Marilyn Wallman inquest hears of alleged deathbed confession in 1972 disappearance

An inquest into the 1972 disappearance of Mackay schoolgirl Marilyn Joy Wallman has heard allegations of a supposed deathbed confession implicating a family member in her disappearance.

Marilyn disappeared on March 21, 1972, after cycling a kilometre down a dirt road to catch a school bus. Noel Morris, a person related to the Wallman family by marriage, has been named as a person of interest and will appear as a witness at the inquest.

Counsel assisting Coroner David O'Connell, John Aberdeen, said Mr Morris was implicated in the teen's death in two similar stories told by other members of the Morris family.

"It's an odd thing to raise, Your Honour, and that's the reason it's taken very seriously," Mr Aberdeen said.

Mr Aberdeen said the inquest would also hear that Mr Morris drove a car of a "similar description" to one police sought after Marilyn's disappearance.

Witness Errol James Morris, 77, made a statement to police in 2016, saying he recalled a conversation with his brother Lionel, known as Joe.

"He came up to me about 20 years ago when he was drinking and said words to the effect of 'someone in our family was involved in the disappearance of Marilyn Wallman,'" Errol Morris said.

"I said he was stupid for saying that, and he reaffirmed it was someone in our family."

Witness Denis Riddel denied he told his neighbour he believed his cousin, Noel Morris, was involved after seeing him interviewed on television in 2018.

Mr Aberdeen said Mr Riddel's neighbour said she heard him sobbing in the back yard.

"She said she asked you if you were all right, and you said that after watching the current affairs show last night you knew that Noel Morris did it," Mr Aberdeen said.

Rex Wallman, now 63, was eight when he and his older brother David, then 11, followed 10 minutes behind Marilyn toward the bus.

Mr Wallman recalled a busier-than-usual morning, with Marilyn having trouble with her school uniform and being anxious about missing the bus for sports day.

"Marilyn had a sports day and didn't want to miss the bus, so she took off. David and I were still cleaning our teeth, getting ready to go."

After riding down a dip in the road, he saw Marilyn's bike on the side of the road and the carry-all at the front of the bike holding her bag on the ground.

"At that stage, David and I didn't know what had happened, so we looked around. David said: 'I'm faster than you on the bike; I'll whip home and get mum and you stay here.'"

Mr Wallman said he felt scared being on his own and moved to the centre of the narrow bitumen road, sitting down and hugging his bicycle.

"I heard it a couple of times; to me, it appeared not far over the other side of the cane field."

They only appeared for a short time and then silence.

Rex Wallman recalled being interviewed by detectives as a child and questioned about a statement in which he agreed with police that he did not hear any noises from the cane.

"At the time it felt like no one believed me, no one wanted to listen to me or take any notice of what I needed to say … the badgering made it easier to say no," he said.

"I don't recall saying I was telling lies. I don't agree with the statement that said I was telling lies."

He told the inquest he did not doubt what he heard.

David Wallman, now 65, said he first thought Marilyn had come off her bike, bumped her head and wandered off into the cane.

"Rex and I called out looking for her; I thought something doesn't seem right here … she's hurt, we need to find her and get Mum on the job," he said.

Retired detective Andre Wijtenburg was Mackay's cold case officer from 1993 and interviewed Noel Morris in about 2009 after speaking to his estranged wife Ann.

Mr Wijtenburg said Mr Morris was not willing to discuss Marilyn's disappearance.

Mr Wijtenburg said Ann Morris, who was related to the Wallmans, had suspicions about her former husband's involvement.

"Initially she was scared of Noel and didn't want to talk to police because of that," Mr Wijtenburg said.

Under cross-examination, Mr Wijtenburg agreed he had emailed a detective after his retirement, saying Ann was "a little unreliable and perhaps unstable".