Life and Crimes with Andrew Rule

The Warrumbungle bungle

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. When his house was gutted by a national park fire, former AFP officer John Shobbrook used all his detective skills to in...

Still searching for little Eloise

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. Nearly 50 years ago, a little girl disappeared without trace from a quiet Melbourne suburb. Now her aunt speaks for the f...

BONUS EPISODE: Keeping kids safe from the predators

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT Actor Madeline West joins the show to talk about her new podcast series Predatory - an inves...

A year of Deadlines: The NCF

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. In the second of our short series inspired by the Herald Sun's Deadline column, Andrew Rule, Mark Buttler and Anthony Do...

A year of Deadlines: Bikies

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. In the first of a run of episodes inspired by the Herald Sun's Deadline column, crime reporters Mark Buttler and Anthony ...

Vale to scoundrels and the odd good bloke

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. As the year draws to a close, Andrew remembers some of the names in and around the world of crime who have passed away i...

Friends in high places

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. Lady Ann Rylah was a very accomplished woman married to a very powerful man. And when their marriage soured, she was met...

The forgotten massacre

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. In between the shootings at Hoddle Street and the horrors of Port Arthur, there was a rampage that has largely drifted f...

The courtroom ordeals of Phoenix Cooper

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. What started as a one night stand in an inner-city pub saw a young tradie fighting for years to clear his name. Andrew Ru...

Of Mongols and Mayhem

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Subscribe to Crime X+ today. Gold Coast-based journalist Greg Stolz joins the show to outline his new investigation Mayhem in the Mongols. Get more i...

The rogue's Creed

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Colin Creed was a tough Adelaide cop who turned to the wrong side of the law and ended up hunted by his own. Andrew Rule outlines the story of a man, ...

Birds out, drugs in

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Tate lived a life of light planes, narcotics busts and death sentences. And while he got himself into his fair share of scrapes, he always seem...

Prince of the bird smugglers

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's a shadowy world where cool customers slip past international authorities to import contraband for the highest bidder. But it's not drugs or guns ...

True tales from the turf

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

While the world of racing is full of colourful characters, it also has its fair share of miracles - both at the finishing post and the betting ring. A...

The body in Abbeyard

28 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Samantha Wilson was a mystery figure with a chequered past when she appeared in a small town in Victoria's high country. And when she went missing, th...

PK and the Sunshine crew

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

They may have sounded like a boy band, but for a hot minute, this group of frenemies terrorised Melbourne's western suburbs - before turning on them...

Confessions of an underworld lawyer

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lawyer Andrew Fraser represented the top of the criminal foodchain before sinking to the depths of addiction and imprisonment. In the first of a spec...

The Hannibal of The Hunter

07 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. Katherine Mary Knight was an abattoir worker in country New South Wales, who had a fondness for knives and tempestuous...

Sketches of Tommy and John

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew outlines the colourful lives of two colourful characters: John Kizon and Tom Erikson. Like the show? Get more at https://heraldsun.com.au/andr...

Death of a model

24 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Revelle Balmain was a dancer and model who turned to escort work to make ends meet. But when she went missing, police searched from Sydney's sprawling...

Postcards from the ego

17 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brenden James Abbott was a smart kid with a habit for burglary. But it was his ingenious escapes and a single roll of film that would make him famous....

The blood and bones of poor Mark Jansen

03 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2014, an excavator made a grisly find that reopened a very cold case. What followed is a story of gambling, drugs and the echoes of a most notoriou...

Tragedy in the wheat fields

27 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the vast plains of western Victoria, police, family and concerned locals hunted for missing Adelaide grandmother Colleen South in vain. But Andrew ...

Neil and the wild boys

20 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In a step away from crime, Andrew sits down with author Anston Cameron to talk about the new biography Neil Balme, A Tale of Two Men. The memoir chron...

Behind the bikie business

13 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Investigative journalist Stephen Drill joins the show to introduce his new podcast series Bikies Inc - a series that lifts the lid on Australia’s ou...

The 250th show Q&A: Part 2

06 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT On the second part of our Q&A special, Andrew answers questions about chilling crimes, missing people and old-time cro...

The 250th show Q&A: Part 1

30 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this milestone episode, Andrew Rule answers your questions about charming crooks, the underbelly war, crime masterminds and more. Like the show? Ge...

The Roberts acquittal

23 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Investigative reporter Anthony Dowsley joins the show to outline the aftermath of the acquittal of Jason Roberts ove the Silk/Miller police shootings....

Mad to the Max

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this short episode, we outline the short crime spree of Pavel Marinof - and how his propensity for violence against cops left long shadows over the...

The magnificent seven

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When South Australian police needed to infiltrate the Adelaide mafia, an undercover veteran assembled a team to pull off a remarkable sting. And after...

Rape in a safe haven

02 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT When Sue was only 19 years old, she sought sanctuary at an inner-Melbourne police station. What followed has been a 40-yea...

Bonus episode: The War

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Sydney's south west, a deadly blood feud has broken out between rival crime families. Daily Telegraph crime writer Mark Morri joins the show to tal...

The Fagans of the underworld

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule explores the utter tragedy when old crooks induct young kids into their life of crime. Like the show? Get more at https://heraldsun.com.a...

The escape artists: Part 3

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the last in our series on great prison escapees, Andrew outlines the colourful crimes and daring prison break of 'Doc' Smith. Like the show? Get mo...

The escape artists: Part 2

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Russell 'Mad Dog' Cox's exploits are well known, but this week, we focus on his extraordinary escape from Sydney’s Long Bay jail. Like the show?...

The escape artists: Part 1

04 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Recent events has Andrew Rule recounting the most famous jailbreaks by three of Australia's most colourful crooks. This week: the daring fli...

Catching the scent

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The wilderness search for a missing man has Andrew Rule asking why authorities continue to refuse the help of expert trackers - even when time, m...

The slug gate saga deepens

22 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A chance find on a hard drive brings new revelations to an ongoing legal and political drama. Crimestoppers: https://crimestoppers.com....

From St Kilda to New York in search of stories

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Novelist Adrian McKinty went from writing crime thrillers in Melbourne to blockbusters in the US. He sits down with Andrew to tell the story of his ec...

A house of many mysteries

07 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When a young train driver moved into an unassuming house in an inner western suburb of Melbourne, little did he know it may have had links to one of t...

The Mr Cruel triangle

30 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule uncovers a new and compelling theory as to the true identity of one of Australia's most notorious monsters. Read Andrew Rule's full Mr Cru...

The Winslow way of writing

23 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Don Winslow is a best-selling American crime author whose new book City on Fire is the first in a saga about Irish and Italian crime syndica...

The cold case of Karmein Chan

16 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Karmein Chan was abducted in 1991. Just over a year later her remains were found in northern Melbourne. Was Mr Cruel responsible and what did the...

The gatekeepers

09 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. They spend their working lives keeping the bad guys on the inside, but who's helping them cope on the outside? Counsellor...

The deadly ring-in

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

George Brown was a country boy with big dreams of training winners at the track. But he met a tragic end after getting caught up in racing's violent u...

REBROADCAST: The ballad of Jockey Smith

26 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, from the vault, we bring you the story of a little guy with big plans - that mostly involved stealing. (First released Jan 19, 2019) L...

The dead man's mate: Part 2

18 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, we looked at the murder  that saw Ronald Ryan hanged. This week we tell the story of what became of the young man who shared Ryan's cr...

The dead man's mate: Part 1

11 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The execution of Ronald Ryan, the last man hanged in Australia, shocked and captivated the nation. But his partner in crime, Peter Walker, has a viole...

The models for the modern mafioso

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Colin McLaren spent a career in undercover law enforcement infiltrating the mafia in Australia. Now as an author, he has travelled to Italy to uncover...

A fond farewell to a scallywag flyboy

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Buckley was a rogue of the sky and no stranger to scrapes with authority. But beyond his many misdemeanors, he also saved lives with his aerial ex...

The black widow of Bendigo

18 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John and Lorraine Moss lived a quiet life in central Victoria until John became mysteriously ill. But behind all Lorraine's concern for her husba...

The bloodhound gang

11 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

They're a mainstay of film, TV and news reports worldwide: the hound dogs that can hunt through the wilderness to find the lost. But if they're so eff...

The last man to keep the secret

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When the mafia needed a man to help get rid of a problem, they turned to a Melbourne gun dealer - a man who may just have taken one of crime's biggest...

Murder in West Hollywood

29 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When Australian woman Patricia Galea was shot dead in an LA apartment, it looked like a robbery gone wrong. But the true reasons for her death might j...

The death of a small town big deal

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When publican Mike Lowry was shot in the head with a small calibre bullet, police were left with a question: who was the mysterious woman wh...

A crime lover's guide to the summer

14 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule offers up some crime gems in this rough guide to summer reading and viewing. Crimestoppers: https://crimestoppers.com.au/If you or an...

Deadline 2021: Part 3

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule and  Herald Sun's Deadline columnists turn their attention to the many missing persons cases that have captivated the country over th...

Deadline 2021: Part 2

01 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. Deadline columnist Mark Buttler and senior crime reporter Anthony Dowsley join the show again to discuss more stories of ...

Deadline 2021: Part 1

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. Andrew is joined by two of the Herald Sun's senior crime writers  to tell the tales of bikies who have been in the n...

You be the judge

18 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT: Andrew is joined by Marita Murphy, a woman with a confronting but compelling story of abuse and survival.Watch Marit...

The real, dead, housewives of Melbourne. Part 2

10 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule continues  the story of wives and mothers who have unexpectedly died in baffling, suspicious and downright disturbing ways. Crimestop...

The real, dead, housewives of Melbourne. Part 1

03 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule goes in-depth on a series of cases where wives and mothers have died in tragic, mysterious or downright suspicious circumstances. Crimesto...

BONUS EPISODE: Breathing easy in the saddle

27 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When young Harry Coffey was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, no-one expected him to have much of an active life, let alone one as a champion jockey. Th...

The investigator's craft

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Developments in the Wonnangatta campers case and the search for William Tyrrell has Andrew Rule looking at how detectives hone in on vital clues in mi...

The bend in the road

19 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule steps away from crime for an episode to tell the story of two brothers who went off to war, and  one philanthropist who made sure the...

The life and death of a mild-mannered monster

12 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week Robert Arthur Selby Lowe died in jail as he served a life sentence for killing schoolgirl Sheree Beasley in 1991. Andrew Rule looks at the s...

Finding Cleo

05 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The nation was relieved this week to find young Cleo Smith alive after going missing from a campsite in Western Australia. Andrew Rule asks how did th...

The lost revolver

30 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the chaos following the murder of two police officers in Walsh St, Melboune, an enduring mystery began:  Where did one of the cops' guns go - and ...

A sweet boy turned so mean

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From a start as a  “nice boy” model, Hasan Topal became a violent outlaw bikie, suspected killer and international fugitive. And his rise was thr...

Saving the children in the pictures. Part 2

15 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. AFP officer Jon Rouse returns to the show to talk more about his work fighting online child sexual abuse. More informatio...

Saving the children in the pictures. Part 1

08 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. Jon Rouse is one of Australia's top cops fighting online child sexual abuse. He talks with Andrew about his career, his i...

A shot in the dark

02 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Bendigo man Kevin Pearce died at the hands of an unknown sniper, it became one of country Victoria's most disturbing murder mysteries. Andrew Rul...

Poison in the blood

25 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rosslyn McQueen was a young mum with the world to live for. So why did she die an agonising  death with strychnine in her veins? Andrew Rule examine...

Searching for Terry

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When young boy Terry Floyd went missing from a small country town, suspicion may have fallen on the wrong man, as investigator and TV host Ron Iddles ...

Fifteen metres from home

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ron Iddles, former police investigator and host of the new show Homicide,  joins Andrew to discuss the murder of Gina Rossato, a single mother who di...

Whispers and sorrows

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Suzie Lawrance vanished from the middle of a country town on a Saturday night in 1987, there were few leads. Three decades later, a reporter turn...

Of grit and gamblers

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate the launch of his new book Chance, Andrew Rule turns his mind to some of racing's most colourful sages and scallywags. More information a...

Three monsters, a bullet and Tassie’s bravest woman

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. A meeting with a former policeman has Andrew Rule recalling a crime of gothic savagery - and one woman's story of surviv...

Operation Jungle: Part 2

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When former narcotics detective John Shobbrook busted a drug importation ring, little did he know it would see him squaring off against corruption in...

BONUS EPISODE: Untangling the mafia's web

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist Stephen Drill went looking for the footprints of organised crime in Italy while working as a foreign correspondent. Now back in Australia...

Operation Jungle

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule talks with former narcotics detective John Shobbrook about a drug importation caper featuring planes, hapless crooks and the Far North Qu...

The boy who became the Burwood killer

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ashley Mervyn Coulston was a troubled child who grew up to be an evil man. But it was only after he was put behind bars, that questions arose about a ...

Choosing not to fire

24 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. Former tactical operations cop Keith Banks has seen his fair share of action. From dawn raids to busting bikies, he tells...

Dressed to kill

17 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some crooks go in all guns blazing, but as Andrew Rule explains, the smart ones often find it's blending in that stops them from being caught out. Bec...

When the slug turns

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Rule outlines some recent updates to the 'slug gate' drama surrounding a meal provider and a council in Melbbourne's east. See omnystudio.co...

Send in the clones

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to crimes and misdemeanors, copying vehicle number plates may seem low on the list, but often, this  petty act is in service of evil de...

The ballad of the bikie Bowden

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Queensland police offered a reward for information about the death of Shane Bowden, a most notorious criminal. But before he was gunned do...

An end to evil men

19 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. Being a violent criminal in Australia can be a very dangerous profession. Andrew Rule explains how some of this country's...

Farewell to a most colourful doctor

12 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With the passing of  Geoffrey Edelsten, Andrew Rule remembers  the many highlights and lowlights of the  controversial medic turned footy entrepren...

Hits and misses

05 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The superb Foxtel series Mr Inbetween has Andrew Rule looking at two stories this week that would have fit right into an underworld drama. But truth, ...

A noose made of hair

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 1920s a hapless bar owner found himself victim of one of Australia's worst misuses of forensic detective work. Andrew Rule discusses the...

The amoral strand

22 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

DNA matching has been one of the greatest advances crime fighting has known, but as Andrew Rule explains, when used without care, it can lead to great...

Follow the money

15 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The value transfer system called hawala has been used since the time of the silk road to facilitate international commerce. And criminals have spread ...

Fire on the dance floor

08 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was at the time, Australia's worst mass killing: the arson at Brisbane's Whiskey a Go Go that claimed 15 lives. Andrew Rule outlines the crime, the...

All we owe the dead

01 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. While the late Neville Wran may be lionised as titan of Australian politics, Andrew Rule paints a very different truth - ...

Laurie's last raid was on Anzac Day

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As a 21-year-old,   Laurie Larmer found himself piloting bombers over Nazi Germany in the last days of World War 2. And despite the odds, he lived t...

A slug in the guts

17 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What starts as slimy find at a Dandenong meals manufacturer turns into a tangled web of accusations, denials and food safety. Andrew speaks with Ian C...

Inspiration and betrayal 101

10 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew is joined by Herald Sun reporters Genevieve Alison and Ashley Argoon to outline 'Class Act', their investigative podcast series into the comple...

Riley, Ace of Lies

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A high-seas crime involving a former Olympian has Andrew Rule recalling Murray Riley, another skilled athlete who found himself in the thick of sydney...

No eulogy for Mr Sin

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Abe Saffron presided over a web of crime and corruption that would stretch from Sydney's post-war black markets to the clubs of Kings Cross. But it wa...