Casefile True Crime

[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 suspicions are cast on a local maintenance worker, the investigation takes a shocking turn. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Jessica Fo...

[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 San Francisco Airport for their scheduled flight home, investigators suspect that the trio might have met with foul play.  --- Episode narrated by the A...

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 and Jane. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched and written by Erin Munro Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources pl...

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 occupants were anything but good samaritans.  --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Holly Boyd Written by Elsha McGill Creative Director...

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’s journey always led him back home to his wife Helen and their four children.  --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched and written by Ei...

** 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 the man on the other line introduced himself as Officer Scott.  --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched and written by Erin Munro Creati...

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 emigration. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Jessica Forsayeth Written by Elsha McGill Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits...

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 anticipated car purchase and spent the night out celebrating with friends. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Written by Eileen Ormsby Creati...

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 him. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Jessica Forsayeth Written by Elsha McGill Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits...

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. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Holly Boyd Written by Erin Munro Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please vis...

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. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Jessica Forsayeth Written by Erin Munro Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit c...

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 murders seem to add up. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Jessica Forsayeth Written by Erin Munro Creative Director: Milly Ras...

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 along the Rabbit Proof Fence. Due to the transient nature of these communities, it wasn’t unusual for people to leave without ever being heard from ag...

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 to identify the toddler. Unable to verify who she was, they nicknamed her “Pumpkin.” --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Holly Boy...

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 family could be hiding any secrets. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Holly Boyd Written by Elsha McGill Creative Director: Mill...

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 go and tell my mum straight away.” The following week, a group of farmers working in a field alongside an abandoned railway line come across Julie’s...

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 Glen Eagles housing complex on East 65th Street. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Written by Jessica Forsayeth Additional writing and editi...

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 husband. There’s been an incident. I’ll tell you everything you need to know when you get here.” --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by H...

[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 so long? --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched by Holly Boyd Episode written by Elsha McGill  Creative Director: Milly Raso 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 focused on putting the past behind him. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched by Holly Boyd Episode written by Elsha McGill  C...

[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 “porridge-like substance” that appeared to be clogging the drains underneath the house.  --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Episode researched by...

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 designated meeting spot in four hours time. When she didn’t arrive, they immediately knew something was wrong. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Res...

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 ahead.  --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched and written by Milly Raso Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please...

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 sightseeing, swimming and bottomless booze in the idyllic Caribbean location.  --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched and written by Elsha McGi...

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. Emergency services raced to the scene but were unable to save the lives of two residents, Dion and Jennifer Longworth.  --- Episode narrated by the A...