In 1998, 17-year-old Chantelle McDougall moved to Melbourne to become an actress. When that didn’t work out, she became a nanny for a couple and their young son. Eventually, she entered a relationship with the father, Simon Kadwill. They had a daughter named Leela together.
Then, in July 2007, when Chantelle was 27 years old, she and six-year-old Leela disappeared during the night, along with Simon and a friend, Tony. Chantelle and Leela have been missing for nearly 20 years. Their family is still searching for answers.
Simon was 18 years older than Chantelle. He was also a cult leader and had developed an online following. He believed that the world was approaching the end of a 75,000-year cycle. From there, aliens would choose certain people to go to a fifth dimension.
Chantelle’s parents noticed that she was becoming more distant once she started living with Simon. Her personality changed, and she started repeating Simon’s teachings. They were relieved when she left to travel across Australia and the U.K.
However, she later moved back in with Simon and started up a relationship. At the time, Simon was still sleeping with his wife, Deborah, and another woman living in the house named Justine. Chantelle became pregnant in 2001.
By late 2003, the other women left. Simon, Chantelle, Leela, and one of Simon’s followers, Tony, moved to the small town of Nannup together. He isolated himself, but Chantelle and Tony worked in many local businesses and were well-liked by the community.
The last time that Chantelle’s parents heard from her was when she called around lunchtime and said that she planned on moving to Brazil. On July 13, 2007, they vanished without giving their landlords any notice or packing most of their belongings.
A note on the door read: “We have left suddenly due to the lack of sleep created by the EMF. We have moved overseas to Brazil and could not take most of our furniture with us. All our personal effects have gone, but whatever we have left is yours to do with as you wish. Power, phone, and gas have been disconnected. Sorry to leave so quickly.”
When the police investigated, they found that no passports had been used, and there was no new activity on their bank accounts.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
In 2018, it was discovered that Simon had told one of his online followers about his plans for a family suicide pact. But Chantelle kept delaying, so he didn’t think she could go through with it.
The follower told him that it was murder. Simon then claimed to change his mind and decided to move to an isolated area instead. Simon was also a fake identity. His real name was Gary Felton. An extensive search was conducted, but no bodies were found.
Years later, it came to light that the police had been searching in the wrong area. In 2024, a pair of retired detectives searched the correct area on their own.
A team of search dogs detected the scent of human remains in a puddle of water at the bottom of a big hill. But when they dug up the spot, nothing was there. The water traveling down the hill could have carried the scent for miles.
It is still unclear whether the group is dead or alive. Perhaps Chantelle had truly believed they were moving to an off-grid community in Brazil, or maybe foul play was involved.
There is also the possibility that she believed in “Simon’s” teachings, although her parents don’t think that she could have ever harmed herself or her daughter.
Anyone with information that could help police locate Chantelle is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1-800-333-000.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
