True Crime Conversations

It was the afternoon of April 15, 2003, when residents of Lorne, a seaside town on the shoreline of the Great Ocean Road, noticed something they’d never seen before. 

It was a cargo ship. Of course, they saw big ships everyday but this was something different. The 106 metre long vessel came to within 500 metres of the rocks scattered along the coastline.

What no one knew at the time, was that the ship knew precisely where it was going...

It was November 1994 and Jan Balmain was confused. She was waiting for her 22-year-old daughter Revelle to get off the train from Sydney to Newcastle. Revelle was supposed to be visiting before heading off to Japan for a career changing modelling gig. 

But Revelle never got off the train...

When 26-year-old school teacher Stephanie Scott disappeared days before her wedding, her fiance immediately knew something was wrong. She wasn’t the type of person to vanish without a trace, or get cold feet.

An immense manhunt was swiftly organised with locals of the small town of Leeton, where Stephanie lived. It would be a devastating four days until Stephanie’s fiance and family were given the worst possible news...

The rise and fall of Keith Raniere and the now defunct NXIVM cult is one of the most disturbing scandals of our age. What began as a purported self-help group spiralled into a dark, secretive world of illicit sex, money laundering, and exploitation, all at the hands of founder Keith Raniere and his accomplices. Additionally, several women involved with the NXIVM founder died or disappeared under suspicious circumstances...

On 17 April 2005, nine young Australians were arrested in Bali on charges of drug trafficking. Known as the 'Bali 9', some members received the death penalty for their crimes, while others are serving lengthy jail sentences. 

It seemed like a case burnt into the Australian consciousness. However, more than 15 years later the same crimes are being carried out, with just as devastating effects...

When Kirra McLoughlin died on a property on Beenham Valley Road near Gympie, Queensland, law enforcement and medical examiners were baffled.

Kirra’s former partner would claim she went to sleep after a fight and simply didn’t wake up. Family said there had been a party at the property the night before, but neighbours disputed that...

Dr Henry Howard Holmes was America’s first serial killer. The charismatic criminal lured his victims to his hotel dubbed “the murder castle” during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The building was riddled with trap doors and booby traps, a crematorium and gas chambers. The rumours of his depravity were far reaching and propelled H. H. Holmes to infamy...

In November 1986, police visited a quiet residence on a suburban Perth street. The occupants of that house, lifelong lovers David and Catherine Birnie were arrested soon after.

That house will be forever synonymous with five unimaginable crimes, known to history as the Moorhouse Murders.

Catherine will never be released from jail. She is only the third woman in Australian history to be given this sentence

Andrew Byrne is an acclaimed journalist and author...

In the second episode of our two part series on the life and crimes of serial killers David and Catherine Birnie, we examine the crimes the pair carried out.

Journalist and author Andrew Byrne explores further the motivations and machinations of the Birnie’s utterly maniacal and evil crimes.

As Andrew is still working on his book he asks that if you or anyone you know has any information on the Birnies to contact him via his LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin...

Jim Jones was a charismatic pastor, preaching of salvation and a bountiful life for all those who followed him. He also was the man responsible for one of the largest incidences of loss of human life in modern American history.

Author and podcaster Jo Thornely has researched Jim Jones and his cult of followers for her book Zealot...