In the scenic surfing community of Lennox Head, where the waves and the beaches are so picturesque, the disappearance of a mother 31 years ago haunts the community and grips the nation. Bronwyn Winfield was a loving 31-year-old mother of two young girls who disappeared without leaving any trace on May 16, 1993, leaving one of the most intriguing cold cases in Australia. The case has taken on a fresh look with an investigative journalist, Hedley Thomas, in his podcast series, which has revealed some shocking new evidence and has brought the case close to closure like never before.
Who is Bronwyn Winfield?
Bronwyn Joy Winfield was a young 31-year-old mother who vanished in her family’s house in 60 Sandstone Crescent, Lennox Head, on a Sunday evening in May 1993. Born Bronwyn Joy Reid, the mother of two daughters (Crystal, 10, and Lauren, 5) was a devout mother who was in the course of parting with her husband Jon Winfield when she disappeared.
Being characterized by her family and friends as a loving, life-loving woman who had overcome a hard childhood to become a devoted mother, Bronwyn would never have left her children freely. Her brother Andy Read and other members of the family have always insisted that Bronwyn was concentrated on creating a new life for herself and her daughters to finalize her divorce and move on.
What Did They do to Bronwyn Winfield?
The Night She Disappeared
Bronwyn Winfield was last seen in her family home, Sandstone Crescent, Lennox Head, on May 1,6, 199,3, in the evening. Her estranged husband, Jon Winfield, only says that she walked out the front door, got into a car, and was driven away, never to be heard again. But family, friends, and investigators have always disputed this version of events.
Jon Winfield did not report Bronwyn missing to the police until 11 days later, on May 27, 1993. Such a delay has been an issue of unending suspicion, with most questioning the reasons why a concerned husband took so long to report the disappearance of his wife, especially with two young kids.
The Marriage in Crisis
The written works, found by Bronwyn, which were written by herself, give the sight of a desperate, unhappy marriage and a desperate woman who needs to run out. She wrote that she is locked up in a place that she described as Jon’s castle, my prison – the family house that Jon had constructed. Her journal entries showed how she was willing to divorce Jon and move on with her daughters.
Family and friends testified that Bronwyn had mentioned her fears towards Jon and had had definite intentions of meeting a lawyer over her separation. She was also very much ready to start a new life, and her abrupt disappearance only made the disappearance even more suspect to her close associates.
Husband of Bronwyn Winfield: Husband of the Prime Suspect.
Jon Winfield’s Background
Jon Winfield is a surfing bricklayer, as mentioned in the court documents, who was the estranged husband of Bronwyn when she disappeared. The marriage of the couple had been troubled for a long time, and the couple was in the process of being separated when Bronwyn disappeared.
Jon has always refused to accept the errors of his deeds and has asserted that Bronwyn left of her own accord and just decided to embark on a new life in a different place. Nevertheless, his actions during the days and weeks after her disappearance have caused many red flags among the investigators and family members.
Untrustworthy Behavior and Actions.
There are a number of points that have been questioned about the actions of Jon Winfield after the disappearance of Bronwyn:
Money Problems: During the investigation, it was found that Jon was at a high speed to divert the federal government welfare payments directed to the bank account of Bronwyn to his own account when she had disappeared. The single parent pension and other payments that were supposed to assist Bronwyn raise the children were soon transferred to the account of Jon, something that Andy Read terms as actions of someone who does not expect to see Bronwyn back.
The Petrol Receipt: Jon had kept a petrol receipt of Bronwyn’s disappearance on the night in his wallet, and in five years, he presented the same to the family members as evidence of his whereabouts. Flight records and timeline analysis have, however, cast doubt on his capability of making the phone calls he recorded that night.
Delays in Reporting: It has never been properly said why the report about Bronwyn went missing took 11 days.
Daughters: The Innocent Victims by Bronwyn Winfield.
Crystal and Lauren Winfield
On the night their mother disappeared, Bronwyn had two daughters, Crystal (10) and Lauren (5), sleeping in the house. The two girls have been coexisting with the trauma of having an absent mother who did not provide an explanation in the past thirty years.
Crystal Winfield was the eldest daughter, and she gave a little testimony on what transpired regarding the disappearance of her mother. Crystal has divulged the meaning of the signet ring in recent podcasts and has engaged in debate concerning the case.
Lauren Winfield is just five years old, and her mother disappeared; it is no surprise that Lauren was not a vocal participant in the publicity surrounding the case.
Impact on the Children
The psychological effects on the two daughters have been tremendous. They have been brought up by their father without a mother, and the man who many people assume is the cause of her disappearance. This is a situation that has been discussed in the podcast in relation to the influence it has had on their relations and their seeking of truth in relation to what happened to their mother.
Surprisingly, an illegitimate sister of Jon Winfield also came out during the investigation – Sonia, who was conceived and left by Jon at the age of adolescence. Her accounts have given more information about the personality of Jon and how he treated women.
The Bones Discovery and DNA Testing.
Bone Fragments Found
Among the greatest advancements in the case were the bone fragments, which could have been associated with Bronwyn Winfield. In 2009, one of the police officers who worked in the NSW Police force, as a retired sergeant, Damian Loone, came out to reveal that he personally handed over a bone fragment marked as possibly belonging to Bronwyn to DNA experts at Orchid Cellmark in Dallas, Texas.
The bone fragments were a component of a larger project of the Missing Persons Unit to test different samples of cold cases. Nonetheless, police records indicate that the remains that were shipped to the US laboratory were later declared to have possibly been of a missing German surfer, yet there are concerns regarding the testing process.
DNA Testing Challenges
The DNA testing procedure outlined bigger problems with the collection and storage of the evidence in the cold cases in NSW. The results of the tests were inconclusive on numerous samples, and there have been continuous apprehensions about the storage and handling of human remains evidence.
The Findings and the Coronial Inquest.
2002 Inquest Proceedings
In 2002, a detailed inquest was held by NSW Deputy State Coroner Carl Milovanovich into the disappearance and presumed murder of Bronwyn. The case lasted five days at the Lismore court, hearing witnesses and investigators.
Detective Glenn Taylor, who has made the most comprehensive investigation of the disappearance of Bronwyn, came to the conclusion that there was very strong circumstantial evidence that a person known as Jon had committed the murder.
Coroner’s Recommendation
In his verdict, at the end of the inquest, the Deputy Coroner Milovanovich came across a major discovery: he suggested that a familiar face, Jon Winfield, be indicted on the charge of murder. The coroner was convinced that, despite the body not being found, Bronwyn had died either on May 16, 1993, or around that time.
Nevertheless, even following this suggestion, the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions has not pressed any charges against Jon Winfield or any other individual regarding the disappearance of Bronwyn.
Recent Discoveries and Newly Happening Events.
The Hedley Thomas Investigation.
In 2024, the case was resurfaced in the news by investigative journalist Hedley Thomas, the creator of the podcast series The Teacher’s Pet, in his series Bronwyn – an in-depth exploration of the cold case. The podcast, which has now been over 30 episodes and three seasons long, has revealed much new evidence and witness testimony.
Key New Evidence Revealed
Judy Singh Testimony: This piece of evidence may be the most persuasive of all the new evidence presented by the prosecution, as nurse Judy Singh told the court that she spotted Jon Winfield driving the family Ford Falcon on the night that Bronwyn vanished with what she believed was a mummy-wrapped body in the back seat. In 1993, Singh told police about it, but her words were never adequately investigated until 2024.
Timeline Inconsistencies: The records of all his flights have raised serious doubts about what Jon was telling them, and especially how he claims that he made phone calls in the family home. The timing indicates that he might not have been able to arrive in time to make the calls that he was claiming to have, which leaves it a possibility that a frantic Bronwyn might have made the calls herself, after hearing that Jon was arriving.
The Concrete Evidence Theory: Recent research has surrounded the fact that the remains of Bronwyn could be under the concrete at a property in South Illawonga, south of Sydney. Andy Read has also officially addressed the NSW Coroner Teresa O Sullivan, asking him/her to investigate this place.
Progress of Police Investigation.
By 2025, NSW Police had reopened active inquiries into the disappearance of Bronwyn, and the Unsolved Homicide Unit had taken new witness statements and pursued new evidence discovered as a result of the podcast. The relatives express reserved hope concerning the way the ongoing investigation is proceeding.
Where is Bronwyn Winfield? The Search Continues
Lake Ainsworth Theory
The Lake Ainsworth theory is one of the most popular ones, and it is a freshwater lake at Lennox Head. Bronwyn had a brother, Andy Read, and other relatives who had a theory that her body had been weighted and thrown into the dark tannin coloured waters of the lake.
The lake is within a distance of just 10 minutes in Sandstone Crescent, which is home to the family and is a viable disposal site. Search of the lake has been done recently, but no remains have been located.
The Illawong Property
In more recent times, investigations have been concentrated on a property in Illawong, south of Sydney, where the investigators suspect the remains of Bronwyn to be buried under a concrete slab. This was a theory that appeared as a result of new findings and eyewitness accounts that were obtained on the podcast investigation.
The formal request made to the State Coroner by Andy Read provides strong arguments as to why this place should be searched. This theory has made Retired Detective Sergeant Glenn Taylor become highly suspicious of the theory, and he should be the first priority to be investigated by the investigators.
The Continued Effect and Demand of Justice.
A $100,000 Reward
NSW Police have also put forward a reward of one hundred thousand dollars as a form of information that will result in the arrest and conviction of the people behind the death of Bronwyn. The case has not been resolved even after thirty years, despite this great incentive.
Family’s Continued Fight
Bronwyn has a family headed by her brother Andy Read, who is still seeking justice and answers. Ultimately, their tenacity, coupled with the new media coverage by the podcast, has ensured that the case remained in the media spotlight, and the police have taken new measures.
Community Impact
The case has had a permanent effect on the Lennox Head community, in which most residents have their own hypotheses concerning the disappearance of Bronwyn. The podcast has shown that several locals have been aware that Jon Winfield has been involved in this long enough, but they have been afraid to do anything without the police listening to their issues.
Bronwyn Winfield is not just another cold case – it is a lesson about the way the justice system can betray vulnerable women and children. Her disappearance was actually in the period when no domestic violence was being taken with the seriousness it is given now, and the police investigations of missing women were frequently insufficient.
As the case is still on and more evidence continues to be discovered, there is still hope that the family of Bronwyn will ultimately get the answers to their 30-year-old question. Regardless of the discovery of her remains, regardless of the laying of charges or both, the case is a strong reminder that there are mysteries still to be solved, regardless of the amount of time that has elapsed.
The question Where is Bronwyn Winfield? ringes with the shouts of indignation in the halls of justice that need a response so long overdue.
