Romuald (Ronald) Zak (24) found dead under a tree outside Graylands Hospital

[trepid]

This is a pretty intriguing case from 1997 in Perth, Western Australia, I just stumbled across the family website today.

Romuald's death was ruled a suicide but his mother has been battling to have the case re-opened as a murder investigation and is appealing for information. See the website here (warning: graphic crime scene photos): http://www.romualdzakmurder.com/index.html

Some pretty interesting observations made about the crime scene photos/ COD in the OPINIONS section that basically suggests there is a strong likelihood that this may have been a murder staged to appear to look like a suicide ... so cover up? police incompetence? suicide? unsolved murder?

Interesting connection - Romuald was found dead 6 months after Ciara Glennon (the third victim of the so called 'Claremont Serial Killer'). Romuald used to work with Ciara at the same law firm and would often speak about Ms Glennon after her disappearance/murder, and visit her grave. It has been speculated by some that his death is perhaps connected in some way to these unsolved murders.

Here is a link to a Radio National article with some details regarding Ciara Glennon's case (an interview with Una Glennon - Ciara's mother):
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/relig/spirit/stories/s401612.htm

FYI: Graylands Hospital is a psychiatric hospital - I have heard some pretty awful first hand accounts of abuse by staff by people who have been admitted there in the past.

Anywho ... from the family website:

Romuald (Ronald) Zak, aged 24, was found dead two days after he was reported missing from his ward at the hospital.

He was last seen on 22nd May 1997 at the interview with doctors. What really happened to him still remains a mystery.

His family desperately pleads for help and more evidence from any witnesses and more supporting independent opinion from honest forensic experts.

To reopen the case and major crime investigation we need more evidence and support from Silence and independent forensic pathologists.

THE FACTS:

His dead body was found by a witness at 2pm on 24/05/1997.

It is interesting to note that the hospital only contacted the family to report that Ronald was missing and there was no other report to indicate that the Police were called to report a missing person or patient.

He was last seen when he was interviewed by two doctors on 22nd May 1997. What really happened to him after that interview, to this day still remains an unsolved mystery. His death is also a mystery.

His family desperately pleads for help and more evidence from any witnesses and more supporting independent opinion from honest forensic experts.

Romuald’s (Ronald’s) dead body was found on 24th May 1997 at 2pm by two dogs with their owner, but she did not make a report to the Police but she told another person that she saw a young man’s dead body. A second person was a woman security guard and she found Ronald Zak’s dead body on 27th May 1997 at 7.35 am, but she also did not report her find to the Police. Athird person who found Romuald (Ronald) Zak’s dead body was a contractor employee on 27th May 1997 at 9.30 am and he did report his find to the Police, but the Police never interviewed him. He made his one report from the scene.

One very important eye witness was another contractor employee who on 22nd May 1997 at 2pm saw a suspicious male person standing upright under the tree. This person was standing still and facing away from him, approximately 2 m. away. The person was not slouched, bent over, nor was he collapsed at the knees or similar. He did not see anything unusual and the person was not slumped as would be expected if he was hanging from a tree branch.

The employee had supplied full details that this suspicious person was wearing a black security jacket and black trousers. This witness was never interviewed by Police or called into Court. He made an interview and affidavit and gave it to the family. It is a very conflicting finding from the Coroner about dead Romuald ( Ronald ) Zak on 21st May 1997 , between 1pm and 2pm, despite all evidence from witnesses and reports.

We have already received some second opinion from famous specialists and we received from newspapers an e-mail copy from a witness called “ SILENCE “ . Eye witness “ SILENCE “ is a very important witness from the scene of the crime at the time when Romuald( Ronald )had passed away. His evidence is most important and it strongly supports the view that Romuald (Ronald) had been raped and murdered.

[deeply shaded]

Who finds a body and doesn't report it to police?

[trepid]

I know right. Not just one person failed to report it, two people!  :?

The dog walker in her witness statement says that it was not unusual to see patients laying around the grounds and although she thought it as curious as the time, she didn't stop for closer inspection.

"My husband returned home about 6PM and I mentioned to him what I had seen.  My initial thoughts were that I thought the person was dead but my husband, who also works at Graylands, told me not to be stupid as patients were always laying around the grounds".

And WTF at the rest of the witness statements.

Still begs the question of why the hospital failed to report him missing to the police immediately ... being an in-patient at a mental health facility and all. You would think they would have some sort of obligation.

This one is totally just wtf.