This is part 2 of our exploration into Marea Yann’s case and our guests are Esther Yann and close family friend of Marea and her family, lawyer Frank Chen. You know when someone says they’ll do anything they can to right a wrong…Frank Chen really meant it. And you’ll hear the extraordinary lengths he’s gone to so he can fulfil the promise he made to Marea at her funeral that he would do all he could to bring her killer to justice. Esther was in primary school when her beloved nonna was murdered....
Sep 04, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 274
As we know, behind every cold case is a family, and 19 years after her shocking murder, Marea Yann’s family remains divided. Tensions that were developing in the lead up to her death, were cast in stone during the murder trial in 2008 that resulted in an acquittal. Some family members still believe the acquittal was appropriate and police never fully investigated alternative theories, while other family members believe it was a terrible miscarriage of justice and continue to pursue a second tria...
Aug 28, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 273
If you haven't listened to the first part of this story, you might want to go back and listen before diving into this episode. It contains a lot of background you need to know about Vanessa's own story, but it's also a unique insight into how one human being's life can be completely derailed by the intervention of another, particularly during childhood. Vanessa's story provides a perfect case study of what's known as the victim-offender overlap; which is to say most offenders of crime have been ...
Aug 21, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 272
This is the first of a two part Australian True Crime special because Vanessa’s story just refused to be contained in a single episode. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a story that shouldn’t be rushed. It’s not every day you have the opportunity to hear first hand how a well-behaved, studious, happy child, from a loving home found herself estranged from her family and living on the streets before her twentieth birthday. But that’s Vanessa’s story. For ad-free listening, early access and exclusive con...
Aug 14, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 271
As Jeffrey Lindsell’s family and friends gathered around his hospital bed in the days after his house caught on fire, attention turned to his volatile on-off relationship with Amanda Zukowski. It seemed as though Jeffrey had been living in an abusive relationship and had been a victim of coercive control and intimate partner violence. They realised that although he’d been increasingly withdrawn during the two year relationship and was particularly reluctant to talk about her, he’d shared differe...
Jul 31, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 269
Jason Roberts, 41 years old, was recently freed for the first time in twenty two years by the Supreme Court of Victoria. He was seventeen years old when two police officers, Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller were shot and murdered on Cochranes Road, Moorabbin, Victoria. Roberts was one of two who were convicted of the murders all those years ago. It's a very infamous case in Australia, and a very complicated one. We are joined today by Adam Cooper, journalist at The Age and T...
Jul 24, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 268
The Magistrates’ Court is the workhorse of the legal system, hearing both criminal and civil matters. Magistrates’ Courts around Australia hear the vast majority of sentenced court cases - more than 90 per cent in fact. Michael Challinger is a criminal barrister based in Melbourne and has been working in Victorian courts since 1975 – representing clients, mostly in the Victorian Magistrates’ Court and Children’s Court. Michael’s written a book called Mostly Guilty – which is funny….a little poli...
Jul 14, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 267
We've spoken a great deal on this show over the years about the work of our state coroners, and today we finally got to meet one. Leveaaque Peterson was appointed a coroner by the Victorian state government in February 2020, and throughout her career in the legal system has chosen to take on some big and uncomfortable challenges. We'll find out why she finds that kind of law interesting, and also, what being a coroner actually entails. CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram ...
Jul 10, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 266
Many offenders who remain incarcerated can use their superannuation upon release to return to their lives luxuriating in their super, whilst their survivors generally are unemployed due to the longstanding impact these horrendous crimes have had on them. Our guests today, Andrew Carpenter and Adam Washbourne, are some of the front runners calling on the government to reform the Bankruptcy Act, so that child sex offenders’ superannuation can be used to help victim-survivors rebuild their lives. S...
Jul 03, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 265
Dr Ahona Guha is a Melbourne-based Forensic and Clinical Psychologist. Ahona works at pointy end of mental health and treatment - with people who have clinical presentations of harmful behaviours, trauma histories, and those who have offended against others - sexual offences (including against children) violence, stalking, arson… Dr Ahona Guha, DPsych works in the field of forensic psychology to understand offending behaviours such as stalking, sex offending and intimate partner violence with th...
Jun 26, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 264
Australia in the mid twentieth century has a dark history of forced adoption. Women who did not fit the moral expectations of the time (usually those who were young and unmarried) had their children taken from them at birth, often with little to no information left behind for them to be reunited. Our guest today, Lily Arthur, is one story of many, and it is an absolutely heartbreaking one. It is also a story of determination and grit, and the long fight Lily went through to seek justice for what...
Jun 19, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 263
The bullet point version of today's episode of Australian True Crime. There’s stories that get under the skin of people, especially journalists. And this story you’re going to hear about is unbelievable. And most of us have probably never heard about it. Enter author Sandi Logan, a former journalist and diplomat who followed the case of two older American women Vera 'Toddie' Hays and Florice 'Beezie' Bessire - who were arrested in Australia in the 1970s for having almost 2 TONNES of hashish conc...
Jun 12, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 262
There’s stories that get under the skin of people, especially journalists. And this story you’re going to hear about is unbelievable. And most of us have probably never heard about it. Enter author Sandi Logan, a former journalist and diplomat who followed the case of two older American women Vera 'Toddie' Hays and Florice 'Beezie' Bessire - who were arrested in Australia in the 1970s for having almost 2 TONNES of hashish concealed in a camper van. He’s written a book called Betrayed: The incred...
Jun 12, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 262
Matthew Condon is an Australian author and journalist who has published multiple books on the history of corruption in the Queensland police force and state government. Our conversation today covers the events that led up to, and following, the Fitzgerald enquiry, which lead to custodial sentences for three former senior QLD ministers, and for the police commissioner, Terry Lewis. Joh Bjelke-Petersen, the longest running QLD premiere, was also sacked and tried for perjury. Matthew Condon is as f...
Jun 05, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 261
A lot of us will remember the haunting photo of beautiful 12-year-old Tiahleigh Palmer, who was murdered in 2015. However the path to the dark truth of what happened to Tiahleigh was long and shocking and not resolved until several years later. Tiahleigh was living in foster care in Logan, Queensland with Rick and Julene Thorburn and their sons Trent and Joshua. Kate Kyriacou, the Courier-Mail newspaper’s Crime and Courts Editor, has reported extensively on Tiahleigh’s death and the tragic full ...
May 29, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 260
A NOTE FOR LISTENERS – This episode discusses the issue of deaths in custody of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Gamilaraay woman, Louise Lynch is the manager of Corrective Services NSW’s Aboriginal Strategy and Policy Unit. Louise first came to work in NSW prisons as a teacher more than 25 years ago and she’s dedicated her career to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in prison and, among many important initiatives, improving and embedding culturally appropria...
May 22, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 259
Megan Norris spent several years with Cindy Gambino in the wake of the murders of her three sons by their father, her ex-husband Robert Farquharson on Father’s Day 2005. They were working together on a book called ‘On father’s Day’. They remained close and Megan joins Emily Webb to reflect on Cindy’s tragic death and the ultimate form of family violence. You can pre order Megan Norris's upcoming book 'Messiah's Bride' here . CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Co-Host: Em...
May 15, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 258
It’s 17 years since Cindy Gambino’s ex-husband Robert Farquharson murdered their three sons, ten-year-old Jai, seven-year old Tyler and three-year old Bailey by deliberately driving his car into a dam on the side of the Princes highway, near Winchelsea, West of Geelong on father’s day in 2005. Cindy Gambino died last week as the result of a medical emergency at her home in country Victoria. She was just 50 years old. Journalist and author Megan Norris developed a close relationship with Cindy in...
May 15, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 257
Best-selling biographer and history author Peter FitzSimons has turned his attention to detailing the history of the Sydney Opera House - drama, scandals and even crimes. For this episode of Australian True Crime, Emily speaks to Peter about a crime linked with the Opera House and how it shocked the nation - the kidnapping and killing of Bondi schoolboy Graeme Thorne in 1960. Peter’s book The Opera House is published by Hachette Australia. CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instag...
May 08, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 256
Lindy Cameron, journalist, award-winning author and publisher joins Meshel and Emily to talk about about Danny Deacon, who murdered his former partner Carlie Sinclair in Darwin. Lindy’s co-written a book with her sister Fin J Ross called Toxic: Cold-blooded Australian murders full of Aussie cases of men, including Deacon (in a chapter called “An Absolute Bastard”) and women who kill. Lindy's Book is Toxic: Cold-blooded Australian murders full of Aussie cases of men and women who kill NEXT WEEK A...
May 01, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 255
Faith Slatcher is the Governor of Goulburn Correctional Complex in New South Wales but you’ll probably be more familiar with the part of this prison known as the Goulburn Supermax which manages high risk inmates including Australia’s “Pablo Escobar” Mostafa Baluch and Bassam Hamzy, boss of the violent crime gang Brothers 4 life. There’s also the never to be released inmates there like Malcolm George Baker who murdered seven people on NSW’s central coast in a spree killing in 1992 and Lindsay Rob...
Apr 24, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 253
For this episode we meet Angela Feeney, a Corrections officer in NSW who's been in the job for 27 years. Angela has worked a lot with women inmates – it’s something she tells us she swore she’d never do. Angela sheds light on life inside prison including the circumstances she’s seen on the job that break her heart and she also gives her honest opinion on how Meshel and Emily would go if they went to jail. If listening to this episode has got you thinking about a career in corrections you can go ...
Apr 24, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 254
RE-ISSUE: EPISODE #165. The murder of 14-month-old Jaidyn Leskie is officially unsolved. Journalist and author Michael Gleeson explains the prosecution’s theory as to how he died and the many distractions that prevented his killer seeing justice. Warning: please be advised this episode contains graphic content. Show notes for Episode 165: Your hosts are Meshel Laurie and Emily Webb With thanks to Michael Gleeson from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald Listen to Childers Like us on Facebook Foll...
Apr 19, 2022•47 min
In 1997, fourteen month old Jaidyn Leskie was left by his young mum Bilynda Williams, with her boyfriend Greg Domaszewicz while she went for a rare night out. She never saw her child again. That same year, two families awoke to discover their teenage daughters were missing after a routine camp out with their friends. They were by then, miles away, having been abducted by two troubled young men with no boundaries, and nothing to lose. The responsibility of finding justice for the families of all ...
Apr 19, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 252
What does romance have to do with true crime? Anyone who's fallen prey to coercive control, stalking, cat-fishing or domestic violence will know that the fantasies we're taught about romance can be very damaging when it comes to resisting overbearing partners and recognising red flags. British philosopher and author Alain de Botton wrote the seminal book on the topic in 2016. It's called 'The Course of Love' and Meshel interviewed him way back then about the surprisingly inorganic and unrealisti...
Apr 05, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 251
Ashleigh Rae is confident, smart, witty and really charming company. All of that is a testament to her powerful survival spirit because she was taken advantage of at a very vulnerable time in her life. For those of us who have young girls in our care, what Ashleigh Rae has to say is invaluable. If you have a true crime story, we’d love to hear it. You can send us a message on Facebook or Instagram or email us at hello@australiantruecrimepodcast.com See us at the Yarraville Club on April 8 with N...
Apr 03, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 250
Kay stepped out of her shower and into a nightmare that changed the way she lived her life forever. A brilliant storyteller, she also lets us in on the extraordinary unprofessionalism of the men who were assigned to assist her. If you have a true crime story, we’d love to hear it. You can send us a message on Facebook or Instagram or email us at hello@australiantruecrimepodcast.com See us at the Yarraville Club on April 8 with Narelle Fraser . Book tickets here . If you are in immediate danger i...
Mar 28, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 249
Did you know a strangulation episode during a violent attack can kill months later? Even if it leaves no visible marks? Many victims don't even realise they've been strangled. Betty Taylor is the CEO of the Red Rose foundation in Brisbane that works to address the high number of domestic violence related deaths and suicides in the community. One of their main areas of focus is educating the community and first responders about non-fatal strangulation. You can learn more about the work of the Red...
Mar 21, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 248
Narelle Fraser – Surprise! So many of you have asked to hear Narelle again so here she is. You may remember I promised another episode with Rowland Legg this week and I haven’t forgotten but here’s the thing, due to unforeseen circumstance, Rowland can’t make our live show at the Yarraville club on April 8, so our old friend Narelle Fraser has agreed to step in for that one too. You can get your tickets here . That’s right, you can see Narelle, live on stage with Emily and I at the Yarraville cl...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 247
Rowland Legg was the lead homicide investigator on some of Australia's most notorious crimes including the murders of Jason Moran and his bodyguard Pasquale Barbaro at a suburban children's football game at the height of the Melbourne gang war in 2003, and the shocking murder of Mercina Helvagis as she tended her grandmother's grave at Fawkner Cemetery by serial killer Peter Dupas in 1997. He joins us as a guest on this week's podcast and he will join us live on stage at the Yarraville Club on A...
Mar 06, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 246
