The Trial: Australia

Twenty-five years after the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio shocked Australia and the world, one question still remains: where is Peter? In this episode, Wayne Flower is joined by Daily Mail Australia News Editor Kevin Airs, who reported from the heart of the investigation as the case unfolded in 2001. Together they revisit the night of Peter’s murder on the remote Stuart Highway, the...

The discovery of a teenager’s body contained inside an abandoned suitcase, in the tourist city of Pattaya, made headlines and shocked people around the world. An Australian man has been charged over the death of 17-year-old Thunchanok "Cake" Donhomla, but he denies murder, claiming he acted in self-defence. In this episode, Wayne is joined by Daily Mail reporters Candace Sutton and Jonica Bray to...

For the first time since four-year-old Gus Lamont vanished from a remote South Australian sheep station, his grandmother Josie Murray has spoken publicly. In a bombshell television interview, Josie Murray revealed she is the family member police identified as a suspect in their major crime investigation, while strongly denying any involvement in Gus's disappearance. Instead, she claims Gus may hav...

More than 25 years after a fatal stabbing inside a Western Sydney nightclub, one of Australia's most elusive fugitives has been found living under an assumed identity in rural Greece. In this episode, Wayne is joined by veteran crime journalist Candace Sutton to unravel the extraordinary story of James Dalamangus, a man who vanished in 1999 after becoming a suspect in the murder of George Giannopo...

The deaths of TV presenter Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies captured attention across Australia. The couple had been shot, and their bodies were discovered inside surfboard bags on a rural property in February 2024. The man accused of their murders is Baird's former partner, former police officer and celebrity chaser Beau Lamarre-Condon, who remains in custody awaiting trial on charges he d...

In April 2024, 28-year-old childcare worker and mother Molly Ticehurst was brutally murdered by her former partner, Daniel Billings, in her home in Forbes, New South Wales.  Just weeks earlier, Billings had been granted bail despite facing multiple allegations of violence, stalking and sexual assault against Molly, and despite repeated warnings about the danger he posed. In this episode, Wayn...

This week Wayne examines the opening of the coronial inquest into the Porepunkah shootings and death of Dezi Freeman, who was shot by police after Australia’s largest manhunt. Joining Wayne is former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina, to break down the new revelations, discuss police tactics, and the major questions now facing the coroner. The Trial Australia is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe...

This week Wayne examines the case of Isla Bell, the 19-year-old Melbourne woman whose disappearance and death shocked the country. Last Saturday, hundreds of supporters gathered outside the State Library Victoria to honour Isla, and protest the prosecutors who dropped charges against the man accused of killing her, citing insufficient evidence.   In this episode, journalist Paul Shapiro revis...

Ivan Milat is one of the most notorious serial killers in all of Australia. He was convicted in 1996 of the brutal murders of seven backpackers whose bodies were discovered in the Belanglo State Forest. His violent and disturbing crimes shocked the world, but that only be the tip of the iceberg. Now, with a new inquiry underway, investigators are revisiting more than 50 unsolved disappearances and...

In this episode, we examine the heartbreaking case of Kumanjayi Little Baby, the five-year-old girl whose disappearance and death shocked communities across the country. Wayne is joined by journalist Karleigh Smith to unpack the investigation, and the allegations against Jefferson Lewis, who has since been charged with murder. They also break down the extraordinary scenes of grief and anger which...

On Easter Sunday, 65 year old farmer Richard Wills said goodbye to his wife and left their home- but he never returned. Investigators later discovered his body, believing that he was shot, dragged by a vehicle on his own farm, and then buried in a shallow grave. But the mystery has sparked speculation; ranging from Fake AI images, talk of Merino Sheep Mafia, and speculation of someone known to Ric...

Tess Rowlatt was once known as a successful marketing guru, but she’s now been dubbed as Melbourne’s Meth Queen. She pleaded guilty to trafficking meth and dealing with the proceeds of crime, her second drug related conviction, after a dramatic police chase led to the discovery of drugs, cash, and bank cards in other peoples’ names. She is due to be sentenced- however there is still a chance that...

For years, Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated soldier, has been celebrated for his service in Afghanistan. But now, the man who was once considered a national hero is at the centre of serious criminal allegations. He has been charged with five counts of the war crime of murder, and is in custody in New South Wales' Silverwater Correctional Complex after arrest by the Australian Federal...

In 2024, Nikkita Azzopardi was killed by her partner, Joel Micallef, in a horrifying attack. He was charged with murder, but found not guilty due to mental impairment, after forensic psychiatrists told the court he was suffering acute psychosis at the time of the killing. The verdict devastated Nikita’s family, who felt like they had not had justice. Now, in a shocking turn of events, Micallef has...

After more than 200 days on the run, one of Australia’s largest and most intense manhunts has come to an end. Dezi Freeman had been on the run since he shot and killed two police officers last year. Despite a $1 million reward for information, police had no concrete leads as to his whereabouts. But a crucial tip-off led officers to a secluded property, where a tense three hour standoff unfolded, e...

Last year a targeted attack at a luxury villa in Bali left one man dead and another seriously injured. Two Australian men were swiftly convicted of murder, and another for aiding and abetting premediated murder. In this episode Wayne is joined by journalist Paul Shapiro to break down the case, from the chaotic night of the attack, to claims it was a botched job ordered by a mysterious figure known...

In 2022, sisters Asra and Amaal Alsehli were found dead inside their Sydney apartment, weeks after they had died, with no signs of forced entry and no clear cause.  Having fled Saudi Arabia seeking asylum, the young women had been living in fear in the months leading up to their deaths. The mystery puzzled investigators for years. Now, after years of silence, new information has emerged about...

In February, an 85 year old grandfather was abducted from his home in the Sydney suburb of North Ryde. But according to police, they had the wrong man. Chris Baghsarian, a widower and family man with no links to organised crime, was allegedly taken by a group of men who believed they had kidnapped someone else. Investigators say the offenders were trying to target the father of a wealthy property...

On January 22nd, the small town of Lake Cargelligo became the scene of an alleged triple murder, with the accused going on the run and remaining missing ever since. Police allege a targeted attack left three people dead: 25 year old Sophie Quinn, who was heavily pregnant; her longtime friend John Harris; and Sophie's aunt, Nerida Quinn. A fourth victim, 19-year-old Caleb McQueen, survived the shoo...

Last December, a beachside Hanukkah celebration at Bondi turned into one of the deadliest terror attacks in recent Australian history. Fifteen people were killed. Dozens more were injured. Now, for the first time, the man accused of carrying out the attack has faced court. In this episode Wayne examines the case against 24-year-old Naveed Akram, who is charged with 59 offences including terrorism,...

As the disappearance of Gus Lamont shifts from a missing persons case to a criminal investigation, Wayne sits down with legendary former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina. Together they explore how investigators approach complex missing persons cases, from probing family timelines and seizing electronic devices, to managing media pressure and community scrutiny.  They also analyse recent dev...

South Australia Police have declared the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont a major crime, in a monumental moment of the case. What began as a desperate search for a little boy who vanished while playing at his grandparents’ remote outback sheep station has now become a criminal investigation, with one family member identified as a suspect.  In this episode, Wayne speaks with reporter...

In this episode, Wayne examines the tragic deaths of a family of four in Perth’s affluent suburb of Mosman Park, which police are treating as a suspected double murder-suicide. Joining him is reporter Lucy Manley, who has been on the ground in Western Australia. They discuss everything that is understood about the case, including what friends, teachers and carers have said about the family’s final...

In this episode, Wayne looks at the remarkable case of Daniel Alejandro Latriglia Salcedo, a Colombian student prosecutors say ran a multi-drug trafficking operation under the name 'Thanos'. Using QR-coded business cards and Telegram menus, Salcedo openly marketed cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, LSD and more, until police uncovered drugs, cash and digital evidence of dealing. Yet despite pleading guil...

Once a fixture of red carpets, private jets, and reality television, Brynne Edelsten lived a life few could imagine; until it all began to unravel. In this episode, Wayne examines the dramatic fall of Brynne Edelsten following her arrest and court appearances over serious drug trafficking allegations. Joining Wayne is journalist Paul Shapiro, who offers insight into the legal proceedings, the char...