E52.5 | BONUS - Hunting Elly's Killer: Paul Warren, ten years on (companion to Episode 52)

Elly Rose Warren was twenty years old, three days from flying home, when she was found dead beside a toilet block at Tofo Beach in Mozambique on 9 November 2016. The Mozambican autopsy recorded a violent death — a homicide — with sand obstructing her airways. The Australian autopsy left the cause undetermined. Nearly ten years later nobody has been charged, and almost everything now known about how Elly died was found by her father.

In this conversation Paul Warren describes what he found: a crime scene he believes was altered before investigators arrived, a photograph that existed for two years before his family was shown it, clothing that never came home, and an Australian agency he says did not go to Mozambique officially until seven years after his daughter died.

ELLY WARREN — THE TRUE FACTS

Paul has published his entire ten-year investigation, including scanned primary documents, at ellywarren.net. If you take one thing from this episode, take that.

THE ELLY WARREN PROTOCOL

Paul's proposed reform for what should happen when an Australian dies overseas in suspicious circumstances — putting the coroner in control from the start, and using state homicide expertise rather than leaving families to investigate for themselves. It is set out on his website. It has not been taken up.

THE BOOK

HUNTING ELLY'S KILLER: A father's relentless pursuit of justice, by Paul Warren (Simon & Schuster Australia, ISBN 9781761636486). Available in print, ebook and audiobook.

https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/Hunting-Ellys-Killer/Paul-Warren/9781761636486

Kindle: amazon.com.au/dp/B0GR1JY5H4

Ebook ISBN 9781761636493 — also at Booktopia, Dymocks, Readings, QBD and Mighty Ape in New Zealand.

IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING

If you were at Tofo Beach in November 2016, or know anything about what happened there, you can reach us through theguiltpodcast.com — anonymously if you prefer. Anything concerning Elly is passed to Paul directly.

A NOTE ON SOURCING

Nobody has been charged with any offence in connection with Elly Warren's death.

The Victorian coronial inquest was held in 2023. Judge John Cain delivered his findings on 15 December 2023: the cause of death was aspiration of a large amount of sand; he could not determine how the sand came to be there; he could not rule on whether the death was a homicide; he found it possible that a person or people caused or contributed to her death; he could not say whether she died where she was found or was moved there; and he could not determine whether she had been sexually assaulted, though he accepted it was possible.

Three post-mortem examinations reached different conclusions — in Mozambique, in South Africa and in Melbourne — and all three found sand in her airways. The Melbourne finding of "undetermined" was later amended following evidence at the inquest.

Paul is severely critical of the Australian Federal Police, the Mozambican police and the Victorian coronial process. Those criticisms are his, they are strongly held, and the documents he relies on are published on his website for you to read and weigh. Nothing in this episode should be taken as alleging criminal conduct by any identified person.

SOURCES

ellywarren.net — Paul Warren's published investigation and primary documents

Coroners Court of Victoria — inquest into the death of Elly Rose Warren, findings delivered 15 December 2023

ABC News, 22 August 2023 and 15 December 2023 — inquest and findings reporting

Hunting Elly's Killer, Paul Warren (Simon & Schuster Australia)

Interview with Paul Warren, recorded 25 August 2026

SUPPORT

This episode concerns the unexplained death of a young woman overseas, and refers to the possibility of sexual assault. If it raises anything difficult for you:

New Zealand — 1737, call or text any time. Safe to Talk 0800 044 334.

Australia — Lifeline 13 11 14. 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732.

Hosted by Ryan Wolf. brevityplus.com

While some dramatic license is taken during the retelling of these stories, but you can be sure that these true crime stories are all based 100% on real events and facts.

If you would like to suggest a case, you can message us via our website at www.brevityplus.com

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This podcast is researched, and written by the Brevity Studios team using AI tools, and is narrated in its entirety by - Ryan Wolf.

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