The Poisoned Wife
The Poisoned Wife is a true-crime podcast from The Australian, hosted by Hedley Thomas and Karina Berger. It investigates the unsolved 1986 murder of Rosslyn McQueen, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was poisoned with strychnine in her home in country Victoria while her toddler was nearby. Her husband Ray told officials she had terminal cancer, but she did not, and suicide seemed unlikely. The series also features retired private investigator Rex Bakes, who worked for the husband's defence team and now seeks justice for Ros. Subscribers to The Australian get early access to episodes and additional resources.
Episodes
Episode 8: Rex and Wendy
For the first time, Rosslyn's best friend Wendy's real voice is heard in the podcast. She has never believed that her friend committed suicide and is sure she met foul play. Wendy reveals that homicide detectives told her some things in 1987 about Ros's poisoning with strychnine and their theory about how her body ended up on a kitchen chair. Wendy recalls how she connected with Rex years ag
Episode 7: Donna
Donna reveals she received a secret letter from Ray after Rosslyn's death. The then teenager tells Hedley and Karina that she didn't give it to police when they came to her home with a search warrant. Donna recalls how the letter "freaked her out" and regrets not handing it over. Donna asks herself whether things might have turned out differently if she and others had "not fought for Ray" had they
Episode 6: Fearful
Former detective Ron Blackshaw breaks his silence to reflect on critical aspects of the police case, 40 years after charging Ray with Ros's murder. Ray told friends, neighbours, work colleagues and teenager Donna that Ros had cancer and might die. Ros and her doctors told a very different story. A former neighbour of Ray and his first wife Jeanette speaks publicly for the first time ab
Episode 5: The Charge
Donna drops a bombshell during her police interview. Two months after Rosslyn's sudden death, Ray asked Donna to live with him in a "husband and wife relationship". Her mother and stepfather are horrified. Ray tells his friend Evan Doherty that Donna had offered to live with him to repay him for his help to her. Evan doubts Ray's supposedly altruistic motives in relation to Donna. Donn
Episode 4: Volatility
Ray's mother Beryl McQueen tells police they used strychnine to poison foxes on the family farm, where Ray lived for about 25 years. Ray's first wife Jeanette McQueen makes startling disclosures to police about the tumultuous end of her marriage to Ray and his violence towards her. Ros is so concerned about Ray and Donna's closeness that she involves her mother-in-law. Friends notice Ray and
Episode 3: Contradictions
Homicide squad detectives rush from Melbourne to Bendigo. They hit the ground running, questioning Donna and Ray within days of one another. Detectives identify contradictions in their accounts, including when Ray denies kissing Donna before Ros's death. Ray suggests that his neighbour Vin, who found Ros's body, might have been the source of the strychnine that killed Ros. Ros's mother plea
Episode 2: False Trail
Documents from the brief of evidence reveal that when police ask Ray McQueen whether he has any idea why his wife died at the kitchen table, he tells them “Yes, she’s had cancer”. Police decide there are no suspicious circumstances, but her general practitioner refuses to provide a death certificate. Almost three months later, toxicology tests show strychnine killed Rosslyn
Episode 1: The Suitcase
A cold case murder by strychnine poisoning of a pregnant mother of one is revived when a suitcase filled with documents is sent to the newsroom by a retired private investigator. Secrets and lies surrounding the death of Rosslyn McQueen in a small rural community four decades ago spill out of the suitcase and trigger a new investigation into this unsolved homicide. And a vulnerable teenager
Introducing The Poisoned Wife
Who killed Rosslyn McQueen? Join Hedley Thomas, Karina Berger and retired private eye Rex Bakes as they mine dark secrets in Victoria’s gold-rush country. The mysterious 1986 death by poisoning of a 30-year-old mum and her unborn baby has become one of Australia’s most intriguing cold cases. Subscribers hear episodes first at Apple Podcasts, thepoisonedwife.com and The Australian
