Commemorating Ms Garciacelay in Southbank, 49 years after her disappearance in Melbourne, Australia
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 18 October 2024 – At 92 years old, Ruth Garciacelay is approaching the greatest fear of every parent of a long-term missing person: dying before knowing what has happened to her child.
It has been nearly five decades since her then 19-year-old daughter Julie Garciacelay was last seen near her flat on Canning Street, North Melbourne, on 1 July 1975.
In 2018, State Coroner Sarah Hinchey confirmed that Ms Garciacelay’s death was the result of homicide. However, the whereabouts of her remains are still unknown, inflicting a lasting sense of ambiguous loss on her family.
Now, almost half a century after Julie’s disappearance, Pastor James Winderlich at St John’s Lutheran Church in Southbank, Melbourne will hold a ceremony in commemoration of Ms Garciacelay. The ceremony will be livestreamed to Ruth, who will watch from her home in North California.
Melbourne-based founder and CEO of The Missed Foundation, Loren O’Keeffe commented: “Not knowing what has happened to your missing loved one is a unique and devastating kind of grief referred to as ambiguous loss, which psychologists say is one of the most traumatic kinds of loss and unmanageable forms of stress.
“Families of missing loved ones aren’t afforded the same rituals that come with a standard loss, due to legal and traditional constraints, so some families wish – especially after such a prolonged period of time – to have a memorial in lieu of having a body to lay to rest.”
At Ruth Garciacelay’s request, a Japanese maple tree will be planted and a plaque laid in honour of her daughter in the church’s garden, opposite the Arts Centre, one of Melbourne’s most iconic landmarks, leaving a lasting legacy of Julie and fulfilling Ruth’s wish to commemorate her missing child before she dies.
"I am extremely grateful to the people who are working on this case and their loyalty to my daughter. I sit here and I think of the years when there was silence, deafening silence – (but) they have opened up this unsolved case and continue to devote their time and work in commemoration of my daughter Julie," said Ruth via video message.
Providing family members the space to grieve the life of their missing loved one is a critical and often overlooked consideration in missing persons cases, Loren says.
“It’s a perspective that isn’t often covered in the mainstream narrative, especially for high profile cases such as Julie’s. It can be easy to get caught up in the details of the mystery, but for every missing person, dozens of people are adversely and profoundly impacted. We can’t lose sight of those left behind.
“We need to ensure they have adequate practical and emotional support to navigate an incredibly complex time, which sometimes lasts decades. Different to a clear loss, ambiguous loss typically gets harder to cope with over time due to its complicated and continual nature.”
The ceremony will be held on Friday 18 October at 9am. Missed Founder Loren O’Keeffe, coincidentally in the US for a symposium, will be with Ruth to watch the livestreamed service from her home amongst the redwoods.
Buoyed by the developments in the Easey Street murders, Ruth hopes she may get some answers before she dies.
ENDS
About The Missed Foundation
The Missed Foundation (or Missed; previously known as the Missing Persons Advocacy Network, or MPAN) is a registered Australian charity that creates awareness for missing persons and provides practical and emotional support to their families and friends. Missed exists to alleviate the financial, administrative and psychological impact on those actively searching for a loved one.
Missed was established in 2013 by Loren O’Keeffe, whose brother Dan went missing in July 2011. Missed has launched a range of creative initiatives that humanise missing loved ones, engage the public through strategic communications, empower families with opportunities and specialised supports, and educate the public on associated issues such as ambiguous loss. Missed does not receive any government or corporate funding and relies completely on community donations and fundraising.
Learn more at: missed.org.au
About Julie Garciacelay
Julie GARCIACELAY was born in Stockton, California. She came to Australia in 1974 when she was 19 years old to visit her 22-year-old sister Gail, and was living with her in a Canning St North Melbourne flat at the time she disappeared.
Julie was last seen on 1 July 1975 and was reported missing the following day after she didn’t turn up for work at Southdown Press in La Trobe Street, which printed The Truth and The Australian newspapers.
In April 2018, State Coroner, Victoria’s then-chief coroner, confirmed that Julie Garciacelay’s death was the result of a homicide. However, suspects were never found and the whereabouts of her remains are still unknown.
Julie is still missing. Anyone with information that might assist in locating Julie is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
For more information on Julie’s case: Australian Federal Police
Contact details:
Lauren Garnet, SenateSHJ, +61 468 950 006 | lauren@senateshj.com.au
