Crime Insiders

Two cousins, both wives to the same man, found dead under mysterious circumstances. Was this the world's unluckiest husband, or a serial wife killer? Former detective Peter Seymour has dedicated over two decades of his life to the people of Western Sydney, serving in the NSW Police as both a detective and police prosecutor.  In this episode, Brent Sanders talks to Peter about the shockin...

The 1994 bombing of the Adelaide National Crime Authority sent shockwaves across Australia. It was a brutal act that killed a police officer and seriously injured others, sparking one of the most daring undercover operations in our history. But this police sting had an unusual weapon - forensics. With red phosphorus linking the bombs and a drug manufacturing business run by a key suspect, and fore...

23-year-old Celeste Manno had her life brutally taken from her by a man who had relentlessly stalked her, despite Celeste going to great lengths to protect herself legally. Her killer only received a 36-year sentence. A punishment Celeste's family and many others believe is not nearly severe enough given the gravity of his crimes.  Visit justiceforceleste.com to learn more about Celeste's sto...

Stalking is disturbingly common, yet often misunderstood by wider society.  Professor Troy McEwan from the Swinburne University of Technology is a forensic psychologist specialising in understanding, assessing, and treating stalking behaviour. In this episode with former Crime Insiders Forensics host, Kathryn Fox, hear about the 5 different types of stalkers, and gain insights into their prob...

Di McDonald was a victim of a stalker, who terrorised her and her family.  She finally re-claimed her life with the help of former Victorian police officer Rebecca Norris. In this episode of Crime Insiders | Detectives, Brent Sanders talks to Di about how she overcame the fear and torment of her stalker and why she calls Beck Norris, her 'guardian angel'. Di went on to establish Stalking Awar...

On August 3, 2011, Paul Douglas Peters, a 50-year-old Australian businessman, entered the Mosman home of 18-year-old Madeleine Pulver on Sydney’s affluent North Shore and strapped what appeared to be a bomb around her neck. The device, later revealed to be a hoax, was accompanied by an extortion note demanding money from her wealthy family. What followed was a 10-hour ordeal for Madeleine, a...

In 2004, outside a pub, Australian Cricket legend David Hookes died. A manslaughter charge was laid, and a trial ensued. But no one was convicted, why? What were the processes that lead to the verdict, and how were the police involved?  As well, what Underbelly doesn't show you. An unprecedented look at the killing of Alphonse Gangitano and the chaos which proceeded it - and, the Frankston Se...

Erin Patterson has been charged with the murders of three relatives and the attempted murder of another; after allegedly serving up a beef Wellington dish laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms at a lunch at her home in 2023.   She’s pled not guilty to all charges.   In this special series of The Briefing, Holly Mitchell unpacks day 10 of the trial in under two minutes....

Saturday, October 12th, 2002. A warm night in Bali’s bustling Kuta Beach. Bars packed with tourists, music pumping. Then - devastation. Two massive explosions rip through popular Paddy’s Bar and the Sari Club across the road.  202 lives were lost, 88 of them Australians.  In the wreckage, tiny clues told a story. Copper wires, fragments of tartan fabric, the surpris...

The Fine Cotton Scandal of 1984 is a notorious event in Australian horse racing history, where a syndicate attempted to rig a race by substituting a slow horse with a faster one. The plan, led by John Patrick Gillespie, involved a series of desperate measures that ultimately failed, leading to a national scandal that exposed corruption in the racing industry.  See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Victoria Police have a new Chief Commissioner - Mike Bush.  Mike is the former New Zealand Commissioner of Police and has had a decorated career. However, his time as a Detective and a lead investigator saw him take on some gruesome and confronting cases - a far stretch from the press conferences and media appearances as commissioner.  Last year, Mike joined Crime Insiders Detectives hos...

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...

Nick Kaldas is an Australian law enforcement legend with a career spanning over 40 years. From undercover ops and hostage negotiations, to rebuilding Iraq’s police force post Saddam Hussein, Nick has seen it all.  In this episode of Crime Insiders Detectives, Nick shares jaw-dropping stories from the front lines with host Brent Sanders. He'll reveal the emotional toll of policing,...

When Diane Brimble boarded a cruise in 2002, no one imagined what would come next. This episode of Crime Insiders Judgements unpacks the disturbing case that shook Australia. What really happened that night at sea? And how did a mother’s death spark nationwide outrage and a call for change? Hear about the events leading up to Diane's death, the subsequent investigation, and the legal proceed...

A 40 hour long raid. Shot 14 times in a mere 5 seconds, and bleeding out on the ground for 3 hours. This was Derrick McManus' day at work in May 1994.  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 th...

Document examiner Neil Holland has worked on documents related to investigations into alleged Nazi war criminals, accused killers and dodgy bookies, and resurrected the writing on a document found inside a corpse’s stomach. In 1985, when Neil was the head of the Victoria Police document examination branch, the National Gallery of Victoria made history - acquiring Pablo Picasso's The Weeping...

Aussie band Men at Work's most famous song is arguably Down Under.  But what if it wasn't actually their song? This was the claim made by Larrikin Music, who are the copyright holders of the nursery rhyme Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree . In this episode of Crime Insiders Judgement, go inside the plagiarism battle that remains a cautionary tale in copyright law.  This episode referen...

In 2014, flight MH17 was shot down, and 298 people died. A set of Australian experts were sent to investigate and assist. In the aftermath, victim identification is crucial in not only determining the identity of someone who has died, but also in the matter of a criminal investigation, the cause of death.  Professor David Ranson is a forensic consultant and the former Deputy Head of the Victo...

Michael Ashwood was a young detective assigned to help investigate the murder of a neo-Nazi in Sydney. What Michael and his colleagues didn't know was that federal investigators had placed a listening device in the murderer's home. What they heard would make chilling evidence at the murderer's trial.   Michael was also involved in the disappearance of Tegan Lane, the child of Keli Lane,...

Alan Bond is an Australian businessman known for his rise to fame and subsequent fall from grace. Celebrated for his role in Australia's 1983 America's Cup victory, his involvement in significant corporate fraud mars Bond's legacy, particularly the Bell Resources case, which became a defining moment in Australia's corporate history. This episode of Crime Insiders Judgements explores Bond's audacio...

Once an admired figure in NSW police, the now disgraced Roger Rogerson left a trail of corruption and death as he moved his way through the force.  Former NSW Detective Deborah Locke was at the centre of Rogerson's grip on the police, and faced horrific consequences for standing up to him and his corruption. Deb sat down with host Brent Sanders, and unpacked the details of her life in the for...

After the 2002 Bali bombings killed 202 people, 88 of them Australian, Dr. Pamela Craig was sent into the centre of the crisis. As a forensic odontologist, her job was to help identify the victims, many burned beyond recognition. In this episode, Pam takes host Liz Porter inside the high-stakes world of disaster victim identification, from the Bali mortuary to other mass casualty scenes. Hear how...

Daniel Miles was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for murdering his girlfriend. While in prison, he befriended and became romantically linked with another woman. While on a work release program, Miles escaped custody and hunted down his new lover, only to find her with another man.  He exploded in rage and murdered her in cold blood. Daniel Miles will never be released from prison. T...

The case of the Golden State Killer puzzled police and amateur sleuths for decades. Then, in April 2018, a Sacramento man was arrested and charged. How did police find their man, and what led them to him after years of nothing but cold clues and lack of leads? Genealogy is a complex, and often misunderstood science. But, according to Professor Dennis McNevin, an expert in the field of forensic gen...

The NSW Police Tactical Operations Unit deals with the most extraordinary police operations - terror attacks, sieges, and armed confrontations. For this reason, those wishing to join the command are subject to rigorous selection and training processes, to prepare them for the life-threatening situations they could unexpectedly face. Ben Besant is best known for being the sniper who stormed the Lin...