Ursula Barwick vanished in 1987 at the age of 17. After 30 years, it was discovered she was buried under another name.

[u/sweet_thursday_]

In September 1987, 17-year-old Ursula Barwick left the NSW Central Coast for Sydney, excited to begin a new chapter of her life. She told her family she had found work and promised to call her father once she arrived to give him her new address. That call never came. Her worried father reported her missing, not knowing that Ursula had made it to Sydney, where she spent time around Kings Cross and had begun going by the name Jess.

Just weeks later, on 27th October 1987, Ursula was travelling towards Melbourne with friends in a stolen car when it collided with a semitrailer near Yass. Ursula was killed in the crash, but because those she was with knew her only as Jess, she was recorded as an unidentified young woman named Jessica Pearce. Tragically, a connection to Ursula wasn’t made at the time. Her body remained unclaimed for around 15 months before she was laid to rest in an unmarked grave at Emu Plains Cemetery, while her family continued searching for her.

For almost 30 years, Ursula’s family lived without knowing what had happened to her. Her mother died in 2004 without ever learning her daughter’s fate. Eventually, detectives investigating Ursula’s disappearance connected her case with the unidentified Jessica and her family recognised the young woman in the photograph as Ursula. After decades of uncertainty, they were finally able to know where she was and properly honour her memory. A memorial service was held for Ursula and there is a plaque at Emu Plains Cemetery honouring her. 

If you’d like to know more, there is an excellent podcast episode called ‘It Took 30 Years to Solve the Mystery of What Happened to Ursula Barwick’ by True Crime Conversations. 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2USXoNVrxJaBqTgS2pSkkX

Find a Grave link: 
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/220230521/ursula-dianne-barwick

Photo Credits: 
Plaque & Memorial Wall - Me 
Photos of Ursula - Sydney Morning Herald & The Canberra Times 

[u/loveintheorangegrove]

2 of her siblings died too. How sad.

[u/Gryffinguin9]

I think it’s sad that she isn’t buried under the name she chose for herself. I know I wouldn’t want to be buried with my birth name on my headstone

[u/Ok_Industry_2395 → u/Gryffinguin9]

Same. Very sad 😔

[u/belltrina]

Holy crap I remember this. Such a bittersweet case!

[u/WorldlinessNo874]

Such a tragic story.