JUDGEMENTS | Not guilty by virtue of mental illness
A quiet suburb. A brutal murder. What happens when someone kills - but isn’t sane enough to be found guilty? Marita Cunningham was charged with murdering 81-year-old Mae Richie in 2016. A neighbour discovered Mae dead inside her apartment, her body covered in pillows and shopping bags. An autopsy found she’d died by asphyxiation – and had been beaten with her own walking cane. Marita was arrested trying to flee the scene. Witnesses described Marita’s unsettling behaviour earlier that day, including outbursts in public, talking to herself, and showing up at her ex’s apartment uninvited. The court had to decide whether Marita was guilty of murder – or not guilty by virtue of mental illness. Should someone who kills, but genuinely doesn’t know reality from delusion, be found guilty of murder? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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REWIND | Operation Ironside
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-stakes investigations, including Ironside and the Lindt Cafe Siege. In this episode hosted by Brent Sanders, Chris shares exclusive details about the Lindt Cafe Siege, and pulls back the curtain on Ironside. Hear how authorities infiltrated the underbelly of organised crime syndicates, seizing millions in dirty cash, blocking large importations of drugs and intercepting homicide plots. If this content affected you, the number for Lifeline is 13 11 14. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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FORENSICS | The Tasmania Yacht Murder
When Bob Chappell vanished from his yacht in Hobart, suspicion quickly turned on his partner, Sue Neill-Fraser, an unassuming woman who soon found herself at the centre of one of Australia’s most controversial murder cases. But behind the headlines lies a deeper story - one of forensic failure, investigative tunnel vision, and a conviction that may never have happened if all the available avenues had been investigated. In this episode, former detective Colin McLaren unpacks the crucial DNA evidence, the overlooked clues on the yacht, and the questions raised by a mysterious yellow Ford. This is a story about how forensics should work, and what happens when it doesn’t. Note: Sue Neill-Fraser was found guilty by a Supreme Court jury; her appeal was dismissed, and a Coroner’s investigation, which reviewed all the available evidence, supported the findings of the criminal proceedings. Tasmania Police stand by the integrity and thoroughness of the investigation, and the efforts of the investigation team, including the forensic experts, and the prosecution of the case by the office of the DPP.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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JUDGEMENTS | The Super League war
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, rugby league was a code looking to expand nationally after the success of its premier competition in Sydney. Clubs emerged in Brisbane, Newcastle, and the Gold Coast. Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation took the growth in the sport as an indication it ought to expand even further and plotted a coup, to take the running of the code out of the hands of the establishment - the Australian Rugby League. What followed was a war that ripped the sport apart with Murdoch on one side and the other, backed by another multi-millionaire media mogul, Kerry Packer. It was mogul against mogul, club against club, and players against players. In this episode of Judgements we take a deep dive on how and why the war began - and how the game came back together to form what is now the National Rugby League.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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REWIND | Could a fly frame you for murder?
Semen is the crack cocaine of the fly world, and while maggots love a corpse, flies feast on live human flesh and fluids. So, could a fly frame you for murder? And how do police differentiate fly 'artifacts' from human biological material at a crime scene? These are all things forensic biologist, Dr Annalisa Durdle has studied. Join former Crime Insiders Forensics host Kathryn Fox as Annalisa redefines what it means to be a 'fly on the wall'. If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Crime Insiders is LiSTNR's home of true crime.
DETECTIVES is a gripping one-on-one interview conducted by former cop, Brent Sanders, diving deep into a crime with the detectives who led the investigation. It's a rare insight into what goes on behind the scenes in complex and intriguing police investigations.
FORENSICS is a sit-down interview with the world's top forensic experts, hosted by journalist and true crime author, Dr Liz Porter. Learn about the extraordinary skills and insight in this ever-changing and always-developing field of science, and how it helps convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent.
JUDGEMENTS delves into the gripping world of high-profile criminal cases, examining the twists and turns that lead to justice—or its failure. Each episode explores a landmark case, from the shocking crime to the courtroom drama. We break down the evidence, witness testimonies, and legal strategies, unveiling the complexities that shape the outcome.
REWIND is our ‘best of’ series. A weekly revisit of episodes we’ve curated just for you, our true crime audience. These are the episodes we believe you cannot miss if you call yourself a true crime fan.
Crime Insiders is YOUR home of true crime.
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