Thousands of tourists visit Phillip Island every year because of its Grand prix tracks, fast bikes, beautiful beaches and wildlife.
However, there is a dark and unsolved cold case that has haunted this Island and criminal investigators for years.
The brutal killing of Beth Barnard in 1986 still remains one of the oldest unsolved murder mysteries in Victoria
Let’s take a closer look at the details of this case.
Background of the Case
Vivienne Cameron was a wife, mother, and a well-known figure in the small community of Phillip Island in Victoria, Australia.
She was married to Fergus Cameron, a wealthy farmer and businessman.
He was also a founding member of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, according to Daily Mail.
Together, they had two sons and lived a life that seemed comfortable and stable to outsiders.
But in reality, Vivienne’s marriage was far from stable.
Her husband Fergus was having an affair with Beth Barnard, a 23-year-old who worked on their farm.
Beth was young, and her relationship with Fergus was no secret in the Phillip Island community.
For Vivienne, the affair was a devastating blow.
She had built a life with Fergus, raising their two children and supporting his business ventures.
So the discovery of his infidelity shattered the trust in their marriage.
Even those close to Vivienne confirmed she was deeply hurt by her husband's extramarital affair.
Fergus’s affair with Beth not only destroyed his marriage but also set off a chain of events that left a community searching for answers.
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| Beth Barnard |
The Day Beth Died and Vivienne Disappeared: September 22, 1986
On the night of September 22, 1986, Vivienne confronted Fergus about his affair with Beth, and their argument turned violent.
During the violent encounter, Vivienne grabbed a wine glass and slashed Fergus across the ear and back making him bleed.
The couple immediately rushed to the local hospital, where Fergus received treatment for his wounds.
When they returned home, Fergus finally admitted to the affair with Beth, as reported by Herald Sun.
After his confession, Vivienne became angry and heartbroken, so she drove Fergus to his sister’s house around 2 a.m.
She told him she would be back later to take him to the hospital but she never came back.
After dropping him off, Vivienne made a phone call to a friend, Robin Dixon, around 3 a.m.
She asked Robin to come over and watch their children, claiming she needed to take Fergus to the hospital again.
Robin immediately went to the Cameron home and found the children all alone.
Robin said Vivienne’s handbag was still inside the house when they arrived, but Vivienne and Fergus were not around.
Meanwhile, around this same time, Beth was attacked in her bed.
Her throat was slit, and she was stabbed multiple times.
The killer also carved a large letter “A” into her chest.
After the attack, the killer smoked a few cigarettes and washed their blood-stained hands in Beth’s bathroom.
According to crime scene investigators, the scene was brutal and personal.
By morning, Vivienne was nowhere to be found.
She vanished without a trace till this day.
Her Toyota Land Cruiser was found near the San Remo Bridge, with her handbag, cigarettes, and a blood-stained knife inside.
Meanwhile, Beth Barnard was also found dead in her home that same morning with horrific wounds on her body.
To this day, Vivienne’s disappearance remains a mystery.
Was she driven to murder by heartbreak and rage?
Or is there more to her story that we may never know?
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| Fergus Cameron |
The Investigation That Followed
After Beth Barnard’s body was found and Vivienne Cameron went missing, the police began a thorough investigation.
They believed that Vivienne had killed Beth in a fit of jealousy before taking her own life by jumping off the bridge.
Here are some of the reasons why the police concluded that Vivienne was Beth’s killer:
1) The Personal Nature Of The Attack:
At Beth’s home, the crime scene was horrifying.
She had been stabbed repeatedly and her hands showed signs that she had tried to fight off her attacker.
The letter “A” which was carved into Beth’s chest stood for “Adulteress," according to criminal investigators.
They believe the killer got this idea from a novel "The Scarlet Letter", where a woman is forced to publicly identify as an adulteress with an “A” sewn to her clothes.
Former homicide detective Rory O’Connor described the attack as “vicious and frenzied,” emphasizing how personal it seemed.
The “A” wasn’t just carved—it was slashed deeply, showing the killer’s intense emotions.
To the police, it seemed like a personal message from someone who was deeply hurt by Beth’s affair with Fergus.
This made Vivienne a strong suspect.
Vivienne had read the book in school, and as Fergus’s wife, she was the one most affected by the affair.
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| Vivienne’s Toyota Land Cruiser |
2) Items Found in Vivienne’s Car: When Vivienne’s Toyota Land Cruiser was found near the San Remo Bridge later that day police found some suspicious items.
Inside the car, police found her handbag, two packs of Claridge cigarettes, a blood-stained face washer, and a knife.
The cigarettes were important because the same brand was found at Beth’s house, and DNA testing later confirmed Vivienne’s DNA was on them.
This placed her at the scene of the crime.
3) Timeline Of The Murder: Police pieced together a timeline of that night.
- Vivienne and Fergus had a violent argument at home, leading to Fergus being injured.
- They went to the hospital, returned home, and Fergus admitted to the affair.
- Vivienne then drove Fergus to his sister’s house around 2 a.m.
- Her car was seen after 2 a.m. near Beth’s house in the early hours of the morning.
- Beth was killed around the same time
- Later that day Vivienne’s car was found near the bridge
Based on this timeline, police concluded that after dropping Fergus off, Vivienne went to Beth’s house, killed her in a fit of rage, and then drove to the bridge, where she likely jumped into the water.
In 1988, a coronial inquest officially concluded that Vivienne had killed Beth before taking her own life.
The coroner stated that although Vivienne’s body was never found, he was satisfied she had jumped from the San Remo Bridge and died.
He also ruled that Vivienne had “contributed to the cause of death” in Beth’s case.
However, some questions remained unanswered since Vivienne’s body was never found.
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| Vivienne Cameron |
So Many Unanswered Questions: Where is Vivienne Cameron?
After the brutal murder of Beth Barnard, Vivienne vanished without a trace.
This has left many wondering: Where is Vivienne?
Did she really take her own life, or could she have staged her disappearance?
After Vivienne Cameron was reported missing, the local police department launched a massive search.
Divers scoured the waters beneath the San Remo Bridge, where her car was found.
The area is known for its strong currents, with tides reaching speeds of 8 to 10 knots.
Local fishermen warned that surviving a jump from the bridge would be nearly impossible.
The waters are also home to white pointer sharks and sea lice, making the search even more dangerous.
Despite days of searching, no trace of Vivienne was found.
No body, no clothing, nothing.
This lack of evidence made some people believe Vivienne may have staged her disappearance.
The idea is that she killed Beth, left her car near the bridge to make it look like she had jumped, and then fled to start a new life elsewhere.
These are a few points that may support this theory:
1) Vivienne’s friend Glenda Frost claimed to have spoken to her on the phone at 10 a.m. on September 23.
This was several hours after she was presumed dead.
Glenda was certain it was Vivienne on the other end of the line, and the conversation was about a topic only the two of them would know.
2) Second, Robin reported seeing Vivienne’s handbag at her home when she arrived to help them babysit.
However, it was later found in her car after the murder.
If true, this would mean Vivienne returned home after killing Beth, which doesn’t fit the official timeline.
Also Robin said Vivienne didn't return while she was there.
For family members, they find it really hard to believe that Vivienne would abandon her two young sons.
Those who knew her described her as a devoted mother who loved her children deeply.
The idea that she would leave them behind, whether by taking her own life or fleeing, seems out of character.
The disappearance of Vivienne Cameron is as much a mystery as the murder of Beth Barnard.
Despite the police’s conclusion that Vivienne killed Beth and then took her own life, there are still gaps in the story.
For example, Beth’s blood and DNA were not found inside Vivienne’s car.
This is one of the puzzling gaps in the case.
If Vivienne had committed the murder, investigators would have expected to find some evidence of Beth’s blood in the car.
Despite the brutal and frenzied nature of Beth’s murder, which would likely have left significant blood evidence, no traces of Beth’s blood were discovered in Vivienne’s Toyota Land Cruiser
The lack of such evidence has led some to doubt whether Vivienne was truly the killer.
Also, people close to Vivienne say they find it very hard to believe she was capable of such a violent act.
They wonder if someone else might have been involved.
Could Fergus, her husband, have played a role?
Or was there another person who wanted Beth dead?
Furthermore, the lack of a body, the mysterious phone call, and the question of whether Vivienne would truly leave her children behind all make this case a mystery.
Was Fergus Cameron Investigated?
Fergus was one of the first people police interviewed after Beth’s murder and Vivienne’s disappearance.
He provided a detailed account of the events leading up to that night, including the violent argument with Vivienne and her subsequent disappearance.
He claimed that after the argument with Vivienne, she drove him to his sister’s house, where he stayed the night.
His sister and brother-in-law corroborated his story, saying he was with them during the time of Beth’s murder.
Fergus admitted to having an affair with Beth, which gave him a clear motive in the eyes of investigators.
He was the last person to see Beth alive.
Just before his violent confrontation with Vivienne, he was with Beth.
After leaving Beth, he returned home, where the fight with Vivienne broke out.
A nurse confirmed seeing Vivienne and Fergus at the hospital.
This hospital visit was the last confirmed physical sighting of Vivienne by someone other than Fergus.
Despite these, he was never considered a prime suspect in Beth’s murder or Vivienne’s disappearance.
The police focused more on Vivienne due to the physical evidence linking her to the crime scene, such as the cigarettes with her DNA and the symbolic “A” carved into Beth’s chest.
While Fergus was never officially named a prime suspect, some people—including investigators and true crime experts—have questioned whether he played a larger role in the events of that night.
However, without concrete evidence, these theories remain speculative.
Fergus maintained his innocence and no charges were ever brought against him.
Was Vivienne a heartbroken wife driven to murder and suicide?
Or did she stage her disappearance to escape the consequences of her actions?
Or is something more sinister at play?
Until more evidence comes to light, the truth remains hidden.
However, the search for answers and closure continues for the families involved.
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