Voices for the Victims
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396 most recent episodes
Visit website →[Part 3 of 3]
*** Content warning: Gun violence, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, child abuse ***
The standoff between the FBI and the Branch Davidians held firm for more than a month, with David Koresh and his followers refusing to surrender. Aft
[Part 2 of 3]
*** Content warning: Gun violence, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, child abuse ***
In 1992, a chance discovery by a UPS delivery driver would lead to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – commonly known as the AT
[Part 1 of 3]
*** Content warning: Gun violence, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, child abuse ***
In 1981, a 20-year-old named Vernon Howell drove more than two hours from his hometown in east Texas to visit a church near Waco that was home to a g
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*** Content warning: child victims ***
As police looked into the deaths of Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura Folbigg, they were introduced to Meadows Law – the theory that one infant death is a tragedy, two is suspicious, but three is m
[Part 1 of 2]
*** Content warning: child victims ***
Married couple Craig and Kathleen Folbigg wanted nothing more than to be parents. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, Kathleen gave birth to four children—Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura—but tra
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*** Content warning: child victims ***
As police closed in on the elusive B.T.K, they received a floppy disk that contained some stunning information – including the name: Dennis...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing
[Part 3 of 4]
*** Content warning: child victims ***
B.T.K resumed his cat-and-mouse game with police, who raced to identify and capture the serial killer before he could strike again…
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Milly Ra
[Part 2 of 4]
*** Content warning: child victims ***
After claiming seven victims and terrorising Wichita for nearly three decades, the unidentified killer known as B.T.K. suddenly fell silent.
Then, in 2004, a letter bearing his unmistakable sign
[Part 1 of 4]
*** Content warning: child victims ***
The quiet suburban life of Wichita, Kansas, was shattered in 1974 when four members of the Otero family, Joe, Julie and their two youngest children, Josie and Joey, were found brutally murdered i
*** Content Warning: Child victims***
On September 15 2006, detectives began investigating the sexual assault of 24-year-old Tiffany Hall from East St. Louis, Illinois. The assault had caused Tiffany to miscarry her 7-month old foetus.
A week late
*** Content Warning: Crime against a child ***
In 1998, the Easter holiday in Victoria, Australia, got off to a tragic beginning when 12-year-old Nicky Fleming was killed in a car accident while travelling to a family camping trip. But what initiall
*** Content Warning: Self-harm ***
On May 17 2008, Swedish twin sisters Ursula and Sabina Eriksson boarded a bus from Liverpool to London. After a routine road stop, the bus driver noticed the twins were acting suspiciously and were clinging tightly
*** Content Warning: child victims ***
Oklahoma teenager Ashley Freeman celebrated her sixteenth birthday by inviting her best friend, Lauria Bible, over for a sleepover. It was a pleasant yet uneventful evening, until the following morning of Decem
When school friends Jessica Wongso and Mirna Salihin caught up for coffee in Jakarta’s upscale Olivier Cafe in January 2016, it was supposed to be a friendly get together. Then, moments after taking a sip from her Vietnamese iced coffee, Mirna collap
*** Content Warnings: Sexual assault, child sexual assault, arson, animal cruelty ***
When 32-year-old Tina Herrmann didn’t show up for work on Wednesday, November 10 2010, her manager immediately alerted the authorities. Soon they found that not on
In December 1948, the body of an unidentified male was found on Somerton Beach in Adelaide, South Australia. It initially appeared the man had simply passed away in his sleep, but as police looked into his death, they discovered a series of bizarre a
*** Content Warning: child victims, child sexual assault ***
On January 11, 1965, 15-year-old Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt spent the day at Cronulla Beach with Marianne's four younger siblings. After lunch, the two teenagers went for a wa
With Casefile on a short break, we thought this would be a great time to shine a light on some of the shows that may have flown under the radar for many of you. These are shows we've put our hearts into and are really proud of. Today, we’re sharing a
With Casefile on a short break, we thought this would be a great time to shine a light on some of the shows that may have flown under the radar for many of you. These are shows we've put our hearts into and are really proud of. Today, we’re sharing a
With Casefile on a short break, we thought this would be a great time to shine a light on some of the shows that may have flown under the radar for many of you.
These are shows we've put our hearts into and are really proud of.
Today, we’re sharin
With Casefile on a short break, we thought this would be a great time to shine a light on some of the shows that may have flown under the radar for many of you. These are shows we've put our hearts into and are really proud of. Today, we’re sharing a
When 18-year-old Tyler Clementi began his freshman year at Rutgers University in 2010, he was eager to embrace his newfound independence. Before the semester began, Tyler applied for campus housing and was randomly assigned a roommate – another 18-ye
*** Content warnings: Child sexual abuse, grooming, domestic violence ***
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 19 1985, police were summoned to a shocking scene at an ordinary suburban home in Garden Grove, California. 23-year-old wife and m
*** Content warnings: Child sexual abuse, sexual assault, self-harm ***
When renowned teacher Malka Leifer joined the staff at Adass Israel School in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick, she was welcomed by the entire community. For the girls who at
On the evening of Sunday, August 22 1982, a Cessna C150 disappeared during a flight to Vancouver, Canada. On board were 19-year-old pilot Jerry Ambrozuk and his 18-year-old passenger, Dianne Babcock. As fears of a crash prompted an urgent search, a c
In November 1999, Bruce Miller, a scrapyard owner in Michigan, was found murdered in what looked like a robbery gone wrong. After three months with no solid leads, investigators feared the case would go cold. But hundreds of miles away in Missouri, t
In 2010, a user known as Girl Meat Hunter joined The Fetish Network, a website where people with extreme sexual fetishes could connect and interact. On their profile, Girl Meat Hunter described their interests as the “easy A.B.C” – Abduction, Bondage
*** Content warnings: Animal cruelty ***
After respected dermatologist Dr David Birkett was found bludgeoned to death in his Middlesbrough home, police struggled to uncover a motive or identify a suspect for what appeared to be a targeted attack.
A
*** Content warnings: Domestic violence, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, animal cruelty***
In mid-1989, in the small New South Wales Town of Taree, local residents and law enforcement alike began investigating a woman named Roseanne Catt.
There
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault ***
23-year-old Welsh backpacker Kirsty Jones had her whole life ahead of her when she set out for a two-year trip across Asia, Australia and South America. Tragically, that trip was cut short just two months in
*** Content warnings: Gun violence ***
Early on the morning of Sunday, May 10 2009, corporate attorney Rodrigo Rosenberg Marzano left home to take a bike ride around his neighbourhood in Guatemala City. Within minutes, he’d been shot dead.
Rodrigo’
*** Content warnings: Child victim ***
When doting mother Leanna Harris arrived to pick up her 22-month-old son Cooper Harris from daycare in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 18 2014, she was shocked to find that Cooper wasn’t there. She soon discovered th
23-year-old Jeff Gilham showed up on his neighbours’ doorstep in the early morning hours of August 28 1993, with a shocking claim. His older brother Christopher Gilham had just killed their parents, Stephen and Helen, and set their bodies on fire. In
*** Content warnings: Terrorism, gun violence ***
In late 2015, a young pizza delivery man named Khalil Abu Rayyan from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, met and fell in love with a woman he met online. Jannah Bride had approached Khalil via the social me
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault, child abuse, child sexual abuse ***
On Thursday, October 10 2013, passersby noticed a distraught-looking teenage girl, crying and shivering outside of Dublin’s General Post Office building. When police officers
[Part 2 of 2]
*** Content Warning: child victims, child sexual assault, child abuse***
As the search into the disappearance of three-year-old William Tyrrell reaches its third fruitless year, the investigation takes turn after turn until a coronial
[Part 1 of 2]
*** Content Warning: child victims, child sexual assault ***
It was a peaceful morning on Friday, September 12 2014, as three-year-old William Tyrrell played happily in the backyard of his grandmother’s home in the small New South Wal
With Casefile on a short break, we thought this would be a great time to shine a light on some of the shows that may have flown under the radar for many of you. These are shows we've put our hearts into and are really proud of.
Today, we’re showcasi
With Casefile on a short break, we thought this would be a great time to shine a light on some of the shows that may have flown under the radar for many of you. These are shows we've put our hearts into and are really proud of.
Today, we’re showcasi
With Casefile on a short break, we thought this would be a great time to shine a light on some of the shows that may have flown under the radar for many of you. These are shows we've put our hearts into and are really proud of.
Today, we’re showcasi
With Casefile on a short break, we thought this would be a great time to shine a light on some of the shows that may have flown under the radar for many of you. These are shows we've put our hearts into and are really proud of.
First up is Missing N
When 46-year-old Vincent Viafore disappeared while kayaking on the Hudson River with his fiancée, 35-year-old Angelika Graswald, it was initially believed to be a tragic accident. However, Angelika’s story and behaviour soon raised troubling question
In late September 2019, a woman reported that she had discovered evidence of a brutal crime. A discarded memory card she’d found on a street in Downtown Anchorage, Alaska had video and image files depicting the torture and murder of an Alaska Native
*** Content warnings: child abuse, sexual assault, child victims, stalking ***
In Paterson, New Jersey, during the early 1980s, Marie Moore was seen as the neighbourhood’s ‘cool mum’. The 35-year-old allowed her 12-year-old daughter Tammy to have fr
On September 15 2003, Singaporean student Ram Tiwary awoke in his Sydney apartment to find his two flatmates, Tony Tan Poh Chuan and Tay Chow Lyang, had been brutally murdered. A suspicious car seen in the area leads police on a hunt for the killers,
When 71-year-old Thomas Perez Senior failed to return home after a short walk to his mailbox in Fontana, California, his son Tom wasn’t overly concerned. He suspected his father had just gone to visit friends or family and would return home of his ow
When the bodies of Doctor Gilbert Bogle and Margaret Chandler were found along the banks of Sydney’s Lane Cove River on New Year’s Day 1963, scandal and suspicion erupted. The two were married – but not to each other – raising immediate questions of
*** Content warnings: child victims, child abuse, child sexual assault, child exploitation ***
In 2013, a forum appeared on the dark web called Hurt2theCore. Run by an anonymous user known only as Lux, it was a digital cesspool dedicated to one of t
On a January night in 1997, Yarmila Falater was brutally stabbed and drowned in the family’s backyard pool. Her husband, Scott Falater, was caught red-handed, but claimed he had no memory of the crime. What followed was a high-profile trial that pitt
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault, homophobia***
On Anzac Day of 1999, life partners Keith Hibbins and David Campbell were walking through the Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne when they were approached by two agitated young men, John Whiteside and Kr
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault ***
When first responders arrived at the Roberts family home in the small town of Early, Iowa, on December 13 2001, they found 20-year-old Dustin Wehde lying in a pool of his own blood. The homeowner, Tracey Robe
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault, child victims ***
After 14-year-old Kalinka Bamberski is found dead in her own bed in the German town of Lindau, her French father, André Bamberski, refuses to accept that she died of natural causes. The further
When 41-year-old Lindsay Jellett failed to return home from his evening walk around the Victorian town of Ararat in May 1994, staff at his residential care unit were immediately worried. As well as being intellectually disabled, Lindsay had epilepsy,
*** Content warnings: Sexual abuse ***
In the late 1970s, Wichita secretary Ruth Finley began to receive cryptic letters and chilling threats from a mysterious figure known only as ‘The Poet.’ For years, The Poet tormented Ruth and her husband, Ed,
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*** Content Warning: Sexual assault, gun violence, child victims ***
By mid-1963, The Night Caller’s reign of terror had altered Perth forever, and he still remained at large and unidentified. Following another execution-style slaying
[Part 1 of 2]
*** Content Warning: Sexual assault, gun violence, child victims ***
The city of Perth in Western Australia is sometimes described as the most isolated city in the world. During the late 1950s, Perth’s idyllic beaches, laidback lifest
In 1999, Ina and David Steiner founded an online newsletter called eCommerceBytes. The couple worked hard to establish themselves as knowledgeable, trustworthy and unbiased reporters in the e-commerce industry and were well respected by their niche c
*** Content warnings: Extreme sexual violence, torture, captivity, racism, domestic violence ***
When 25-year-old Josefina Rivera accepted a ride with North Philadelphia local Gary Heidnik on the night of November 26 1986, she could never have antici
*** Content warnings: Self-harm ***
When 60-year-old Mark Staudte of Springfield, Missouri, fell ill in early April of 2012, he suspected he just had a bad case of the flu. But the situation quickly turned critical, and Mark was soon found dead in hi
When 23-year-old Canadian ice hockey player Duncan MacPherson accepted a coaching job in Scotland, he was ready for his next adventure. But when Duncan failed to show up for the first day of his new job, serious concerns were raised about his well be
*** Content warnings: Child victims ***
Wayne and Jennifer De Gruchy lived a comfortable life in the New South Wales suburb of Albion Park Rail with their three teenage children, Matthew, Adrian and Sarah. But on the morning of Wednesday March 13 19
*** Content warnings: Child sexual assault, child murder ***
In 1986, two pre-teen girls from Tacoma, Washington, were abducted and murdered mere months apart. Both Michella Welch and Jennifer Bastian were attacked, sexually assaulted and killed aft
*** Content Warning: Child victim ***
[Part 2 of 2]
When Keli Lane is charged with the murder of her newborn baby Tegan in 2009, the circumstantial case sparks debate around the country. Was this star athlete a cold blooded killer or a woman unfairly
*** Content Warning: Child victim ***
[Part 1 of 2]
After 24-year-old Keli Lane gave birth in 1999, she began the process of placing her newborn son for adoption. It was soon revealed that Keli had also given birth in September 1996, to a baby girl n
*** Content warnings: Child victims ***
In 2002, 10-year-old Russian girl, Olga Chardymova was allowed to walk to her grandmother’s house unaccompanied for the very first time. Her journey barely began before she met a monster.
For years after her
On August 19 1990, the tiny mountain town of Camp Nelson, California was stunned when the owner of the Camp Nelson Lodge, Bonnie Hood, was found shot to death in her private cabin. Her handyman, Rudy Manuel, was also shot in the head during the attac
*** Content warnings: Mass murder, suicide ***
When the crew of an oil tanker discover a man lost at sea on November 13 1961, he tells them a harrowing tale. His name is Captain Julian Harvey, and he’s the sole survivor of a yachting disaster: his wi
*** Content warnings: Child abuse, sexual assault ***
On an early morning in March 1994, two strange men entered 16-year-old Aaron Bacon’s bedroom and told him they were there to take him away. Aaron’s parents had signed him up for a 63-day wildernes
*** Content warnings: Suicide, self-harm, pregnancy loss ***
When retired schoolteacher Celia Blay stumbled across an online forum where suicidal individuals shared their innermost thoughts, she had no idea that she was about to encounter a serial pr
When married couple Ray and Jennie Kehlet went on a prospecting trip to the Western Australian outback in March 2015, they had one thing on their minds and that was to find gold. But when the couple suddenly disappeared without a trace, one of the bi
[Part 2 of 2]
After arresting Darrin Lopez for the murder of Jamie Faith, detectives were confident they had solved the case – but the biggest revelation was yet to come.
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Milly Raso
Creative direc
[Part 1 of 2]
Married couple Jamie and Jennifer Faith lived a comfortable and happy life together in Oak Cliff, Texas. That all changed on the morning of Friday, October 9 2020, when a masked assailant confronted the couple as they took their dog on
*** Content warnings: Child abuse, child victims, sexual assault ***
In the late 1970s, young girls along the Andes mountain range in Ecuador began to disappear. By 1980, the number of missing girls had reached national crisis proportions. Police fea
In October of 2011, an advertisement was posted on the website Craigslist. It read: Wanted: Caretaker For Farm. Simply watch over a 688 acre patch of hilly farmland and feed a few cows. You get 300 a week and a nice 2 bedroom trailer. Someone older a
** Content warnings: Child victims ***
When a Holden belonging to Glenroy man Elmer Crawford was found at the bottom of the Loch Ard Gorge in July 1970, immediate concerns were raised for the safety of Elmer, his wife Theresa and their three childre
When Mersea Island couple Stephen and Carol Baxter were found dead in their favourite recliner chairs in April 2023, there were no visible injuries or an obvious cause of death. Their house was immaculate, and nothing appeared to be missing. The case
*** Content warnings: Domestic violence, suicide ***
Dutch national Mark van Dongen met South African Berlinah Wallace in 2010 in Bristol, England. After 5 years together, Mark decided he wanted to end the relationship. He finally broke it off in Aug
When Half and Susanne Zantop were found brutally stabbed to death in their Etna, New Hampshire home, friends, colleagues and investigators were all at a loss to understand it.
The married couple were both beloved professors at Dartmouth College, and
After two planes struck New York City’s World Trade Center on September 11 2001, Tania Head was one of the lucky few who managed to escape from above the impact zone of the South Tower. Saved by lauded 9/11 hero Welles Crowther, Tania’s incredible an
*** Content warnings: Domestic violence ***
When freelance writer Louise Ellis disappeared after leaving her Ottawa home on April 22 1995, the person leading the search for her was her devoted partner, Brett Morgan. But Brett’s criminal background m
*** Content warnings: Animal cruelty, gun violence ***
43-year-old Graham Backhouse lived a peaceful life with his wife and children on Widden Hill Farm in Horton, England. But in 1984, a campaign of harassment directed at Graham left him fearing fo
When Dutch friends Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon set out for a six-week adventure in Panama in 2014, they were ready for the trip of a lifetime. But after failing to show up for a planned tour in the mountain town of Boquete, search parties sprung i
*** Content warnings: Child victim, sexual assault ***
In 2004, several young girls around Fort Wayne, Indiana received handwritten letters threatening that they would be the next victim of a child killer.
Authorities were immediately concerned. DNA
*** Content warnings: Racial violence, sexual assault ***
In June of 2020, London social worker Bibaa Henry decided to celebrate her 46th birthday with a picnic at scenic Fryent Country Park. Celebrations continued late into the night, until Bibaa a
*** Content warnings: Animal cruelty ***
On a hot summer’s day in 1989, a father and son travelling through Stockton, California, discover a VHS tape left by the side of a road. When they take it home and decide to watch it, they make a disturbing d
In early January 2000, residents of Asheville, North Carolina were told to be on the lookout for 18-year-old Zebb Quinn after he failed to return home after finishing his shift at Wal-Mart. A co-worker of Zebb’s, Robert Jason Owens, claimed that Zebb
*** Content warnings: Child victim, sexual assault ***
[Part 2 of 2]
Colin Ross maintained his innocence for the murder of Alma Tirtschke right up until his execution. Could he have been telling the truth?
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research &
*** Content warnings: Child victim, sexual assault ***
[Part 1 of 2]
When 12-year-old Alma Tirtschke failed to return home after running an errand for her family, they were immediately concerned. Alma was a dutiful child who did what she was told an
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault, domestic violence ***
Jeff and Tim Slaten woke on the morning of Friday, September 4 1981, to find their home teeming with police. Their mother, Linda, had been raped and murdered during the night. Neither broth
May 3 1991, was a typical Friday for 58-year-old Margaret Penny. In the afternoon, she visited the Old London Coiffure in the heart of Portland, Victoria, for her weekly hair appointment with 49-year-old Claire Acocks. But when the two women are foun
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking ***
When Angela Connell met Ian Diaz, the pair began a whirlwind romance that quickly led to marriage and a growing family. But their newfound happiness was soon disturbed by a cyberst
*** Content warning: Child victim ***
On November 16 2001, two state troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police arrived to conduct a welfare check at the Poconos Mountains home of 52-year-old Benjamin Amato. Friends and neighbours had reported their
*** Content warning: Child victims, serial rapist, stalking ***
When the Koneva family fled to England to escape the war-torn Balkans, their hopes for a peaceful new beginning were soon shattered. In May 1997, an unknown intruder entered their London
On September 5 2012, a cyclist driving through the French Alps came upon a shocking scene. Married couple Saad and Iqbal al-Hilli, along with Iqbal’s elderly mother Suhaila al-Allaf, were shot execution-style while sitting in their BMW in a secluded
*** Content warning: Child victim, child sexual assault, sexual assault/rape ***
When six-year-old Bonnie Clarke is murdered in her bed in the middle of the night just four nights before Christmas in 1982, Melbourne detectives are certain they know w
*** Content warning: Sexual assault ***
For 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher, spending a year studying in Italy was a dream come true. But within months of arriving in the medieval town of Perugia, that dream quickly turned into a nightma
*** Content warning: Animal cruelty ***
In May 2021, residents of the affluent Athens suburb of Glyka Nera were left shaken by news of a violent home invasion. Three masked intruders had killed 19-year-old Caroline Crouch as she slept beside her 11-m
*** Content warning: Extreme sexual violence, captivity ***
[Part 2 of 2]
As the years of abuse, torture and confinement to the bed box continued for Colleen Stan, she remained paralysed by her fear of The Company. But one thing changed. Her captors
*** Content warning: Extreme sexual violence, captivity ***
[Part 1 of 2]
When Colleen Stan’s family received an unexpected phone call from Colleen in June 1980, they were stunned. No one had seen or spoken to Colleen since she hitched a ride to Cali
In the spring of 2005, two 18-year-olds met in an online chat room and immediately hit it off. Jessi went by the username TalHotBlond, while her new friend Tommy called himself MarineSniper. It wasn’t long before the two had fallen in love and gotten
In March 1977, school bus driver Mary Gillespie started receiving threatening letters delivered to her home in Circleville, Ohio. It wasn’t long before her husband, Ron Gillespie, also received the letters which accused Mary of having an affair with
For Marea Yann, two things mattered most in life - family and community. When the 69-year-old was found violently bludgeoned to death in her Healesville home, the small Victorian town was left shaken. It seemed impossible that anyone would want to hu
*** Content warning: Child victim, child abuse, suicide, grooming ***
When 14-year-old Andrew Gosden mysteriously disappeared from his home in the UK suburb of Doncaster, evidence emerged to indicate that he’d left of his own free will. But Andrew wa
When Brian and Beverly Barry returned from a weekend away to discover their 19-year-old daughter Kim was gone, they initially assumed she was out with friends. Then news broke that a body had been found in some bushland south of their home in Wollong
*** Content warning: Domestic violence, sexual assault ***
In Pakistani culture, arranged marriages are common. So when the parents of Samia Shahid chose a husband for her, Samia agreed to the marriage. Despite being raised in England, Samia took he
*** Content warning: Sexual assault ***
[Part 2 of 2]
When nine-year-old Debra May Helmick was abducted from the front of her family’s trailer in Richland County, South Carolina, there were immediate concerns that her kidnapping could be linked to th
*** Content warning: Sexual assault ***
[Part 1 of 2]
When 17-year-old Shari Smith disappeared from the end of her family's driveway in Lexington, South Carolina, there were immediate concerns for her wellbeing. Shari had a rare medical condition tha
*** Content warning: Elder abuse ***
The Director of Nursing at the Alpine Manor Nursing Home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was thrilled when Catherine Wood and Gwen Graham joined their team of nursing aides in the mid-1980s. They were hard-working, ent
*** Content warning: Child victim, child sexual abuse ***
When eight-year-old Jamie Lavis failed to return home on Monday, May 5 1997, his family quickly raised the alarm. Soon, it seemed as though all of Greater Manchester was searching for the miss
On November 16 2009, a 911 call was placed to the Utah County Sheriff’s Department by 34-year-old Pamela Mortensen. According to Pamela, her father-in-law Kay Mortensen was brutally murdered in his own home...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Researc
After a routine check on suspicious activity turns to tragedy for Illinois Police Lieutenant Joe Gliniewicz, Fox Lake locals struggle to come to grips with the loss of their hero cop. A statewide manhunt ensues, but when the perpetrators aren’t immed
*** Content warning: Crimes against children, child abuse, domestic abuse, alcoholism ***
On April 27 1964, young mother Dora Fronczak was in her hospital bed feeding her one-day-old son, Paul, when a nurse entered the room and said she had to take P
When 52-year-old German farmer Rudolf Rupp failed to return home from a night out drinking in the town of Neuburg an der Donau, several questions were raised. Had Rudolf accidentally driven into the nearby Donau River? Had he taken his own life? Or w
*** Content warning: child victim ***
On the afternoon of January 14, 2012, 15-year-old Winsie Hau was attacked with a knife by a 14-year-old boy. Winsie's father was also attacked, and while he survived his injuries, Winsie did not.
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Narration
*** Content warning: child victim, sexual assault ***
When Rajesh and Nupur Talwar went to wake their 13-year-old daughter Aarushi on the morning of Friday, May 16 2008, the couple were shocked to find her brutally murdered in her bed.
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Narratio
*** Content warning: serial rapist and killer, sexual assault, stalking ***
When Melbourne women Margaret Maher, Mersina Halvagis and Nicole Patterson were found brutally murdered in the late 1990s, police didn’t immediately link the crimes. The kill
*** Content warning: Child victim, animal cruelty ***
When single mother Nadja Medley met an older man named Mike Bullinger, she finally found happiness after a difficult few years. As well as being a fun, kind-hearted partner, Mike was a wonderful f
*** Content warning: Mental illness, stalking, gun violence ***
Amy Boyer was a popular teen in her hometown of Nashua, New Hampshire. Her life was busy between school, work and social commitments. Full of joy and love, Amy naturally drew in those ar
*** Content warning: Sexual assault ***
When trainee nurses Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans failed to return to work in Sydney after a holiday around Australia in 1974, fears arose that they could have fallen victim to the so-called Gold Coast Hitchh
*** Content warning: Gun violence ***
When 41-year-old Abraham Shakespeare won the 30 million dollar Florida Lottery prize, his underprivileged life changed overnight. Yet, he quickly realised his newfound wealth was a curse. Despite showing limitles
In the summer of 1980, Theodosius Glukharev received a series of harrowing deliveries to his home in Kishinev, Soviet Moldova. The contents ultimately unravelled the murders of three women – Nina Puganova, Irina Trasyn & Anastasia Mikhailova...
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[Part 2 of 2]
*** Content Warning: child victim ***
After grieving father Jean-Marie Villemin takes revenge for his son’s death into his own hands, the investigation into Grégory Villemin’s death takes a series of unexpected turns.
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Narration –
[Part 1 of 2]
*** Content Warning: child victim ***
The extended Villemin family lived in the Vosges region of north-eastern France. From 1981, several members of the family started to receive anonymous, threatening phone calls from a mysterious cal
When married mother of two, Sherri Papini, goes missing near her home in Redding, California, the community is gripped by fear. Suspicion immediately falls on Sherri’s husband, Keith Papini, but an even darker theory emerges – what if Sherri was the
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
On April 5 2008, 10-year-old Engla Höglund went missing while cycling home from soccer practice near the small Swedish town of Stjärnsund. As news spread, a witness came forward who had captured Engl
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
On April 14 1973, the Kennedy family awoke in their Ipswich, Queensland unit to discover the unthinkable. 16-month-old Deidre Kennedy was missing from her cot, having been abducted by an intruder ove
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 7 1982, residents of the tiny Alaskan fishing village of Craig noticed smoke across the harbour. A fishing vessel was on fire. It belonged to successful Washing
On February 10 1993, East Sussex police were summoned to conduct a welfare check at the Wadhurst cottage of newlyweds, Harry and Nicola Fuller. What they found inside left the tight-knit community in shock.
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research &
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
By late 2016, Jason and Brandi Worley’s marriage was crumbling. Regardless of what happened between them, they promised to always put their two children, Tyler and Charlee, first.
Meanwhile, a use
When 41-year-old waitress Peggy Carr succumbed to a mysterious illness in October 1988, doctors in Alturas, Florida struggled to figure out what was wrong with her. As other members of Peggy’s family became sick too, one neurologist came to suspect t
20-year-old Renae Marsden was a bright and bubbly young woman who valued her family above all else. Her mother Teresa Marsden was therefore shocked when she received a message from Renae’s boyfriend, Brayden Spiteri, on August 5 2013 warning: “Sort y
In February 1960, the city of Manchester, New Hampshire, was rocked by the violent murder of teenager Sandra Valade. Three years later, another teenager, Pamela Mason, was killed in the same manner. A quiet housewife named Rena Paquette confided to p
When residents of the affluent Southfields area of south-west London notice foul smelling smoke coming from a home on Wimbledon Park Drive in September 2017, firefighters arrive to make sure the house isn’t in danger. Nothing could prepare them for w
[Part 3 of 3]
More disturbing secrets are unearthed at 25 Cromwell Street as the investigation into Fred West leads detectives into the remote English countryside. Fred steadfastly asserts that his wife knew nothing of his crimes, and tight-lipped Ro
[Part 2 of 3]
By 1992, Fred and Rose West were raising their children at their Cromwell Street home. At first glance, the Wests appeared to be a model family. Neighbours viewed Fred as a modest, kind and soft-spoken man. Rose was a dedicated mother a
[Part 1 of 3]
In early 1969, 15-year-old Rose Letts was waiting alone at a bus stop in the English town of Cheltenham when she was approached by a much older man. 27-year-old Fred West was poorly dressed, dirty, and had a mouthful of green, chipped
In 1963, on the Italian island of Sicily, a wealthy young bachelor named Filippo Melodia began a courtship with a teenager named Franca Viola, much to the displeasure of Franca's father...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Holly B
When Nathan Lee arrived at his home in North Port, Florida, on January 17 2008, he immediately knew something was wrong. His two young sons were home alone, and his wife, 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee, was missing.
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Res
For Jo Rogers and her two teenage daughters, Michelle and Christe, a trip to Florida seemed like a dream come true. In May 1989, the trio left their dairy farm in Willshire, Ohio and set out on their first ever interstate holiday.
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Narration –
In 1994, 29-year-old Adelaide lawyer Anna-Jane Cheney was looking forward to her dream wedding. But just six weeks before she was due to walk down the aisle, her fiancè Henry Keogh called paramedics to report that he’d found Anna-Jane lying unconscio
When 16-year-old Rubí Frayre went missing from the Mexican city of Juarez, police showed little interest. Exasperated, Rubí's mother, Marisela Escobedo, took it upon herself to uncover the truth about her daughter’s fate.
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Narration – Anonymous
On November 6 2003, a customer entered the Superbike Motorsports dealership in Chesnee, South Carolina. Nothing could prepare them for the grisly scene inside. Four employees had been gunned down in cold blood - Scott Ponder, Beverly Guy, Brian Lucas
In April 2009, 64-year-old Bill Harrison, a much-loved member of the community of Mississauga, Canada, was found dead in his home. An autopsy revealed that he died of natural causes. Just over one year later, Bill’s wife, Bridget Harrison was also fo
The weekend of December 16 2000 was shaping up to be a good one for Tallahassee man Mike Williams. With a romantic getaway planned to celebrate his sixth wedding anniversary to his wife Denise, Mike got up early to sneak in a couple hours of duck hun
In 2003, 12 elderly women were killed in their homes in Mexico City. Most were strangled and robbed. Fears arose that a serial killer was on the loose, with the media dubbing the perpetrator ‘El Mataviejitas’ - The Little Old Lady Killer.
Police in
The United States Marine Corps is known for its tight-knit culture, as solidified in their motto, ‘Semper Fidelis,' which means ‘Always Faithful.’ 20-year-old Raheel Siddiqui was looking for his next move in life. A brilliant student, he determined t
When 15-year-old Evelyn Hartley agreed to babysit for the Rasmussen family on the evening of October 24 1953, it sounded like a relatively easy job...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Erin Munro
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Pr
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
When Czech Republic man Eduard Trdý inadvertently intercepted the video feed of his neighbour’s security camera in May 2007, he was so alarmed by the footage that he contacted the police...
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Nar
In 1996, Karina Holmer left her small Swedish village of Skillingaryd to travel to Boston, Massachusetts. The 19-year-old had plans to work as an au pair with an American family who lived in an affluent neighbourhood called Dover. Karina settled in w
In May 1975, 45-year-old Frank Hilley began experiencing severe nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps in his home in Anniston, Alabama. He died just over a week later. Soon after, his wife Marie Hilley began to receive threatening phone calls, messages
When the bodies of British tourists 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were found brutally murdered on the remote Thai island of Koh Tao, the police immediately concluded that the killer had to be a foreigner, as a Thai person
Dr John Schneeberger’s charming and gentle manner made him a popular and trusted figure in the tiny Canadian town of Kipling. So when a young woman named Candice accused him of raping her in 1992, most townsfolk were left shocked and found the allega
[Part 2 of 2]
In Berlin, Germany at the height of World War Two, a man took advantage of the Blackout orders at night to frighten and assault women in an isolated garden colony. Soon, he progressed to attacking and killing women on the S-Bahn train b
[Part 1 of 2]
At the height of World War Two in London, a serial killer roamed the streets. In just one week in February 1942, he killed four women and attempted to kill others, taking them by surprise at night during the enforced blackout periods.
In March 1998, members of the Cat Protection Society in Brisbane, Australia were shocked at the murder of one of their own, a 52-year-old Veterinarian named Dr Kathleen Marshall. An outspoken crusader for animal rights, Kathleen seemed an unlikely ta
Eliahu Itzkovitz spent much of his childhood confined behind the walls of Romania’s Chișinău Ghetto – a place where he and other Romanian Jews were held prisoner by their government...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Holly Boyd
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
On May 26 1978, four-year-old Eric Christgen suddenly disappeared while playing in a park in St Joseph, Missouri. The next day, his body was discovered near the Missouri River, sparking a manhunt lik
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
When the body of four-year-old Kevin Hjalmarsson was found floating on a wooden pallet in Sweden’s Kyrkviken bay, police determined that it wasn’t a tragic drowning, but a cold-blooded murder.
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It was around 2:30 am on Sunday, December 18 1994, when a group of friends stumbled across the bloody and brutalised body of a young woman, lying in the middle of a road in Gqeberha, South Africa. She was the latest victim of Frans Du Toit and Theuns
On December 21 1924, itinerant beggar, Vincenz Olivier, knocked on the door of an apartment building on the outskirts of Münsterberg in Weimar, Germany. Father Denke, the elderly man who answered the door, gladly offered Vincenz 20 pfennigs to help h
When Omaha mechanic Dave Kroupa met Cari Farver in late 2012, he thought he’d found the perfect woman. Unfortunately, their relationship soon turned sour and when Dave ended things, Cari began to obsessively stalk him, turning his life into a living
On March 11, 2011, two employees of the Lululemon Athletica yoga store in Bethesda, Maryland fell victim to a brutal attack carried out by two masked men. 30-year-old Jayna Murray was murdered, while 28-year-old Brittany Norwood survived the ordeal w
When Swedish backpackers Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen go missing during a camping trip around New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, concerns are quickly raised that the newly engaged couple could have fallen victim to foul play. Worries increase on
In 2018, American missionary John Chau sailed out to North Sentinel, a forested island off the coast of India. He intended to spread the word of God to the Sentinelese, a small population of indigenous people considered the most remote tribe in the w
In early January 1977, residents of Easey Street in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Collingwood noticed they hadn’t seen the tenants at number 147 for several days...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Elsha McGill
Creative direct
On Tuesday, July 27 1976, 16-year-old Candra Torres and a man named Tom Brown showed up in an Oregon sheriff’s department to report a terrible incident. Candra’s husband, 21-year-old Julio Torres, had been accidentally shot and killed while the three
On March 9 2001, 43-year-old computer engineer Bernd Brandes disappeared from his home in Berlin, Germany. Although his absence was extremely out of character, investigations into his whereabouts proved unsuccessful...
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Narration – Anonymous Hos
On January 26 2005, 25-year-old Juan Alvarez parked his car on a railway line in Glendale, Los Angeles, causing an explosive train crash that killed and injured dozens of commuters. Alvarez, plagued by family troubles and a difficult past, claimed it
On January 26 2009, defacto couple Bob Chappell and Sue Neill-Fraser spent the public holiday working on their yacht, The Four Winds, in Tasmania’s Sandy Bay.
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research – Jessica Forsayeth
Writing – Elsha McGill
Creati
On Saturday, February 23 1957, 11-year-old Moira Anderson set out in a blizzard to run a quick errand. When she failed to return home, locals in her hometown of Coatbridge, Scotland began searching the area for any sign of her...
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Narration – An
When 22-year-old Janet Chandler was abducted while working the night shift at the Blue Mill Inn on January 31 1979, her disappearance appeared to be part of a robbery...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Elsha McGill
Creative dire
[Part 4 of 4]
On March 22 1970, 22-year-old Kathleen Johns suffered a terrifying encounter when her car broke down on a California highway. Was it possible she’d encountered the Zodiac Killer?
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research – Jess Forsayet
[Part 3 of 4]
On September 27 1969, friends Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell were relaxing at Lake Berryessa, California, when their afternoon was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a menacing figure. His face was concealed by a black hood, pai
[Part 2 of 4]
On December 20 1968, teenagers David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were gunned down in the middle of the night on a deserted road in Benicia, California. Six months later, another young couple, Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau, were sho
[Part 1 of 4]
During the 1960s, California saw a wave of senseless, unsolved slayings. Cab driver Ray Davis was murdered in cold blood after an anonymous killer warned of his intentions. Two young couples – Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards, and John
During the summer of 1976 and 1977, seven young women mysteriously disappeared from the streets of Adelaide. Veronica Knight, Sylvia Pittman, Julie Mykyta, Connie Iordanides, Vicki Howell, Tania Kenny, and Deborah Lamb were all last seen near main ro
When Kmart employee Tami Reay failed to show up at work in Pierre, South Dakota on the morning of Wednesday, February 8 2006, her co-worker Brian Clark called the police to report her missing. Brian had reason to suspect that Tami might have fallen v
In 1974, a young woman named Margaret Schafer was strangled to death in her hometown of Ewersbach, Germany...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth
Editing – Erin Munro
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Production and
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim ***
In March 1997, residents of Kobe, Japan were horrified when dead and mutilated cats began appearing at random along the city's sidewalks...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Jessi
On the evening of May 22 2010, Steve Herr drove over to his son Sam’s apartment in Costa Mesa, California. The 26-year-old college student was supposed to be spending the weekend with his parents but when he never showed up, Steve decided to check on
Saturday, June 4 1960 seemed like the beginning of an idyllic summer break for Finnish teenagers, Nils Gustafsson, Seppo Boisman, Maila Irmeli Björklund and Anja Tuulikki Mäki. The four friends had decided to go camping at Lake Bodom, a picturesque r
On July 17, 1984, a deceased female was located in a deserted area near Lake Tahoe, California. Investigators were stumped as to her identity or her killer, who had horrifically murdered her by setting her alight...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
R
On Christmas Eve 1945, while most citizens of the town of Fayetteville, West Virginia celebrated the end of World War Two, Italian immigrants - George and Jennie Sodder watched their house go up in flames...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research
Melbourne psychotherapist Margaret Hobbs was used to dealing with sex offenders. Many of her clients were men who had been referred to her through the court system after committing terrible crimes...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writi
[Part 2 of 2]
In June 1983, Cindy Paulson ran out onto a highway in Anchorage, barefoot and handcuffed. She was the prized prey of a prolific serial killer who was plaguing the region and had escaped his plans to hunt her down in the Alaskan wildern
[Part 1 of 2]
During the 1970s and ’80s, a predator was stalking the streets of Anchorage, Alaska. By day, he was a respectable family man who ran his own business. But at night, he would prowl Anchorage’s infamous Tenderloin District, looking for v
When JoAnne Chambers was hired to teach at Coolbaugh Learning Centre in Pennsylvania she arrived with glowing reviews from her former school. So when an anonymous harasser began targeting the popular school teacher, she was left stunned...
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Narr
On August 2 2006, 32-year-old lawyer Robert Wone knocked off after a long day at his office in Washington DC. To save making the journey home so late at night, he arranged to stay at a friend’s house...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & wr
In the early hours of Monday, November 15 2004, husband and wife Peter and Joan Porco were savagely attacked with an axe while they slept...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Pro
When 16-year-old Colleen Walker suddenly vanished from the New South Wales town of Bowraville in September 1990, her family and friends knew something was terribly wrong. But local police dismissed their concerns, suggesting that the Indigenous teena
When Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong were offered the chance to star on a prank show that aired on YouTube, the young women thought it was the opportunity of a lifetime. All they had to do was approach strangers on the street and rub oil on their face
Early on the morning of October 18 1947, a stewardess working on the ocean liner Durban Castle discovered something strange. The cabin belonging to an actress named Gay Gibson was empty...
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Narration – Anonymous Host
Research & writing – Erin M
Karen MacKenzie resided in Greenough with her three children - Daniel, Amara, and Katrina. The 31-year-old single mother had recently gotten together enough money to rent a small house on the rural outskirts of town...
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Narration – Anonymous Hos
On February 5 1921, eight-year-old Freda Burnell went missing in the small coal-mining town of Abertillery, Wales. The unusual disappearance reached a tragic conclusion when her bound and beaten body was found dumped inside a sack in an alleyway...
During the early ’70s, cemeteries and mortuaries throughout Germany were targeted by a particularly disturbing grave robber. Not only did he steal the personal belongings of the dead, but he also exhumed, mutilated, molested, and gnawed upon the bodi
“This is going to be the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard. This is going to be the craziest thing you’ve ever heard. There is nothing in your lives or background that has prepared you to understand the Potter family. You have never seen anybody like
On the morning of September 6 2011, Auckland teenager Christie Marceau was woken by a troubling phone call from an acquaintance named Akshay Chand. The two 18-year-olds had previously worked together at a supermarket, and Chand was now threatening to
Between 1993 and 2009, DNA discovered at 40 crime scenes across Germany, Austria, and France were linked to an unknown woman of eastern European descent. Dubbed ‘The Woman Without a Face’, her crimes ranged from petty theft to murder. After her DNA w
Married couple Derek and Maria Broaddus were house hunting when a property in the affluent neighbourhood of Westfield, New Jersey immediately caught their attention. 657 Boulevard was a striking six bedroom, four bathroom Dutch Colonial style home th
On June 9 2017, Yingying Zhang vanished on her way to an appointment in Urbana, Illinois. The Chinese visiting scholar missed her bus and after she failed to return to work that day, her colleagues quickly raised the alarm...
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Narration – Anonym
When newlyweds Gail and Rick Brink failed to show up to their respective jobs on the morning of November 23 1987, the alarm was immediately raised. The couple’s bodies were discovered at the ranch house they had only just purchased. Both had been sho
One cold winter night in 1991, best friends Vicki Arnold and Julie-Anne Leahy vanished from their town of Atherton, Queensland. The two women had left for a late-night fishing trip but never came home. Two weeks later, their bodies were found in Juli
When 19-year-old Rocio Wanninkhof failed to return home after a night out with friends, her mother Alicia was immediately worried. The family lived in the small town of La Cala de Mijas, Spain – where teenagers felt safe going out alone. Alicia’s con
In August 1961, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were sitting in their car in Dorney Reach, UK when an intruder forced his way into the backseat brandishing a gun. After driving them around the English countryside for hours, the intruder shot both
On August 19 1988, two armed offenders entered a branch of the Deutsche Bank in Gladbeck, West Germany with the intention of holding it up. Hans-Jürgen Rösner and Dieter Degowski planned to steal a large sum of money, then make a quick getaway.
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On February 29 2008, members of the Caffey Family were sleeping soundly in their Texas home when intruders suddenly stormed in and launched a brutal attack. After setting the house on fire, the intruders fled, unaware that one family member was still
On October 2 1987, a council employee in Central City, Kentucky called police after finding an abandoned, blood-smeared Pontiac outside his workplace. When Lieutenant Billy Fields arrived at the scene, he found the savagely assaulted body of 20-year-
In January 1974, 18-year-old Guðmundur Einarsson enjoyed a night out with friends in the town of Hafnarfjordur, Iceland. At the end of the evening, he walked into a wild snowstorm and was never seen again. Ten months later, in November 1974, 32-year-
In Australia, Father’s Day falls on the first Sunday of September and is typically a time for families to gather together and celebrate. But on Father’s Day in 2005, the small Victorian town of Winchelsea was rocked by news that a local man named Rob
In 1979, residents of Adelaide were gripped by fear when several young men began to go missing under mysterious circumstances. 17-year-old Alan Barnes, 25-year-old Neil Muir, 14-year-old Peter Stogneff, 18-year-old Mark Langley and 15-year-old Richar
In 1994, 13-year-old Nicholas Barclay disappeared after playing basketball with his friends in his home town of San Antonio, Texas. Years went by with no sign of him. Just when his family thought all hope was lost, in October 1997 they received a cal
During the 1980s, Canadian nurse Cindy James was tormented by an unknown assailant at her home in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was subject to threatening phone calls, break-ins, arson attacks and even physical assaults. Cindy tried everything to
[Part 6 of 6]
This is the final instalment in a Casefile series that was first released in 2017.
It covers recent developments in the case and mentions incidents detailed in previous episodes. If you haven’t already, we recommend you go back and li
On August 25 1973, 12,000 South Australian National Football League spectators packed into Adelaide Oval to watch the North Adelaide Roosters take on the Norwood Redlegs. During the game’s third and penultimate quarter, 11-year-old Joanne Ratcliffe w
In 1995, 15-year-old Scottish schoolboy Lawrence Haggart’s dreams came true when he was signed to join Celtic, an elite Scottish football club. The future looked bright for young Lawrence, until one night in March 1996 when his brother John Haggart a
[Part 2 of 2]
After the decapitated body of 26-year-old naturalist Joie Armstrong is found in Yosemite’s Foresta region, investigators are quick to deny that her murder is linked to that of Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. But when suspicion
[Part 1 of 2]
Carole Sund and her teenage daughter Juli were excited to take their family friend and Argentinian exchange student, Silvina Pelosso, on a trip to see the natural wonders of Yosemite National Park. But when they fail to arrive at the S
In late July 1990, siblings Steve and Jane McGowan both received a letter in the mail from their sister, 34-year-old Beverly McGowan, advising that she had quit her job and was selling her condo in order to go travelling. This made no sense to Steve
When 47-year-old Mississippi resident James Craig Anderson realised he’d locked his keys in his car in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 26 2011, he was thankful when a vehicle pulled up offering to help. But it soon became clear that the occup
31-year-old Russell ‘Stabba’ Martin was well known around the small town of Stawell in Victoria’s west. A staple of the local pubs and footy club, it wasn’t unusual for Russell to leave town for days at a time. No matter where he went or why Russell’
** Warning: This episode contains descriptions of sexual violence ***
The evening of April 9, 2004, started as a regular, uneventful shift for employees at a McDonald’s restaurant in Mount Washington, Kentucky. Until 4:56 PM, when the phone rang and
In Ireland in 1968, a period known as The Troubles began. Years of extreme protesting and violence culminated in low morale and widespread despair throughout the country, and the economy struggled, resulting in high unemployment rates and mass emigra
It wasn’t unusual for 25-year-old Danniella Vian to lose her phone. So when her mother-in-law Julie received a phone call from a stranger saying he had Danniella’s mobile, this wasn’t a cause for concern. The previous day, Danniella had made a highly
When seven-year-old Steven Stayner fails to return home from school on December 4 1972, life changes irrevocably for the Stayner family. As the years pass by with no sign of their beloved son and brother, they do their best to adjust to life without
Newlyweds Anni Hindocha and Shrien Dewani were looking forward to celebrating their honeymoon in South Africa. After a traditional wedding in India, they set off for a luxury stay at Kruger National Park before making their way to Cape Town.
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Ep
Note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this episode contains the names of people who have passed away. The families of Cindy and Mona Lisa Smith have given Casefile permission to air this content.
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Episode narra
Residents of Hudson, Wisconsin are left rattled when funeral director Dan O’Connell and his trainee James Ellison are found shot to death in The O’Connell Family Funeral Home. The two were hardworking men with no known enemies and nothing about their
After the Western Australian gold rush of the late 1800s, there was little work available in the isolated Murchison region. Those lucky enough to find jobs were the ones willing to tough it out in the harsh conditions of the small towns and stations
On the morning of September 15 2007, an elderly couple were walking through Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station when they noticed a young Asian girl standing alone near the escalator. Assuming she was lost, police were quickly notified and attempted t
The Miyazawa’s were a seemingly normal family who lived in a semi-detached, three-storey house in Setagaya’s Kamisoshigaya district. But when their bodies are found brutally slaughtered in their own home, questions begin to emerge as to whether the f
On July 10 1991, 18-year-old Julie Dart disappeared after a night out in Leeds. Two days later, her boyfriend Dominic Murray received a letter from Julie that read: “Help me, please. I’ve been kidnapped and I’m being held as personal security… Please
When 18-year-old Brittany Phillips enrolled to study at Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma, she was excited to move into her own apartment. With the help of her mother Maggie Zingman, she soon found the perfect place – a one-bedroom apartment in the
On the morning of August 5 2009, 26-year-old Dalia Dippolito was working out when she received a voicemail from a detective at the Boynton Beach Police Department. He instructed Dalia to return to her home immediately, saying, “It involves your husba
[Part 3 of 3]
As Dennis Nilsen prepares to face trial and the true extent of his murder spree begins to emerge, so many questions remain unanswered. What drove him to kill? Who were his victims? And how did he manage to get away with his crimes for
[Part 2 of 3]
By the time Dennis Nilsen moved out of his flat at 195 Melrose Avenue in Cricklewood, he had already taken the lives of twelve victims. Eager to start afresh, he set himself up on the top floor at 23 Cranley Gardens in Muswell Hill and
[Part 1 of 3]
When specialty plumbers arrived to inspect the drains at a property in the north London suburb of Muswell Hill in early February 1983, it seemed like any regular job. Upon closer inspection, they were baffled by the presence of the “po
Teenagers in the New South Wales town of Stockton Beach were excited as they gathered at the North Stockton Surf Club to celebrate the sixteenth birthday of a schoolmate. 14-year-old Leigh Leigh promised her parents she’d be waiting at their designa
Australia is no stranger to bushfires. But when Victorian Premier John Brumby warned residents that the weather conditions for February 7, 2009, could be “the worst day in the history of the state,” no one could have predicted the damage that lay ahe
18-year-old Natalee Holloway had been looking forward to her senior class trip to Aruba all year. The tropical vacation was a rite of passage for students at Mountain Brook High School, who celebrated their newfound freedom with five days of sightsee
Just after midnight on November 10 2012, a loud and frightening sound erupted in the Indianapolis subdivision of Richmond Hill. The force was so powerful that it registered on a regional earthquake sensor and homes were left rattling from the impact.
[Part 2 of 2]
On March 24 1953, a tenant at 10 Rillington Place was renovating their kitchen when they made a shocking discovery. After police arrive at the property, the true extent of the horror becomes clear.
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Episode narrated by the Anonym
[Part 1 of 2]
When newlyweds Beryl and Timothy Evans found out they were expecting their first child, they set about finding a place of their own to live. They soon found a suitable rental property in London’s Notting Hill district, located at 10 Ri
In October of 1628, the newly constructed Batavia embarked on its maiden voyage from the shores of The Netherlands, setting sail for the Dutch East Indies. The 341 individuals on board were oblivious to the fact that the journey would eventually be d
19-year-old Arlis Perry took her Christian faith seriously. After fighting with her husband Bruce on the night of October 12 1974, she decided to clear her head by stopping in at the Stanford Memorial Church to pray. When she still hadn’t returned an
On August 17 1980, the Chamberlain family were camping at Uluru when Lindy Chamberlain went to put her nine-week-old daughter Azaria to sleep in the tent. Moments later, the other campers heard Lindy cry out, “My God, my God, a dingo has got my baby!
On December 23 1927, the streets of Cisco, Texas were full of festive cheer as residents prepared for Christmas. When a man dressed as Santa Clause entered the First National Bank of Cisco, customers chuckled that even Saint Nick had finances to atte
16-year-old Martha Puebla was no stranger to gang violence. She lived in California’s San Fernando Valley, where Latin American organisations like the 18th Street Gang and the Vineland Boyz controlled the streets. So when Martha inadvertently witness
When American couple Tom and Eileen Lonergan set out to visit Australia, they were particularly looking forward to putting their diving skills to good use. On January 25 1998, they took advantage of the perfect weather conditions and boarded a charte
On March 4 1998, the parents of Rui Pedro Teixeira Mendonça grew concerned when their son failed to show up for a lesson with his tutor. The 11-year-old had last been seen riding his bike near their family home in Lousada, Portugal. P
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Episode n
During the 1970s and 80s, a series of terrifying sexual assaults occurred inside homes throughout the Victorian suburb of Donvale. The unidentified perpetrator was initially referred to as The Donvale Rapist, but after several survivors described him
On Sunday, October 26 1997, an emergency services dispatcher in Canberra received a hysterical call from a young woman who refused to provide clear answers to basic questions. Between sobs, she requested an ambulance to treat a suspected heroin overd
In early April 2011, several friends and relatives of Nante’s Dupont De Ligonnès family received an unexpected letter that read: “Hi everyone! Huge surprise: we have to leave urgently for the U.S due to a very particular set of circumstances that we
When 49-year-old Joan Vollmer begins acting strangely, her husband Ralph blames spiritual problems and turns to religion for answers. Rather than seeking help for Joan’s obvious mental health issues, Ralph consults with other members of the couple’s
Brazilian born Pedro Rodrigues Filho first felt the desire to kill at the age of 13. It wasn’t long before he gave into his desires and claimed his first victim. Over the years that followed, Pedro’s thirst for violence grew. He soon became one of Br
After 38-year-old Johnny Altinger goes on a date with a woman he met online, his friends start receiving strange emails. Things appear to have gone so well that Johnny decided to join the woman on an impromptu trip to Costa Rica. He even sends a resi
In mid-July 2015, a motorist was travelling down the Karoonda Highway in South Australia when he pulled over near the small town of Wynarka to urinate. As he made his way into the thick bushland framing the side of the road, he noticed an array of di
The small rural property of Hinterkaifeck lay approximately 70 kilometres north of the German city of Munich. Members of the Gruber-Gabriel family could usually be seen milling about, but in early April 1922, locals noticed that the Hinterkaifeck far
When 21-year-old Mark Kilroy and a group of his friends headed to South Padre Island in Texas for Spring Break, all they had in mind was sun, sand and celebration. However, when they crossed the border into the Mexican city of Matamoros to party with
In Australia, one woman is killed by her current or former domestic partner every week. So when 29-year-old Leeann Lapham went missing from her short term accommodation in Innisfail in 2010, suspicion was immediately cast on her boyfriend, Graeme Eva
During the early 1970s in Washington, D.C, six black girls aged between 10 and 18 were abducted and murdered in separate brutal attacks. The bodies of Carole Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard and Diane Willia
On May 5 2004, the first of three suitcases containing dismembered human remains washed up on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Detectives had two difficult tasks ahead of them. First, they needed to identify who the remains belonged to.
Monday, February 13, 2017, was a bonus day off school for students in the small American town of Delphi, Indiana. Best friends Abigail Williams and Liberty German decided to spend the day hiking and taking photographs on the Monon High Bridge Trail,
After seven residents of Chicago passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in 1982, authorities discovered they shared a common link. In the hours before their deaths, each of the individuals had taken Tylenol branded paracetamol.
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Episode narrated
At 11:00 PM on March 14 2003, an emergency services operator in the United Kingdom answered a phone call on the nation’s 999 helpline. The person on the other line was silent. As was protocol, the operator transferred the call through to the ‘Silent
British glamour model Chloe Ayling was ecstatic to be hired for a photoshoot in Milan. But after failing to return to the United Kingdom on her scheduled flight, it appears that the golden opportunity was too good to be true.
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Episode narrated b
In the mid-1990s, police caught wind of an online paedophile ring known as The Orchid Club, in which members were using chat rooms to create and trade child exploitation material. Several American men were arrested, but detectives soon discovered The
When teenager Elisa Claps mysteriously disappears after going to meet a friend in the Southern Italian town of Potenza, all possibilities are explored. Initial suspicions are cast on 21-year-old Danilo Restivo, but when reported sightings of Elisa be
In February 2015, Victorian police were called to the eastern banks of the Maribyrnong River in Moonee Ponds after two passersby made a grim discovery. Floating downstream was a plastic grocery bag containing a human forearm.
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Episode narrated b
15-year-old Rachel Barber was thrilled to make the move from a conventional high school to a special performing arts school in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Richmond. On the evening of March 1 1999, she waved goodbye to her classmates after making
In 1992, the children of Oil City, Pennsylvania were excited as Halloween approached. But when 11-year-old Shauna Howe fails to return home after a church Halloween party on October 27, the typically festive atmosphere quickly turns to one of anxiety
On December 29 1969, News of the World deputy chairman Alick McKay returned to his manor in London’s upscale Wimbledon district to find the place ransacked. His wife, Muriel McKay, was nowhere to be seen.
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Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host
[Part 5 of 5]
Accused serial killer, 51-year-old Ivan Milat sat motionless before the court dressed in a navy suit, white shirt and grey checkered tie...
Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host
Episode researched by the Anonymous Host
Episode writ
[Part 4 of 5]
At 6:36 am on May 22 1994, a team of heavily armed police surrounded the Cinnabar Street home of Ivan Milat and instructed him to exit the house with his arms raised. Dumbfounded, Ivan responded: “Okie dokie. Just let me put me pants o
[Part 3 of 5]
After a witness comes forward to report a suspicious incident that occurred near Belanglo years earlier, the investigation quickly gains momentum. The spotlight is placed on a local family when one name keeps coming up repeatedly – Mil
[Part 2 of 5]
After the remains of two bodies are found in Belanglo State Forest, New South Wales police establish a task force to oversee the investigation into the double homicide. Fearing that more remains will be discovered, a wide-scale search
[Part 1 of 5]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, backpackers from across the globe flocked to Australia in search of sun, surf and adventure. Although hitchhiking was frowned upon, it remained a popular option for those seeking a cheap, convenient m
When three women – Mitra Simjanoska, Ljubica Licoska and Zivana Temelkoska – are murdered in the Macedonian city of Kicevo, local journalist Vlado Taneski takes it upon himself to cover the stories in detail. Unbeknownst to him, police set their eyes
In early 2001, 21-year old Lucie Blackman left her job as a flight attendant for British Airways in search of new adventures. She embarked on a working holiday to Japan, where she secured a job as a hostess at Club Casablanca in Tokyo’s bustling Ropp
[Part 2 of 2]
After 46-year-old Vitaly Kaloyev loses his entire family in the Überlingen mid-air collision, he becomes consumed by grief. Unable to move on, he pours his energy into finding the air traffic controller he believes is responsible for t
[Part 1 of 2]
As midnight approached on July 1 2002, the German village of Owingen was disturbed by a deep rumbling from above. Residents assumed an unforecast storm was brewing, but seconds later a thunderous explosion roared as a large ball of fir
During recess and lunchtime at Hackham West Primary School in 1982, teachers patrolled the schoolyard to oversee the young children as they ran around and played together between lessons. Yet, there was often one student separated from the others, pr
In the early 2000s, the internet became increasingly affordable and readily available, which led to online chat rooms soaring in popularity. Logging into the local Manchester Teens chat room became a regular occurrence for 16-year-old Stockport stude
On 10 July 2001, New South Wales police received a frantic phone call from 21-year-old Sef Gonzales. He’d just returned home to discover that his mother Loiva, father Teddy, and younger sister Clodine had been the victims of a brutal murder.
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21-year-old Britt Lapthone developed a passion for travel at a young age, so it came as no surprise to her friends and family when she announced her plans to backpack solo through Europe. In mid-2008, Britt took off in search of adventure, lapping up
12-year-old Sunshine Coast schoolgirl Sian Kingi was looking forward to her friend’s upcoming birthday party. She joined her mother at the shops in Noosa Heads to buy fabric for a new outfit and then rode her usual bike route home.
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Episode narr
On January 26 1966, siblings Jane, Arna and Grant Beaumont joined the hundreds of Adelaide residents who flocked to Glenelg beach to find respite from the scorching summer heat. It was a trip they’d made on their own many times before, and as usual,
When Bristol teenager Becky Watts failed to show up for a planned lunch date with her boyfriend and then stopped responding to text messages from her friends, they immediately suspected that something was wrong. Although it wasn’t like Becky to be ou
On the night of October 10 1984, a fire broke out at Ole’s Home Centre in South Pasadena that claimed the lives of four victims – Ada Deal, Matthew Troidl, Carolyn Kraus and Jimmy Cetina. Glendale arson investigator John Orr suspected the blaze had b
When aspiring actress Rebecca Schaffer secured the second lead in a new Hollywood sitcom, My Sister Sam, it felt like all her dreams were finally coming true. As she was thrust into stardom, she learned the truth the hard way – that fame comes with a
[Part 3 of 3]
While viewing a video of one of David Parker Ray’s assaults, investigators successfully identify yet another victim. The cases go to trial, but will it be the outcome his survivors and the public are hoping for?
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Items and Artifact
[Part 2 of 3]
As the investigation into David Parker Ray’s alleged crimes continued, an officer recalled a past encounter with a hitchhiker that he believed could be connected. When the woman finally comes forward to report her story, the true exten
[Part 1 of 3]
On March 22 1999, Sierra County police were dispatched to conduct a welfare check at a property in Hot Springs Landing, a small suburban community in the New Mexico town of Elephant Butte. Along the way, they ran into a visibly shaken
In 1964, an unknown offender took to the streets of Krakow to stab elderly women in what appeared to be a string of senseless, unprovoked attacks. The victims had no connection to one another, nor were they robbed or sexually assaulted, leaving polic
On the morning of March 3 1993, Vivian Rice pulled up outside the Silver Spring home of her sister, Millie Horn, and immediately noticed that something was wrong. The garage door was wide open and Millie’s minivan was nowhere to be seen. After cautio
When 40-year-old bank manager Susan Snow collapsed in her shower after complaining of a headache, the cause of her sudden death wasn’t clear. In a bid for answers, an autopsy was conducted, during which the medical examiner notices a distinct smell t
Throughout June and July of 2007, residents of the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk were gripped by fear after a spate of murders occurred seemingly at random. Victims were brutally beaten using hammers and steel pipes, while some were tortured, with
In 2006, Myspace was the biggest social media platform in the world, surpassing Google as the most visited website. Like many teenagers, 14-year-old Carly Ryan turned to the internet to interact with friends and meet new people. It wasn’t long before
19-year-old Julian Knight was obsessed with war and combat from a young age. He enrolled in the Royal Military Academy of Duntroon with dreams of one day defending his country, but there was one problem – he didn’t like authority.
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Episode narr
In September 2012, former Countdown champion Richard Britton walked into a pub and was served by a 21-year-old bartender, whom he nicknamed “Ella Tundra”. From that moment on, Britton developed a fixation with Ella that filled the typically outgoing
Most people who try skydiving do it just once – it’s something to tick off the bucket list. But for a small minority, skydiving becomes an obsession, a way of life. While accidents are expected, skydiving deaths are uncommon. On the rare occasion tha
When Irish childcare worker Elaine O’Hara went missing in 2012, her family and friends feared she may have taken her own life. Although she’d recently spoken about an abusive affair she was having with a married man, Elaine struggled with mental illn
When FBI agents received word that online hackers had cracked their way into the dark web and uncovered an Albanian murder-for-hire organisation known as the Besa Mafia, they never expected their investigations would lead them to the quiet suburbs of
When 18-year-old Canadian High School student Tom Brown failed to return home by his midnight curfew on Thanksgiving of 2016, his mother Penny immediately knew something was wrong. It wasn’t like Tom to stay out late or not respond to text messages.
[Part 2 of 2]
With Stefan Kiszko behind bars for the murder of Lesley Molseed, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester police were commended for their exceptional work in bringing the child killer to justice. The people of Rochdale once again felt saf
[Part 1 of 2]
On October 5 1975, April Molseed sent her 11-year-old daughter Lesley Molseed to the nearby corner store in Rochdale to buy a loaf of bread. Hours later, she still hadn’t returned. Fears quickly escalated when it was discovered that Le
In 2007, 28-year-old Chantelle McDougall told her family she was moving to Brazil for spiritual purposes, along with her daughter Leela, partner Simon Kadwell, and friend Tony Popic. The group packed up their farmhouse in the small Western Australian
This is an important update on the EAR-ONS/Golden State Killer case in Case 53 (25.04.18).
For all credits and sources, please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-53-original-night-stalker-part-5.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat
50-year-old Maria Korp was a devoted mother of two, so when she went missing from her Mickleham home in Melbourne’s north in February of 2005, it was clear that she hadn’t left on her own accord.
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Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host
R
Around midday on August 28 2003, 46-year-old delivery driver Brian Wells clocked in for his usual lunchtime shift at Mama Mia’s Pizzeria in Erie, Pennsylvania. At 1:30 PM, he was called to deliver two pizzas at an address at the end of a dirt road on
16-year-old Rayna Rison was a devoted animal lover who dreamed of one day becoming a veterinarian. On March 26 1993, she arranged to meet her ex-boyfriend Matt Elser at the animal hospital where she worked part-time in the small Northern Indiana city
During the Iraq War, four members of the Janabi Family were found brutally massacred in their farmhouse in the rural village of Yusufiyah. 14-year-old Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi had been violently raped and the family’s home had been set on fire.
The evening of July 6, 1993, was a typical one for Mia Zapata. The 27-year-old was a staple of Seattle’s music scene, having fronted punk rock band The Gits since the group’s inception in Ohio in 1986. She spent the night at a live music venue, The C
[Part 3 of 3]
The investigation into The Silk Road and Ross Ulbricht heats to boiling point as Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI hone in on their suspect. Will Ulbricht’s attempts to create a new identity pay off and
[Part 2 of 3]
As The Silk Road continued to expand, problems started piling up for Ross Ulbricht, AKA The Dread Pirate Roberts. With business booming and concerns that law enforcement were lurking on the site, Ulbricht created an emergency ‘To Do Li
[Part 1 of 3]
Pennsylvania State University student Ross Ulbricht had been fascinated with mathematics and science from a young age. During his college years, he developed a new fascination with libertarianism, a political philosophy that values ind
On June 1 1960, Sydney resident Bazil Thorne received a phone call informing that he’d just won one hundred thousand pounds in a Sydney Opera House Lottery. Bazil couldn’t believe his ears – he’d never won anything of significance before.
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On the morning of January 24 1987, nine-year-old Eric Coy hopped on his bike to make the one-mile journey to his cousin Eddrick’s house in the Northern Californian town of Martinez. The two boys were best friends and it was a trip Eric had made count
On September 15 1878, three teenage boys were tending to cattle in the woods near Silver Lake in Staten Island when they discovered a wooden barrel sticking out of the mud. Excited about the potential treasure that lay within, they frantically dug at
For several weeks, 56-year-old Wilhelmina Kruger was unable to shake the feeling she was being watched. Her anxiety became so strong that on the night of January 29 1966, she had her partner drive her to her shift at the Piccadilly Centre in Wollongo
On May 2 2005, an officer at the Aigues-Mortes police station in Southern France received a phone call from a panicked man who warned, “A guy who just left my place is about to kidnap a girl. He’s armed, and I think he’s about to do something horrifi
In June 1987, the bodies of Phillip Walkemeyer, Julie Warren and Terry Bolt were found shot dead at a campsite at the Pentecost River Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region. Their burnt-out vehicle was found nearby. Similarities were drawn
On the morning of May 3 1997, 33-year-old Gary Patterson woke up early at his home in Waco, Texas. Gary was excited, as he was flying out to El Paso to complete the final stage in a series of job interviews. He had an appointment with the company’s C
Following the failed 1946 escape turned violent siege, safety measures at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary were made even more stringent and inmates were kept under harsher controls. In the decade following the Battle of Alcatraz, no further escapes wer
In the 1940s, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in the San Francisco Bay was a state-of-the-art facility. Deemed to be completely escape-proof, convicts from all over the United States who were regarded as dangerous and incapable of rehabilitation were o
North Carolina residents James Napoleon Taylor and Raymond Reid died 13 years apart from seemingly natural causes, and doctors felt there was nothing suspicious about their deaths.
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Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host
Researched and written
When Brisbane based real estate agent Gerard Baden-Clay woke up at 6 AM on the morning of April 20 2012, there was no sign of his wife, Allison. This wasn’t completely out of the ordinary, as Allison sometimes went for early morning walks around thei
The Weinberger family was emblematic of 1950s suburban America. Husband and wife Betty and Morris lived in a modest home in Westbury, New York, where they were raising their two-year-old son Lewis and their newborn baby, Peter.
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Episode narrated
An important update on the case from Victoria police on October 21st, 2017.
MAPS:
• Frankston North Killings map
• Frankston and Tynong North points of interests mapFor all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-46-frankston-tyno
On the evening of April 14 1987, 28-year-old Catherine Holmes hosted a small party at her home in the small New South Wales town of Cowra. When she failed to show up at work the following day, a friend went to Catherine’s home to check on her. There,
Between 1985 and 1986, five young women went missing on the Hawaiian island of Honolulu. The victims – Vicki Purdy, Regina Sakamoto, Denise Hughes, Louise Medeiros and Linda Pesce – were each found strangled to death with their hands bound behind the
On the morning of July 18 2009, customers gathered outside Min Lin’s news agency in North Epping, New South Wales. The family-run business always opened on time, but on this particular day its doors were locked and there was no sign of anyone inside.
[Part 3 of 3]
On November 17 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan travelled to Guyana to inspect Jonestown for himself. When a number of Peoples Temple members expressed a desire to leave with him, Jim Jones was furious. What followed next would go down in hi
[Part 2 of 3]
In the late 1970s, Jim Jones and hundreds of his followers relocated to The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in the South American country of Guyana – more commonly known as ‘Jonestown’.
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Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host
[Part 1 of 3]
During childbirth, Lynetta Jones’ deceased mother appeared to her in a vision and prophesied that the baby would one day become a great man. Lynetta’s son was Jim Warren Jones, who grew up to become the leader of a new religious moveme
In March 1998, 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley joined her parents and brother on a weeklong cruise through the Caribbean. While the rest of her family was excited about the trip, Amy was reluctant. She had an apprehensive feeling that she just couldn’t
Nine-year-old Shannon Matthews lived with her family at the Moorside Council Estate in West Yorkshire, England. On February 19 2008, she said goodbye to her mother Karen before setting off on the half-mile walk to school.
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Episode narrated by th
At 11 PM on October 11 1988, Victoria Police Constables Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre began working the night shift in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran. After attending to a number of routine policing matters, they were called out to inspect a Holden C
On the morning of February 4 1986, a dairy farmer in the outer Sydney suburb of Prospect noticed his cows had been behaving strangely. For hours, they had stood gathered at one particular spot in his paddock. The farmer went to see what they were doi
On December 7 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe set out from his home in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to walk the one-kilometre journey to the nearby bus stop. He was planning to go to a local shopping centre to get a haircut and buy some Christmas pr
[Part 5 of 6]
In 1979, the East Area Rapist’s three-year-long crime spree came to an abrupt halt. Residents of Northern California could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Although the perpetrator hadn’t been captured, the nightmare was finally ove
[Part 4 of 6]
As the 1970s drew to a close, the East Area Rapist continued terrorising residents of Northern California. His attacks became increasingly violent, with one psychologist warning that the perpetrator would most likely escalate to murd
[Part 3 of 6]
Throughout the summer of 1978, the East Area Rapist continued to stalk, attack and assault women and their families. He extended his hunting grounds, moving beyond Sacramento County to target victims in other Northern California comm
[Part 2 of 6]
By the start of 1977, panic had well and truly set in throughout Sacramento County as news of the East Area Rapist spread. Despite residents preparing for possible attacks and police forming a special task force, the perpetrator cont
[Part 1 of 6]
In the summer of 1976, a serial offender began terrorising several quiet, suburban communities throughout Northern California’s Sacramento County. He would stalk his victims before breaking into their homes under the cover of darknes
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and one of Australia’s most famous tourist attractions. Its warm, clear waters and tropical marine life make it popular with scuba divers the world over.
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Researched and wri
On the evening of November 8 2010, 25-year-old University of Toronto student Jennifer Pan was relaxing in the bedroom of her family home in the Ontario neighbourhood of Unionville. Her parents, Bich Ha and Hann Huei, were also home at the time. Sudde
[Part 3 of 3]
After Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are arrested for the string of horrific slayings dubbed ‘The Moors Murders’, the true horror of their crimes finally comes to light. As the couple are brought to trial, the nature of their twisted relat
[Part 2 of 3]
Ian Brady had fantasies about committing the “perfect murder.” After sharing his secret with his girlfriend, Myra Hindley, the fantasy soon became a reality.
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Researched and written by Victoria Dieffenbacher
For all credits and
[Part 1 of 3]
In 1963, two youths disappeared during separate incidents in and around the northern English city of Manchester. First, 16-year-old Pauline Reade vanished while on her way to a dance. Then, four months later, 12-year-old John Kilbride
At midday on July 28 1986, 25-year-old British real estate agent Suzy Lamplugh left work to attend an appointment. The only clue as to where she was headed was a note scrawled in her diary that read: “12:45 Mr Kipper – 37 Shorrolds Road”...
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The Italian town of Brembate di Sopra is home to a quiet, close-knit community, and like the other local youths, 13-year-old Yara Gambirasio felt safe navigating the streets alone. On November 26 2010, Yara left the town’s sports centre and didn’t he
In the 18 month period between May 1980 and October 1981, six women went missing from the Frankston and Tynong North areas in Melbourne’s south-east. The victims – Bertha Miller, Catherine Headland, Ann-Marie Sargent, Narumol Stephenson, Allison Rook
On April 28 1996, a lone gunman entered the Broad Arrow Café in Tasmania’s historic Port Arthur site and opened fire. By the end of his shooting spree, 35 lives had been lost and 24 others were injured, including two young children...
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The desert roads of the Northern Territory are as long as they are desolate. If you stand still, the loudest sound you’ll hear is your own heartbeat. For British tourists Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees, the prospect of driving from Adelaide to Darwin
The summer of 1986 was a busy one for 19-year-old Silver Spring resident, Keith Warren. Having recently graduated from John F. Kennedy High School, Keith worked two jobs to save money for college. Popular and sociable, he spent his spare time hanging
When 29-year-old Sherri Rasmussen married the love of her life, John Ruetten, the future looked promising. But just three months after their wedding, Sherri was found shot to death in the couples Van Nuys apartment. One thing was clear – Sherri had f
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Melbourne was gripped by fear when a masked assailant began breaking into suburban family homes and abducting young children. The attacks were particularly callous, earning the assailant the title of Mr Cruel.
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In the 1980s and 1990s, the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta was a hotbed for criminal activity. Heroin use was rife and users flocked to the area looking for their next fix. As was to be expected, the drug epidemic resulted in an increase in violent crim
After a string of failed relationships and other disappointments, Janelle Patton made the decision to relocate from Australia to Norfolk Island in search of a fresh start. With a population of around 2000 people, the small South Pacific island was co
Indiana born Diane Whitmore always dreamed of making it big in New York City. When she met Wall Street securities analyst Joseph Pikul, she thought she was on the way to the perfect life. But her marriage to Joseph Pikul wasn’t perfect. In fact, it w
[Part 3 of 3]
With the West Yorkshire Police no closer to identifying The Yorkshire Ripper, the department came under intense scrutiny. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher offered to take over the investigation, while the media and public demanded that
[Part 2 of 3]
With the Yorkshire Ripper showing no sign of slowing down, police appealed directly to the killer himself in the hopes of putting an end to the crime spree.
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Research for this episode by Victoria Dieffenbacher. Co-written by Victo
[Part 1 of 3]
West Yorkshire is a county in England that has a population of over 2 million people. It covers an area of over 2,000 km² and is formed by five cities: Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees, and Calderdale. Each one of these cities has
In late 2000, the owner of a Polish advertising company, Dariusz Janiszewski, went missing after going to meet a client. His body was later found floating in a lake, but police had no idea who could be responsible and the Polish press ultimately dubb
On the evening of March 18 2001, 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan enjoyed a night out with friends in the Old Town of Swindon in South West England. The flat she shared with her boyfriend Kevin Reape was less than a kilometre away, making it an easy walk
[WARNING – This episode deals with child sex abuse. It will not be suitable for all listeners.]
In the early 1960s, Victorian Detective Denis Ryan was transferred from Melbourne to the regional town of Mildura where he soon ran into a familiar face
In the early 1990s, South Lake Tahoe was considered a safe and sheltered place to live. All that changed on June 10 1991, when 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted in broad daylight while walking to her school bus stop.
Almost two decades late
After migrating from England to Australia after World War II, the Holmes family were looking forward to embracing a safer and higher quality of life. They’d experienced trauma and hardship during the war years and were ready to start afresh.
That d
Over a five-week period in 1986, four young women went missing from around Perth in Western Australia. 22-year-old Mary Neilson, 15-year-old Susannah Candy, 31-year-old Noelene Patterson and 21-year-old Denise Brown all disappeared without a trace, b
The 80-year-old retired publisher Joseph Clever lived with his wife Hilda at Burgate House, a secluded mansion on the edge of New Forest in Hampshire, England. On the evening of September 1 1986, they invited their son Tom and his wife Wendy over for
The eastern side of the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is closed in by mountains. On the city’s west side, a mesa rises out of the Rio Grande Valley.
In 2005, subdivisions and new housing were being built along the West Mesa. The construction pres
Vancouver Island. Known for its breathtaking scenery, astonishing postcard beauty and amazing wildlife. Heaven on earth.
But on certain parts of the island, beneath the beauty, some will tell you there lies a dark underbelly. And in the early hours
“If any bastard ever thought about going to the cops about us, they’ll be killed and so will their fucking families. And if we don’t get them, our mates will. It would be a shame if anything happened to your sweet little Prue, wouldn’t it”.
Those wo
[Part 2 of 2]
We left part one just after the government announced a 500 thousand dollar reward for any information to help solve the case. It was hoped this large reward would be enough to entice a male caller to make contact again.
He had already
[Part 1 of 2]
Haros Avenue in Nunawading (Melbourne) presented a problem for the police surveillance team following the red Jaguar. It was a small dead-end street. No way to observe the house there bank robbery suspect was heading to, without being
[Part 2 of 2]
Part 2 of the Frankston Serial Killer. At the end of part 1 police had found out who owned the suspicious vehicle parked on Skye Road at the time of Natalie Russell's murder. Will it get them anywhere though?
For all credits and sourc
[Part 1 of 2]
Donna had recently received a few prank calls and she was getting nervous. She had a young baby and didn’t like the idea of being alone at night. Her boyfriend Les worked as a pizza delivery driver, and she decided to spend the night d
It was Wednesday the 2nd of August 1989. 41-year-old Marguerite Edwards started the day like any other. Making sure her three daughters were up, and ready for school.
Marguerite was happily married to Iain Edwards, a successful orthodontist with a s
On Monday the 23rd of May 1994, a violent storm hit the city of Perth, Western Australia. Peter Lawrence was starting to become concerned.
It was getting late and his wife Pamela Lawrence hadn’t gotten home from work yet. He called her at 6:15 pm, w
The details of this case are extremely difficult to hear. Extreme child abuse and child murder are involved. This episode won't be for everybody. There is far more courtroom audio than narration. It is a one-off for this episode. It is not something
On the 28th of February 1997 Los Angeles police officers, Perello and Farrell were on routine patrol driving along Laurel Canyon Blvd, North Hollywood.
As they were driving past the Bank of America they saw two large figures enter the bank. Both wer
On the 17th of May 2008, two motorway patrol officers attended to a call that a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle on the M6 motorway, near the city Stoke-on-Trent, in England.
Expecting the worst, the two officers were surprised when they arrived
Chris and Cru Kahui were twins, aged just three months old when they died in hospital, both suffering from traumatic brain injury. Their death was the result o a severe impact, either from direct blows or being hit, thrown or slammed against a hard s
In the early 80’s a series of attacks occurred in the twin city area of Minnesota, USA. The victims were all women. Police struggled in the initial part of the investigation. There was no physical evidence, and there were no witnesses.
For all credi
On the 23rd of July 2008 young mother, Helen Munnings disappeared from the port city of Burnie, on the North West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.
She was last seen by the father of her child Adam Taylor, who picked her up for a drive that afternoon. H
The crime scene was described as looking more like the set of a horror movie, than real life. It is one of the most horrific crimes ever committed.
Not only did it shock the small town of Aberdeen in country NSW, where the crime occurred, it shocked
First came the seizures and sleep paralysis. Then came the hallucinations and violent behaviour.
Anneliese Michel made endless visits to doctor’s and specialists only to be either referred to another doctor or placed on medication that wasn’t helpin
The 7th of May 2005 was a typical run of the mill day for Shirley Withers. She worked the full day in her Melbourne fashion boutique and once the shop had closed, she bought a take-out meal and headed to the North Caufield mansion of her millionaire
On the 4th of August 2002, best friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman disappeared from the small town of Sohom in England.
One of England’s biggest ever manhunts followed. The media became critical of the lack of progress police were making on the
On the 4th of March 2008, Julian Buchwald and his girlfriend Carolynne Watson went for a romantic picnic lunch in country Victoria. They didn't return home.
It wasn't long before a terrifying, threatening note was located. Was this really the work o
"You won't believe it, but it was like, satan saying to me that it's the right thing to do."
In the early hours of the 18th of November 2011 a fire was deliberately lit at the Quakers Hill Nursing Home. The nursing home housed 89 residents, a lot of
On Tuesday the 2nd of November 1999 Donna Wheeler was found murdered in her home in Berala, Western Sydney. There were several suspects.
Was it her ex-husband John who found her body and called the police? Was it her violent ex-boyfriend Keith who w
On the 18th of April 1943, four boys discovered a skeleton buried in the hollow of a wych-elm tree in Hagley Woods, England.
Police immediately got to work on identifying the remains and trying to determine the cause of death, however, the investiga
On the 29th of January 1999, best friends Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman had a sleepover at Ashley’s house to celebrate her 16th birthday.
Ashley’s parents Danny and Kathy Freeman were also home. It was a quiet uneventful evening, nothing seemed ou
On the first of December 1948, a body of a man was located along the seawall of Somerton Beach, just near Adelaide in South Australia.
At first, the police thought it was going to be a straightforward matter, but as the weeks and months went on, it
On the 11th of January 1965, two fifteen-year-old schoolgirls Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt were found murdered in the Wanda sand hills, just north of Cronulla Beach in Sydney's south.
The crime remains one of the most horrific Australia h