Real Crime with Adam Shand
Join investigative journalist Adam Shand each week as he takes you into his world of real crime, honed from forty years of covering Australia's biggest law and order stories. These are the firsthand stories of the cops, robbers, and victims who lived them.
Episodes
The Tomb of Violence - Jika Jika
In the second part of Adam's journey into super max jails within jails, former bank robber Doug Morgan takes us into Jika Jika, the high-tech successor to H Division in Pentridge Jail. The futuristic concrete and glass division allowed staff to keep inmates under surveillance at all times, but the sterile and dehumanising design took its toll, leading to extreme violence and a protest fire that ca
Inside H Division: The Prison Within Pentridge - Part 1
In this episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand speaks with writer and former Pentridge inmate Ray Mooney about the brutal reality of H Division the notorious “prison within a prison” designed to break the will of men who refused to surrender. Ray recalls the bashings, isolation, rock-breaking yards and psychological toll of a place hidden from public view, while also reflecting on how it sh
Damned If You Do: The Case That Could End Police Pursuits | Mick Kennedy
When Sergeant Benedict Bryant was found guilty of dangerous driving over the death of Jai Wright — a teenager riding a stolen motorbike who collided with Bryant's stationary unmarked police car — the verdict sent shockwaves through the NSW Police Force. Bryant didn't go to jail, but the conviction may cost him everything. And the ripple effects could reshape policing across the state.
Business, Nothing Personal: The Detective Who Made Crooks Talk | David Plumpton
He spent four decades as one of Tasmania's most respected detectives, not by working the politics, but by working the streets. David Plumpton retired in 2015 as a detective inspector with Tasmania Police, but his legacy isn't built on rank. It's built on something far rarer: the ability to make the most dangerous, guarded, and ruthless criminals open their mouths. Adam sits down with "Plumo" to ex
450 Murders: Inside NSW Homicide | Danny Doherty
For nearly six years, Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty commanded the New South Wales Homicide Squad, overseeing more than 450 murders, a wave of organised crime killings, and some of the most complex mass-casualty investigations in the state's recent history, including Bondi Junction. Now retired after a 40-year career, Danny sits down with Adam Shand to pull back the curtain on what it actu
3.9 Seconds: The Prosecution of Sergeant Ben Bryant | Paul Fownes
When Sergeant Benedict Bryant pulled into Henderson Road on the morning of February 19, 2022, he had travelled 800 metres from Redfern Police Station to respond to a serious crime in progress. What followed took 3.9 seconds, and cost him his career, his finances and his freedom. Adam Shand is joined by Retired Chief Inspector Paul Fownes, who has been supporting Bryant's legal fight and fundraisin
The Woman Who Invented Cold Case DNA | Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick
She didn't stumble into cold case forensics: she invented it. Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick is a nuclear physicist, former rocket scientist, and the founder of California-based Identifinders International, and she's the woman who pioneered the technique now known as forensic investigative genetic genealogy. Adam sits down with Colleen to trace her remarkable journey from laser science and space shuttle
Such Is Life: Luke Bona's Untold Australian Story | Luke Bona
What began as a conversation about Ned Kelly, Dezi Freeman and the myth-making around Australia's most notorious outlaws, suddenly took an unexpected turn, and became something far more powerful. Adam Shand was a guest on his mate Luke Bona's Bonafide podcast to explore the parallels between Kelly's rebellion and Freeman's modern-day sympathisers, and the romanticised legacy of Australian bushrang
The Fingerprint of the 21st Century - And Its Flaws | Jae Gerhard
DNA evidence has been called the gold standard of forensic science — but is the justice system placing too much faith in it? Adam Shand speaks with Jae Gerhard, one of Australia's leading independent forensic scientists, about the hidden limitations of DNA evidence and what they mean for criminal prosecutions. A former scientist with the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police Force, Jae no
The Lawyer Who Robbed a Bank | Graeme Alford
Graeme Alford had it all mapped out: a criminal law practice in Melbourne, the trust of the underworld, and a fast-track to the top. Then the drinking and gambling caught up with him. He raided his client trust fund, did time in Pentridge and on release somehow managed to pull off one of the most inept armed robberies in Australian history - earning himself a second lagging. Inside, something shif
Equal Before the Law: The ISIS Brides Dilemma | Tanguy Mwilambwe
Four Australian women, known as the ISIS Brides, returned home from Syria in May this year. Two were charged with crimes against humanity and slavery offences allegedly committed overseas. A third faced terrorism-related charges. And yet another 20 or more remain stranded in Syrian refugee camps, unable to get home. The question isn't whether we like them. The question is whether the law applies e
After Dark Bandits: Doug's Last Word | Doug Morgan
When Doug Morgan first sat down with Adam Shand, the plan was simple: get both twins on the record, tell the full story of Victoria's After Dark Bandits, and move on. Nearly a year later, Adam is back with Doug for one final conversation — and this time, it's personal. More than fifty years on from the bank and betting shop robberies that defined their notoriety, Doug Morgan is done looking
Fog of War: Breaker Morant's Shadow | Tony Taouk
More than a century separates them, but the cases of Harry "Breaker" Morant and Ben Roberts-Smith share a troubling echo — Australian soldiers prosecuted for killings carried out in the fog of war, on foreign soil, in conflicts already morally compromised by the powers that sent them there. Adam Shand sits down with Sydney lawyer Tony Taouk of Magna Carta Lawyers, whose essay in Lawyers Week
Frontline to Front Bench: The Officer Who Ran for Office | Stuart Grimley
Victorian police officer Stuart Grimley has seen it all — three years as a Kalgoorlie copper rubbing shoulders with the Gypsy Jokers, stints in Major Drugs and Crime Command and two years working sexual offences cases that left images he'll never unsee. Then, in 2018, he did something most cops never do: he got elected to State Parliament under Derryn Hinch's Justice Party banner. He lost hi
The Ghost: Melbourne's Hospitality Crime War | Seb Costello
Melbourne is burning. A mystery cartel is laying siege to the city's hospitality industry — firebombings, drive-by shootings, bashings at family homes — and nobody knows exactly who's behind it, or why. Herald Sun crime reporter Seb Costello has been on the frontline of the story, breaking exclusive after exclusive using old-fashioned shoe leather. Adam and Seb unpack what's known, wha
The Tobacco War: Australia's Billion-Dollar Black Market | Chris Vedelago
Australia's illicit tobacco war has a new front — and it's more dangerous than ever. When tobacco kingpin Kaz Hamad was captured in Iraq earlier this year, many hoped it would signal the beginning of the end for the country's booming black market cigarette trade. Instead, his disappearance has thrown the market into chaos, and the firebombings, shootings and targeted attacks are back. Adam S
The Prince of the Painters and Dockers Union | Ron Isherwood
Ron Isherwood was born into Melbourne's underworld — son of Big Ron, a feared enforcer in the notorious Painters and Dockers Union. By 16, he'd fired his first shot. By 17, he was facing attempted murder charges. By 19, his mother was dead and heroin had taken over everything. In this episode, Adam speaks with Little Ron — now 71 — about growing up in the shadow of a violent, dom
The Unbreakable Road Back | Sam Jones
Sam Jones did hard time, faced drug and weapons charges, and by his own admission had a very twisted idea of what it meant to be a man. At 37, he's something else entirely — a trauma counsellor using breathwork and lived experience to help others find their way out. In this episode, Adam speaks with Sam about the childhood wounds that set him on a path of crime and addiction, the fake brothe
Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Ben Roberts-Smith Case | Philip Dunn KC
He is Australia's most decorated living soldier — a Victoria Cross recipient charged with the alleged murder of five unarmed Afghan detainees. But does losing a civil defamation case make Ben Roberts-Smith a convicted war criminal? Adam Shand thinks not, and he's found one of the country's most experienced criminal defence barristers to explain why. Philip Dunn KC has spent a career in the c
The After Dark Bandits: The Morgan Twins [Part Two] | Peter Morgan
Peter Morgan was one half of Australia's most audacious crime duo — identical twins who pulled off a string of armed robberies and became the country's most wanted. In Part Two of Adam's conversation with Peter, the story picks up in the aftermath of the 1979 Heathcote bank robbery, in which Senior Constable Ray Koch was shot. Peter recounts the desperate hours after the shooting — hid
The After Dark Bandits: The Morgan Twins [Part One] | Peter Morgan
He spent two years terrorising country banks and TABs across Victoria. He shot a police officer. He robbed the same bank three times. And he did it all as one half of Australia's most audacious criminal duo — the After Dark Bandits. Peter Morgan is the lesser-heard voice of the infamous Morgan twins. While his brother Doug has told his side of the story, Peter has stayed largely silent &mdas
Front Row Seat: The Job That Never Leaves You | Jason Doyle
When two Victoria Police officers were murdered by sex offender Dezi Freeman, it shone a harsh light on what frontline policing really costs. Adam Shand sits down with recently retired Victorian officer Jason Doyle — whose raw column in The Age sparked national conversation, to talk about a career lived entirely on the road. From welfare checks that turned deadly, to serving in the afte
Where Is Rigby Fielding? | Stephenie Fielding
In 2016, Adam Shand covered the disappearance of Rigby Fielding in a single radio segment — and then moved on. Ten years later, Rigby's family is still waiting. Rigby Fielding was 53 years old when he vanished on August 15, 2015, after calling his mother to say he was on his way home from Perth to Rockingham. He never arrived. Now his sister Stephenie joins Adam to walk through a decade of u
On the Beat: Transit Safety | Acting Superintendent Sean Halley
Adam Shand had a front-row seat to exactly the kind of incident his latest guest spends every day managing. After stepping in when a drunk man harassed women on a Melbourne train — only to watch Victoria Police's Protective Services Officers handle it with quiet, professional authority — Adam sat down with Acting Superintendent Sean Halley from the Transit Safety Division to unpack wha
Machete at Midnight: They Picked the Wrong House | "Michael"
When three armed intruders broke into "Michael"'s Melbourne home in the dead of night, they weren't expecting a fight. Armed with machetes and a gun, the men ransacked his home demanding money. What they got instead was a man who refused to back down. Bloodied but unbeaten, "Michael" held his ground using nothing but a decades-old ornamental sword and the muscle memory of martial arts traini
The 44-Gallon Drum: A Friend's Fight for Justice | Tracey Franze
In 2008, Melbourne man Fred Boyle was convicted of murdering his wife Edwina in October 1983 — then keeping her body sealed inside a 44-gallon drum for 23 years, moving it with him from house to house as he raised their two daughters. Tracey Franze knew Edwina through a shared love of horses in the late 1970s. She watched Fred's cruelty up close — towards animals, towards the truth and
The Thornbury Bookshop Killer | Phil Cleary
In June 1980, Maria James was stabbed 68 times in her Thornbury bookstore. Her killer was never charged. For years, investigators and a high-profile podcast pointed the finger at local parish priest Father Anthony Bonjourno — but Phil Cleary has always believed the real killer was someone else entirely. Phil Cleary is no stranger to violent crime. In 1987, his sister Vicki was murdered by he
The Night Kay Didn't Come Home | Kevin Docherty
Kay Docherty was 15 years old when she vanished on July 1979. She'd told her mum she was going to babysit at a friend's place. Her twin brother Kevin was supposed to pick her up at nine. He never got the chance. Forty-six years later, her twin brother Kevin Docherty, is still searching for answers — and still fighting to be heard. Adam talks to Kevin Docherty about the night Kay disappeared,
Errol Radan's Jailhouse Confession | "Ted"
****Content Warning:**** This episode contains discussion of the abduction, sexual assault and murder of children. Listener discretion is strongly advised. In August 1973, two girls vanished from Adelaide Oval at a Saturday afternoon football match. Joanne Ratcliffe, 11, and Kirsty Gordon, 4, walked to the toilet at 3:45pm and were never seen again. For decades, the prime suspect was Errol Radan &
The Dodger: Roger Rogerson's Confessions | Mark Dixon
Mark "Hammer" Dixon spent years on the road with Roger Rogerson and Mark "Chopper" Reed — working security, collecting debts and sharing hotel rooms in outback Queensland. And in that time, Rogerson said things he probably shouldn't have. He told Dixon the two men convicted of the 1973 Whiskey Au Go Go firebombing — which killed 15 people — were innocent. That he'd written them u
The Monster Next Door: Dieter Pfennig | Michael Madigan
Adam Shand sits down with author Michael Madigan to discuss his book Father Teacher Child Killer, the chilling account of Dieter Pfennig, the South Australian man now serving life for the murders of 10-year-olds Louise Bell and Michael Black. Louise Bell vanished from her bedroom in Hackham West on the night of January 3rd, 1983 — taken without a sound while her younger sister slept beside h
Confessions and Consequences: The Grimmer Case Update | Ricki Nash
Join host Adam Shand in this episode of Real Crime as he delves into the ongoing quest for justice in the tragic case of Cheryl Grimmer, featuring an update from her brother, Ricky Nash. After years of fighting for recognition, the New South Wales DPP has agreed to review the admissibility of critical confessions made in the 1971 case. In this discussion, Ricky shares the emotional toll of seeking
The Parole of a Monster: Twenty Years Later | Lauren Huxley
In November 2005, 18-year-old Lauren Huxley was at home alone in Sydney when her life was changed forever. Randomly targeted by violent offender Robert Black Farmer — Lauren was brutally attacked, bound, beaten, doused in petrol and left for dead as her family home was set alight. It was a crime that shocked Australia. Against all odds, Lauren survived. Now, nearly 20 years later, Farme
The Corrections Officer and the Prisoner | Peter and Belinda Bates
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with Peter and Belinda Bates — a couple whose love story began behind prison walls and whose shared mission now is to stop the cycle of violence before it destroys more lives. Raised in a home defined by extreme domestic violence, coercion and control, Peter grew up believing brutality was strength and drugs were survival. By
Kerry Packer's Gold: The Sydney Bullion Mystery
In April 1995, Australia’s richest man, Kerry Packer, reported that 285 kilograms of gold bullion had been stolen from a safe inside his Sydney office. It was the largest gold theft in Australian history — a brazen break-in that appeared to be the work of a master safecracker who slipped past 24-hour security without a trace. But what if the robbery was never a robbery at all? In this
Authority and Humanity: Policing with Heart | Corey Allen
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with recently retired Queensland Police Chief Inspector Corey Allen — a cop who never quite fit the mould. As a teenager, Corey dreamed of becoming a writer. Instead, he spent nearly four decades inside the Queensland Police Service — stretching himself (literally and figuratively) to get in the door. What followed was a car
The Cleary Legacy: A Sister’s Fight for Justice | Lizzy Cleary [Part 2]
In 1987, Vicki Cleary was murdered by her ex-partner, Peter Keogh. In the first part of this series, Adam spoke with her brother Phil about the legal battle that followed — and the fight to abolish the provocation defence that allowed Keogh to serve just three years and eleven months for her killing. In this second part, Adam sits down with Vicki’s younger sister Lizzy Cleary, who was
The Cleary Legacy: A Brother’s Fight for Justice | Phil Cleary [Part 1]
In this first episode of a two-part series, Real Crime with Adam Shand examines the deadly risks women face when leaving violent relationships. Adam speaks with former federal MP and long-time advocate Phil Cleary about the 1987 murder of his sister, Vicki Cleary, by her ex-partner — a killing that exposed deep flaws in Australia’s legal system, including the now-abolished provocation
War in the Suburbs: Inside Victoria’s Armed Robbery Squad | Rod Porter
In the 1970s and ’80s, Victoria was in the grip of an armed robbery epidemic. Banks, newsagents and small businesses were hit daily. Gunmen didn’t hesitate. Police were targets. And the Armed Robbery Squad was on the front line. In this episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand sits down with former Victoria Police detective Rod Porter, a proud member of the Armed Robbery Squad during its most
The Girl Taken, The Family Left Behind | Melanie Grimmer
The disappearance of three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer from Fairy Meadow Beach in 1970 has haunted Australia for more than five decades. But the impact of that crime didn’t stop on the sand dunes that day — it rippled through generations of one family. In this episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand speaks with Melanie Grimmer, Cheryl’s niece and the daughter of Cheryl’s brother
Inside Australia’s Most Dramatic Airport Robbery | Stephen Barci
On July 28, 1992, a meticulously planned armed robbery at Melbourne Airport ended in bloodshed.More than a million dollars was stolen from an Ansett Freight terminal — but the gang never made their escape. In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam speaks exclusively with Steve Barci, the third member of the crew — a seasoned armed robber who has never spoken publicly about th
From Heroin to Redemption: Making Your Own Luck | Dean King
Between the ages of 13 and 27, Dean King didn’t spend a single full year out of jail. A hardened criminal shaped by violence, addiction and the prison system, he was destined to die behind bars — until one explosive moment in rehab changed everything. Dean recounts the day the floodgates finally opened, forcing him to confront decades of buried pain — a turning point that led him
Iboga: Facing Trauma at the Root | Lewis Mbwela
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with Lewis Mbwela, an Iboga practitioner trained in the traditional West African medicine used for centuries by the Bwiti people. Unlike clinical Ibogaine treatments now appearing in the West, this experience involves the full Iboga root — a powerful plant medicine said to confront trauma at its source. What begins as an obse
A Mother Taken, A Family Broken | Daphne Enid Sansbury
In March 1982, Daphne Enid Sansbury’s body was found at Victoria Park Racecourse in Adelaide. No one was ever held accountable. More than forty years later, her children and grandchildren are still living with the trauma of her death — and of a system that took her children, silenced her voice and failed to deliver justice. Through intimate family testimony, archival evidence and inves
Florence Broadhurst: The Evidence Left Behind | Tony Russell
On his first day at Paddington Police Station, 19-year-old Tony Russell attended a welfare check at the Sydney factory of celebrated wallpaper designer Florence Broadhurst. What he discovered inside would become one of Australia’s most notorious unsolved murders — and the beginning of a lifetime of unanswered questions. In this powerful episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Tony Russe
Five Years for a Crime He Didn’t Commit | John Button
In 1963, a 19-year-old Perth man became the face of one of Australia’s most devastating miscarriages of justice. In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam speaks directly with John Button, now in his 80s, about the night that changed his life, the brutality of a forced confession, and the system that chose expediency over justice. Button recounts living under the shadow of a wrongf
Thirteen Years On: Living With the Attack | Lance White
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam speaks with former radio newsreader Lance White, who was the victim of a savage attack at a suburban Perth train station. Set upon by a group of young men simply looking for someone to bash, Lance survived — but the long-term psychological toll would change his life forever. Thirteen years on, the attackers have never been caught. Despite C
A Nationwide Reckoning: Reopening the Milat Files | Jeremy Buckingham MP
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with NSW Legislative Council member Jeremy Buckingham, chair of a parliamentary inquiry into unsolved murders and missing persons cases. What begins as a New South Wales investigation is rapidly expanding into a nationwide probe, uncovering chilling links between Milat and dozens, possibly scores, of unsolved killings across Australia.
Cold Cases, Hard Truths: Retired Detective on Justice and Failure | Damian Loone
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with retired NSW Detective Sergeant Damian Loone, a relentless investigator whose 35-year career spanned some of Australia’s most haunting cold cases. From the murder of Lynette Dawson, to the disappearance of Cheryl Grimmer and the killing of Rachel Childs - Loone reflects on the victories, the heartbreaks and the cases that
Russell St Police HQ: Melbourne’s Most Feared Police Building - Mark de Bono
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with Mark De Bono — a man whose life collided head-on with Melbourne’s criminal justice system during one of its most notorious eras. Mark recounts a chilling firsthand experience inside Russell Street Police Headquarters in the mid-1980s, where he says detectives dangled him out a window to force cooperation. A story whispe
Inside Pentridge: The Chaplain Who Knew Them All | Peter Norden
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with Father Peter Norden — the former Catholic chaplain of Melbourne’s notorious Pentridge Prison and one of the most trusted figures inside Australia’s criminal underworld. From the brutality of the infamous H Division, Norden offers a rare, first-hand account of life behind the bluestone walls. He speaks candidly abo
The Dark Legend of Mervin Henry Stevenson | Elliot Hannay
In this episode, Adam Shand uncovers the chilling legacy of one of Queensland’s most feared and controversial police officers: Superintendent Mervin Henry Stevenson. Adam speaks with Elliot Hannay, former editor of the Townsville Bulletin, who had multiple disturbing encounters with Stevenson during Queensland’s pre-Fitzgerald era—an age defined by corruption, cover-ups and
BEST OF 2025: A Barrister's View on the Mushroom Killer | Philip Dunn KC
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, we revisit Phillip's story. Adam sits down with veteran barrister Philip Dunn KC to unpack the verdict in one of Australia's most shocking criminal trials: the mushroom lunch murders. Erin Patterson has been found guilty of killing her former in-laws and attempting to murder a fourth guest using deadly mushrooms. 🎧 Want the full story? Listen to
BEST OF 2025: Why Shirley Never Made It to the Party | Louise Steding
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, we revisit Louise's story. In this gripping episode, Adam is joined by forensic archaeologist Dr. Louise Steding to revisit the unsolved 1953 murder of 14-year-old Shirley Collins. Shirley disappeared on her way to a birthday party in Melbourne, only to be found brutally murdered days later at Mount Martha. Read Dr Lousie Steding's Book "Inconcei
BEST OF 2025: Car Bomb on Coburg Road | Tina Kemp
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, we revisit Tina's story. Adam Shand is joined by former detective Tina Kemp to revisit one of Australia's most baffling unsolved murders — the 1998 car bombing of John Furlan. They unpack the cast of shady characters, including a dodgy car dealer with mafia ties, a confessor with a dark past, and a bomb maker who may still be out there.&nbs
BEST OF 2025: How One Man Lost $1.8M | Ed Toller
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, we revisit Ed's story. Ed Toller scammed nearly $1.8 million from unsuspecting investors—not to fund a lavish life, but to feed a gambling addiction he couldn’t control. In this raw and revealing episode, Ed sits down with Adam Shand to unpack the real cost of compulsive betting, the lies that spiraled out of control, and the prison s
“I Should Be Dead”: A STAR Group Officer’s Fight Back | Derrick McManus
In 1994, Derrick was shot 14 times in under five seconds during an attempted arrest, sparking a 41-hour siege and a lifelong exploration into human durability. Derrick takes us inside the moment time stood still, the three hours he lay bleeding under constant gunfire, and the mental conditioning that kept him alive. Adam and Derrick also unpack the hidden psychological toll on police, the fa
New Evidence in the Beaumont Mystery | Bryan Littlely
The Beaumont Children. The Adelaide Oval Abductions. The Family.For decades, South Australia has lived under the shadow of unsolved child abductions — cases stained by secrecy, fear and whispered allegations of powerful networks operating with impunity. In this episode, Adam speaks with journalist and Sleepers podcaster Bryan Littlely, who has uncovered new and disturbing information about L
Surviving Ice, Crime and Chaos: Tom’s Second Chance | Tom de Souza
In this powerful episode, Adam reunites with Tom De Souza, a young man he first met a decade ago while documenting Tom’s descent into methamphetamine addiction in the podcast Meth Destruction. Tom was just 13 when he spiralled from scholarship student to juvenile detention, drug use and violent crime. Now 30, Tom has found sobriety, purpose, and a sense of home within himself. He’
Words That Save Lives: A Negotiator’s Story | Lee Wolahan
When Australia’s most volatile moments unfold — a siege, a suicide attempt, a hostage situation, or a person in deep crisis — there’s one specialist quietly working to bring everyone home alive: the police negotiator. In this gripping episode, Adam sits down with Leading Senior Constable Lee Wolahan, one of Victoria Police’s most experienced and respected negotiators.
The Criminal Psychologist Who Flew Too Close to the Flame | Tim Watson Munro
In this episode, Adam sits down with Australia’s most recognisable criminal psychologist, Tim Watson-Munro — a man who has spent nearly 50 years staring into the darkest corners of the human mind. From Parramatta Jail in the 1970s to some of the most notorious cases in Australian criminal history, Tim has assessed thousands of offenders, earning the trust of hardened criminals and the
Behind the Uniform: The Hidden Trauma of Policing | Narelle Fraser
Former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser spent 27 years confronting some of the darkest corners of humanity—homicide, sexual assault, missing persons. But no case has stayed with her more than the disappearance of Lorraine Joy (Yardley) Carter, a vulnerable young woman who vanished in 2002 and was never found. In this episode, Narelle opens up to Adam about the emotional toll of polic
Why Illegal Tobacco Is Exploding in Australia | Kelly Crossley & Rowan Pike
Illegal tobacco is no longer a back-alley trade — it’s a billion-dollar criminal economy fuelling arson, extortion, murders and a full-blown underworld war across Australia. In this explosive episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand uncovers how half of all tobacco consumed in Australia has slipped into the shadows, and why the government’s own excise regime is driving the demand. Adam
Justice Denied: A Child’s Voice Ignored: | Marita Murphy
In this powerful and deeply confronting episode, Adam Shand speaks with survivor and advocate Marita Murphy, who has spent more than 50 years trying to be heard. At just seven years old, Marita was brutally assaulted by two teenage boys—a crime her family discouraged her from reporting and one that would shape every part of her life. Marita opens up about the trauma she carried into adulthoo
Privacy vs. Safety: The CCTV Dilemma | David Bartlett
In this episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand speaks with former Victoria Police officer and intelligence specialist David Bartlett, the founder of the Safer Places Network—an ambitious new system aiming to transform how CCTV is used in Australia. From the Jill Meagher investigation to missing persons, aggravated burglaries and retail crime, Adam and David break down how one camera can make
War on the Streets: Victoria’s Violent Eighties | Alex Krstic
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, we revisit one of the most violent eras in Victoria’s history through the eyes of former detective and firearms instructor Alex Christich. From the Mad Max manhunt to the Russell Street bombing and the Wall Street police murders, Christich recounts the days when Victoria Police faced armed robbers, escapees and killers who weren’t afraid t
Old School Crime: The Rise and Fall of Bertie Kidd | Phillip Short
In this episode, investigative journalist Adam Shand revisits the extraordinary criminal career of Bertram Douglas “Bertie” Kidd — safe-breaker, armed robber, race fixer and serial corruptor of police who may also have been a killer. After attending Kidd’s funeral, Adam sits down with former New South Wales detective Phil Short, one of the officers who finally brought the n
Inside Operation Afghan: Behind the Griffith Mafia | Peter Kos
In this episode, Adam Shand speaks with retired Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Kos, one of the original investigators behind Operation Afghan — a daring undercover sting targeting Italian organised crime in Griffith during the 1990s. Peter lifts the lid on the truth behind the famous infiltration of the Griffith Mafia. From the early days of the drug squad and the rise of Antonio Romeo to u
The Golden Age of Armed Robbery | Ray Lambie
In this episode, Adam Shand speaks with retired detective Ray Lambie, who joined the NSW Armed Robbery Squad at the height of the so-called “golden era.” Lambie shares stories from the front line — high-stakes takedowns, corrupt cops, close calls and the adrenaline rush of chasing Australia’s most dangerous men. Together, they explore how policing changed, why the banks res
The Man Who Got Away: The Lucille Butterworth Case | Cary Millhouse
In 1969, 20-year-old Lucille Butterworth vanished from a bus stop near Hobart, Tasmania. For decades, her disappearance remained one of Australia’s most haunting cold cases. In this episode, Adam Shand speaks with former detective constable Cary Mark Millhouse, who helped reopen the investigation and uncover the truth buried in old police files and forgotten confessions. Through meticulous d
Deported Without Trial: Inside Australia’s Character Test | Gary Lewer
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, we explore the case of Gary Lewer — a former Mr. Australia, world bodybuilding champion and long-time Melbourne identity who now finds himself detained in an immigration facility and facing deportation to a country he hasn’t lived in since childhood. Lewer insists he’s no criminal mastermind but the victim of a vendetta — a web
Buried Secrets: The Crimes NSW Forgot | Jeremy Buckingham MP
For decades, families across New South Wales have waited for answers — hundreds of unsolved murders and disappearances, too many to dismiss as coincidence. In this episode, Adam speaks with Jeremy Buckingham, NSW Member of Parliament, who has pushed through a parliamentary inquiry into the state’s cold cases — and the possible serial killers who may have operated undete
Facing Evil: The Vaitos Conversation | Peter Vaitos
In this confronting episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand sits down with one of Australia’s most reviled offenders — Peter Vaitos, the man once known as The Silver Gun Rap*st. For the first time in more than 40 years, Vaitos speaks publicly, joined by his daughter Stacey, who has chosen to stand by him in the hope of revealing new information about one of Victoria’s most enduring mys
Taxpayers Pay, Offenders Profit: The Hidden Cost of Child Abuse | Andrew Carpenter
In this episode, Adam Shand speaks with Adelaide lawyer Andrew Carpenter, a man described as “the most hated by Australian child sex offenders.” Carpenter has dedicated his career to pursuing justice for survivors of child sexual abuse—specifically, by closing a shocking legal loophole that allows convicted pedophiles to hide their wealth in superannuation, beyond the reach
Justice Denied: The Cheryl Grimmer Case | Ricki Nash
More than fifty years after three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer vanished from Fairy Meadow Beach, her brother Ricki is still fighting for justice. In this episode, Adam Shand speaks with Ricki Nash about the heartbreaking failures that have kept Cheryl’s case unsolved — from a detailed 1971 confession ruled inadmissible, to decades of police inaction and bureaucratic stonewalling. Together,
Truth, Lies, and the Polygraph: The Human Lie Detector | Steve Van Aperen
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, we sit down with Steve Van Aperen — Australia’s leading polygraph examiner, widely known as the “Human Lie Detector.” After 15 years in the police force, Steve built a career uncovering deception in homicide investigations, cold cases and even everyday disputes. Adam and Steve explore the power and limits of polygraphs, th
Inside the Gang Crisis: A Former Cop Speaks Out | Pat Boyle
In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, we sit down with former Victoria Police inspector Pat Boyle, one of Australia’s foremost experts on street gangs. Nearly two decades ago, Boyle warned of the rising tide of youth gang culture in Melbourne — a problem many dismissed at the time. Drawing on his frontline experience, international research and a groundbreaking master’s
Cold Case: Who Killed Shirley Collins? | Louise Steding
In this gripping episode, Adam is joined by forensic archaeologist Dr. Louise Steding to revisit the unsolved 1953 murder of 14-year-old Shirley Collins. Shirley disappeared on her way to a birthday party in Melbourne, only to be found brutally murdered days later at Mount Martha. Despite intensive police work, the case went cold—until Louise’s meticulous research uncovered overlooked
Harassed by Sovereign Citizens: A Detective’s Ordeal | Peter Kos
When a simple arrest spiralled into years of harassment, retired detective Peter Kos found himself battling more than just the lawbreakers — he was battling the legal system itself. In this episode of Real Crime, Peter shares how he became the target of a relentless group of so-called “sovereign citizens” who flooded him with threats, false accusations and legal stunts designed t
Addicted to Risk: Ten Years After the ATM Glitch | Dan Saunders
Ten years ago, Dan Saunders walked into an ATM and stumbled onto one of the strangest financial loopholes in Australian history. What started as a late-night discovery turned into millions of dollars, wild nights, global headlines and ultimately—prison time. In this conversation, journalist Adam Shand reconnects with Saunders a decade on to uncover the real story behind the myth. Was it fate
