Anna Jenkins vanished after stepping out of a hire car. 5 years on, her family still don't have answers.

Adelaide mum Anna Jenkins had just finished attending a dentist appointment in Malaysia when she got into a hire car on December 13, 2017.

The 65-year-old, who had been an Australian citizen for over 30 years, was in Penang visiting her elderly mother, and had asked staff to call a hire car to take her to her mother's nursing home. 

It's been reported that Anna asked the driver to be let out early and dropped outside an orphanage around 5pm. However, according to her son, Greg, she was dropped off at an oval. 

That was the last time anyone saw the mother-of-two. 

This is the last image taken of Anna Jenkins on 13th December 2017. Image: Supplied.

In the five years since, her family have been tirelessly searching for answers.

A development came in 2020, when Greg discovered his mother's possessions and partial remains buried on a construction site after receiving an anonymous tip. A coronial inquest into Anna's death began in May 2022. 

However, over a year later, the family are now no closer to finding out what happened after a coroner delivered an open verdict in a court in Penang last week.

In under five minutes, Coroner Puan Norsalha Binti Dato' Hamzah told the inquest on Friday that she was unable to determine the cause of death and there was not enough evidence to determine whether a crime had been committed. 

"We were heartbroken for mum because she never got the justice and we were absolutely disgusted in this whole process," Greg told Mamamia. 

Anna Jenkins (left) and her daughter Jen Bowen (right) in one of her many media appearances as the family desperately search for answers. Image: Nine. 

"The way she went about it, only giving us three minutes, with no mention of the family, no mention of mum.... it was absolutely disgusting. She had the opportunity to recommend a reinvestigation... [Instead], she basically absolved and washed her hands of both the dodgy police investigation, and her responsibility as a coroner to make a decision."

Greg and his family, who have spent over $400,000 travelling to Malaysia and personally investigating the case, believe his mother was the victim of a "robbery, murder".

They were hoping the coroner would recommend a reinvestigation into the case and an order would be made to re-dig the construction site where his mother's remains were found. 

"Mum's still there. We've only found 34 bones and fragments of mum. We know there was two other bodies that were found at that same location, but the police refuse to investigate it."

Greg found the remains after someone sent him photos of what appeared to be his mother's possessions.

After making the discovery, he said he was filled with a "mix of emotions".

"We've always described the search for mum as trying to find a needle in a haystack. But not knowing where the haystack is, or if there's a needle in it... And all of a sudden, we got this message with pictures," he recalled. 

"We found what we had been trying to look for... but then the reality hit that the hope of mum walking back into our lives, was an absolute crushing blow."

Greg and his sister Jen with their parents Anna and Frank Jenkins in 1999. Image: Supplied. 

During the inquest, the court heard human remains were found on the site in June 2020, but workers were ordered to bury them, say a prayer then get back to work. 

Hearing this evidence in court, Greg hoped it would only be more reason to re-investigate the case.

"We thought we struck gold. It is plain and simple, they found remains. We thought it means they're going to ask questions such as, 'where did you find that?' 'what position was it?' 'did anyone take any photo?"

Greg was also 'frustrated' that the coroner did not mention the unproven accusations levelled by the Royal Malaysia Police, including that Anna was involved in the drug trade and fleeing domestic violence, and the impact it had on his family. 

"It made us extremely angry and the fact that they've mad no mention of our struggle, no mention of the heartbreak with the lack of investigation, nothing about the 32 false accusations against the family, some of them quite damning."

Overall, Greg said the Royal Malaysia Police failed to properly investigate the case, calling their response "disgusting".

"They've [shown] apathy, ignorance, incompetence, every single step of the way. They have failed to do the right thing [and uphold] their duty of care to the public."

As for the Australian government, he said the "support and communication that we've got from the Australian High Commission and DFAT [Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade], under their restrictions and jurisdiction has been phenomenal."

"But we want the foreign minister to come out and say this is not how Australian citizens should be treated here in Malaysia." 

South Australian Independent MP Frank Pangallo accompanied Greg to court last week. 

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, he said the inquest had been a waste of time and "an indictment on a broken criminal justice system". 

"It's quite clear that Mrs Jenkins met foul play. One would have expected that the coroner would have at least considered the poor police investigation and recommended that they reopen the matter. Instead, they’ve just been let off the hook. There is a killer on the loose."

For Greg and his family, it also means no closure. 

"It's an emotional struggle just to get through every day without mum, you come up to birthdays, Easters Christmases, all of these important events... even Mother's Day, last Sunday was such a tough day for all of us."

Still, they're holding onto hope they will eventually find out the truth and won't allow their mother to become "another statistic in Malaysia".

Their next step is to appeal to the High Court over the coroner's decision. 

"We're pushing the fact mum's remains are still in that in that construction site and we won't rest until we push as far as we can go which is a stark warning to the police that I'm not going anywhere."

Read more: 

'Two years ago, my Mum stepped out of an Uber. It was the last time anyone saw her.'

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Greg and his family cover costs during the investigation. You can visit it here.

Feature Image: Supplied. 

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