Australian True Crime

Some of you may recognise the name and voice of this episode’s guest, It’s retired NSW Police Detective Sergeant Damian Loone who featured on Hedley Thomas’s extraordinary podcast The Teacher’s Pet. Damian investigated the 1982 disappearance of Sydney mum Lynnette Dawson for years, bringing the case to two coronial inquests. Lynette’s former husband Chris Dawson was charged with her murder in 2018 and is awaiting trial.Damian features again in another major podcast that’s gripped listeners' attention worldwide. It’s the excellent BBC Sounds multi-episode podcast Fairy Meadow about 3-year-old Cheryl Grimmer’s haunting disappearance from Fairy Meadow Beach in Wollongong in 1970.Damian and Detective Frank Sanvitale, were the detectives tasked with having another look at Cheryl’s disappearance. The case had basically gone nowhere for more than 45 years until the file was passed to them.The NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman can give the Grimmer family their day in court. You can contact him here.If you'd like to

The disappearance of 3-year-old Cheryl Grimmer in 1970 has gripped listeners around the world due to the extraordinary BBC Sounds Podcast Fairy Meadow and our guest for this episode Frank Sanvitale is a big part of that podcast.Now retired from the New South Wales Police, Frank has moved the wheels of justice further for Cheryl’s shattered family more than had ever been done in the more than 50 years since her disappearance.Frank, was teamed up in 2016 with Detective Sergeant Damian Loone and the pair set about looking into this long cold case, combing over boxes of stored evidence.It was a confession made in 1971 by a then 17-year-old that was found in one of these dusty boxes and set in motion events that would see that person, who we can only identify as Mercury, charged with Cheryl’s murder in 2017.But tragically, the case against mercury fell apart because the trial judge applied a retrospective law on the confession and would not allow it as evidence.The collapse of the case against Mercury was the brea

On January 12th 1970, Three-Year-Old Cheryl Grimmer disappeared from Fairy Meadow Beach. While it’s technically one of Australia’s longest-standing cold cases, Cheryl’s family and the two highly respected former homicide detectives believe they know exactly what happened to her, and who’s responsible.  Cheryl’s eldest brother, Ricky Nash, was the last person to see her on the day of her disappearance. Ricky joins us to discuss his fight to find justice for his baby sister. The NSW Attorney General Mark Speakman can give the Grimmer family their day in court. You can contact him here. If you'd like to go one step further to assist the Grimmer family, you can also sign this petition - addressed to Attorney General Speakman - to help in the fight to find justice for Cheryl. The brilliant BBC Sounds podcast Fairy Meadow, hosted by Jon Kay, can be found here.   NEXT WEEK  Staying with the Cheryl Grimmer story, we’ll hear from Frank Sanvitale & Damian Loone, the

This is an Australian True Crime short cut. It’s an abridged version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. Why The Whole Story Matters When Sex Crimes Go To Court.Criminologist Patrick Tidmarsh specialises in teaching police how to interview victims of sexual assault and sex offenders in the hope that he can have some positive impact in the pathetically low rates of conviction in that area. He joins us to talk about his new book ‘The Whole Story’.The Whole Story by Patrick Tidmarsh: www.booktopia.com.au/the-whole-story-patrick-tidmarsh/book/9781787331037.htmlNEXT WEEK Terror Knocks in FNQ - A young man is woken in the dead of night by a terrfied woman at his door. He barricades the two of them inside against the men from whom she’s fleeing, none of whom he knows, and frantically calls police for help. Before help arrives, he’s forced to defend himself and the 000 operator listens helplessly as the men outside lose patience and invade his home. What follows is a t

Why The Whole Story Matters When Sex Crimes Go To Court.Criminologist Patrick Tidmarsh specialises in teaching police how to interview victims of sexual assault and sex offenders in the hope that he can have some positive impact in the pathetically low rates of conviction in that area. He joins us to talk about his new book ‘The Whole Story’.The Whole Story by Patrick Tidmarsh: www.booktopia.com.au/the-whole-story-patrick-tidmarsh/book/9781787331037.htmlNEXT WEEK Terror Knocks in FNQ - A young man is woken in the dead of night by a terrfied woman at his door. He barricades the two of them inside against the men from whom she’s fleeing, none of whom he knows, and frantically calls police for help. Before help arrives, he’s forced to defend himself and the 000 operator listens helplessly as the men outside lose patience and invade his home. What follows is a tragedy. Author Robyn Bowles sheds light on how this bizarre night really unfolded. CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram here and get

Show Notes Ep 237 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbFormer Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin of NSW police will be forever linked with the search for William Tyrrell. In this re issued episode of Australian True Crime, originally aired in 2020, we hear about some of the cases that made him a legend before he agreed to take on the one that ended his 34-year career and has him back in the headlines now.  Buy CSITold You Lies by Meshel Laurie hereIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobookread by Meshel You can support us with a one-off contribution here.You can become a patron here.You can subscribe to Calm Ya Farm here.You can visit the Calm Ya Farm website here. Like us on Facebook ​Follow us on Instagram or TwitterSupport uson PatreonVisit our BookshopListen on ApplePodcastsListen on GooglePodcastsListen on Spotify  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes Ep 236 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb Australia is haunted by its missing children and none more so than William Tyrrell. On November 16 NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller sensationally announced a breakthrough in the investigation. The headlines have been extraordinary and at times misleading. Here are the interviews behind those headlines. Buy CSITold You Lies by Meshel Laurie hereIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobookread by Meshel You can support us with a one-off contribution here.You can become a patron here.You can subscribe to Calm Ya Farm here.You can visit the Calm Ya Farm website here. Like us on Facebook ​Follow us on Instagram or TwitterSupport uson PatreonVisit our BookshopListen on ApplePodcastsListen on GooglePodcastsListen on Spotify  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 236: On November 6, 1999, Canberra grandmother Irma Palasics was on the floor of her home. Irma’s grandson John Mikita feels that the case is tantalisingly close to being solved but frustratingly, despite a few breakthroughs on the case and a $500,000 reward, no one has been arrested. Police believe that members of the Hungarian community in Melbourne can provide the vital clue to the identity of the people who killed Irma.  John Mikita runs and maintains a website https://www.whokilledirma.com.au/ that has lots of information and videos. If you have been affected by anything discussed in this episode you can phone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or https://www.lifeline.org.au/  If you have any information on the cases covered by this podcast,please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/australiantruecrime. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Like us on Facebook  ​https://www.facebook

Show Notes Ep 235 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbPolice are closing in on the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of elderly campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay, missing from Victoria’s high country for over a year now. They’re the latest in a long line of people who’ve met with unknown fates in the area. Buy CSITold You Lies by Meshel Laurie hereIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobookread by Meshel You can support us with a one-off contribution here.You can become a patron here.You can subscribe to Calm Ya Farm here.You can visit the Calm Ya Farm website here. Like us on Facebook ​Follow us on Instagram or TwitterSupport uson PatreonVisit our BookshopListen on ApplePodcastsListen on GooglePodcastsListen on Spotify  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes Ep 234 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbBrittany Spears’ story has had a profound effect on women around theworld whose basic rights have also been stripped away by partners and otherfamily members. We discuss the impact of her emancipation with Kat Foster fromthe 50/50 Foundation which is working towards equal representation for women ingovernance by 2030. Buy CSITold You Lies by Meshel Laurie hereIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobookread by Meshel You can support us with a one-off contribution here.You can become a patron here.You can subscribe to Calm Ya Farm here.You can visit the Calm Ya Farm website here. Like us on Facebook ​Follow us on Instagram or TwitterSupport uson PatreonVisit our BookshopListen on ApplePodcastsListen on GooglePodcastsListen on Spotify  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 233Hedley Thomas is an award-winning investigative journalist and podcast producer who brought us The Teacher’s Pet and The Night Driver podcasts. He is back with a new podcast series – Shandee's Story – where he goes back to the night of the 23-year old’s murder to find out who killed her and why.For those of you not familiar with The Teacher’s Pet podcast, Hedley delved into the cold case of missing woman, Lynette Dawson, who disappeared on Sydney's Northern Beaches in 1982. The case remains unsolved some 39 years later. While her husband Chris Dawson pleaded ‘not guilty’ for her murder, he was charged and will stand trial next May. The podcast was withdrawn for reasons of potential pre-trial prejudice and is no longer available in Australia.The Night Driver podcast follows the disappearance of 31 year-old Janine Vaughan, who was last seen getting into a red car after a night out in the township of Bathurst 20 years ago. The case went from 47 suspects to just 3, including a pharmacist, former Bathur

Episode 232It’s hard to imagine a job where you have to be vigilant all the time, being ready to attend to traumatic and unpredictable situations. But that’s what prison officers have to do every day. Social worker and therapist Bruce Perham has worked with hundreds of officers and he’s written a book called Code Blue: Prison Officer in Danger about trauma and PTSD in these first responders.Through the course of his years of going in and out of prisons and hearing the day to day experiences of prison officers, Bruce came to understand that he was dealing with professionals expected to run toward unpredictably dangerous situations at any moment in the course of a work day. It’s a high risk occupation and one that we, as the general public, don’t really know much about.Thanks to our Guest Bruce Perham.Find out more about Bruce at https://letstalkdifferently.com.au/about-us/Bruce Perham’s book is Code Blue: Prison Officer in DangerMORE LISTENING:EP #75 Pentridge Confidential with Vaughn Ruddick EP #86 Self-

Episode 231There were only two unsolved murders in the state of Victoria in 1942, and they are heavily shrouded in mystery. These murders happened during World War II time, on the Bellarine Peninsula, in Queenscliff, in an area occupied by Australian troops who were patrolling and defending the coastline.Early one cold, wintry morning in late May 1942, the bullet-ridden body of Army Driver Roy Willis was found on the side of the road. He had been shot a number of times with a military revolver.In September 1942 17-year-old Gunner John Hulston went missing whilst on guard duty. His body was later found further down the coast. He had also been shot in the chest with an army revolver.Former police officer and historian and researcher Bob Marmion, who lives on the Bellarine Peninsula, loves a good mystery and when he found out about these murders, and that they were still unsolved, the old detective skills he’d flexed in his 15 years in the job came back to life and he spent 10 years investigating and writing a b

Show Notes Ep 230 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbWas a man convicted of murder in Australia in the late 19th Century also responsible for the Jack the Ripper murders in London?Far from being a Ripper 'fan', author Garry Linnell is intrigued by Victorian history. In his new book ‘Devil’s Work’, he doesn't just retell the story we're so familiar with but uses it as a starting point to take us further into the social upheaval of the time, both in England and in Australia, where his suspect ended his days. Prepare yourself for some truly fascinating revelations about the formative years Australian culture, including a most unexpected cameo appearance by an early Prime Minister and his wife. You can buy Devil’s Work by Garry Linnell here. Buy CSI Told You Lies by Meshel Laurie hereIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobook read by Meshel You can support us with a one-off contribution here.You can become a patron here.You can subscribe to Calm Ya Farm here.You can visit the Cal

Show Notes Ep 229 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbWell I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, some of the best people I’ve ever met have been to prison. Here’s another one. Catherine from Horsham went to jail, and she’s thoroughly lovely, in fact, I bet you can totally relate to her. I'm a bit delirious with our endless lockdown I have to admit. I don't think I'm ever going to be released from my home or ever hug another adult again. I'd probably love this if it was a book but this as a life sucks a big bag of dicks. It was very nice to zoom with Catherine. Our poor guests. Do you think they realise how desperate I am for their company? Anyway. All my love to you. I'll go and have another conversation with my dog now. Thank you so much for listening.Mx Buy CSI Told You Lies by Meshel Laurie hereIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobook read by Meshel You can support us with a one-off contribution here.You can become a patron here.You can subscribe to Ca

Episode 290 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie & Emily Webb.What does organised crime have to do with supply chains…and how is forensic science used to trace things like gold, diamonds and even food.These were the questions I had for Western Australia based Cameron Scadding who is a Forensic and Analytical Chemist and founder and Managing Director of a company called Source Certain International.Over the course of his career Cameron has worked on some fascinating and strange cases using forensic science to help solve crime.and he’ll tell us about one of these cases in more detail - the theft of gold from a mine in Kalgoorlie, the hub of the Western Australian goldfields. Cameron and his team also work to reduce the ways criminals can infiltrate the supply chains of products that we all rely on…even though we may not know it.Re. The gold that was stolen in the Operation Icarus case, Cameron calculated that based on this year’s prices (2021) (which is around $80,000AUD per kilogram) the g

Episode 289 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb. Andrew Rule, legendary crime writer is equally fascinated by the horse racing industry. His latest book, Chance: Of Grit and Gamblers and the Romance of Racing is about both! Today he joins us to talk about The Great Bookie Robbery of 1976.  Purchase Chance: Of Grit and Gamblers and the Romance of Racing Life  If you have a problem with gambling or know someone who does you can phone Gambler's Help Line on 1800 858 858 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. Listen to Episode #84 The Unsolved murders of Margaret and Seana Tapp with Andrew Rule https://podcasts.apple.com/is/podcast/the-unsolved-1984-tapp-murders-with-andrew-rule-84/id1217681421?i=1000428322535 Like us on Facebook ​https://www.facebook.com/Australian-True-Crime-with-Meshel-Laurie-and-Emily-Webb-968806949920266/?fref=ts Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/australiantruecrimepodcast/  Twitter https://twitter.com/australiantcpod?

Show Notes Ep 228 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbVeteran journalist and True Crime author Debi Marshall joins us to talk about her new book, Banquet: The Untold Story of Adelaide’s Family Murders. It follows on from her Foxtel series and podcast, Frozen Lies.You can subscribe to the podcast here.You can buy the book HERE.Buy CSI Told You Lies by Meshel Laurie hereIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobook read by Meshel You can support us with a one-off contribution here.You can become a patron here.You can subscribe to Calm Ya Farm here.You can visit the Calm Ya Farm website here. Like us on Facebook ​Follow us on Instagram or TwitterSupport us on PatreonVisit our BookshopListen on ApplePodcastsListen on GooglePodcastsListen on Spotify If you have any information on the cases covered by this podcast,please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes Ep 226 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbThis is a special extra episode of ATC to celebrate the release of ‘Chapelwaite’, inspired by the Stephen King short story ‘Jerusalem’s Lot’ on Stan. You can sign up for your 30-day free trial at stan.com.au  Buy CSI Told You Lies by Meshel LaurieIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobook read by Meshel   You can support us with a one-off contribution here.You can become a patron here.You can subscribe to Calm Ya Farm here.You can visit the Calm Ya Farm website here. Like us on Facebook ​Follow us on Instagram or TwitterSupport us on PatreonVisit our BookshopListen on ApplePodcastsListen on GooglePodcastsListen on Spotify If you have any information on the cases covered by this podcast,please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show Notes Ep 225 of Australian True Crime with Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbDr Joanna Glengarry studied for 8 years to be a surgeon but not long after completing her studies and entering the theatre she realised her true passion was forensic pathology. In her native Auckland, that meant another 5 years of formal study, just to get an introduction at the city mortuary. She was taken on as a Saturday volunteer.Fortunately for Joanna, but unfortunately for Auckland, the mortuary was severely understaffed, and they had a lot of violent deaths, so she quickly picked up more shifts, even paid ones, and in no time at all Dr Glengarry became a very handy forensic pathologist. SO handy in fact that she was poached of course, by the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine or VIFM in Melbourne.Dr Glengarry is one of the pathologists featured in my book CSI Told You Lies. Buy CSI Told You Lies by Meshel Laurie hereIn PaperbackAs an ebookAs an audiobook read by Meshel  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for