing later Even though Joe portrayed his relationship with Tanya as long over Tanya revealed the pair had seen each other the day of Maria's disappearance

At around 10 a.m. Tanya drove to Joe's workplace to give him a ham sandwich for his morning tea The two had a brief casual conversation about nothing in particular Then Tanya left When asked if she loved Joe, Tanya answered yes And responded the same when asked if he loved her She considered Joe an honest, forthright person and insisted he had never lied to her When police revealed that Joe had told them he only loved Maria Tanya seemed shaken

She responded quote In a way that comment shook me a little bit because you know, we were sort of planning our future and that sort of thing Yeah, so it's throwing me a little bit But maybe he's just I don't know I honestly can't answer that because I feel his love and I know his love is genuine The two hour long interview concluded with police asking Tanya whether she believed Joe had done something to Maria She responded No, he would never harm another human being

He couldn't he could never do it That's not him Police asked if she had any knowledge of Maria's whereabouts Tanya replied I have absolutely none If I did I would be telling you You Rick Brown didn't usually work on Sunday

He was a park worker who maintained the land in and around the Shrine of Remembrance and the Royal Botanical Gardens in South Yarra on the southeastern edge of the Melbourne CBD Victoria's weather had been relatively warm over the last few days but not stifling so A Melbourne summer could produce week-long heat waves of 30 degrees Celsius and higher The temperatures had been resting in the warm and comfortable low 20s During these warmer months water features across the parkland needed more frequent attention and maintenance So rick made the decision to go into work on Sunday February 13 to do just that

At around 7 a.m. After finishing work on two fountains in the parkland rick went back to the depot to have a cup of coffee The depot was located on Dallas Brooks Drive A windy narrow road that framed the rear of the Shrine of Remembrance led into the botanical gardens and reached the government house At peak times Dallas Brooks Drive was busy with slow frequent traffic and its left side line with parked cars But just after 7 a.m. That morning the road was near empty Except for a single car parked near a ticket machine When rick noticed the lone vehicle he immediately recorded conversation with a co-worker the day before About a woman who'd been missing for four days and the ongoing search for her car

A 1995 burgundy Mazda 626 in good condition with the number plate niw 306 To rick's surprise he was looking straight at it A Mix of curiosity and concern propelled rick to go over to check out the car The windows were foggy from condensation But several things inside caught rick's attention strewn across the passenger seat were pens paper and a moldy solid roll On the floor of the passenger side was an upturned black handbag

On the rear seat was an open street directory Rick felt something wasn't right When he circled the rear of the car he was struck by a foul odor that seemed to be emanating from the boot Rick knocked on it and yelled out Is anyone inside? There was no response By 10 30 a.m. Dallas Brooks Drive had been cordoned off as authorities surrounded the car Its doors were locked and windows shut

There was no visible damage anywhere no tampering marks on locks or windows The car was in impeccable condition As the morning wore on and the temperature slowly rose the pungent odor from the boot of the car became more pronounced seasoned officers recognized that immediately The smell of decomposition The crime scene unit canvassed the area as technical crews worked on opening the boot They forced entry into the vehicle by picking a lock Causing the jarring car alarm to go off across the quiet park lands

Located by the driver's seat was the lever that unlocked the boot With a slight pull the boot clipped open Lifting the rear hood released the rancid smell of decay as officers caught sight of what was inside Hearts sank The smell the colors and the wounds Police knew they were looking at a corpse that had been dead for some time Maria corpse skin was pale and covered in bruises Crusted around her nostrils and mouth was dried blood

Her lips were cracked and split The right side of her face was swollen. She had a large open head wound Suddenly they caught sight of the tiniest bit of movement Maria's chest slightly rose then fell It was a shallow breath Then another To the absolute shock of everyone looking down at her Maria was still alive

Missing persons detective Narell Fraser witnessed the harrowing moment Quote I just wanted to wrap my arms around her I wanted to hold her and tell her that she was safe now that no one would ever hurt her again To see this woman so helpless so alone and in such a confronting state was heartbreaking I kept saying to her that it was going to be okay that she was safe I don't think she heard me Who knows

Maria was rushed to nearby Alfred hospital in a critical condition She was unconscious and unresponsive to stimuli It shocked both police and medical staff that she was still alive after the intense trauma her body had clearly been through Maria was certainly tough To release pressure and swelling on her brain Maria was quickly put into an induced coma This allowed medical staff to start treating her extensive injuries without putting her fragile body through more traumatic strain or pain The extent of her injuries were devastating Maria had severe dehydration her heart was weak barely pushing blood through her arteries

Blood pressure so low her blood vessels were no longer visible A CT skin revealed brain swelling Her flesh featured patches of black dead skin Blood cuts and ulcers caused by lack of mobility had formed throughout her body Judging by the progression of these injuries It was determined that Maria had been unconscious in the boot of her car for the duration of her disappearance Just over four days up to 102 hours

A distinctive ligature mark was found around Maria's neck Her eyes were bloodshot and enlarged Experts concluded she had been strangled An abrasion on the right side of her scalp a scar on the upper right side of her forehead Along with a scab on the front of her nose was attributed to a struggle Maria had with her attacker It appeared she fell or was pushed face first onto a coarse hard surface most likely concrete There was absolutely no question about what had happened to Maria now She met with foul play

The person responsible had fully intended to kill Maria She had been strangled unconscious which fooled her attacker into thinking she was dead The assault was amateurish. It was clear the would-be killer was inexperienced and incompetent There was someone out there who wanted Maria Corp dead So a police guard was maintained at her hospital room At 3 p.m. Detectives arrived at the corp house to give Joe the news He was overtly ecstatic and grateful to the police and asked to go see Maria Maria's chance of survival was at the time only 25 percent

Authorities hoped she'd pull through and offer insight into what happened But there was no guarantee she'd ever recall the event after the trauma her brain had been through She had a long arduous road to recovery Police couldn't sit waiting by her bedside in the hope she would wake up and recall something They needed to find the perpetrator now Joe begged the officers to take him to visit Maria Instead they clamped down on him further Reinstating the restraining order Maria had previously taken out on him

Legally banning him from going to see his wife in hospital If Joe was involved in her attack, they needed to protect her Laura was quick to visit her mother's bedside in hospital and was absolutely devastated to see her in such a dire state She did notice something strange about her mother though Bringing up her realization to police quote When I went to see mum I noticed that her wedding ring cross and earrings were missing

Mum's wedding ring is a plain gold band and I cannot recall the last time I saw her without her wedding ring on She wore the ring all the time. You would have to physically remove the ring to get it off Maria's necklace was a chain with a crucifix and medallion attached The earrings were a small pair of diamond cluster studs Police checked Maria's car and house for the jewelry, but their whereabouts remained unknown On the evening of February 14 the night after Maria had been found A tall broad-shouldered biker in a leather jacket fronted police introducing himself as Steve Deegan Tanya Herman's brother

After hearing on the news Maria had been found he felt he needed to tell police what he knew He didn't know Maria personally, but he did know Joe Corp And Steve had strong feelings about him Tanya was besotted with the bloke, but Joe made a bad impression on Tanya's family The boastful stories Tanya bragged of Joe read of him being too good to be true Although Tanya was enamoured by his confident charm, all her family saw was a smooth talking loudmouth They also witnessed firsthand the dangerous control Joe had over Tanya When Joe abruptly stopped contacting Tanya, she became depressed and attempted suicide

It was at this point her family became more vocal in their dislike of the unhealthy relationship Tanya's mother felt Joe was intentionally driving a wedge between her daughter and her family To cut her away from her network of support and to gain more control over her His immense control was clearest in August 2004 When Joe told Tanya he was going to Barcelona to look after his mother who had recently suffered a heart attack During his trip Tanya received a call from Joe's brother who revealed Joe had been killed in a car accident The news shattered Tanya and she had to be hospitalised Her family were immediately suspicious about the entire situation, but Tanya didn't doubt it for a second

For two days she remained in the fetal position, rocking back and forth, unable to eat or sleep, weeping for her lost love She wrote a message to be read at Joe's funeral, quote Joseph William Bronte, you came to me on the wings of an angel My world was complete, we had dreams, hopes, a future together, everything was perfect and planned Joe, I love you with all my heart and soul, your sun shone upon me Together we were going to grow, but your life was taken suddenly I prayed specially for you, my love, for you are the special one I know God sent you to me, somewhere you have wings, my darling angel

You are now where no one can hurt you, I won your heart for being myself We were one, we were true soulmates Days later, Tanya's phone lit up, she couldn't believe it when the caller came up as Joe And when she heard his voice on the other end, she felt dizzy Joe maintained he'd been in the car accident in Barcelona, but he didn't die He even called Tanya via webcam to show off his bruises Eleven days later, he appeared at her doorstep, fully recovered Before Tanya's family could question him about the legitimacy of his unbelievable story,

Joe was asking them for their blessing to marry Tanya Tanya was happy to have Joe back, but he didn't know what to do and didn't allow herself to question him If she had, she would have easily picked apart all the obvious holes in his story and discovered it was entirely made up It was all a lie, his mother's heart attack, the trip to Barcelona and the car accident Tanya was just happy to have Joe back, but Joe learned a valuable lesson Tanya couldn't live without him

It was late 2004, at a pre-Christmas barbecue, where Steve Deegan was first introduced to his sister's new beau, Joe Corp When he found out Joe was married, Steve was both shocked and disappointed in his sister After all the scumbags she'd dated, she'd managed to hook yet another one Steve was not shy about his disapproval of their relationship, he felt Joe gave off bad vibes But Tanya was quick to defend their relationship, explaining Joe's wife was a bitch, and Joe had had enough of her Steve told police that on the morning Maria disappeared, February 9, sometime before 9am Tanya surprised him by turning up to his workplace, a motorcycle shop located on Elizabeth Street in Melbourne City She was dressed in workout gear, a hoodie, leggings and runners

She was red in the face, sweaty and flustered Tanya told Steve that she'd been at a job interview in Canberrawell, and afterwards decided to go for a run into the city She asked if he could give her a lift back home to Greenvale Tanya had been a fit athlete her entire life, she even once participated in marathon training So it wasn't unusual for her to run the 10km from Canberrawell into Melbourne Nevertheless, she was able to make it to the end of the year Steve felt she was lying to him Steve Deegan wasn't the only person to come forward to police with information on Tanya Herman after Maria had been found

At 11am on Tuesday, February 15, a school friend of Taylor, Tanya Herman's daughter, gave her own startling revelations She recalled a conversation she had with Taylor days after Maria had disappeared The 8-year-old Taylor was sitting amongst a group of friends under a secluded tree in the schoolyard For almost a year, she had been an invisible victim of the drama surrounding her mother's love life Taylor knew all too well about Maria She was the nasty woman keeping Joe from being a part of her family But Taylor knew even more than that She had a secret

Beneath the shade of the tree, surrounded by her chatty friends She blurted out that she knew who strangled Maria The girls felt silent Taylor explained It was her mum that did it because Joe told her to and that she had left a lot of blood in the garage She added her mother was going to bury Maria at the Greenvale Reservoir Park, but didn't The group of young school girls were shocked Taylor told her friends the promise not to tell anyone about what she said

As she didn't want her mum to go to jail When asked why she didn't tell an adult straight away Taylor's friend told police she was afraid Tanya was going to get her But afterwards much like Taylor She couldn't carry the burden of the secret any longer and fessed up to her mum There was an intriguing story told with certainty and purpose by a little girl who didn't appear to be lying But Maria's story had been plastered all over the news Including the key fact she had been strangled It was the talk of Melbourne

Perhaps the girl was making up an elaborate telltale stitched together by facts. She'd heard from various sources When police laid a question to Taylor about the story she denied it With all the incriminating statements piling up around her It was no wild stretch for police to assume Tanya Herman had a part to play in what happened to Maria But police were not so quick to assume she acted alone Life had been rough for Tanya since Maria had been found The media named her as Joe's mistress and the body in the boot story was at the forefront of every news publication Flocks of reporters had her front door surrounded keeping Tanya from leaving her house

Counselors who she permitted to visit described a highly anxious and emotional woman The love of her life was no longer answering her calls or responding to her messages Worse still was these comments to the media in which he absolutely maintained his deep undying love for Maria Tanya felt abandoned sending Joe angry message after message expressing her devastation at his betrayal But she still maintained her love for him The media attention had woven tight around Joe too, but he came out looking better than Tanya His willingness to brave the cameras and answer questions allowed him to portray an image of himself to the public that was favorable He was the concerned husband loyal to his wife

dealing with an unstable and infatuated lover His cooperation with police was long gone though Police were steadfast and kept the restraining order in place meaning he still couldn't visit Maria in hospital Whatever information the police needed from him would have to be dug up elsewhere At 10 a.m. On February 16 Tanya's brother Steve visited her Tanya looked ragged the bright spark of love and romance that had her bouncing off the walls months earlier had dimmed And what remained was a defeated heartbroken woman They talked over coffee

Steve felt his sister had suicide on her mind She wasn't coping well under the intense police and media pressure She had become a prisoner in her own home She constantly worried about her parents and her daughters Tanya's oldest teenage daughter lived with her father. It was eight-year-old Taylor who was her main concern Paranoid Tanya believed the police had bugged her home with listening devices Steve reassured her they hadn't Steve didn't visit that day for just a coffee and catch up

He was fed up and he was looking for the truth He knew if Tanya did have something to do with what happened to Maria then without a doubt Joe Corp had some sort of involvement too Steven said I know what you've done. What did he do? Tanya replied He organized the whole thing Her back and forth followed

Steven asked Tanya questions about what Joe had done trying to get more detailed information Tanya replied in short vague answers Brainwashing she said That's what he's done to me. He's brainwashed my head Tanya discussed the shameful ways in which her and Maria competed for Joe's affection How Maria sensing she was losing him began to dress similar to Tanya And was growing her hair and dying at blonde in an attempt to be more like her More like the woman Joe wanted

Maria was also participating with Joe's sexual fantasies Despite her own discomfort about the whole scene in a desperate attempt to win him back Tanya asked her brother Well, what do I do? What would you do? Steve remained supportive and encouraged the sister to go to the police and tell the truth Tanya considered that option. She wanted to do the right thing, but was conflicted She didn't want to be the embarrassment of her family or for her daughter to be ridiculed and she didn't want to go to prison Steve assured your sister that he would support her no matter what

You've got to give this guy up. You really have to he told her a Short time later Steve left leaving Tanya to chew over the thousands of thoughts circling her head Tanya had no idea she was right Her entire conversation was being recorded by police through a listening device But it wasn't where she had originally suspected It was concealed underneath her brother's shirt After encouragement from detectives Steve made the difficult decision to wear a wire during the conversation with his sister in the hope she'd reveal the truth That had worked somewhat

Tanya was elusive and nonspecific, but she made it clear that Joe had done something The details of which Were about to emerge That Afternoon police arrested Tanya for the attempted murder of Maria Corp As she was being driven to the police station Tanya surprised everyone when she broke down into a long emotional breathless confession of what exactly happened leading up to and on the morning of February 9 2005

It was early February when Joe pitched the idea of murdering his wife It wasn't the first time he had broached the topic with Tanya. He'd fantasized about it before Thinking up ideal ways to successfully carry it out But in those previous times Tanya believed it was just all talk This was the first time she felt he was serious Joe was adamant the only way they could be together was if they got rid of Maria Joe had a plan Tanya would strangle Maria to death in the garage of the Corp home

Joe couldn't do it as he would be the number one suspect So instead he'd go to work to create an alibi Even if the police did suspect him he'd have concrete proof. He couldn't possibly have done it Tanya doubted her ability to get away with murder But Joe assured her he was looking out for her She'd wear a pair of his shoes and gloves during the attack so she wouldn't leave behind any forensic evidence Tanya Herman quote He was so convincing about how it would be done that I never for one minute thought would be caught

Over the following weeks Joe put the wheels in motion intricately planning the murder of his wife It all came to a head at a meeting between the pair at around 7 15 p.m. The night before Sitting together in Tanya's car at a service station across the road from where Joe worked Tanya recalled feeling whiteheaded and breathless as Joe went over his method of how she would kill Maria Reluctant Tanya told Joe she couldn't go through with it How much do you love me he asked Tanya answered you know how much There's no way out of this Joe said you have to get rid of her for me

At 5 20 a.m. On the morning of February 9 Joe's car pulled up in front of Tanya's house Tanya put on dark leggings and a hoodie She pulled her hair back tight When Joe entered the house he kissed her You know what I want you to do he told her I want her strangled and dead She's not to come out of the garage alive Her bag held Tanya's tools

The swimming cap to keep her hair from being left at the scene a pair of gloves to avoid fingerprints A balaclava so witnesses couldn't identify her and a meter long thick carry bag strap her murder weapon On the short drive to the corp house Tanya internally considered the situation in which she had found herself Joe had set up the perfect crime For him he had completely distanced himself from what was about to occur If Tanya were to get caught there would be no proof he was involved only her A prickly sense of doubt lingered in the back of her anxious mind

She expressed this worry to Joe He immediately dismissed it telling her not to worry and that everything would be fine For the first time in their relationship Tanya took a long hard look at Joe Corp He was a man willing to go to the deadliest lengths to get his own way Kill any woman who became a problem She quickly swallowed her concerns The only way she could get through this now was to trust the man she loved and hope he had her best interests at heart Around 5 50 a.m

Tanya Herman wearing a balaclava dark clothing and Joe shoes Crouched in the dim corner of the corp Family garage clutching a bag strap tightly in her club dance 15 minutes later Joe who had gone inside to prepare for work reappeared Before he got into his car to leave for work. He embraced Tanya in what felt like a final goodbye She was stiff and trembling I love you. He told her you don't know how much I love you How much do you love me?

Are you going to show me today? I don't want her out of this garage unless she's dead You've got to do this for me At 6 30 a.m Maria entered the garage and headed towards her car without any sense of danger As she opened the driver's side door Tanya lurched out from the shadows and threw her arms over Maria's head Using all her strength she pulled the strap tight against Maria's neck and jerked the far smaller and lighter older woman's back

into her broad chest Maria managed to slip her hand between the strap and her neck giving herself a brief reprieve and a desperately needed inhale of air She twisted herself around until she was facing her master tucker Using her free hand. She grasped the balaclava that covered Tanya's face and pulled it away In the heat of the life and death battle Tanya and Maria laid eyes on each other That was the first time they had met Maria screamed out her daughter's name several times for help In a morbid twist Laura had woken to the sound of her mother's screaming

The garage was located underneath the master bedroom where Laura had incorrectly thought the screams had come from She'd gotten out of bed to investigate but didn't check the garage Assuming she must have dreamt what she heard Laura went back to bed and fell asleep Tanya's adrenaline picked up once the fears settled in that she might be caught The two women fell against Laura's car and then down to the concrete floor Maria hit the concrete face first

Blood poured from her nose and mouth But she continued to fight for her life Tanya climbed onto Maria's back pulling the strap tighter and tighter until finally she stopped struggling and her body went limp Tanya believed with utmost certainty that she had just killed Maria Corp She placed her unmoving body into the trunk of her own car With Tanya at the wheel she recalled Joe's instructions to dump Maria's car as far away from the house as possible But he never specified a location Tanya's memory of the drive was cloudy

Shock had well and truly set in She couldn't recall the exact route she took But did recall one startling memory The stomach turning sound of Maria stirring and gasping for air in the boot Upon realizing that Maria was not dead Tanya drove on in a nervous panic weaving hastily through the early morning work traffic with no end in sight For over an hour. She sped around to Melbourne before winding up in South Yarrow She dumped the car in the quiet Dallas Brooks Drive

By now Maria had stopped stirring and Tanya could only hope she was finally dead Before abandoning the car Tanya removed anything from the beagle that could be used to identify Maria She emptied Maria's handbag on the passenger seat and took Maria's mobile phone wallet and some exercise books Climbing out of the car Tanya removed her swimming cap and gloves and sprinted towards Melbourne City Whilst crossing Prince's Bridge over the Yarrow River Maria's mobile phone started ringing In a panic Tanya tossed it over the bridge into the river A short time later Tanya reached the motorcycle shop her brother worked at on Elizabeth Street where she asked for a lift back home After her brother dropped her off Tanya cleaned herself up and rushed Taylor to school arriving late

At 10 a.m. Wanted by the prospect that Maria wasn't dead Tanya called Joe at work and asked to see him Joe was reluctant but agreed Tanya took him a sandwich and expressed her concerns about Maria still being alive Joe reassured her but was angry to find out that Maria had bled on the garage floor Joe ordered Tanya to burn the evidence of the crime the bag strap Maria's wallet into the balaclava Later Tanya drove to Lake Epilogue an old meetup point for her and Joe at the start of their affair It was there she set fire to the evidence of her crime

Using bleach Joe cleaned up Maria's blood on the garage floor The following day he gave Tanya a bag of items he demanded she discard for him It included the cleaning materials he used to remove the blood a pair of Maria's diamond earrings and his running shoes Tanya wore during the murder which had blood stains on them Tanya buried the bag in an isolated area within Greenvale Reservoir After answering 719 questions over four hours Tanya Herman's massive confession was over Teams of crime scene investigators swarmed Lake Epilogue and Greenvale Reservoir in search of the evidence she claimed to have stashed at each location In a pile of charred ash at the lake bed they found the only thing that survived the flames

The metallic pieces from the bag strap At Greenvale Reservoir they dug up the plastic bag containing Joe's blood stained runners a red scrubbing brush and a pair of diamond stud earrings A crime scene was established at the court residence Chemical luminol was sprayed over the concrete floor in the garage Under the cover of darkness it slowly illuminated patches of blood that were no longer visible to the naked eye Surveillance camera footage was collected from sources all throughout Melbourne CBD showing Tanya driving Maria's car on the morning of February 9 2005 Maria's mobile phone that Tanya claimed to have thrown into the Yarra River after the attack was never recovered

Nor was her wedding ring or necklace Joe Corp was arrested the day of Tanya's confession He was charged with conspiracy to commit an indigable offence Intentionally causing serious injury attempted murder as well as four counts of theft The theft charges were unrelated to the attack on Maria In the blue striped plastic bag Joe had thrown in the bin after his first formal police interview Was a collection of seemingly unimportant photographs of computers The computers were later found at Joe's home

Their serial numbers revealed they were actually stolen property from his employer at the Taya factory In total Joe Corp had stolen up to $10,000 worth of equipment and stationery from his workplace The thefts had always been a mystery as there had been no sign of forced entry into the factory Suspecting it might be an inside job all managerial staff were forced to turn in their green coloured master security key However, Joe pocketed one to continue his crime spree It was later found in the pocket of the khaki shorts Joe was seen rummaging through during the police search of his home A police member confiscated the key and at the time didn't understand why it was so important to Joe Joe's $150,000 bail sorority was covered by putting up his parents home

The restraining order still remained in place protecting Maria But now Joe was also banned from contacting his step-daughter Laura as well as his son Damien Almost four months later on June 28, 2005 Maria was still fighting for life in the Alfred hospital When Tanya Herman fronted the Supreme Court of Victoria and pled guilty to attempted murder The guilty plea along with the pledge to testify against Joe Corp in his trial dropped two of her charges One for conspiracy to murder and another for intentionally causing serious injury Her lawyers tried to answer the incredibly complicated question as to why Tanya Herman went along with Joe Corp's murder plot Months of Joe grooming Tanya into hating Maria had worked in his favor

Tanya fully perceived Maria as some sort of villain in her fairytale romance And when Joe offered his princess the opportunity to get rid of the villain, of course, she agreed In hindsight Tanya was embarrassed by her naivety and now saw Joe for what he really was A predator Tanya Herman quote On 100% sure that Joe concocted our relationship and befriended me for the sole purpose of helping him get rid of his wife from his life Others believed Joe's intentions went further than that Perhaps as he had done so with others in the past, he had grown bored of Tanya too

He had always lost it after thrilling new romances, but she was looking forward to settling him down into another marriage Many felt Joe wanted both of them out of the picture With Maria dead and Tanya in prison, Joe would be a free man to pursue his next romantic conquest A psychologist who treated Tanya concluded she was not psychopathic and did have a conscience Once free from Joe's control, deceit, dishonesty, lies and hollow promises She felt a strong sadness and held deep regret for what she had allowed herself to be coerced to do It was widely accepted that if Tanya Herman had never met Joe Corb, she would never have tried to commit murder Due to her cooperation with authorities, her guilty plea, no prior convictions and indications of genuine remorse

Tanya Herman was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine years The judge assessed her prospect of rehabilitation as excellent As Joe Corb had pled not guilty to all charges, a committal hearing was held in August to determine if there was enough evidence to send him to trial One of the witnesses was Steve Deegan, Tanya's brother He revealed towards the end of December 2004 He was at his sister's place watching an episode of the crime drama CSI with Joe and Tanya It led to what initially seemed like a light insincere conversation on what would be the best way to get away with murder Steve came up with the idea of strangulation with piano wire, but then said a more practical item would be a belt

Steve felt uneasy when Tanya mentioned offhandedly that she and Joe wanted to kill Maria Afterwards, Steve warned Tanya to let Joe go But she didn't The topic of murder arose again after new years Tanya mentioned her and Joe had crushed up 24 sleeping tablets and discreetly given them to Maria But it only made her drowsy Steve was shocked at how flippantly the pair discussed murder and the way Tanya readily agreed with absolutely anything Joe said No matter how disturbing

But Steve couldn't take their murderous admission seriously Their casual impassiveness and lack of concern convinced him they were just joking The witness whom everyone was waiting in anticipation to see appeared on day two of the committal hearing Tanya Herman entered the overcrowded courthouse and marched with intent into the witness box Eager and excited reporters and journalists were pouring out the doors jotting down notes on her every expression The only person who wasn't transfixed on her was Joe He didn't acknowledge her His focus was on his hands turning his wedding ring around his finger

Questioning led Tanya back through the events of February 9 The aim of Joe's defense team was to prove Tanya acted alone Labelling her a jilted mistress who killed to be with the man she loved They bolstered their theory by referring to Maria's wedding ring and necklace which had never been found That offense insisted Tanya had stolen the jewelry as a vengeful and symbolic souvenir of her crime of passion Her claim Tanya coolly denied The authenticity of Tanya's character was called into question in regards to her having heard Maria stirring in the boot after the attack If Tanya truly felt guilty for her actions, she would have pulled over that moment, released Maria and called emergency services

Instead, she drove around for an hour looking for the perfect place to hide Maria where she wouldn't be easily found At the end of the committal hearing, it was determined that there was enough evidence for Joe Cork to face trial His bail was continued Sensing her mother didn't have long to go, Laura replied to have Maria's will remade Maria's will named Joe Cork her beneficiary and executor of her estate He stood to collect her half of the family home $100,000 from her life insurance policy and $232,000 in superannuation savings

Laura fronted Cork asking for Joe Cork to be disinherited from Maria's will The court granted her application Joe Cork would receive nothing As those responsible for her injuries were being brought to justice Maria continued to lay in an unresponsive state in the general medical ward of the hospital She was no longer in a medically induced coma, but still remained unconscious Specialists performed an electroencephalogram, a test used to record electrical activity in the brain Positron emission tomography was also conducted to observe her metabolic processes

The results of both tests were discouraging Maria's brain waves were very low in amplitude and her brain actually was very low in amplitude Her brain activity was lower than a patient under a deep anaesthetic Her body reacted to painful stimulus, but this was due to a spinal reflex, not the result of brain activity She showed no evidence of visual fixation nor tracking, no blink response to threat She did not follow commands or make a comprehensible speech Her nourishment came from a tube that seemed liquid nutrition directly into her stomach Muscles were withering due to inactivity

Her back and infection could cause death at any moment A pressure sore at the base of her spine refused to heal Specialists concluded Maria Corp had no meaningful sense of the world and was in a vegetative state Her body was deteriorating by the day, the likelihood of recovery was considered exceedingly small Maria's situation was compounded by the fact she had no legal guardian The person who'd usually be responsible for the role was Joe But being a suspect in her attempted murder and the restraining order meant he couldn't fulfill the duty Maria's daughter Laura was also not eligible for the role

For three months Maria had no guardian As her body showed no signs of improvement, difficult decisions needed to be made The Alfred Hospital applied to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to have an independent public advocate take the role as Maria's medical guardian A guardianship hearing was held in which a judge tasked the job to public advocate Julian Gardner Julian went to great lengths to determine what would be the outcome of Maria's fate He quizzed doctors, specialists, physicians, neurologists and palliative care specialists who all gave their opinions on Maria's health He spoke with her family, friends, colleagues and even her priest Yet Maria had never discussed her personal views on the controversial topic of euthanasia with anyone

Or whether in the most dire circumstances she would choose to sustain her life or render Julian read Maria's personal diaries in an effort to gauge the kind of person Maria was and the reasoning behind her thoughts and decisions What he gained was a great sense of injustice Maria did not deserve her fate Maria was a personable and warm woman who prioritized being a mother above all else She loved her children and never wanted to leave them Ongoing public interest in Maria's plight brought with it a highly emotional ethical debate about her future Some believed a bureaucrat did not have the right to plate God and determine the fate of a woman he had never met

Others saw prolonging her life through medical intervention as unnatural They didn't want to prolong Maria's suffering Others were more hopeful and wanted to believe she could still one day wake up Joe Corp was vocal in his opinion on the matter He stated voluntary death was against Maria's religious beliefs and she would never agree to it Although his agenda was questionable If Maria died he would be facing a murder charge Julian Gardner spoke with two Catholic ethicists on the matter who both formed the view that within the principles and policies of the Catholic Church

That was appropriate to permit Maria to die After deep consideration and soul-searching Julian came to a decision After multiple medical assessments which determined that palliative care was futile and she had no prospects of recovery Julian sat at Maria's bedside and told her I'm sorry Maria, but there's nothing more we can do for you Julian Gardner authorized the medical staff to stop administering Maria's food and water With his decision came another wave of strong public opinion both in favor and against his choice Anti-Euthanasia campaigners held peaceful protests outside of the hospital criticizing a decision they considered inhumane

They called Julian the public executioner Members of Maria's family in Portugal were also against the decision They refused to believe Maria was dying and held out hope for her recovery Maria's daughter Laura indicated she did not oppose the decision Most others close to Maria kept their opinion on the sensitive matter private Julian Gardner received hundreds of letters from the public that claimed the supportive letters outweighed the unsupportive Despite the debate of whether the decision was right or wrong Maria's fate was set Julian Gardner explained his decision in an interview with the ABC

quote I do believe in this case that we did protect somebody with a disability Because we were able to stand aside and do not have a conflict of interest Not be over-born by emotions or some of these very virulent comments that were made that might in the end push our decision making Into a situation where you looked after your own skin rather than hers It would have been far easier for me to simply keep her alive But i'm not here to make decisions in my best interests. I'm here to make a decision in hers As Maria Corp's guardian Julian Gardner had one final decision to make on her behalf

Whether or not to permit Joe Corp from seeing her one last time to say goodbye Julian Gardner also told the ABC quote That was a decision that I had to make in the best interests of Maria And in making that decision it was important to try and understand what she might have wanted And I had evidence to indicate that she wanted to try and keep the marriage together I had evidence that she was a strong Catholic and therefore I had assumptions that I drew from that That compassion and forgiveness would be part of her thinking And also I had to take into account that there's a presumption of innocence

And if I thought it was in her best interests for other members of the family to visit It was difficult to see why for all of these factors I should exclude him It wasn't technically a difficult decision, but it was nonetheless as a human being As an emotional situation A very difficult decision On the day her feeding tubes were removed, Joe Corp was permitted a 30-minute visit to his dying wife under police supervision After kissing her forehead, Joe rubbed the backs of Maria's hands, whispering a prayer between tears

It would never be known if Joe's initial opinion on keeping Maria alive was for altruistic or selfish reasons But after this visit, he revealed he had come to support the decision to end Maria's life In the early hours of August 5th, 2005, Maria Corp died peacefully in her sleep On August 12, a funeral was held for Maria with more than 250 of her close friends and family in attendance A farewell letter written by her son was read out during the service Damien wrote of how he loved his mother's soft cuddles, her cooking, the way she helped him with his homework But more than anything, he loved the way she loved him

This sentiment was shared by his sister Laura, who thanked her mother for making her who she was, and for teaching her how to stand on her own in the world Damien and Laura released four white doves at the end of the service There was one notable absence Joe Corp was not permitted to attend the funeral as his bail conditions being in from being near Laura and Damien Instead, he watched news coverage of it on the television Just after 10pm that same night, a police car sped towards the Corp family house in Mickelham after several urgent emergency calls had reached them Gust Corp, Joe Corp's brother, was waiting for them at the front gate He directed police towards the large work shed at the rear of the property

The windows were blacked out and no one knew for certain what was going on inside One of the officers banged the door and called out, Joe, can you hear me? All they could hear coming from inside was the pitched ringtone of Joe's mobile phone Going unanswered Once police gained access to the garage, they were confronted by a chilling sight Hanging three centimetres above the floor and in front of a messy cluttered shrine consisting of Collingwood Magpie's memorabilia Photographs of Maria Corp Suicide notes and empty beer cans

Was Joe Corp's body A thin nylon rope tied around his neck At 10.28pm, Joe Corp was pronounced to dead Even in death, Joe left police perplexed and scratching their heads For those at the scene, there was a debate as to whether Joe had genuinely intended to take his own life Or if he had staged the entire scene as an elaborate cry for help But never originally intended to go through with the act And it was all an accident

It was difficult to determine the intentions of a man who was a master manipulator As in life, Joe Corp died carrying many secrets On February 14th, 2014, nine years and four days after she was jailed for the attempted murder of Maria Corp Tanya Herman was released from minimum security prison During the final months of her life, Maria Corp wrote a candid letter to her husband Joe detailing a battle between two women in which the emerging victor was the man who controlled them both She titled the letter, Tanya vs Maria Part of which read Joe, I have made my mind up about the marriage

I have tried everything to get you back, but unfortunately you refused my help This week you nailed the last nail in the coffin I have been very patient with you, but Tanya is your love Joe, you are not the man I married and I can't understand how far you went All I can see is, what you have done to us is something I will never understand as long as I live My heart is crushed and bleeding I don't know how I'm going to cope because I'm back where I was 17 years ago But remember, I will always love you

Until I die Thanks for watching!