Casefile True Crime

*** 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 he digs, he starts to suspect that foul play was involved and that the person responsible was none other than Kalinka’s stepfather, Doctor D...

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, which required nightly medication, and it wasn’t like him to lose track of time. As daybreak emerged, a grim discovery led to the question – who woul...

*** 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, leaving them in a constant state of confusion and fear. Despite relentless efforts from the police, The Poet continued to evade detection. But as...

[Part 2 of 2] *** 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 in Perth’s wealthy western suburbs, investigators set a trap that would expose his identity as Eric Edgar Cooke. Cooke’s capture would ultima...

[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 lifestyle and small town atmosphere made it feel like a safe, protected place to live. But that sense of safety would be abruptly shattered by a man...

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 community. Then in 2019, eCommerceBytes received a scathing message from a Twitter user who took issue with how Ina Steiner reported on the U.S multina...

*** 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 anticipated the events that were about to unfold. Josefina, along with five other women – Sandra Lindsay, Lisa Thomas, Deborah Dudley, Jackie Askins and Agn...

*** 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 his bed. A medical examiner concluded Mark had died from “natural causes”. Yet, when other members of the Staudte family started experiencing the same s...

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 being. A desperate search led his parents Bob and Lynda to the Austrian Alps, kicking off a series of events they could never see coming. --- Narration...

*** 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 1996, detectives arrived at a scene that would shake the local community to the core. --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Vikki Petra...

*** 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 after cycling to a public park. Their crime scenes were eerily similar; both bodies were hidden in wooded areas, and the girls even looked alike. Investig...

*** 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 judged on her poor decision making? --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Elsha McGill Creative direction – Milly Raso Production a...

*** 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 named Tegan Lee Lane who couldn’t be located. Keli claimed Tegan was with her biological father, Andrew Norris, but was she telling the truth or had so...

*** 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 death, Olga’s parents were continually tormented by another kind. --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Holly Boyd Creative direction...

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 attack. While various suspects and theories emerged, it wasn’t until a separate shooting took place a little over a year later that the truth unravelled be...

*** 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 wife Mary and the Duperraults, a family of five who had chartered the yacht, were all lost when their boat, the Bluebelle , caught on fire and sank. But...

*** 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 wilderness therapy program called North Star Expeditions in the hopes that some time following a disciplined routine in the natural world would help Aaron kick...

*** 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 predator. Li Dao was a young nurse who trawled the forum, looking for people to push over the edge. She encouraged other posters to take their own lives...

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 biggest searches in WA history ensued, prompting the question – were Ray and Jennie lost or had they fallen victim to foul play? --- Narration – Anonymo...

[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. --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn Sign up for Casefile Premium: Apple Premium Spotify Premium Patreon F...

[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 her daily walk. Jamie was gunned down, and Jennifer barely escaped with her life. Jamie Faith was well-liked in all areas of his life, so investigator...

*** 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 feared the girls had been abducted by international child traffickers and sold into domestic and sexual slavery. That was until a vigilant market vendor...

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 and single preferred but will consider all. Relocation a must. You must have a clean record and be trustworthy—this is a permanent position. --- Narrat...

** 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 children, Katherine, James and Karen. But when rescue workers gained access to the vehicle, the true extent of the mystery really unfolded. --- Narration – An...

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 was initially ruled “unexplained, but not suspicious” until a few unusual discoveries were made. --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writin...