True Crime

True Crime Conversations

True Crime Conversations explores the world’s most notorious crimes by speaking to the people who know the most about them. Hosted by Gemma Bath.

Latest Episodes:

The Easey Street Murders And The Mystery That Followed Nov 20, 2019

Show notes

It was mid-October, 1976, when Suzanne Armstrong, 27, and Susan Bartlett, 28 moved in to number 147, Easey St. The three-bedroom house was perfect for the two of them, as well as Armstrong’s 16-month-old son, Gregory.

Then, in early 1977, neighbours would watch emergency workers and police swarm the property, after the bodies of the two women were found three days after they’d been killed.

Helen Thomas is a journalist and author who was a cub reporter at Melbourne newspaper The Age at the time of the double homicide.

She has since researched the case and profiled it in her book ‘Murder On Easey Street: Melbourne’s Most Notorious Cold Case.’ Jessie sits down with Helen to walk us through the case, and find out if there’s any potential for justice for the families of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett.

If this episode brings up any issues for you please reach out to the National Sexual Assault and Family Violence Hotline on 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 737 732.

GUEST: Helen Thomas

HOST: Jessie Stephens

PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH
‘Murder On Easey Street: Melbourne’s Most Notorious Cold Case’ book by Helen Thomas https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/murder-easey-street

‘Original Easey St murders article that triggered call from possible murderer’ from Independent Australia https://bit.ly/2CUcDXt

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Anne Hamilton-Byrne And The Children Who Were Never Hers Nov 13, 2019

Show notes

Anne Hamilton-Byrne is a name that Australians won’t soon forget. What started out as a series of yoga teachings by the woman who believed she was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, would end up becoming one of our country’s most sinister cults.

The Family, as it would come to be known, included a number of children with dyed blonde hair, who believed Anne Hamilton-Byrne was their mother. For all but one of them, she was not.

Jessie Stephens sits down with journalist and author Jo Thornely to take a look into the mind of Anne Hamilton-Byrne, the founder of ‘The Family’, who kidnapped children and drugged her followers.

If this episode brings up any issues for you please reach out to the National Sexual Assault and Family Violence Hotline on 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 737 732.

GUEST: Jo Thornely

HOST: Jessie Stephens

PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH

‘Zealot’ by Jo Thornely https://www.hachette.com.au/jo-thornely/zealot-a-book-about-cults

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Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386.

Email the show at truecrime@mamamia.com.au

True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BONUS: Murder In The Bayou Nov 11, 2019

Show notes

It was May 20, 2005, when a retiree named Jerry Jackson cast his fishing line from a bridge over the Grand Marais Canal, located on the fringe of Jennings, Louisiana.

The temperature was rising when Jackson noticed something below him, floating in the canal. Jackson had discovered the body of a 28-year-old woman named Loretta Lynn Lewis Chaisson. She would be the first of what would come to be known as the Jeff Davis eight.

In this bonus episode of True Crime Conversations Jessie talks to the executive producer of Murder In The Bayou; the 5 part docu-drama looking into the unsolved murders of eight women in and around the town of Jennings in Louisiana, USA.

Portions of this bonus episode may be a little hard to understand due to audio quality and so we have made the episode transcript available here https://bit.ly/34R3Wsy .

You can watch Murder In The Bayou on Stan in Australia and via Showcase in other regions.

GUEST: Matthew Galkin

HOST: Jessie Stephens

PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH

Murder In The Bayou TV Docu-drama available on Stan https://www.stan.com.au/watch/murder-in-the-bayou

Murder In The Bayou book Ethan Brown https://bit.ly/34MNDwV

'Murder in the Bayou’: A docuseries about eight unsolved murders aims to expose police corruption Deanna Paul for the Washington Post https://wapo.st/34YahCX

GET IN TOUCH:

Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386.

Email the show at truecrime@mamamia.com.au

True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Killed By The Man Next Door: The Murder Of Tosha Thakkar Nov 07, 2019

Show notes

On Friday March 9, 2011, a suitcase was found in a canal next to Meadowbank Park, located about 30 minutes from Sydney’s central business district.

Inside it, was the body of Tosha Thakkar, a 24-year-old student, who had been living in a boarding house in Croydon for six months.

Her boyfriend, Ali Syed had reported her missing two days prior, after she failed to meet him for lunch. When he went to her Elvin St address, her room was in disarray, and he noticed that her nightdress was missing.

Author and Associate Editor of the Good Weekend, Greg Callaghan, talks us through the day Tosha Thakkar lost her life at the hands of the man who lived beside her; Daniel Stani-Reginald. His feature ‘My Neighbour My Killer’ was published in 2014 in the Good Weekend as well as The Sydney Morning Herald.

If this episode brings up any issues for you please reach out to the National Sexual Assault and Family Violence Hotline on 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 737 732.

GUEST: Greg Callaghan

HOST: Jessie Stephens

PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH

'My Neighbour My Killer', Greg Callaghan for Fairfax Press https://bit.ly/2Cn6bIc

GET IN TOUCH:

Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386.

Email the show at truecrime@mamamia.com.au

True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Happened To Gerard Ross: The Boy In The Blue Cap Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

11-year-old Gerard Ross went missing in October 1997 while on a family holiday in the WA town of Rockingham. Two weeks later a horse trainer was out exercising his horses when he discovered Gerard’s body dumped in a pine plantation 20 kms from town.

While police have always had suspects in the case, no one has ever been convicted of the 11-year-old’s abduction and murder.

Award winning investigative journalist Kristin Shorten has spent her career covering the case. Ahead of a new documentary series for The West Australian, Kristin speaks to host Jessie Stephens about what we know about the boy in the blue cap, and how confident she is that his killer will be brought to justice.

You can watch The Boy In The Blue Cap: The Gerard Ross Story on The West Australian website.

If this episode brings up any issues for you please reach out to the National Sexual Assault and Family Violence Hotline on 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 737 732

GUEST: Kristin Shorten

HOST: Jessie Stephens

PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH

The Boy In The Blue Cap: The Gerard Ross Story, The West Australian

GET IN TOUCH:

Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386.

Email the show at truecrime@mamamia.com.au

True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Terrifying Monster: The True Story Of Leonard Fraser Oct 23, 2019

Show notes

Leonard Fraser was the very embodiment of a monster.

He was sentenced to life on the 7th of September 2000 for the abduction rape and murder of 9-year-old Keyra Steinhardt in the Queensland town of Rockhampton. Prior to that Fraser had spent almost two decades behind bars for the rape of other women, including his defacto partner who was terminally ill with cancer.

Fraser kept trophies from his victims. Police found the ponytails of three different women in Fraser’s flat but were not able to link them to any of the rapists known victims.

Journalist and author Paula Doneman covered the case as Fraser’s crimes were brought before the courts. She profiled him extensively in her reporting for The Courier Mail and subsequently compiled a book covering his extensive and heinous crimes, titled Things A Killer Would Know: The True Story Of Leonard Fraser. Is He Australia’s Worst Serial Killer?

Jessie speaks with Paula to walk through the case and crimes of Leonard Fraser, his utterly heinous acts of violence upon both “random” victims and those he lured into his orbit.

For pictures and maps from today’s episode on Leonard Fraser,, visit the Mamamia website, right here. https://www.mamamia.com.au/the-rockhampton-rapist/

If this episode brings up any issues for you please reach out to the National Sexual Assault and Family Violence Hotline on 1800 RESPECT, that’s 1800 737 732

GUEST: Paula Doneman
HOST: Jessie Stephens
PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH

Things A Killer Would Know: The True Story Of Leonard Fraser. Is He Australia’s Worst Serial Killer? By Paula Doneman

The Predator: Leonard John Fraser, Crime Investigation Australia, Channel 7

GET IN TOUCH:

Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386.

Email the show at truecrime@mamamia.com.au

True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Suitcase Floating In A Lake: The Tragic Story Of Rachel Pfitzner And Dean Shillingsworth Oct 16, 2019

Show notes

It was a warm spring day when two young boys were playing at Mandurama reserve in the Sydney suburb of Ambarvale. It was a place where families and friends could have a picnic, or cycle on bike paths.

As the boys rode their bikes, something caught their eye. It looked like a suitcase, floating near the edge of a nearby duck pond. What they discovered was the body of two-year-old Dean Shillingsworth.

Dr Xanthe Mallett is a forensic anthropologist and criminologist at the University of Newcastle, Australia, who is internationally renowned for her work. She has written about and researched the case of Dean’s mother, Rachel Pfitzner, who pled guilty to the manslaughter of her son. She profiled the story for her book and TV series, Mothers Who Murder.

Xanthe speaks to Jessie about the case, how the public bodies responsible for ensuring Dean’s safety were scrutinised during the trial, and how something so utterly tragic could ever have happened.

For photos, maps and further detail on the case you can join our closed Facebook group dedicated to the podcast. Just search for True Crime Conversations on Facebook.

GUEST: Dr Xanthe Mallett

HOST: Jessie Stephens

PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH

Mothers Who Murder the book by Xanthe Mallett
Mothers Who Murder, Channel 10, hosted by Xanthe Mallett

GET IN TOUCH:

Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386.

Email the show at truecrime@mamamia.com.au

True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Somerton Man: One Of The World’s Most Baffling Mysteries Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

The case of the Somerton Man is one of the most baffling cases in modern criminal history.

In 1948 the body of a man was found on Somerton Park Beach just south of Adelaide in South Australia. Despite a global effort to identify the remains, we still do not know who the man was, why he was there, and how he died.

Fiona Ellis-Jones is a reporter and producer for the ABC. She speaks to Jessie Stephens about the case which is currently explored on her podcast, The Somerton Man Mystery and will be the subject of Monday’s episode of Australian Story.

For photos, maps and further detail on the case you can join our closed Facebook group dedicated to the podcast. Just search for True Crime Conversations on Facebook.

GUEST: Fiona Ellis-Jones

HOST: Jessie Stephens

PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH

The Somerton Man - Australian Story ABC air date Monday 14th October 2019
The Somerton Man Mystery - ABC Radio National https://ab.co/313IJcC
Inside Story "The Somerton Beach Mystery" for ABC August 1978 https://bit.ly/2orZa5i

GET IN TOUCH:

Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386.

Email the show at truecrime@mamamia.com.au

True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bus Stop Killer Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

Levi Bellfield has been charged and found guilty of the murder of Milly Dowler, Marsha McDonnell, Amelie Delagrange and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. Women who were linked by nothing other than the man who chose to kill them. Bellfield’s murders were baffling in their lack of motive, hindering law enforcement from figuring out who was responsible.

Geoffrey Wansell is a London based journalist and author who has written and researched extensively the crimes of Levi Bellfield - who the public would come to know as the Bus Stop Killer. When writing the book The Bus Stop Killer Geoffrey undertook a full year of research and spent every day of Levi Bellfield’s trial in court, piecing together the details of the killer’s life and crimes.

Speaking with Jessie from his home in London, Geoffrey takes us through the case of one of the UK’s most violent serial killers in modern times.

For photos, maps and further detail on the case you can join our closed Facebook group dedicated to the podcast. Just search for True Crime Conversations on Facebook.

GUEST: Geoffrey Wansell

HOST: Jessie Stephens

PRODUCER: Elise Cooper

RESEARCH

The Bus Stop Killer: Milly Dowler, Her Murder and the Full Story of the Sadistic Serial Killer Levi Bellfield. https://amzn.to/2oDXKEE

GET IN TOUCH:

Call the PodPhone on 02 8999 9386.

Email the show at truecrime@mamamia.com.au

True Crime Conversations is a podcast by Mamamia. Find more shows here https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Man Who "Knows What Happened" To The Beaumont Children Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

The disappearance of The Beaumont Children is burned into the collective conscious of Australia. It’s one of the longest running cases in the nation’s history and has baffled law enforcement for more than half a century.

Stuart Mullins grew up down the road from the Beaumont children in Adelaide. Over the years he has researched and co authored investigative writing into their disappearance. He walks us through the case, and why he believes he knows just who is responsible for the disappearance of Jane, Arnna and Grant on Australia Day in 1966.

For photos, maps and further detail on the case you can join our closed Facebook group dedicated to the podcast. Just search for True Crime Conversations on Facebook.

GUEST: Stuart Mullins
HOST: Jessie Stephens
PRODUCER: Elise Cooper
RESEARCH

The Satin Man: Uncovering the mystery of the Beaumont Children, Alan Whiticker and Stuart Mullins https://bit.ly/2leQGNx
Mother of missing Beaumont children, Nancy Beaumont, dies aged 92 - ABC News https://ab.co/2lfjDsE
The Beaumont Children: What Really Happened, Channel 7 https://bit.ly/2lNMVyE
The Beaumont Children Mystery: Crime Investigation Australia, Channel 7 https://bit.ly/2mIlwyu
Beaumont children search: Police end today’s dig, having found no human remains, The Adelaide Advertiser https://bit.ly/2lbGUvr