On July 19, 2002, Susan Goodwin vanished without a trace from her home in Port Lincoln.
Her partner came home to find dinner prepared, her car parked outside, and all her belongings untouched.
However, Susan was gone and no where in sight.
Over 20 years later, her case remains one of Australia’s most haunting unsolved cold cases.
Susan Marie Goodwin was a 40-year-old woman living in Port Lincoln, South Australia, when she disappeared in 2002.
She was described as fun-loving by her partner of seven years, Michel Peterson, to whom she was inseparably close.
Susan lived with Michel in their Moonta Crescent home, and Michel worked as a fish processor at Port Lincoln Tuna Processors.
According to her parents, Don and Margaret Goodwin, she survived a devastating car accident in the 80s that killed two of her sisters and her brother.
Her father, Don Goodwin, later said she had "been to hell and back," and that the heartbreaking experience made her appreciate life more.
Susan was known to always carry a small bottle of water and her toothbrush everywhere she went.
Her obsession with dental hygiene was so strong that she never left home without them.
But on the day she vanished, both items were left behind, raising immediate red flags from the very start for people who knew her.
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On Friday, July 19, 2002, Susan Goodwin spent the morning and early afternoon running her usual errands around Port Lincoln.
Witnesses reported seeing her shopping at both Coles and Woolworths supermarkets around lunchtime, where she was described as looking visibly “distraught.”
Despite appearing upset, Susan went ahead with her shopping, buying groceries—including fresh meat—for that evening’s dinner.
After returning to her home in Moonta Crescent, Susan unpacked the groceries and left the meat prepared on the kitchen bench, ready to be cooked.
What happened thereafter remains an unsolved mystery, and she was never seen again.
By 4:15 PM, Susan failed to show up at Port Lincoln Tuna Processors to pick up her partner, Michel Peterson—a part of their daily routine.
When she didn’t answer her calls, Michel grew concerned and decided to walk home.
At 4:27 PM, she accepted a ride from a coworker who took her home.
When Michel arrived home, she found Susan’s car locked and parked in the driveway which was quite unsual, as she usually left it unlocked.
Inside the house, everything seemed normal at first—dinner was prepared and stored in the fridge, and the groceries she bought earlier, including the meat, were unpacked.
But some troubling sign stood out: Susan’s clothes were still in the wardrobe, and her toothbrush, which she never left behind, was untouched in the bathroom cabinet.
By nightfall, Michel filed a missing person report with Port Lincoln police, marking the beginning of one of South Australia's most perplexing disappearances.
At the time she went missing, Susan had collar-length brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion.
She also had a distinctive tattoo of a purple rose on her left hip and a hysterectomy scar on her lower abdomen.
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| Susan Goodwin |
Investigation into Susan Goodwin’s Disappearance
After Michel Peterson reported Susan Goodwin missing, the police quickly launched an investigation, due to the uncharacteristic nature of her absence.
Initial investigations focused on tracing Susan’s last known movements, with police speaking to witnesses who had seen her earlier that day at Coles and Woolworths.
While all of them described her as visibly distressed, none could explain what made her upset.
Authorities conducted extensive ground searches within days of her disappearance.
The Port Lincoln SES and police searched approximately 25 square kilometers of thick scrubland surrounding the area, hoping to find any trace of Susan or clues about her disappearance.
Despite these efforts, no physical traces were found.
Investigators later found out that Susan was carrying $140 in cash when she disappeared and had not used her bank accounts since then.
In 2005, three years after Susan’s disappearance, police received new information from her partner, Michel Peterson, which led them to search the old greyhound track in Port Lincoln.
Authorities, volunteers and Michel, searched the area and found fragments of old clothing.
These items were sent for forensic testing, but none were linked to Susan.
During this time, Senior Sergeant Hank Swalue publicly stated that investigators no longer believed Susan was alive and were now searching for her remains.
The case was reclassified as a major crime, with police operating under the assumption that foul play was involved.
In 2017, authorities established Task Force Lincoln, a dedicated investigative team, to pursue fresh leads.
Detectives distributed playing cards featuring Susan’s case among prison inmates, hoping to gather new leads from the criminal underworld.
They also sent letters to prisoners offering incentives, including possible immunity or sentence reductions, in exchange for credible tips.
Despite these efforts, nothing concrete emerged.
During the investigation, police identified seven persons of interest but later cleared them from suspicion.
According to investigators, Susan was not the one who parked her car in the driveway.
Detective Superintendent Des Bray, who led the Major Crime Investigation Branch at the time, emphasized that the perpetrator was likely someone Susan knew well and that more than one person may have been involved in disposing of her body.
Authorities believe her remains are hidden somewhere within a 30-kilometer radius of Port Lincoln, but despite multiple searches, nothing has been found.
Police reports indicate that Susan was also a social drug user, and she knew some individuals linked to Port Lincoln’s drug scene.
As part of the investigation, investigators have questioned several people connected to the local drug underworld, but no valuable information came out from those interviews.
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| Susan’s father, Don Goodwin |
Ongoing Efforts in Finding Susan Goodwin
Two decades after Susan Goodwin vanished from Port Lincoln, authorities continue active efforts to solve the case.
A $200,000 reward for information leading to a resolution remains in place, with Crime Stoppers continuing to accept anonymous tips.
Police maintain that key information likely exists within the Port Lincoln community.
Police have indicated they're prepared to offer protections, including witness anonymity and relocation assistance, to anyone with credible information who has remained silent out of fear.
Susan’s parents, Don and Margaret Goodwin, spent their final years pleading for answers, convinced their daughter had been murdered.
"I am desperate for answers… our lives have been destroyed by these tragedies." – Don Goodwin
Sadly, both of Susan’s parents passed away without ever knowing what happened to their daughter
According to a 7 News in a 2023 report, evidence collected back in 2002 has been sent for forensic testing using advanced modern technology.
As a result, police have been able to narrow down their list of suspects to just one individual who they are still actively investigating.
They continue to urge the public to come forward, pleading for anyone with information—no matter how small—to break their silence and help bring answers to Susan’s family.
If you have any information—no matter how small—call Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
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