When Willi Koeppen's blue Kombi was found abandoned with keys in the ignition, police initially dismissed it as a man running from his problems. By the time they realised it was murder, crucial evidence had vanished into the dense Dandenong Ranges.

Part 2 follows the investigation that spanned five decades: the underworld confessions that couldn't be proven, the jealous lovers and mistaken identities, the mysterious vehicles seen in the pre-dawn darkness. But as detectives dug deeper, the most compelling evidence pointed not to criminals or strangers but to the tight circle of friends who surrounded Willi's estranged wife.

A doctor who brought psychiatric drugs "just in case." A mysterious phone call at 3 AM that only a handful of people could have made. An anonymous tip-off about a potential burial location and witnesses who, nearly 50 years later, still refuse to speak.

In 2018, a coroner finally ruled it homicide. Expert investigators agree the case is solvable, if those who know the truth would finally break their silence. But as witnesses age and die, time is running out for Willi's children, who have spent their entire adult lives searching for answers about what really happened that leap year night in the mountains.

Content warning: This episode contains references to suicide, alcohol abuse, and suspected violence.

Sources

• 2018 inquest finding by State Coroner Sarah Hinchey (July 11, 2018)
• "The Cuckoo affair: What happened to Willi Koeppen?" by Tammy Mills (July 13, 2018)
• Channel Nine "Under Investigation" "Where's Willi" episode (February 15, 2023)
• "Life and Crimes with Andrew Rule" Podcast - Episode on Koeppen case (October 3, 2020)
• Marrett Investigations - Case summary and ongoing investigation by Damian Marrett

Title Music: by Jesse Frank from Pixabay

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