In December 2010, 24-year-old Phoebe Handsjuk was found at the bottom of a garbage chute inside a luxury apartment building in Melbourne, Australia.

Her death was officially ruled a tragic accident, or death by misadventure. But from the beginning, Phoebe’s family believed the explanation did not match the evidence.

This week, we walk through who Phoebe was, her relationship with Antony Hampel, the discovery at the Balencea apartment building, the autopsy findings, the blood evidence, the questions around the investigation, and the later reenactment that made people question whether the official theory was physically possible.

This is a case about a young woman whose struggles were too often used to explain away the things that did not make sense. It is also a case about what happens when mental health, addiction, and victim credibility become part of the story before every question has been answered.

Story starts: 10:00

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Sources:

• ABC News: Woman who fell down garbage chute was sleepwalking, coroner says
• ABC News: Coroner investigates whether drugs played role in garbage chute death
• 9News: The mystery death of Phoebe Handsjuk
• 9Now: Under Investigation, Phoebe Handsjuk episode
• Marie Claire Australia: Phoebe Handsjuk investigation
• SBS News: Coroner to examine garbage chute death
• Phoebe Handsjuk family website

To learn more about Phoebe’s case and her family’s fight for answers: ⁠Visit the Phoebe Handsjuk family website⁠

If you are in Australia and have information related to this case or any crime: contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1800 333 000 or submit a report online at ⁠Crime Stoppers Australia⁠. In an emergency, call 000.