The husband of a mother of three who hasn't been seen for 12 years is the only suspect in her disappearance who hasn't been eliminated, a WA coronial inquest has heard.
An inquest into Iveta Mitchell's disappearance has begun in Perth, and heard the 37-year-old was arguing with her husband about finances, had concerns about his drug use and was planning to leave him before she disappeared.
Ms Mitchell hasn't been seen since the early hours of May 3, 2010, when her husband Chad Mitchell said she left her home in Meares Avenue in Parmelia.
Mr Mitchell's account was they'd had an argument and the last time he saw her, she was walking away from the house after smoking a cigarette.
The court was told she left without her handbag, mobile phone and car keys.
Her eldest son Peter reported her missing the following day.
Counsel assisting the inquest, Sue Markham, said hours before her disappearance, Ms Mitchell visited a friend and told her she was going to leave her husband.
They were facing eviction because payments on the Parmelia home were in arrears and it had been Chad's responsibility to cover them with his income, the court heard.
But Ms Markham also said Ms Mitchell was a dedicated mother, and her children were "her world".
Rings left on doormat
Ms Mitchell had three children, Peter, 18, Alana, 14 and seven-year-old Kyle, whose father was Chad Mitchell.
She was known to wear rings on "almost all her fingers", and had multiple piercings.
Ms Markham said Ms Mitchell almost never took off her jewellery, which she described as her own "financial safety net".
On May 16, Mr Mitchell contacted police to say he'd discovered Iveta's wedding and engagement rings left on the doormat.
But Acting Inspector Senior Sergeant Paul Robinson told the court while Mr Mitchell had identified the rings as his wife's, only his DNA was found on them.
The officer said Mr Mitchell had co-operated with police, and at one point had urged for a reward to be established.
Despite extensive searches of the area near the home, and places where Mr Mitchell worked and visited, no trace of Ms Mitchell was found.
The court was told rumours of Mr Mitchell's involvement with outlaw motorcycle gangs were probed, but police determined he was never a patched member.
There was no evidence Ms Mitchell had any suicidal thoughts and was "devoted to her family", Senior Sergeant Robinson told the court.
Previous partners 'eliminated' as suspects
Ms Mitchell's former partners had been interviewed and co-operated with police.
All suspects except Chad Mitchell had been eliminated, Senior Sergeant Robinson said.
The court heard there had been extensive forensic examinations, including DNA, vacuuming, tape lifts, and soil testing.
Referring to the forensic field operations report, Senior Constable Greg Ferguson revealed blood had been found in the home.
But, he said, Mr Mitchell had eczema and the patches were consistent with this.
He said chemical tests had been completed and there was no evidence of a "blood letting event".
Senior Constable Ferguson also said two cars owned by Mr Mitchell were seized, and a rope in a noose configuration was discovered.
While this was a focus of the investigation for some time, it didn't lead anywhere, he told the court.
Deputy Coroner Sarah Linton asked the officer if the fact Ms Mitchell's DNA wasn't found on the rings meant she'd never worn them, to which he said no.
Screams heard in neighbourhood
The court also heard from Cheryl Youens, a long time friend of Ms Mitchell who said she wasn't happy in her marriage.
She said on the night Ms Mitchell was last seen alive, she heard an argument between a man and a woman, with the female screaming a "couple of times".
When asked if she believed Ms Mitchell would have "walked away" from her children, she said "absolutely not".
A statement was read to the court from Russell Craze, a man walking in the area, who said he saw an argument at the front of a house during which the man was towering over a woman and yelling.
It was so loud "the whole street could've heard it", he said.
"It appeared as if he was going to hit her," Mr Craze said in the statement.
The inquest continues.
