Over Two Decades Later This Story Is Finally Told Properly

You might need to follow a story for years.

Feb 09, 2022

Catherine Rice joined News24 in April 2020 to produce podcasts with a focus on crime. But she's had a case she's been thinking about her entire career. "Matthew Ohlsson’s disappearance was a case that I had covered since I first started working as a reporter in 1999," says Catherine.

"I had never forgotten his family who have tirelessly searched for him for years. I have covered many cases of missing children, but the case of Matthew Ohlsson was particularly mysterious and puzzling. He simply disappeared."

Tip 1# - You might need to follow a story for years

"I hoped that bringing it back into the spotlight might result in a witness coming forward or the surfacing of a new piece of evidence," says Catherine.

"Cases like Madeleine McCann’s disappearance was publicised so extensively around the world. But a case like this – a child from a disadvantaged family without resources – tends to be forgotten very quickly," says Catherine.

"I spent a long time trying to track down original news reports," she says. But she had no luck: the media organisations that she requested audio from were unable to assist, despite her asking them repeatedly for months. "I then made the decision to recreate the news reports in a bid to take the listener back to those moments when the story really was dominating headlines," she says. So, with a team, she recreated the reports and inserted them into the podcast. "My sister Melanie Rice is a news anchor, as is my friend, Annika Larsen. I asked them and Sheldon Morais, who is an editor at News24, to read the headlines that would have been used back in 1997, and that was how we recreated the news reports."

Catherine was drawn to how the the family continually pushed to keep their story in the headlines, even starting their own non-profit organisation “Concerned Parents of Missing Children”. "They provided support to other families and helped them report cases and distribute flyers. They also, by then, had more experience with the media and were able to help publicise other cases of children who were disappearing at an alarming rate."

"Ultimately, they did not find their son, but they helped track down other children who had disappeared," she says. As for her own reopened investigation: "We did receive some tips offs, but unfortunately, they didn’t lead to anything concrete."

LISTEN NOW: Missing Matthew. A series by News24.

Catherine Rice delves into the disappearance of 9-year-old Matthew Ohlsson who vanished without a trace in 1997. It's a cold case that has baffled police officers and private investigators.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Tip 2# - Don't feel forced into stretching it out

"I am always concerned that I am tasked with creating a six part podcast series," says Catherine. Not all stories need that many episodes. You can start gathering material and realise that you only need three.

"In the case of Missing Matthew I suggested three episodes. The first one would explain what happened, then the subsequent investigation, and finally the family’s attempts to help others while continuing their search for their own son," she says.

"The episodes were not equal in length. We wanted to make them about twenty minutes each, but I was reluctant to stretch them out simply for the sake of it. Happily, my editors agreed! The final episode was only 14 minutes," she says.

"Music can be very emotive. And in all of my podcasts, I spend a long time listening to music and figuring out where it will create the atmosphere I want the listener to experience," she says. She selected tracks based on the mood they would create and then worked with Greg Kocavaos in the studio to get the final result.

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