The Case Of

As the pathologist tasked with explaining Irma Palasic's cause of death gave his evidence, he criticised the quality of the reports he relied on, revealing a surprising oversight. In this episode, Elizabeth Byrne explains to Stephen Stockwell how defence barristers used these revelations. The jury also heard about how milk was packaged for Canberra in 1999 — a nod to DNA evidence found on a milk b...

Police spent more than a week combing through the Palasics home following the fatal home invasion in 1999, but under cross examination the defence elicited a potentially crucial concession from the man who led that search. In this episode, reporters Elizabeth Byrne and James Vyver describe the meticulous path which was cleared to Irma's body to preserve the crime scene and the importance of the Me...

On Thursday the 18th of August 2022, Geoffrey McLean played golf and spent time at the pub with friends, but after 5pm no-one could raise him. The prosecution alleges this was because he'd been murdered. In this episode, Adelaide court reporter Eva Blandis explains what the last contact with Geoffrey McLean was and what the forensic pathologist found when he examined his remains. If you have any q...

Irma and Gregor Palasics kept large amounts of cash hidden inside their house in "every nook and cranny". The prosecution alleges one of the men accused of Irma's 1999 murder was also involved in an earlier attack at a different home, pointing to DNA samples recovered at both crimes. In this episode, ABC reporters Elizabeth Byrne and James Vyver recap the key moments in court, including the jury w...

In 1999, Irma Palasics died during a violent home invasion in Canberra. She and her husband were tied up, beaten and gagged while two masked intruders stole cash and jewellery. Twenty-six years later, Joseph Vekony and Steve Fabriczy are on trial for Irma's murder, as well as charges of assault, forcible confinement and burglary. Veteran court reporter Elizabeth Byrne joins Stocky to lay out the o...

Geoffrey McLean's 'best mate' and golfing buddy has told the jury about tensions he saw in Mr McLean's relationship with his accused killer, Sheree Glastonbury. In this episode, Adelaide court reporter Eva Blandis also recaps evidence from witnesses who saw the bin being moved, and details from the Forensic Response Unit at SA Police who had the gruesome task of inspecting the bin. If you have any...

The household wheelie bin containing the remains of Geoffrey McLean was discovered in a vacant block in Adelaide's northern suburbs, by a man there to cut the grass. Adelaide court reporter, Eva Blandis, tells Stocky who the first witnesses were in the murder trial, including the contractor who found shovels, a bag of lime and the foul-smelling wheelie bin with screws and tape sealing it shut. If...

Four people are on trial for murder and assisting in the murder of Adelaide man Geoffrey McLean, whose remains were found in a wheelie bin on a vacant block. Court reporter, Eva Blandis is following the trial and explains to Stephen Stockwell what each defendant is accused of and how prosecutors say this man came to such a grisly end. If you have any questions you'd like Eva and Stocky to answer,...

Adelaide man, Shaun Dunk told police he went into a real estate agent with the intention to kill someone. ABC reporter, Eva Blandis explains to Stephen Stockwell that before a trial can begin, the court must determine whether Mr Dunk was mentally competent at the time. If you have any questions you'd like Eva and Stocky to answer in future episodes, please email thecaseof@abc.net.au . The Case Of...

The Obeids' made $30 million in a corrupt conspiracy to profit from mining, and that money has never been recovered. Until yesterday, Eddie Obeid, his son Moses, and former NSW Labor Minister Ian McDonald continued to protest their innocence through the courts. In this episode, the ABC's High Court reporter Elizabeth Byrne joins Stephen Stockwell in Canberra to break down the Obeid's and McDonald'...

Self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are trying — and failing — to sue an Adelaide YouTuber, Nathan Pope, for defamation. The case is being brought in a Florida court despite none of the parties residing in that US state. In this episode, South Australian ABC reporter George Yankovich takes us through the defamation case, how he first came across Nathan Pope's work, and w...

Greg Lynn has returned to court this week, a month after the dramatic revelation his murder conviction would be overturned and a retrial set. In June 2024, a jury found Greg Lynn guilty of murdering Carol Clay but not guilty of murdering her camping partner, Russell Hill. In this episode, reporter Sacha Payne unpacks the "substantial miscarriage of justice", that three judges decided warranted the...

A son of AFL royalty used his privilege to its full extent when he was accused of rape, but it didn't stop a jury finding him guilty. In this episode, reporter Alexandra Alvaro explains to Stephen Stockwell how Tom Silvagni's family tried to keep his name out of the news, but how that didn't protect him from a takedown by the judge during sentencing. Now, Tom Silvagni is appealing his conviction....

It's been six years since Kumanjayi Walker was killed by Constable Zachary Rolfe, and six months since Coroner Elizabeth Armitage found that racism was a factor in Kumanjayi's killing. In this episode, Melissa Mackay and Stephen Stockwell examine what has changed in the police force since these damning findings, and the lasting effect on the community. Also, we answer your questions and read some...

Kumanjayi Walker's death was avoidable – this was the Northern Territory Coroner's bombshell finding, delivered via livestream across Australia in July 2025. In this episode, Melissa Mackay explains how the Coroner, Elizabeth Armitage arrived at this finding, and talks through the key points in the Coroner's 680-page report, including the recommendations she's proposed to help prevent another unne...

Racist police awards, private text messages and Kumanjayi Walker's troubled upbringing: the NT Coroner went deep when investigating the cause of the Yuendumu shooting in 2019. In this episode Melissa Mackay retraces the evidence presented to the Coronial Inquiry into Kumanjayi Walker's death, with all the tense courtroom moments and alarming revelations. If you want to read more about the awards m...

Zachary Rolfe's trial revolved around a seconds-long shooting, which the jury saw direct evidence of via body-worn video footage. However, it was the intention behind those shots that was debated — and that Mr Rolfe eventually defended from the witness box. In this episode, Melissa Mackay explains how Zachary Rolfe described his actions and intentions under cross examination, before the jury found...

Four days after shooting Kumanjayi Walker, Zachary Rolfe was charged with murder. Two years later he was in the Northern Territory Supreme Court arguing against that charge. In this episode, reporter Melissa Mackay describes the unusual series of events that surround this high-profile trial, and talks through the key arguments each side made to the court before the jury found Mr Rolfe not guilty....

Kumanjayi Walker and Constable Zachary Rolfe came from two different worlds within Australia. On November 9, 2019, those worlds collided in a fatal confrontation, in a small red house within the remote community of Yuendumu. In the first chapter of The Case of Kumanjayi Walker, reporter Melissa Mackay introduces the two people at the centre of this story, explains how they came face to face that n...

Kumanjayi Walker was a young Walpiri-Luritja man, shot by a police officer in the remote community of Yuendumu in 2019. It was a confrontation that lasted seconds, but continues to reverberate today. His death caught the nation's attention, sparked a groundswell of activism, and ignited battles within politics and the police force. In The Case Of Kumanjayi Walker, Stephen Stockwell and reporter Me...

It's been a wild ride on The Case Of this year, and now we're revealing the highs and lows of making this podcast, in our end-of-year episode. In this episode, executive producer Clare Rawlinson joins Stephen Stockwell to get his unfiltered perspective on the journey so far, and to reveal the results of our recent listener survey (which received more than 2000 responses!). If you have any question...

Snowtown serial killer James Vlassakis hoped to be out of prison by now, having served his 26-year non-parole period and getting a thumbs up from the parole board for release this year. But South Australia's Attorney General sought a review of that decision, and the Parole Review Commissioner ultimately agreed Vlassakis should remain behind bars. Now, Parole Chair Frances Nelson KC is not happy he...

The croc wrangler is in prison. Matt Wright has been sentenced to 10 months jail time for his attempts to interfere with an investigation into a fatal helicopter crash. In this episode, Olivana Lathouris and Matt Garrick join Stephen Stockwell to discuss the sentencing, the damage to his reputation as a tourism icon, and the timing with the birth of his third child. If you have any questions you'd...

Two trials, weeks of evidence and a guilty verdict – now we can share with you what we think would have convinced the jury Rajwinder Singh murdered Toyah Cordingley, as well as what may have given them pause.  In this episode, Chris Testa, Stephen Stockwell and executive producer Clare Rawlinson go over the biggest moments in Singh’s trial; what surprised them, thoughts on the verdict and the effe...

It's been hard to keep secret, but the trial you've been following on this podcast was not the first one for Rajwinder Singh — it was a retrial, after an earlier hung jury. In this episode, Chris Testa explains to Stephen Stockwell how the trials differed and legal strategies changed, including a change in focus on Toyah's boyfriend, Marco Heidenreich. If you have any questions you'd like Chris an...