Cobby Anita - Remembering Anita Cobby: the case, the husband, the aftermath - 30 years on

On 4 February 1986, John Cobbys life imploded.

He was driving up the coast looking for his missing wife, Anita, when over the radio he heard: The body of a naked woman has been found in a paddock in western Sydney. As details emerged of the rape and murder of the gentle nurse and former beauty queen, outrage engulfed Australia. Five men were caught and, amid unprecedented scenes, jailed for life.

For young reporter Mark Morri, the case was a baptism of fire. Told to find the husband, he despaired: Cobby had changed his name and disappeared. But the Daily Mirror found him, and Morris interviews sent newspaper sales soaring. For nearly thirty years, Morri and Cobby kept in touch.

In this book, John finally opens up, recounting how he and Anita fell in love, travelled the world, suffered the pain of her miscarriage, and how he still believes today that they are soulmates. He also explains why they were apart at the time of the murder. Weaving in chilling material from the autopsy police files, and interviews with the detectives who hunted down the killers, Mark Morri explores the ripple effects of the murder that still shocks a nation.

Remembering Anita Cobby is more than recounting the murder of a beautiful young woman and the many lives it touched. It is a story about John Cobby her long forgotten husband who, after a lifetime of grief and irrational guilt, is finally finding himself.

There is no way to soften the hideous crime against Anita or how murder can take the soul of the living as well as the dead, but at the same time I hope this book conveys the notion that love and support can help those living victims.

The detectives still affected by working on the investigation thirty years ago helped enormously in providing their insight and details about the case. My thanks goes especially to former Detectives Ian Kennedy and Graham Rosetta, who let me into their homes and spent hours checking details over and over again against their memories and notes. Lawyers Leigh Johnson and Simon Joyner were equally generous with their time.

I am particularly indebted to the NSW Police Force and the head of the NSW Homicide Squad, Detective Superintendent Michael Willing, for allowing me access to Anitas file, which was invaluable in helping to record the events surrounding Anitas death as accurately as possible.

Some paperwork is missing after thirty years and memories have faded but, where possible, every fact presented has been checked and rechecked. John was insistent that I try to verify all his recollections with anyone I could or against police records. At times, his memory, those of the police and others seemed slightly at odds with official records and other peoples recollections.

The only glaring fact misreported over the years and again recently is that John was driving to the south coast to see friends when he heard the news on the radio that Anitas body had been found. His sister and police records all verify Johns account of heading north , believing Anita may be on the NSW Central Coast.

I also want to thank my wife, Nicole, and my brother, Rodney, who gave me incredible moral support throughout the writing of the book. Likewise, the input of Johns sister Gaynor and his son Daniel were crucial in putting many things in context.

Remembering Anita Cobby would not have been possible but for the bravery of John finally telling his story. As a person who has become a good friend, I wish him all the best.

Tuesday 4 February 1986

I T WAS A BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON . Male nurse John Cobby was feeling pretty good, even if he was slightly anxious that his wife hadnt turned up for work at Sydney Hospital the day before. He and Anita were coming out of a rough patch in their marriage, during which they had been temporarily living apart. But the sun was shining as he drove his beloved 1983 green Escort panel van up the Pacific Highway to the Central Coast, with the radio going full blast on 2SM. It was the number one pop music station of the day. He and Anita loved to listen and sing along whenever they were driving especially on their frequent trips to the snow. He started thinking back to those weekends, when theyd listen over and over to Madonna or Cold Chisel. It gave his spirits a lift and a smile crept across his face.

His sister, Gaynor, had rented a holiday house near the water at Shelly Beach to celebrate her birthday, and that was where he was heading. He planned to go for a surf as soon as he arrived, to cool off after the drive.

He was looking forward to seeing Anita. He was telling himself she would be safe and well with Gaynor; they were great friends. Even though John and Anita were having a break from their relationship, the two women had been seeing a lot of each other. Their friendship didnt seem to have been affected by the strange restlessness that had overtaken Anita since she and John had returned from overseas in the middle of the previous year.

In Johns eyes, Anita was as beautiful as ever, as full of love for life and the people around her as she had always been. Those things would never change in her, of that he was sure.

Since they had decided to take time out six weeks ago, the tension between the two of them had gradually eased. Now they were in constant contact.

His thoughts turned to the previous weekend at his nans place, when he and Anita had spent hours talking things out and their problems had started to seem less important. Theyd ended up pouring their hearts out to each other and realised that they were too much in love to end their relationship. Afterwards theyd made love.

In the days following, that feeling of closeness had remained. Things between them felt much more settled. Now they were making plans to find a house to rent and restart their lives as a couple. During the past week they had also spoken about spending time on the Central Coast with Gaynor.

So with everything looking up, why was he feeling on edge? There was nothing to worry about, he assured himself. Even though Anita had missed work yesterday, he was sure she was fine; she was probably sitting in the sun with Gaynor right now. The surf would soon clear his head, sort out his strange mood.

Then the news came on the radio and the words leaped out at him: The naked body of a young woman has been found in a paddock at Prospect in western Sydney. Police are yet to identify her.

It was as though a brick had hit John Cobby in the face. Straightaway he had a horrible feeling that the announcer was talking about Anita. The thing that had been gnawing away at him, setting his nerves on edge all day, he now realised, was that she would never have skipped work, never have failed to let someone else know she couldnt make it.

He swerved to the side of the highway and found an emergency phone, there for stranded motorists to use. His hands shaking, he got on the line and screamed at the operator, demanding and begging in the same breath to be put through to Anitas parents home. He wasnt making any sense, but eventually they put him through.

A woman came on the line; it could have been either Anitas sister, Kathryn, or her mother, Grace, better known as Peg. All John registered were the words, Youve got to get back here, John, then the click as the line went dead.