Suburban Legends

Friday 23rd November 1978, Murwillimbah, NSW Inside the branch of the Bank of NSW, the crew of thieves worked quickly and quietly. They bypassed the combination lock of the vault and made their way inside. Shrouded in darkness, one of the bandits drilled into the safe, just above the lock, to expose the tumblers. From here, he could manipulate them and gain access. Another thief cut a hole into th...

Join Shaun and Chloe to discuss the tragic case of 6 year old Kiesha Weippeart, which happened around the Mount Druitt region of Sydney NSW in July of 2010. There’s many aspects to this case which prompted a lot of discussion at the time, not only about those involved and the broader socio economic aspects, but the possible systemic failures of our community services. Support the show on: Patreon...

Mr Cruel was a child abductor, sexual predator, and presumed murderer, active in suburban Melbourne during the late eighties to early nineties. He has been quite accurately described as the bogeyman for children who grew up in the area at this time. The crimes attributable to this unidentified offender are some of the most calculated, meticulous, and sickening we’ve ever seen here in Australia. Bu...

Mr Cruel was a child abductor, sexual predator, and presumed murderer, active in suburban Melbourne during the late eighties to early nineties. He has been quite accurately described as the bogeyman for children who grew up in the area at this time. The crimes attributable to this unidentified offender are some of the most calculated, meticulous, and sickening we’ve ever seen here in Australia. Bu...

Andy Kingston arrived at 125 South St in the middle of the day, overcome by insatiable lust. Bernadette and Mario in unit 2 invited him inside, expecting a visit from the guy they’d spoken to over the phone a number of times now. He was alone, Jenny, his wife, wasn’t with him. Andy explained that she couldn’t be there this time, but next time, she would. He’d told her about them and she was excite...

At around 7:15pm mother of three, Trang Nguyen, answered a knock at the door of her home in Nordlingen Drive. The voices called out ‘it’s the police’. Trang opened the door, and was immediately confronted by two men brandishing large kitchen knives… Join Shaun and Chloe as they discuss the case of the lesser-known strangler of Wagga Wagga, Matthew Harris. Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/trueblue...

August 1986, Melbourne, and the National Gallery of Victoria has just had their most recently acquired prized work of art stolen, and received a ransom letter detailing the demands… Join Shaun as he tells the story of the stolen Picasso 'Weeping Woman' from the National Gallery of Victoria. Support the show on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/truebluecrime Website - www.truebluecrimepodcast.com -...

In 1986, Perth and the whole of Western in Australia was flying high, booming at this time, with the likes of Iron Ore magnate Lang Hancock and the occasionally corrupt Alan Bond flexing their business muscles. Yachts were docked aplenty in Fremantle post Australia’s 1983 America’s Cup win, which Alan Bond actually bankrolled. In the news, the number of disappearances of local Perth women were sta...

This tale is about the Tromp family from the little eastern Melbourne suburb of Silvan and the interesting road trip the family of 5 went on back in 2016. On August the 30th 2016, police arrived at the family's 18 acre redcurrant farm to find, well, nothing. 51 year old Mark Tromp, his wife 53 year old Jacoba or Coby, and their 3 adult children - 29 yo Riana, 25 yo Mitchell, and 22 year old Ella,...

3 August 1999 His hand trembled as he wrote, his sweaty fingers wrangling the pen as the words poured from his mind and became scrawl on the paper. ‘I tried every legal way possible to find justice for being wronged, this is a warning to employers, politicians, and corrupt men of authority. The little guy is getting tired of being used and shit upon with no avenue for fair play.' ‘Cry havoc and le...

Almost halfway between Adelaide in SA and Melbourne in VIC is a small seaside town called Portland. It's a quaint coastal haven, steeped in history, normally a calm and picturesque place. But in May of 1991, Portland was rocked by the gruesome double murder of two women in a hair salon. The crime would leave citizens scared and wondering if the killer was one of their own... Join Shaun and Chloe a...

Mr Whippy would spearhead our country's foray in the world of ice cream vans. The brand established in Australia in 1962 and became ingrained in our culture as a popular presence during our hot summers, cruising the neighbourhoods with a whimsical melody playing over a crackly speaker. But unlike the upbeat suggestive music we hear when the brightly coloured van rolls into town, it’s not always go...

On the 7th of August, 2014, 26 year old, Warriena Wright, met the burly Surfers Paradise local, 28 year old Gable Tostee, at the Cavill Mall around 8:45PM. What would start out like any other Tinder date would ultimately end in tragedy… Join Shaun and Chloe in part 2 of this tragic tale as they discuss the events after the death of Warriena Wright, and listen to more of the chilling audio captured...

On the 7th of August, 26 year old Warriena Wright met the burly Surfers Paradise local, 28 year old Gable Tostee, at the Cavill Mall around 8:45PM. What would start out like any other Tinder date would ultimately end in tragedy… Join Shaun and Chloe as they discuss the events leading up to the tragic death of Warriena Wright, and listen to the chilling audio captured on Gable Tostee’s mobile phone...

The brutal murder of 12 year old Leanne Holland; the accused served nearly 15 years for the crime and his conviction now quashed. Controversial and highly debated, this new podcast seeks to answer the question: Who Killed Leanne Holland? Jamie Pultz, co-host of the podcast Beenham Valley Road, teams up with former Queensland Police detective Graeme Crowley, who wrote the book Who Killed Leanne Hol...

3rd November, 1982, Rosslea, QLD 20 year old Tony Jones called his family back home in Perth from a phone booth in Bower road. He spoke to his Mum and his brother Mark, who joked with Tony that when he decided to come home, he’d have to find another room because Mark had moved into his. The brothers laughed and Tony told Mark he’d had a couple of nights on the beach, and it’d been harder in recent...

Detective Sergeant Les Chapman and his partner Detective Sergeant Dennis Hart arrived at the Lameroo Lodge in Darwin in the morning of Saturday the 25th of November 1983. Adjacent to the lodge in a flower bed lay the deceased body of who appeared to be a young indigenous woman. A pathologist couldn’t identify one single injury that killed her, it was a cumulative mix of the entire assault, but he...

Detectives Joe Cassar and Russell Oxford inspected the scene. The house was immaculate, not an item out of place, not a dirty dish left out. Bloodstains lined the hallway leading in to the bedroom where the victim lay. there was a smear of blood on the doorjamb, and in another room nearby, a footprint on the bedspread facing an open window; the like point of escape. The victim lay slouched over th...

The windows of the house at 1 Reserve Street had all been smashed with rocks. Firecrackers had been hurled into the yard and scorched the once lush green grass, and graffiti plastered across the front fence read ‘you’re a wanker’. Upon his return home, around 3PM, Frank made his bed and changed into a white singlet and green tracksuit pants. He looked up at his glass sliding door, and saw young Jo...

Racecourse Road, Flemington, on Friday the 25th of January 2002; Armaguard cash in transit security officers Mohammed Tabiaat and Rebecca Mitchell pulled up in their armoured van just before 10AM. The pair were restocking 2 ATM’s with cash, but the bank branch itself was no longer operational - no staff inside. They just had to enter the premises and refill the machines from the rear. Mohammed too...

After seeing a movie and grabbing a bite to eat, Kim Barry and Donna Holland were up for a drink and dance. The local disco at Crown Gardens was the perfect spot and the vibes were good when the girls arrived. Donna left a short time later, feeling unwell, and Kim spotted an acquaintance she knew from dance classes; a local coal miner named Graham Potter. The pair had a quick chat at the bar, then...

"The rose is red, the violet's blue, The honey's sweet, and so are you. Thou art my love and I am thine; I drew thee to my Valentine: The lot was cast and then I drew, And Fortune said it should be you." On Monday 14th February 1994, Valentines Day, in Gladesville NSW, this poem and any other romantic notion were nowhere to be seen or heard when the Metro Fire services were called out to number 4...

Karen Redmile was working near the intersection of Brunswick and Harcourt Streets; another night in the Valley dealing with client’s requests and negotiating. She was speaking with a man, and this guy had a noticeably deep voice. But the conversation didn’t remain amicable; it became violent. Those nearby heard glass smashing, and loud thumping noises thereafter. But they didn’t see anything. A sh...

21st of October 2002. Monash University, Clayton, Victoria. After the class of 12 had filed in and taken their seats, lecturer Lee Gordon-Brown handed back an assignment that students had recently completed, and began the class with a discussion, writing a question on the whiteboard for everyone to ponder. Around 20 minutes into the class at 11:25AM, things took a sudden and horrific turn inside r...

9th of November 1983. Bayan Lepas International Airport, Penang, Malaysia There was the usual bustle of activity inside and outside the airport, with a seemingly innumerable fleet of taxis dropping people off and picking up fares. The relentless cluster of passengers travelling to and from domestic and international flights flooded the airport lounges and check-in counters. Amongst all of the airp...