Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine

Meet Kate Kachor, the Sydneysider digging into the 1980 disappearance of two local teens - and you can follow the story on her gripping new podcast.

By Isabella Edwards

In April 2019, investigative journalist Kate Kachor happened upon a social media post that would play on her mind for years. The post, written by Helen Cooper, the youngest sister of missing teenager Elaine Johnson, revealed that Elaine had only received a missing persons post more than 30 years after her disappearance. 

For Kachor, this staggering detail was just the beginning. “It was a shocking piece of information. It was just the tip of the iceberg, as they say,” Kachor recalls. 

Elaine Johnson and her friend Kerry Anne Joel vanished from Sydney’s Sutherland Shire in early 1980. Kerry was seventeen years old and Elaine only sixteen. 

“It probably sounds cliched, but Elaine’s case was something that stayed with me. I wanted to know more and when I heard more, I approached Helen about her interest in working on a podcast together. 

“I have been working with Helen and her sister, Wendy Johnson, for the last two years. What was also important to Elaine’s sisters is making sure Kerry’s story was told, as best we could. They didn’t want their sister’s friend to be forgotten,” says Kachor.  

Kachor hopes the podcast will do more than just tell a story - it’s a call to action. 

“Elaine Johnson disappeared from the Sutherland Shire in early 1980 at just sixteen. When she was hanging around the area in the late 1970s, she had scores of friends. The podcast is a great opportunity to help jog people’s memories. It’s early days, but new details have already surfaced,” Kachor shares. 

True crime podcasts have certainly made an impact in the search for long-term missing people. Perhaps most notable to Sydneysiders would be The Australian’s The Teacher’s Pet which investigated the disappearance of Lynette Simms and saw the subsequent trial and imprisonment of her husband, Chris Dawson, who was convicted for her murder in 2022. 

When asked what sets her podcast apart from others in the Australian true crime landscape, Kachor has this to say: “I think what makes Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine stand out is that so much of Helen and Wendy’s story is untold. Even the police did not have a missing persons file in their system.” 

For many, Sydney, and particularly the Shire, of the 1970s and 80s conjures up images of an easy-going lifestyle by the beach with children and teenagers roaming freely, visiting friends and local hang-out spots. For those people it was a ‘better’ more ‘simple’ time. 

But in 2025 it’s important to put the rose-coloured glasses down and acknowledge that “relaxed” can mean dismissive. For some, those memories are a reminder of a time when missing people, particularly young women, were not taken seriously. Missing teens were often regarded as rebellious runaways or missing women as bored housewives taking up with new partners, leaving behind husbands and children - the same story that was given to explain Lynette Simms disappearance from Sydney’s  Northern Beaches in 1982. 

According to Kachor’s podcast, similar claims were made about Elaine and Kerry - police allegedly dismissed Elaine as a runaway when her father, Clifford, reported her missing to police.  

A 2016 New South Wales state coroner’s report found that “That Elaine Johnson and Kerry Anne Joel, who were last seen together in the Cronulla area in 1979 or 1980, on the balance of probabilities are both deceased, having died soon after that sighting.” These findings were made some thirty-six years after the girls were reportedly last seen. 

When asked about her own theories, Kachor remains cautious. “There are many theories,” she admits. “If I’m honest, having to distill a 45-year search into an eight-episode podcast series was a little daunting. I was fortunate that given this series is about Helen and Wendy’s search, facts always led the way.” 

That 45-year search would see Elaine’s family scour different areas of Sydney and New South Wales including trips taken by Elaine’s parents to Kings Cross, canvassing locals for information about the missing girls. 

On October 15 2025, a proposed inquiry into long-term missing people was referred to the NSW parliament. This inquiry would look into the Unsolved Murders and long-term missing persons cases in New South Wales between 1965 and 2010. The parliamentary support was secured by NSW MLC Jeremy Buckingham, as reported by the ABC. 

“The proposed inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in NSW is crucial. Cases like Elaine and Kerry’s have remained dormant, in terms of the public consciousness, so knowing that potentially their cases and so many others will be reviewed by a new generation of trained police investigators is heartening.” Kachor says. 

Recent speculation has linked the girls’ disappearance to notorious serial killer Ivan Milat. While Kachor acknowledges the connection, she urges restraint. 

“It’s little surprise his name has surfaced in connection with Elaine and Kerry. However, for the sake of the families, facts should really be the focus, not speculation and rumour.” 

Crimestoppers report that each year, police across Australia receive around 38,000 reports of missing persons. While the majority are located within a short timeframe, approximately 2,600 individuals remain missing for longer than three months. 

Kate Kachor has reported on a number of unsolved cold cases, including that of Lois Roberts as detailed in the four-part online series Dirty Little Secrets. She founded Happy Tuesday Productions in December 2021. 

“The more people who know about Elaine and Kerry’s disappearance the more chance of people coming forward with information, so to get listeners to the podcast and share it with family and friends is a great help. 

“As we’ve already experienced, even the smallest piece of information can be a huge help. Someone might remember one detail from back in the 1980s and another person could remember a separate piece. But together, it’s a crucial piece of information.” 

You can follow Kachor’s investigation into Elaine and Kerry’s disappearance by searching “Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine” wherever you get your podcasts. 

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000. 

Kachor hopes the podcast will do more than just tell a story - it’s a call to action. 

“Elaine Johnson disappeared from the Sutherland Shire in early 1980 at just sixteen. When she was hanging around the area in the late 1970s, she had scores of friends. The podcast is a great opportunity to help jog people’s memories. It’s early days, but new details have already surfaced,” Kachor shares. 

True crime podcasts have certainly made an impact in the search for long-term missing people. Perhaps most notable to Sydneysiders would be The Australian’s The Teacher’s Pet which investigated the disappearance of Lynette Simms and saw the subsequent trial and imprisonment of her husband, Chris Dawson, who was convicted for her murder in 2022. 

When asked what sets her podcast apart from others in the Australian true crime landscape, Kachor has this to say: “I think what makes Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine stand out is that so much of Helen and Wendy’s story is untold. Even the police did not have a missing persons file in their system.” 

For many, Sydney, and particularly the Shire, of the 1970s and 80s conjures up images of an easy-going lifestyle by the beach with children and teenagers roaming freely, visiting friends and local hang-out spots. For those people it was a ‘better’ more ‘simple’ time. 

But in 2025 it’s important to put the rose-coloured glasses down and acknowledge that “relaxed” can mean dismissive. For some, those memories are a reminder of a time when missing people, particularly young women, were not taken seriously. Missing teens were often regarded as rebellious runaways or missing women as bored housewives taking up with new partners, leaving behind husbands and children - the same story that was given to explain Lynette Simms disappearance from Sydney’s  Northern Beaches in 1982. 

According to Kachor’s podcast, similar claims were made about Elaine and Kerry - police allegedly dismissed Elaine as a runaway when her father, Clifford, reported her missing to police.  

A 2016 New South Wales state coroner’s report found that “That Elaine Johnson and Kerry Anne Joel, who were last seen together in the Cronulla area in 1979 or 1980, on the balance of probabilities are both deceased, having died soon after that sighting.” These findings were made some thirty-six years after the girls were reportedly last seen. 

When asked about her own theories, Kachor remains cautious. “There are many theories,” she admits. “If I’m honest, having to distill a 45-year search into an eight-episode podcast series was a little daunting. I was fortunate that given this series is about Helen and Wendy’s search, facts always led the way.” 

That 45-year search would see Elaine’s family scour different areas of Sydney and New South Wales including trips taken by Elaine’s parents to Kings Cross, canvassing locals for information about the missing girls. 

On October 15 2025, a proposed inquiry into long-term missing people was referred to the NSW parliament. This inquiry would look into the Unsolved Murders and long-term missing persons cases in New South Wales between 1965 and 2010. The parliamentary support was secured by NSW MLC Jeremy Buckingham, as reported by the ABC. 

“The proposed inquiry into long-term missing persons cases in NSW is crucial. Cases like Elaine and Kerry’s have remained dormant, in terms of the public consciousness, so knowing that potentially their cases and so many others will be reviewed by a new generation of trained police investigators is heartening.” Kachor says. 

Recent speculation has linked the girls’ disappearance to notorious serial killer Ivan Milat. While Kachor acknowledges the connection, she urges restraint. 

“It’s little surprise his name has surfaced in connection with Elaine and Kerry. However, for the sake of the families, facts should really be the focus, not speculation and rumour.” 

Crimestoppers report that each year, police across Australia receive around 38,000 reports of missing persons. While the majority are located within a short timeframe, approximately 2,600 individuals remain missing for longer than three months. 

Kate Kachor has reported on a number of unsolved cold cases, including that of Lois Roberts as detailed in the four-part online series Dirty Little Secrets. She founded Happy Tuesday Productions in December 2021. 

“The more people who know about Elaine and Kerry’s disappearance the more chance of people coming forward with information, so to get listeners to the podcast and share it with family and friends is a great help. 

“As we’ve already experienced, even the smallest piece of information can be a huge help. Someone might remember one detail from back in the 1980s and another person could remember a separate piece. But together, it’s a crucial piece of information.” 

You can follow Kachor’s investigation into Elaine and Kerry’s disappearance by searching “Out From the Cold: Searching for Elaine” wherever you get your podcasts. 

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.