Yahoo Finance 'Sociopath': Melissa Caddick's victim opens up about last phone call
A former client of accused conwoman Melissa Caddick has spoken out after the 49-year-old was confirmed dead on Friday.
Ms Caddick’s decomposed foot was discovered by campers on Sunday washed up at Bournda Beach south of Tathra, on the NSW South Coast.
DNA testing confirmed the foot was that of Ms Caddick on Thursday.
Police had been investigating the disappearance of the Sydney woman since November and are unsure if she was the victim of foul play or if she took her own life.
She was last seen on November 12 at her $7 million Dover Heights home, in the city's east, one day after corporate watchdog ASIC executed a search warrant for the property.
A warrant had been issued for Melissa Caddick's arrest
Liquidators allege the businesswoman "meticulously and systematically" deceived those who entrusted millions of investment dollars to her and her company Maliver Pty Ltd over seven years, then used the money to fund her lavish lifestyle.
The Australian reports a warrant for Ms Caddick's arrest had been issued by a NSW court this week after an application by ASIC for alleged offences under the Corporations Act.
On Friday, one of Ms Caddick’s former clients, Cheryl Kraft Reid, told 2GB she was sad to hear that the 49-year-old had been confirmed dead.
“That’s a sad tragic outcome for her son but it’s also just a sad tragic outcome for us because we just don’t get closure,” she said, adding that Ms Caddick had "ruined so many lives".
Ms Reid explained that among her family, they had seven accounts with Ms Caddick, summing up to millions of dollars.
“It’s pretty devastating,” she said, adding that it’s not just about the money.
“It’s also about the consequence for what’s happened to us and the many years that we’ve worked for zero returns now because she decided to live an entitled and privileged life spending it on high-end products,” she said.
Ms Reid told 2GB she last spoke to Ms Caddick in September, describing the discussion as “interesting”.
She said her accounts had lost “quite a bit of money” but she assumed it was because of Covid-19 and had called Ms Caddick to tell her not to worry.
“When you look back you just realised you were being played,” she said.
“She’s a sociopath who was always smarter than anyone else and who thought she could get away with it - she did for many years.”
An ASIC investigator contacted investors on Friday to tell then the criminal investigation was over but investigations into the financial dealings of Ms Caddick would continue, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Police continue to search for body
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing told reporters on Friday that foul play against Ms Caddick was possible, but suicide was more likely.
The remainder of her body is yet to be located.
"Given the circumstances of the disappearance (and) the fact that she left personal belongings behind, we've always considered the possibility that she might have taken her own life," Mr Willing said.
Modelling by NSW Police marine rescue teams, taking tides and drift patterns into account, has explored the possibility that Ms Caddick entered the water in the Dover Heights area around November 12.
The modelling deemed it possible that her body could have drifted to Bournda.
Analysis of the foot — found inside a running shoe which Ms Caddick was seen wearing during the ASIC raid — will help investigators determine when she died.
"Obviously it had been in the water for some time," Mr Willing said.
with AAP
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