True Crime Conversations
True Crime Conversations explores the world's most notorious crimes by speaking to the people who know the most about them. Hosted by Gemma Bath.
Episodes
Why Good Undercover Cops Think Like Psychopaths
For years Jason lived a double life as an undercover police officer, working inside the criminal underworld. No two jobs were the same, and the danger was always there. The toll of that work didn’t end when he left the force. In this episode, Jason takes Gemma inside his undercover life and how it impacted his real life. He explains why he believes he’d be a better police officer now,
Anastasia Was Left Unable To Sit. Her Attacker Didn’t Spend A Single Night In A Cell.
In July 2026, Anastasia Treharne sat in a Sydney courtroom waiting to hear her rapist’s sentence. She had been through a gruelling trial and cross-examined at length, and a jury had found him guilty. The maximum penalty was 14 years in prison. Instead, he was given a three-year community corrections order and 100 hours of community service. He won’t spend a single night behind bars. It
Kristi Locked Up Paedophiles For 10 Years. This Is What She Learnt.
In 2008, Kristi McVee was a new mum flicking through the newspaper when a WA Police recruitment ad caught her eye. Less than two years later, she was sworn in as a police officer. Kristi went on to build a career catching child abuse predators, interviewing child victims and putting their abusers behind bars. But one question kept coming back to her: how do you protect these kids before the harm h
![The Honeymoon Drowning That Turned A Groom Into A Murder Suspect [re-release]](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/abaa347e-8ac5-454e-85f9-aa64005c285f/84c2b6fe-7d33-454c-a5df-b4e8002c862b/image.jpg?t=1792381464&size=Large)
The Honeymoon Drowning That Turned A Groom Into A Murder Suspect [re-release]
In October 2003, newlyweds Gabe and Tina Watson travelled from Alabama to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for their dream honeymoon. Just 11 days after their wedding, the couple prepared to dive the SS Yongala shipwreck, one of the world’s most famous dive sites. But within minutes of entering the water, Tina was pulled to the surface unconscious. Despite desperate attempts to save her,
Justine Sent 10,000 Letters To Convicted Female Killers In Prisons
In March 2019, journalist Justine van der Leun sat in a New York courtroom for the murder trial of Nicole Addimando. After years of abuse, Nikki had shot and killed the father of her two young children after he violently raped her. As the prosecution painted her as a “master manipulator”, Justine was left wondering: was this normal? Determined to find out, she surveyed 10,000 incarcera
![The Disappearance Of 12-year-old Rhianna Barreau [re-release]](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/abaa347e-8ac5-454e-85f9-aa64005c285f/f031cd52-9146-435c-8f96-b4de00475e03/image.jpg?t=1791520009&size=Large)
The Disappearance Of 12-year-old Rhianna Barreau [re-release]
In October 1992, 12-year-old Rhianna Barreau disappeared. On the day she went missing it was school holidays, and Rhianna had spent the morning wandering to the local shops to buy her American pen pal a Christmas card. When her mother got home at 4pm, expecting to find Rhianna, she was nowhere to be found. It's one of South Australia's most enduring cold cases. Her disappearance didn&r
A Doctor Was Assaulted By Her Boss. She Knows She's Not The Only One
In November 2013, Dr Dominique Lee arrived at the Sydney apartment of her mentor, Professor John Kearsley, for dinner. He was head of radiation oncology at St George Hospital, and he had been guiding her as she prepared to become a specialist consultant. By the end of the night, her life and career would be derailed for the next decade. Dominique's case was the first in Australian history in which
The Lindsay Clancy Mini Series: An Unexpected Update
Lindsay Clancy's trial for the 2023 killings of her three children ended in a mistrial, but the case has been far from quiet since. In this episode of our mini series, Gemma unpacks everything that has happened since the hung jury. Jurors have spoken out about the one holdout who stopped them reaching a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. Reports have since emerged about that juror's past
Josephine Greensill Was Wrongly Convicted Of Assaulting Her Students
In March 2008, 57-year-old semi-retired schoolteacher Josephine Greensill opened her front door in suburban Melbourne to find three detectives waiting to arrest her. Two men had accused her of sexually abusing them at a backyard sleepover almost 30 years earlier, when they were eight-year-old boys in her class. No medical experts were ever called, and the jury believed them. Jo spent two and a hal
![Jill Meagher Was Attacked 400 Metres From Home [re-release]](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/3ea926be-9be7-482a-8ac3-a44f016e43d1/abaa347e-8ac5-454e-85f9-aa64005c285f/e4735c5d-f79d-4c9a-bcf9-b4cf004539b2/image.jpg?t=1790228627&size=Large)
Jill Meagher Was Attacked 400 Metres From Home [re-release]
On Friday September 21, 2012, Jill Meagher went out for celebratory drinks with her colleagues at ABC Melbourne. That night she didn't make it home. What happened to Jill continues to haunt the women of Australia, as they do something as simple, as walking home alone. In this episode, Gemma Bath is joined by journalist and author Megan Norris to discuss the investigation that brought J
For 10 Years Paul Has Been Hunting His Daughter's Killer
Melbourne woman Elly Warren was a seasoned traveller, despite only being 20 years old. In 2016, she travelled to Mozambique, Africa, on a month long trip volunteering in marine conservation. Just days before she was due to return to Australia, Elly's body was found at Tofo beach. The circumstances around her death have never made sense, but after getting limited help from both Australi
UPDATE: One Of The Snowtown Murderers Is A Free Man
In May 1999, two detectives followed a trail of suspicious missing persons cases to an old, red-brick bank in Snowtown, South Australia. As they head inside, they head straight for the bank’s vault where they find six large plastic barrels containing human remains. They also find handcuffs, knives, a saw, boxes of disposable gloves and bottles of hydrochloric acid. They’d c
Ivan Milat’s Missing Victims & The Six Australians Who Vanished
Every year in Australia, nearly 50,000 people are reported missing. While the vast majority are located within days, thousands of families are left navigating the harrowing journey of ambiguous loss, fighting every day to keep their loved one's name alive. In this episode of True Crime Conversations, Gemma Bath speaks with Nicole Morris, founder and director of the Australian Missing Persons Regis
As ‘Below Deck’ Airs Something Sinister Was Happening Behind The Scenes
Gael and Nathan fell in love onscreen during season 9 of Bravo's hit reality TV show Below Deck Med, airing in 2024; but, as Season 11 airs right now, a lot has happened off screen. Two days after Christmas in 2025, a terrifying assault took place inside an apartment in Sydney’s north-west. New parents Nathan Gallagher and Gael Cameron were arguing when Nathan escalated the fight cover
The Lindsay Clancy Trial Mini Series: The Verdict
After more than three weeks of emotional and harrowing testimony, the jury in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial was handed the difficult task of deciding her fate. With five possible outcomes on the table ranging from first-degree murder to not guilty by reason of insanity, the nine women and three men entered deliberations. What followed was a tense seven days. In this final episode of our mini-ser
Zoe’s Husband Drugged Her Evening Tea. For Years He Assaulted Her While She Slept
In 2018 Zoe Watts' family believed her 16-year marriage was ending due to an affair. Struggling with debilitating panic attacks, sleeplessness, and nervous breakdowns, she finally confided in her sister, revealing a far more horrifying reality. Her husband hadn't just splintered their family with infidelity; he confessed to secretly drugging her with their son's sleeping medication and sexually ab
The Lindsay Clancy Trial Mini Series: The Defence's Case
After 14 days of testimony and nearly 70 witnesses presented by the prosecution, the defence in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial took the floor. Their core argument? That Lindsay should not be held criminally responsible for the deaths of her three children because she was in the depths of severe postpartum psychosis. In the latest episode of our mini-series tracking the trial, we walk through the
The Lindsay Clancy Mini Series: A World Obsessed
Why is the world so obsessed with the Lindsay Clancy trial? While she admits to the unimaginable act of killing her three children, the public reaction has been unusually complex. Instead of universal vilification, there is a profound wave of sympathy for a mother who sought help for severe postpartum psychosis. In the latest episode of our mini-series tracking the trial, we explore the Prose
The Lindsay Clancy Trial Mini Series: The Prosecution’s Argument
In episode three of our mini-series tracking the trial of Lindsay Clancy, we unpack the prosecution's opening statements and core arguments. Through 14 days of testimony and over 70 witnesses, prosecutors detailed Lindsay’s digital footprint, hospital records, and phone notes expressing maternal burnout. We examine key testimony from her ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, who recently filed a wrong
Katherine Knight Killed Her Boyfriend. Then She Served Him For Dinner
In October 2000, the small Hunter Valley town of Aberdeen, New South Wales, became the scene of one of the most horrific crimes in Australian history. John Price was brutally murdered in his home by his partner, Katherine Knight, an abattoir worker with a long, history of domestic violence against the men in her life but with no criminal record to show for this. What police discovered inside the h
The Lindsay Clancy Trial Mini Series: The Aftermath
Following the devastating events of January 2023, the fallout of the Lindsay Clancy case left a family shattered and a public desperate for answers. In part two of our mini-series tracking the trial, we explore the immediate aftermath of the killings, including Lindsay’s initial hospital assessments, psychiatric evaluations, and the care she has received in the three year lead up to the tria
The Lindsay Clancy Trial Mini Series: The Family
In January 2023, 36-year-old labor and delivery nurse Lindsay Clancy strangled her three young children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan, in the basement of their Duxbury, Massachusetts home before attempting to take her own life. While her defense team contends she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder, prosecutors argue her actions were planned and intentional. In episode
TCC Exclusive: Inside A DV Police Operation
In a True Crime Conversations first, Gemma Bath is embarking on an exclusive ride along with the New South Wales Police Force for Operation Amarok. A high-impact, statewide blitz cracking down on high-risk domestic violence offenders. Expecting tactical helmets, battering rams, and dramatic door-busts, the reality on the ground turned out to be far more nuanced. Shadowing plainclothes officers in
In Eight Minutes Of Footage Jessica Zrinski Doesn’t Get Out Of The Car Once
At 8:49am on a Tuesday morning in November 2022, 30-year-old Jessica Zrinski was captured on CCTV in the passenger seat of a blue Holden Commodore pulling into a service station in Mount Victoria. Trailing from her passenger door was a massive tree branch, and driving the car was Paul Jones, a man she had met outside a Western Sydney pub just hours earlier. Those eight minutes and 40 seconds of fo
UPDATE: The Idaho Four Killer Wants To Withdraw His Guilty Plea
In November 2022, four college students: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, were brutally stabbed to death in their off-campus share house in Moscow, Idaho. Seven weeks later, criminology student Bryan Kohberger was arrested and eventually accepted a plea deal, receiving four life sentences without the possibility of parole to avoid the death penalty. Now, Kohberger
‘Just A Witness.’ Inside A Sexual Assault Trial In Australia
In October 2019, 23-year-old Sarah Rosenberg went on a date at Sydney’s noodle markets with a man she had recently met on a dating app. But when they returned to his place and Sarah explained that she was feeling unwell and didn’t want to be intimate, the night turned into a horrific nightmare. What followed was a grueling journey through a legal system that often felt like it wa
After 6000 Autopsies, This Was The Case That Broke Him
In March 2021, police in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges uncovered a shallow grave containing the body of 21-year-old Jasmeen Kaur. What forensic pathologist Professor Roger Byard discovered during her autopsy, soil inhaled deep into her airways revealed a horrifying truth: Jasmeen had been buried alive. In this episode of True Crime Conversations, Gemma Bath sits down with Professor Roger
Daniel Mancuso's Father Killed His Mother. The Grief Feels Different This Year.
It’s a cold July night in Melbourne in 2013 when an elderly neighbour hears terrifying screams coming from the home next door. When police arrive, they find 49-year-old Teresa Mancuso murdered in her parent's garage, the victim of a vicious act of family violence at the hands of her ex-husband. Though Teresa’s two sons, Daniel and Luke, knew immediately who was responsible, it would ta
Part 2: We Spoke To A Victim And Her Perpetrator. This Is Kai's Story.
Listen to Part 1 with Alena here. In 2000, Alena Turley was held at knifepoint by a man she had previously been in a relationship with. The terrifying incident left her with PTSD and lasting trauma. Alena was able to disarm him that night, but what might have happened if she hadn’t? In these two special episodes of True Crime Conversations, we’re exploring something rarely heard in tru
Part 1: We Spoke To A Victim And Her Perpetrator. This Is Alena's Story.
Listen to Part 2 with *Kai here. In 2000, Alena Turley was held at knifepoint by a man she had previously been in a relationship with. The terrifying incident left her with PTSD and lasting trauma. Alena was able to disarm him that night, but what might have happened if she hadn’t? In these two special episodes of True Crime Conversations, we’re exploring something rarely heard in true
What's Next For The Aussie Charged With Murdering A Teen In Thailand?
It’s late June 2026, and police in Pattaya, Thailand, are retracing the movements of Australian man Simon Carman through hours of CCTV footage. At first, his day appears unremarkable. He eats breakfast, runs errands and returns to his accommodation before, just after 9pm, quietly leaving through a rear exit with a large suitcase. Security cameras capture Carman riding a rented scooter into t
The 84-Year-Old Mum Kidnapped In The Middle Of The Night
An 84-year-old grandmother vanishes from her Tucson home in the middle of the night after spending an evening with family, leaving behind chilling doorbell camera footage of a masked, armed intruder. Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance has stunned investigators and devastated her loved ones, including her daughter, NBC Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, who has used her national platform to plead for
The Overnight Daycare ‘House Of Horror’
For years, parents trusted David Tuck to care for their children at Bluemoor Family Day Care in Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast. Decades later, the full extent of his abuse is still emerging, with Tuck now believed to have more than 55 victims across multiple states. He died in 2001 before police could bring him to justice. In this episode, survivors Laura-Jane and Hailey share their stor
UPDATE: The Long Island Serial Killer Finally Learns His Fate
Rex Heuermann, known as the Long Island Serial Killer in the Gilgo Beach murders, has now been sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to the deaths of eight women. Host of the Unraveled podcast, Alexis Linkletter, was in court for Heuermann's plea hearing and gives us an update on what the courtroom felt like, how Heuermann reacted to his sentence and where this sto
A Families’ Fight For Answers After A Death In Paradise
When 40-year-old Australian hotel manager Jason Rigby was found stabbed to death in his luxury Fijian resort apartment, local authorities instantly ruled it a suicide. His devastated Gold Coast family refused to accept the narrative, launching their own relentless hunt for answers. After hiring a private investigator, they exposed critical gaps in the initial police investigation, including a myst
The Woman Tasked With Fixing Australia's Most Controversial Police Force
We don't often have politicians on True Crime Conversations. But when a domestic violence incident is reported to police every three minutes, the people making the laws and setting policy have a critical role to play. NSW Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley joins Gemma Bath for a rare conversation about the state's response to domestic and family violence. From the results of Opera
The Three Mums Who Teamed Up To Solve Their Children’s Crimes
When three adult children vanish or turn up murdered back-to-back in Bakersfield, California, their heartbroken mothers refuse to wait for answers. Banding together to form a fierce, unstoppable sisterhood, they launch their own rogue investigation, uncovering a dark underworld of ghost guns, addiction, and fraud. But just as their amateur detective work forces a breakthrough, a devastating plot t
Inside The Hidden Network Of Men Drugging And Raping Their Wives
In 2024, the world learned the name Gisele Pelicot. Between 2011 and 2020, she was drugged and raped in her home in France by her husband, Dominique, and dozens of other men while she was unconscious. In a landmark trial, the then-72-year-old Gisele waived her right to anonymity as evidence revealed at least 200 rapes, many of them filmed. Dominique recruited men through a sex chat website, giving
UPDATE: Inside The ‘Dezi Freeman’ Inquest & The New Courtroom Revelations
Just over a week after we covered the murders of Victorian police officers Vadim De Waart-Hottart and Neal Thompson, we've learned more information about the case from the Coronial Inquest Hearing. Desmond Filby, 'Dezi Freeman', was shot dead following a seven-month manhunt, and this week, the Victorian Coroner’s Court heard the opening of two inquests. 7NEWS reporter Rochelle Brown explains
After 34 Years We Finally Know Who Killed The Yoghurt Shop Girls
In 1991, a fire at an Austin yoghurt shop led firefighters to a scene so horrific it would haunt them forever: four teenage girls murdered in one of Texas’ most shocking crimes. The Yoghurt Shop Murders became a case that devastated families, traumatised a city, and remained unsolved for more than three decades. Now, thanks to advances in DNA technology, investigators believe they’ve f
How Cop Killer 'Dezi Freeman' Became Australia’s Most Wanted Fugitive
In August 2025, two Victoria Police officers were shot and killed while executing a search warrant at a regional Victorian property linked to Desmond Filby, also known as Dezi Freeman. A third officer was injured, and Filby vanished into the bush, triggering a seven-month manhunt that gripped the nation. The case began with a child abuse investigation and ended in March 2026, when police foun
Inside The World Of A Crime Scene Cleaner
What happens after police leave a crime scene? For six years, Donna Nayler was the person called in to deal with what remained. Wearing full protective gear, she cleaned some of the country’s most confronting scenes, from murders and domestic violence cases to homes where bodies had gone undiscovered for weeks. Donna reveals the harsh realities that come with a job few people ever think abou
UPDATE: The New Search For The Australia's Missing Family Cult
WA Police have acknowledged that earlier searches in the investigation into the Nannup Four were conducted in the wrong location. Retired detective Barry McIntosh, who has long pushed for answers in the case, believes the corrected coordinates point to a more accurate search area near Northcliffe, where clothing and the reported smell of human remains were allegedly detected after the group disapp
Katie Never Thought Her Partner Was Violent Until He Killed Her
29-year-old Katie Haley arrived home on a Friday night in March 2018 after a long shift at a Melbourne tavern. Her partner Shane had been messaging throughout the day, calls, accusations, jealousy, and control that had continued for hours... After reaching her limit, Katie stands up and starts packing a bag. She tells him the relationship is over. She’s leaving with their daughter. But she n
Part 2: Nina Funnell Has A New Fight. This One Will Shock You
This is Part 2 of Nina Funnell’s story. You can listen to Part 1 here. Nina Funnell survived a violent assault as a young woman, fighting off her attacker and escaping to call the police. Although he was never found, the experience became a turning point. Within weeks, she chose to speak publicly, challenging stigma, victim-blaming, and the silence surrounding violence against women. Since t
Part 1: Nina Funnell Has A New Fight. This One Will Shock You
Find Part 2 of this conversation with Nina Funnell here. Nina Funnell survived a violent assault as a young woman, fighting off her attacker and escaping to call the police. Although he was never found, the experience became a turning point. Within weeks, she chose to speak publicly, challenging stigma, victim-blaming, and the silence surrounding violence against women. Since then, Nina has
The Young Mum Who Disappeared In The Blue Mountains
In January 1993, 20-year-old Tracey Valesini appeared at the Campbelltown Courthouse in Sydney for a legal matter. She was last seen sitting inside the courtroom that day. After that moment, Tracey was never heard from again. More than 30 years later, there is still no definitive answer about what happened to the young mother or where her remains may be. But the case has never truly gone cold. Jou
How Natascha Kampusch Survived Eight Years In Captivity
On March 2, 1998, 10-year-old Austrian girl Natascha Kampusch disappeared on her way to school. What followed was 3,096 days in captivity, hidden inside a soundproof cellar, cut off from the outside world and shaped by fear, control, and a deeply complex psychological dynamic with her captor. Journalist Rahni Sadler spent a lot of time getting to know Natascha, interviewing her in 2011 and a
Joe’s Chilling Escape From The 'Forgotten' Bali Bombing
On October 1, 2005, terror struck Bali when three suicide bombings ripped through crowded restaurants in Jimbaran Bay and Kuta, killing 20 people and injuring more than 100. Among those caught in the blasts was 20-year-old Newcastle local Joe Frost. Thrown face-down into the sand, ears ringing and legs burning, Joe survived - but others at his table were killed or left with life-changing injuries.
Inside The Minds Of Australia’s Worst Female Killers
Katherine Knight, Sarah Makin, Caroline Grills, Catherine Birnie, Helen Moore, and Rachel Pfitzner are among the most notorious female killers in Australian history. But what compels a woman to take a life, whether it’s someone close to her or, more rarely, a stranger? Dr Xanthe Weston, a criminal psychologist, has long been driven by this very question. Drawing on years of research into cas
The Podcast Uncovering The New Victims Of Serial Killer Christopher Wilder
In 1984, Terry Ferguson was approached in a busy Florida mall by a charming photographer with an Australian accent. He promised her stardom; instead, she became a victim of Christopher Wilder, the notorious "Beauty Queen Killer." While Wilder’s confirmed body count sits around 11, new evidence suggests a much darker reality: a trail of over 30 victims stretching from Australia to America.&nb
The Australian Family Cult That Vanished Overnight
In 2007, a family of three and their friend vanished from their secluded home in Nannup, Western Australia, leaving only a cryptic note claiming they had moved to Brazil. They never arrived. As investigators delved into the lives of Chantelle McDougall, her partner Simon Cadwell, their daughter Leela, and friend Tony Popic, they uncovered a web of doomsday prepping and cult-like spiritual beliefs.
The Family Friend No One Suspected
Her life changed forever when her five-year-old daughter, Rose, bravely spoke up about a trusted family friend sexually assaulting her. That moment led Michelle to discover that both of her daughters had endured abuse for years, and it marked the start of the family’s journey toward justice and healing. In this episode, Michelle shares how she and her daughters, Pippa and Rose, navigat
How Jemma Lilley's Fascination With Serial Killers Turned Deadly
Some women dream of launching a career before 25. Some dream of owning their first home. Jemma Lilley had a different goal: she wanted to kill someone before her 25th birthday, but she knew she couldn't do it alone. Obsessed with serial killers and violent fantasy, Lilley set her sights on turning desire into reality. She found an accomplice in Trudi Lenon, an impressionable single mother wh
The Husband Who Played Grieving Widower After Killing His Wife
In June 2016, Karen Ristevski vanished from her home. Her husband, Borce, told their daughter she had gone for a walk and never returned. For months, police and family searched in vain. Then, in February 2017, hikers stumbled upon her skeletal remains in a quiet nature reserve. Police pieced together CCTV footage and phone records, leading to Borce’s arrest. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter
Darryl Used To Be A Violent Man. Now He Stops Them.
Darryl Gardiner grew up in a home ruled by unimaginable violence... and it almost destroyed him. Witnessing and experiencing abuse from a terrifyingly young age, he followed the same path, becoming a violent man himself. But Darryl broke the cycle. Now a father, clinician, and founder of programs helping men and women escape abuse, Darryl shares a raw, unflinching story of accountability, redempti
Trenny Gibson Went On A School Trip And Never Came Home
In October 1976, 16-year-old Trenny Gibson boarded a school bus in Knoxville, Tennessee, expecting a routine day. Instead, her horticulture class was taken on a rainy hike into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park without warning. Unprepared and uneasy, Trenny borrowed a jacket from a fellow student. By mid-afternoon, she was gone. One moment she was on the trail, the next she had vanished. Nea
The Brutal Melbourne Killer Who Never Went To Prison
In May 2019, 25-year-old Courtney Herron was murdered after a night out in Melbourne’s CBD. What happened next would ignite national outrage and raise disturbing questions about justice in Australia. In this episode, Courtney’s father, John Herron, speaks about the daughter he loved deeply, her generosity, humour, and instinctive kindness, and the night she crossed paths with the man w
The Deadly Obsession That Drove Jodi Arias To Murder Her Lover
The case of Jodi Arias, the woman who murdered her former lover, Travis Alexander, in 2008, captivated audiences around the world. When the trial began in 2013, media coverage intensified, driven by a disturbing question: what could compel a young, attractive woman to kill so violently? To shoot, stab, and nearly decapitate a man she claimed to have loved? These are just some of the questions jour
The Missing Australians You’ve Never Heard Of
Two 15-year-olds vanish after heading to a disco in Wollongong. An 18-year-old Belgian backpacker disappears after a night out in Byron Bay. A 20-year-old Navy recruit vanishes from a casino lobby in a matter of minutes. These are just a few of Australia’s missing persons cases you may never have heard of. Each year, more than 56,000 people are reported missing across the country. Most are f
What Happens When Your Ex Hires A Hitman To Have You Killed
Who would try to hire a hitman to kill an innocent young girl? In early 2021, Riley ended a relationship with a man she had been in a year-long online relationship with after she alleges he assaulted her. Despite the breakup, he continued to message her relentlessly. Instead of backing down, Scott escalated his feelings of anger, turning to the dark web. He paid $19,000 AUD to hire a h
He Killed His Entire Family, Then Walked Free To Start Another
On September 7, 1971, at a remote farmhouse 40 kilometres south of Adelaide, Clifford Bartholomew killed 10 people. His wife, his seven children, his sister-in-law and her 19-month-old son. He shot them all dead. He was sentenced to death, but because of changes to the law, he wasn’t killed. Instead, he was re-sentenced to life in prison and managed to serve just eight years before being rel
The Adelaide Schoolgirl Abducted From Her Bed Without A Trace
On a summer evening in January 1983, 10-year-old Louise Bell went missing from her bedroom in Adelaide's Hackham West. It was a case that horrified Australia, as every parent's worst nightmare became reality for the Bell family. How could a young girl tucked up in her bed in a safe, suburban neighbourhood just go missing in the middle of the night? It would take 30 years, and advances
The Prison Guard Who Fell In Love With An Inmate
In 1992, career criminal Peter Gibb met prison guard Heather Parker while serving a 12-year sentence at the Melbourne Remand Centre. Heather claimed she didn’t notice Peter at first, but she quickly became smitten, and their relationship developed from flirtatious to physical. When their affair was exposed, Heather was immediately transferred, with communication between the two forbidden. Bu
Should My Father Be Free? The Son of Australia's Most Notorious Bank Robber Speaks
Brenden Abbott, known as The Postcard Bandit, is one of Australia’s most notorious bank robbers and prison escapees. He's the guy who developed the “drop-in heist,” hiding in a bank’s ceiling overnight and dropping down as staff opened the vault. Abbott continued a crime spree across Western Australia, South Australia, and Queensland, robbing banks and avoiding p
Michelle Steck Found Her Ex Hiding In The Roof, Weeks Later Her Daughter Was Dead
On New Year’s Day 1993, Perth woman Michelle Steck, 24, packed her bags and left her abusive four-year relationship with her violent partner’s words ringing in her ears. “You’re going to pay for your actions for a very long time,” spat Kevin East, 34. Listen to the full story, with writer Megan Norris, at the link here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia If you h
Australia's Dark History Of Forced Adoptions
For nearly half a century, Australia was engaged in a shameful and shocking practice that would tear babies from the arms of their mothers, sometimes before they ever even laid eyes on their precious little faces. Today, Amelia Oberhart shares with us the journey of her discoveries about her mother’s life before she was born in her podcast, Secrets We Keep, Shame, Lies and Family&helli
The Russian Woman Who Hijacked A Helicopter To Free Her Aussie Lover
John Killick is one of Australia's most infamous criminals. Why? Because in 1999, he escaped from Sydney’s Silverwater Correctional Complex on a helicopter. Killick was on remand for armed robbery, and his girlfriend at the time, Lucy Dudko, hijacked a helicopter, landed it in the prison, and flew him out. In this episode, we speak with John Killick himself about his life of crim
The Murder Of Australian Schoolgirl Masa Vukotic
On March 17, 2015, 17-year-old Masa Vukotic left her Doncaster home for an evening walk through her local park, a routine she had followed countless times. That night, her boyfriend, Timothy Draper, did not receive a goodnight text from Masa. By morning, police were at his door with devastating news: Masa had been brutally stabbed 49 times in Koonung Creek Linear Reserve, her screams having been h
The Man Who Wouldn’t Die: Inside The Nine Lives Of Untouchable Iron Mike
“Iron Mike” Malloy survived not one, not two, but more than nine attempts on his life before he finally met his end. Malloy became the target of a group of acquaintances later dubbed the “Murder Trust,” who conspired to kill him for insurance money. What followed remains one of the most astonishing strings of failed murder attempts in history. The conspirators served him co
Inside The Kidnapping Where 26 Kids Were Buried Alive
On July 15, 1976, a school bus carrying 26 children and their beloved driver, Ed Ray, left Chowchilla, California, after a hot day at summer school and never made it home. Blocked by a mysterious white van, the bus was hijacked by armed, masked men and driven into a hidden slough, where the victims were transferred into dark, soundproofed vans. Over the next 16 hours, they would endure an ordeal t
Australia’s Forgotten Teens: The Vanishing Of Elaine Johnson & Kerry Joel
If two teenage girls went missing today, would police just assume they’d run away from home? That assumption is why two Australian teenagers, Elaine Johnson and Kerry Anne Joel, have never been found. Elaine was 16, Kerry was 17, living a carefree 80s life in The Shire, south of Sydney. The girls were seen hitchhiking on the Princes Highway, but by the weekend, they were gone. No calls. No s
The Killer Clown Used Magic Tricks To Lure His Victims
Sixteen-year-old Timothy “Jack” McCoy spent Christmas 1971 with his relatives in Michigan, leaving on January 2, 1972, to return home to Nebraska. After arriving in Chicago for a bus connection, he met a man who offered him food and a tour of the city. Timothy accepted, but he would never be seen alive again. Fourteen years later, his family learned he had been the first known victim o
Who Killed John Furlan? The Car Bombing Case Australia Forgot
On the morning of August 3rd, 1998, Melbourne businessman John Furlan followed his usual routine: coffee, newspaper, and off to work at his Coburg auto salvage yard. But at 8:45 AM, his white Subaru Liberty exploded on Lorenson Street, a blast so powerful it was felt five kilometres away. Windows shattered, cars burned, yet Furlan was the only fatality. Police soon confirmed it wasn’t a gas
Once Called "Australia's Worst Female Serial Killer." Kathleen Folbigg Sets The Record Straight
She was once called "Australia’s worst female serial killer." Kathleen Folbigg spent 20 years imprisoned for the deaths of her four children, convicted by a flawed system. In 2023, science proved she was innocent, leading to an immediate pardon and release. In this deeply personal interview, Kathleen speaks about the trauma of her long ordeal and the bittersweet reality of her freedom. She r
The Real Story Of Ed Gein: The Original Psycho
On September 8, 1960, Psycho shocked cinema audiences with a level of psychological horror never seen before. But Psycho wasn’t pure fiction. It was inspired by the gruesome true story of Ed Gein, the real-life Butcher of Plainfield. When police raided Gein’s Wisconsin farmhouse in 1957, they uncovered a macabre scene: human remains crafted into lampshades, furniture, and clothing. The
The Double Life Of Dennis Rader: The BTK Killer
On January 15, 1974, 15-year-old Charlie Otero and his siblings came home in Wichita, Kansas, to find their family murdered - the first known victims of the BTK killer: Bind, Torture, Kill. Dennis Rader, a father, church leader, and city worker, hid in plain sight while terrorising a community for decades. After years of taunting the police, he was finally caught in 2005. His daughter, Kerri Rawso
Unmasking Chopper Read: The Infamous Australian Criminal
Part criminal, part storyteller, and part myth. Mark “Chopper” Read is one of Australia’s most polarising figures. Today, we dive into the life and legacy of the man behind the legend. From a violent childhood and years in Pentridge Prison to bestselling books, stage shows, and the iconic film portrayal by Eric Bana, Chopper’s story is as chaotic as it is captiva
We Take You Inside The New Amanda Knox Series And Real-Life Case
On a summer night in Italy in 2007, the brutal murder of Meredith Kercher shocked the world. Her American flatmate Amanda Knox, and her new boyfriend Raffaele, were instantly thrust into an international legal saga that spanned years. For the first time ever, True Crime Conversations host Claire Murphy joins The Spill's Laura Brodnik for a can't-miss crossover that dissects the new Disney+ series,
"I Was Held In A Soundproof Bunker By My Stalker": Samantha Stites Speaks Out
In October 2022, Samantha Stites was kidnapped and assaulted by a man who had stalked her for over a decade. After breaking into her Michigan home, he restrained her and took her to a soundproof bunker he had built inside a storage unit, where she was held captive for nearly 15 hours. Despite a previous protection order, the man’s harassment had only escalated over the years. His stalk
