Crime Insiders

One of Australia's greatest ever miscarriages of justice. For decades, The Crown and much of the Australian public called for Lindy Chamberlain to be gaoled. Then, when she was, it was only until a chance discovery of new evidence was she released.  Uncover the failings of forensics in one of Australia's most infamous criminal matters with expert Mackenzie de la Hunty. Hear as she walks host Kathr...

Working in child protection takes you to the darkest corners of humanity. Former detective Jack Roney, devoted over a decade to Queensland Police's Child Protection Unit, where he not only tackled some of the most heinous offences in the Crimes Act, but also took on the role of guardian for children who had witnessed unimaginable horrors, including homicide. In this discussion with Brent Sanders,...

CCTV has helped capture criminals all across the world, but, catching a killer on camera isn't as clear cut as you might think. In fact, what may seem like the smoking gun in a case, forensic photography is actually a complex and often misunderstood field.  Glenn Porter is an expert in forensic photography, and has spent decades taking pictures of crime scenes, presenting evidence and explaining h...

100 tactical operators, and lasting for nearly 40 hours. It's one of Australia's most intense, and high profile siege operations.  Brett Pennell is a former NSW Police Officer who spent almost 20 years in the force. As part of the Tactical Operations Unit, Brett was involved in high level raids, drug import intercepts and complex, high profile arrests.  One of those jobs, the Tumut Siege, saw him...

An innocent woman was jailed for 16 years for a murder she did not commit. It wasn't until The Innocence Project became involved that Kirstin Blaise Lobato was finally able to walk free.  Professor Gail Anderson is Canada’s first-ever full-time forensic entomologist and has been working in the field for nearly 35 years. Her work is dedicated to the study of insects, and what they can reveal about...

The world's most notorious criminals, unknowingly spilling their secrets on a 'secure' app run by... the cops. That's exactly what happened in Operation Ironside, a covert operation run by the FBI in collaboration with the AFP. Chris Craner is one of Australia’s most experienced tactical operators. His 30-plus-year career had him at the forefront of some of the country’s most intense and high-stak...

Do you know what a forensic sexual assault examination actually entails? What are the processes and how do they affect the outcome of a case? In this episode, former GP Kathryn Fox speaks to forensic physician Dr Maaike Moller to demystify and debunk the process of reporting a sexual assault. Maaike will walk us through how and when to report an assault, how evidence and DNA is collected from a su...

After an attempted murder left a man brutally injured, one cop decided to change the way police in Queensland respond to violent crimes.  Queensland Police Sergeant Dustin Osborne is one of the best examples of how proactive policing can not only prevent crime, but save lives.  He designed and implemented QPol’s groundbreaking Tactical First Aid Program. An initiative which has received global acc...

In 2016, a mum of three and a wannabe serial killer became two of Australia's most calculated female murderers. Dr Kari Pitts is a forensic chemist and trace evidence expert, who has worked on over 300 criminal cases, including homicides, violent assaults, arson, and fatal hit-and-runs. In this episode, Kari explains how a dyed blue hair and some carpet helped convict Perth's female thrill kill pa...

In March 1991, five violent offenders stole a prison garbage truck and smashed their way through the gates. The pursuit that followed left the country and those watching live on Channel 7 stunned.  Shaun O'Gorman is one of Queensland's most experienced dog handlers. He worked in the K9 unit for much of his career, and became one of the state's most effective operators. Understand his career with h...

In 2000, a violent daylight attack on two children rocked the Netherlands. The fatal event set the stage for the wrongful arrest of an innocent man, and would later go on to radically change the Dutch legal system forever.  In this episode, host Kathryn Fox is joined by Rossanne de Roo, Forensic Advisor to the Dutch Courts, who reveals the shocking details of the bungled police investigation. Hear...

A 40 hour long raid. This was Derrick McManus' day at work in May 1994. Shot 14 times in a mere 5 seconds, and bleeding out on the ground for 3 hours.  Derrick is a 40-year veteran of the South Australia Police. After joining the force in 1976, he moved up the ranks and was eventually selected for the exclusive STAR Group, an elite tactical special operations unit that took on some of the state's...

How does a single footprint help solve a homicide case?  Dr Paul Bennett is a forensic podiatrist with a particular talent for identifying patterns left behind in footprints. His knowledge and expertise have assisted police in decoding evidence from crime scenes across Australia, including several high profile cases.  Join host Kathyrn Fox as she unpacks the work Paul has undertaken and what it me...

Buying, selling, and using drugs. Deceiving almost everyone in your life, and watching the horrors of crime unfold, whilst being unable to do anything about it.  Former undercover operative Keith Banks is one of Queensland Police’s most decorated officers. He spent over two years undercover, jumping from identity to identity, dicing his way through drug deals and deceiving his way into friendships...

Ted Kaczynski terrorised the US for almost 20 years. But, what was it like forensically analysing the letters of a twisted genius? Max Houck is one of the world's most respected and recognised forensic scientists. During his time at the FBI, he worked on some of the world's most infamous forensic investigations, including 9/11, D.B Cooper, and The Unabomber.  Understand Max's career with host Kath...

Unraveling the web of child exploitation deeply impacts everyone involved. In the second instalment of Brent Sanders’ chat with Narelle Fraser, delve deeper into Narelle’s time as a Detective in the Sex Crimes Squad where she investigated child exploitation. Learn about Narelle's personal approach when working alongside child victim-survivors, understand the delicate process of delivering earth-sh...

When two men are found dead off a main road in Honolulu, Hawaii, forensics is called to the scene. The state of the bodies is suspicious by nature, but there's something about one of the decedents that makes them almost impossible to identify.  That's when Dr David Carter is called. David is the Director of Forensic Sciences at the Chaminade University in Hawaii. He's experienced, highly skilled a...

A 'low-level' break-in is reluctantly reported to police. Only one female officer seems concerned, and it's because of her 'creep radar.' The result, an offender terrorising his home and neighbourhood for months is finally identified and apprehended.  That officer was former Detective Narelle Fraser.  In this candid discussion with host Brent Sanders, hear about Narelle's unique skillset as a fema...

In 1994, the lifeless body of a likely murdered man known only as 'The Gentleman' was discovered by German Police floating in the North Sea. For 28 years, the case baffled authorities, until a small team of forensic scientists and students in Perth, Australia, made a bombshell discovery no one saw coming.  Brendan Chapman is the Director of Murdoch University’s Cold Case Review group and a senior...

Yvette Erskine spent over a decade with the Tasmanian Police, serving as a Detective in the Criminal Investigation Branch and as an investigator in one of the state's most lucrative covert task forces.  Understand the immense pressure she felt in a hostage situation, and how she was able to escape and control it. Join host Brent Sanders as he unpacks Yvette's career and life after the force. If th...

When the body of Frances Tizzone was found, the only physical evidence located at the scene was several coarse fibres adhering to the soles of her shoes.  Distinguished Professor Claude Roux is the Director of the UTS Centre for Forensic Science and President of the International Association of Forensic Sciences.  In this episode, join host Kathryn Fox, and gain a deeper understanding of how the s...

A regular night early in his career ended with him stabbed and bleeding out on a Sydney back street. Now, 25 years on, Jason Semple is one of NSW Police's most decorated and experienced operators.  Since that infamous night, he's served overseas with some of the country's most highly trained special operations units, where he tackled some of the world's most high risk and intense situations.  Unde...

One of your family members could be missing, and your DNA could help find them. The AFP is putting out a call to the general public to help solve cold cases that have police them for decades.  Associate Professor Jodie Ward is the Program Lead of the National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons at the Australian Federal Police. Funded by the Confiscated Assets Account, the program is...

The tragedy of a murder investigation never leaves detectives. The scenes, the circumstances, and how confronting it all is remain - it's just a matter of how police deal and cope with what they see, whilst remaining professional. As a former Victoria Police Homicide Detective, Graeme Simpfendorfer has seen and investigated horrific and tragic cases. He's a 27-year veteran of Victoria Police and w...

The murder of Inge Lotz is one of the most controversial homicide investigations in South Africa's history. A lone fingerprint police claim to have lifted from a DVD case led to the acquittal of the alleged murderer, and resulted in accusations of fabricated evidence. Dr Scott Chadwick is a fingermark detection expert and leading academic at the UTS Centre for Forensic Science. His research focuse...