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– When Australian businesswoman Melissa Caddick disappeared in November, hours after police raided her Sydney home, there was widespread speculation that she had staged her disappearance after stealing millions of dollars from investors. The speculation ended when her foot was washed up on a secluded beach. Authorities said Friday that DNA testing had confirmed that the decomposed foot found by campers 250 miles south of Sydney belonged to Caddick, who was reported missing by her husband and teenage son after she failed to return from an early morning flight at 12. November. BBC reports. Investigators believe Caddick stole up to $ 30 million from investors, including friends and family members, and used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle, the Sydney Morning Herald
Earlier this month, police said they believed the 49-year-old was still alive. New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Willing said on Friday that the foot was in a shoe, and drift modeling suggests it is possible Caddick may have entered the water near her Sydney home. Guardian reports “It remains a mystery when and how she got into the water,” he told reporters. “We can’t rule out anything at this point. We’ve kept an open mind, but given the circumstances of her disappearance … we’ve always considered the possibility that she might have ended her life.” Willing said the exact “manner, time and cause of death is a matter for the coroner.” (Read more stories about Australia.)