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
From the Desk: Snezana’s Missing Ring
A photograph, a bare wedding finger and a possible message. Adam Shand examines Snezana Wood’s first reported public appearance since her husband Sam was charged with domestic violence offences. Is this a declaration of independence, or are we reading too much into the picture? Beyond the tabloid signals lie serious questions about prosecution, family support and access to justice. Wood deni
A PERSONAL BEST EVERYDAY
In Part Two of Kyle Madden's story, he returns to jail to find a darker more brutal environment where the old rules are breaking down. He must form strong bonds with jail gangs and fighting for survival becomes the norm. Once free again, it's only a matter of time before he's back inside, especially as his offending becomes more serious and violent. He comes to place no value on life until the los
THE COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL KNOWLEDGE
A special double episode on the journey of former Sydney criminal Kyle Madden from an underworld heavy to a new life beyond crime. In Part One, Kyle is jailed for a home invasion that results in the shooting of an innocent bystander. After his first stint, jail becomes a revolving door for Kyle as family and personal relationships break down. In custody, Kyle aligns himself with heavy crooks and b
From The Desk | How Many Chances Does the State Get to Kill You?
Christa Pike survived Tennessee’s attempt to execute her. Should the state be allowed to try again? From the Desk, Adam Shand examines the legal precedent, the English legend of mercy after a failed hanging, and the moral limits of capital punishment. Even if another execution attempt is lawful, does that make it right?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trust the Dog The Story of Police Dog Vader
When police officer David Raymond walked into the darkness hunting a killer, he often had just one partner besides him, a partner who couldn’t speak but whose instincts David trusted with his life. For 26 years, David worked with police dogs in Far North Queensland. But one dog would come to define his career: Vader, a jet-black German Shepherd who tracked killers, confronted armed offenders
The Girl Before Underbelly
Long before Roberta Williams became one of the most recognisable names in Melbourne’s gangland story, she was Roberta Merciecaa, a rebellious 15-year-old growing up around Frankston.Lee McIntosh knew her then. As a youth worker, Lee worked with young people dealing with broken homes, trauma and uncertain futures. She understood them because she had lived through her own family upheaval. But
From The Desk -A Confession the Jury Never Heard
Three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer vanished from Fairy Meadow beach at Wollongong in 1970. A teenager later told police he had abducted and killed her. Decades on, he was charged with murder—but the case ended when a judge ruled that his police interview could not be used at trial. He pleaded not guilty, and no jury reached a verdict. After a tireless campaign for justice by Cheryl's family
Breaking the Silence: Victoria’s Story
Victoria, with the support of her new partner, Grant, reports that the father of her children has raped and sexually assaulted her. Victoria summons the courage to go through the three-year process that led to his conviction and a 13-year prison sentence. Another woman is inspired to bring charges against the perpetrator for crimes committed against her. Victoria has waived her right to anonymity
The Detective’s Mind: Murder, Arson and the Evidence That Solves Crimes
Jeff Maher had a stellar career as an investigator, including a 15-year stint as a detective senior sergeant in the Victoria Police homicide squad. His crew worked on some of the most high-profile murder cases in the state’s history, which included locking up a serial killer. Peter Dupas. Jeff also worked in arson and explosives investigations. In this revealing interview, he discusses inves
From The Desk -The Debbie Fahey Files: Was the Scene Staged?
Debbie Fahey’s death in a Melbourne motel room in 1981 was treated as a heroin overdose. But more than four decades later, troubling questions remain.Multiple syringes. Four foils of heroin. No obvious heat source to prepare the drug. And a strange telegram that appeared to explain Debbie’s state of mind.Then there is the man in her life: Alistair Farquhar "Sandy" MacRae — later
From Heroin to Hope: Patrick McKenzie’s Road to Redemption
Like thousands of young Australians in the 1980s, Patrick McKenzie became addicted to heroin and found his way to Sydney's King Cross joining a sub-culture of drug users who financed their habit by committing petty crime. It took five days in jail for him to begin to see a life beyond drug addiction but the road to recovery was difficult, including multiple stints in rehab, relapses and the painfu
The Debbie Fahey Files: Too Many Questions
Was Debbie Fahey's death really a murder? In 1981, Deborah “Debbie” Fahey died from a heroin overdose; her death was apparently another tragedy of Melbourne’s drug scene.But was there more to the story? In an earlier episode, former detective Noel Ashby identified convicted killer Alistair Farquhar MacRae as a possible suspect in a series of heroin deaths during the 1980s—d
From the Desk - Why Melbourne’s Gangland War Became Legend
Sixteen years after the death of Carl Williams, the Melbourne gangland war continues to resonate as Australia’s most famous underworld war. In this week’s From the Desk episode, Adam Shand reflects on why the Underbelly war continues to fascinate the public even as the death toll in Sydney‘s gangland conflicts continues to rise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Live At The Stanley Pub - Part 2 ATM Glitch That Gave Him Unlimited Money
In Part Two of Real Crime: Live at the Stanley Pub, Adam Shand sits down with Daniel Saunders — the man who discovered a glitch in his bank account that seemingly gave him access to unlimited money. What followed was four months of outrageous spending, new friends, gambling, luxury hotels and a life that spiralled completely out of control. But eventually, Daniel did something almost as extr
Live At The Stanley Pub - Part 1
A special double episode this week, Adam Shand is taking Real Crime on the road with Dan Saunders of The Glitch podcast visiting historic Stanley in northeast Victoria for a live event at the Stanley pub, in association with Turnip Media. In this first episode, Adam tells how he got into crime writing during Melbourne’s gangland war and recounts some of his near-death experiencesSee omnystud
From The Desk - Family Court Under Scrutiny: Are Children Being Left in Danger?
This week I posted about disturbing revelations involving Australia’s Family Court. I was inundated with messages from women who believe the system failed them—and left their children in danger. In this episode of From the Desk, I examine claims that protective mothers are being ignored, disbelieved, or financially broken by a process they entered to keep their children safe. I ask whe
Psychics, Crime and the $100,000 test
For more than 20 years, Adam Shand has asked detectives across Australia: has a psychic ever genuinely helped solve a crime? In this episode, Adam speaks with Richard Saunders from Australian Skeptics about the $100,000 prize awaiting anyone who can prove they possess psychic abilities under controlled conditions. The money is real—but can anybody pass the test? Together, they examine the cl
Inside the Life of the Craigslist Drug Dealer
Jamie Burchell once made his living selling drugs and he was very good at it but he paid for it with years in maximum security and a struggle with anxiety and depression. Now free and living alone in the bush, the man once dubbed the Craigslist drug dealer speaks candidly about fatherhood, regret. self-sufficiency and his chance to build a life beyond crimeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i
From the Desk -Should Australia Ever Bring Back the Death Penalty?
More than one in three Australians—37 per cent—say they would support bringing back the death penalty. But supporting an execution in principle is very different from carrying one out.In today’s From the Desk, Adam asks the uncomfortable question: if the state is permitted to take a life in our name, who must bear the burden of actually doing it? Would those demanding the ultimat
The Wolf of Whiteman Street: The Extraordinary Fall of Sy Giang Nguyen
He was dubbed the “Wolf of Whiteman Street," a Crown Casino high roller whose extravagant lifestyle allegedly included lavish parties, VIP treatment, and extraordinary spending. But behind the glamour, police allege Sy Giang Nguyen was funding his lifestyle through a multimillion-dollar fraud against the charity where he worked. Nguyen is facing hundreds of charges, and the allegations remai
From the Desk - Ralph Carr: Was Six Years Enough?
Ralph Carr was sentenced to six years in prison, with a four-year non-parole period, for two rapes and a sexual assault. For many, the punishment feels profoundly inadequate. In this edition of From the Desk, Adam Shand examines why the judge could not sentence according to public anger alone—and how precedent, proportionality, comparable cases and Carr’s personal circumstances shaped
Pure Undistilled Evil
Alistair Farquhar "Sandy" MacRae is a quadruple convicted murderer who killed without mercy. At 77, MacRae is eligible for parole after completing his jail sentence in South Australia but questions remain whether he killed other people, including women who worked in massage parlours in Melbourne in the 1970s. Former Victoria Police assistant commissioner Noel Ashby dealt with MacRae and tells Adam
Will Simon Carman Face Execution in Thailand?
Australian Simon Carman is facing the possibility of the death penalty over the alleged murder of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla in Thailand. Sydney lawyer Tony Taouk joins Adam Shand to examine the case, explain how the Thai legal system operates and assess whether a death sentence is likely to be imposed—and, crucially, whether it would ever be carried out.See omnystudio.com/listener for p
From the Desk -Adult Time for Adult Crime: Is Locking Up Kids Actually Working?
In this bonus epsiode From the Desk Adam asks the question. Australia is getting tougher on youth crime — longer sentences, stricter bail laws and “adult time for adult crime.” But with youth detention costing more than $1 billion a year and around 85% of young offenders returning to the system, is locking kids up really making us safer? Adam Shand looks at the disturbing crimes
Bali, Terrorism and the Thai Cave Rescue: Glen McEwen’s Story
Former Australian Federal Police commander Glen McEwen spent 35 years confronting organised crime, terrorism and international crises. His new book, Crime, Chaos and Controversy, takes readers behind the scenes of operations including the Bali bombings and the dramatic Thai cave rescue. Glen joins Adam Shand to reveal what happens when police must make life-and-death decisions amid uncertainty&mda
Turning the tide? Detective inspector Graham Banks
Recent arrests in Melbourne of individuals alleged to be connected to offshore organised crime bosses have raised hopes police may be turning the tide on the arson campaign that has beset Melbourne. Adam talks with Detective Inspector Graham Banks of Victoria Police’s Eclipse taskforce.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From The Desk - Sky High Violence in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory’s homicide rate is more than five times the national rate, while communities including Alice Springs and Katherine experience extraordinary levels of assault and domestic violence. Adam Shand draws on his own experience working in Nhulunbuy more than 40 years ago to examine the role of alcohol, disadvantage and intergenerational trauma — and asks the question: af
Waiting for Justice – Simone Patterson
For 25 years, former NSW prison officer Simone Patterson lived with the consequences of sexual harassment and assault by a male colleague. Then she decided to pursue justice — and succeeded. Simone joins Adam Shand to explain why she waited, what it took to go to court, and what finally being heard meant to her.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Daughter of the Silver Gun Rapist
In the 1970s, Peter Vaitos was one of Australia’s most notorious sexual predators, known as the “Silver Gun Rapist.” But behind the headlines, the crimes and the prison sentence was a family forced to live with what he had done. In this episode of Adam Shand, talks with Vaitos’ daughter, Stacey, about growing up with a father capable of terrible crimes, the moment she began
From the Desk: Why do victims stay silent when the offender is powerful?
Using the allegations against convicted rapist Ralph Carr as a starting point, Adam Shand explores the hidden power imbalance at the heart of sexual abuse. Drawing on conversations with another alleged victim who feared Carr’s influence, this episode examines how authority, reputation and fear can silence victims for years—and why understanding that imbalance is essential if we want ju
Paul Mallinder : His Story
Paul Terrance Mallinder was found guilty of the 1985 shooting of Kay Nesbit, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. For more than four decades, he has maintained that he did not commit this crime that left an innocent woman disfigured. In this rare and confronting interview, Mallinder tells his story in his own words. He speaks about the investigation that led to his conviction, life behind bars, a
The Cost of Speaking Up | Steve Beanland Part 3
In Part 3 of his interview, former Victorian Armed Robbery Squad detective Steve Beanland details his battle with Victoria Police over allegations he made regarding sexual misconduct at the Police Academy.Faced with a lack of support from the police hierarchy, Beanland goes to war with his former employers and finds himself in custody facing serious criminal charges. Over several years, he struggl
From The Desk - Connection or Coincidence? Karmein Chan and Bung Siriboon.
From the Desk, Adam examines two of Melbourne’s most haunting child disappearances: Karmein Chan and Bung Siriboon. Many believe they’re connected because both victims were young girls from Asian families. But does the evidence support that conclusion? Listen to Mr Cruel here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Australia's Missing: The Cases That Still Need Answers
Nicole Morris has spent years searching for answers in Australia's most haunting missing-persons cases. In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, she discusses her book Lost, the human stories behind unexplained disappearances, and why so many families remain trapped between hope and heartbreak. Drawing on her work with the Australian Missing Persons Register, Nicole offers a rare insight int
The Prisoner Who Changed Australian Law
In 1990, Victoria passed an extraordinary law to keep notorious violent offender Gary David (Webb) behind bars after his sentence had expired. Former Victorian MP Neil Cole was one of the few politicians to oppose the legislation, arguing it ignored the reality that David was suffering from severe mental illness. In this fascinating interview, Cole reflects on a decision that reshaped Australian l
From the Desk - Is Australia creating its next black market?
Australia's illicit tobacco trade has fuelled a wave of firebombings, extortion and organised crime. But is history about to repeat itself with alcohol?In this episode of From the Desk, Adam Shand examines how rising alcohol excise may be creating new opportunities for criminal syndicates. From illegal distilleries and counterfeit spirits to billion-dollar tax losses and dangerous contaminated alc
The Fight for Bronte -Janine Haskins
Janine Haskins tells Adam about her campaign to reform police investigations of suicides and the coronial process in the ACT after the 2020 death of her 23-year-old daughter Bronte. Janine believes that police need to avoid tunnel vision when approaching the suspected suicide of young people where there may be other possibilities. The ACT coroner found that Bronte had taken her own life, but her m
Unsafe Convictions? Peter Breen on Two Infamous Australian Cases
Lawyer and former NSW politician Peter Breen argues that two of Australia's most controversial murder convictions deserve fresh scrutiny. He explains why he believes the convictions of Phuong Ngo for the murder of MP John Newman and Steven Wayne "Shorty" Jamieson for the murder of Janine Balding were unsafe, raising questions about indemnified witnesses, disputed police interview techniques and ev
Bonus - From The Desk - Melbourne Tobacco Wars
In a new Friday bonus episode, From The Desk, Adam gives his thoughts on the Melbourne tobacco wars and what's driving the unprecedented wave of arson attacks orchestrated from offshore by Kazem Hamad's crime syndicate. Despite recent successes, police can't arrest their way to success. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Hidden Cost - Steve Beanland - Part 2
For detective Steve Beanland, the investigation into the murders of Rod Miller and Gary Silk did not end with convictions. In Part Two, Steve speaks openly about the toll the case took on his mental health and on a job he had loved for 25 years. He reflects on the personal cost of policing major crime and explains why, despite the trauma, he chooses to dwell on the good times, the friendships and
Steve Beanland: Hunting the Killers of Silk and Miller
Two police officers gunned down in cold blood—Rod Miller and Gary Silk’s murders in August 1998 stunned Australia and ignited one of Victoria’s most intense manhunts. Former Armed Robbery Squad detective Steve Beanland was on the front line. In Part One, he takes listeners inside the relentless investigation, revealing the pressure, drive, and emotional toll of chasing the killer
If Not Milat, Then Who?
David Cunningham has long believed his sister Anita and her travelling companion Robin Hoinville Bartram were victims of serial killer Ivan Milat. But new evidence suggests Milat was in New Zealand when the pair disappeared. In a deeply personal interview, David reflects on his lifelong search for answers as Adam examines fresh evidence placing Whiskey Au Go Go bomber John Andrew Stuart in the are
Badge of Betrayal: How a Dead Pedophile Cop Exposed a Police Culture Crisis
Investigative journalist and podcast host Jay Walkerden joins Adam to discuss Badge of Betrayal, his explosive investigation into disgraced Tasmanian police officer Paul Reynolds. The series examined decades of child sexual abuse allegations, failures of accountability, and the shocking decision to grant Reynolds a police funeral despite concerns about his conduct. Walkerden explains how the podca
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
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