Motive & Method
Episodes
Bonus: John Twaddle [Extended Interview]
02 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
John Twaddle thought he knew who murdered his brother Gordon, but the person he had suspected has been ruled out by police on multiple occasions. ...
Outback Murder Highway: Triple Murder At Spear Creek
29 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In October 1978 three bodies are found at Spear Creek in remote outback Queensland - each has a single rifle shot to the head. Decades later a prime s...
Bonus: David Cunningham [Extended Interview]
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For over fifty years, David Cunningham has been searching for the truth about his sister Anita, who vanished while hitchhiking Queensland’s noto...
Outback Murder Highway: The Sensible Creek Killings
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Two 18-year-old girls disappeared on the Flinders Highway in 1972. One was found murdered, the other has never been found. In this first episode of ou...
Outback Murder Highway - Coming Soon...
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
One Australian highway - 11 people missing or murdered. In this special series, criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro and forensic criminologist, Dr ...
TED BUNDY BONUS EPISODE: DNA Breakthrough In Serial Killer Case
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Breaking news on notorious serial killer Ted Bundy decades after his execution - A DNA breakthrough has linked Ted Bundy to another cold case mu...
Catching Peter Foster & Finding A Missing Baby: Ken Gamble (Part 2)
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A dramatic arrest on a Queensland beach and a years-long search for a missing baby - it’s not all cybercrime for private investigator Ken Gamble...
Hunting Scammers & Chasing Con Artists: Ken Gamble (Part 1)
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
He’s helped bring down international fraud rings, recover millions for victims and hunt some of the world’s most notorious con artists - i...
REPLAY - DEZI FREEMAN: The Porepunkah Police Shootings
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
REPLAY: This episode was originally released in September, 2025 as the hunt was continuing for self-described sovereign citizen, Dezi Freeman who was ...
A Not So Perfect Murder: The Kouri Richins Case
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Her husband died. She wrote a book about grief. Then she was charged with his murder.The Kouri Richins’ case is one of the most talked about rec...
He Got Away With Murder - Where Is 'Mr Cruel' Now?
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
He was one of Australia's most feared predators - and he was never caught. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe revisit the terrifying crimes of Mr Cruel...
Cult On Trial: Who Are The Zizians?
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Six deaths, multiple states and a high-IQ cult at the centre of it all. In this episode Xanthe and Tim unravel the bizarre and deeply unsettling case ...
The Killer Babysitter: Living Free & Babysitting Again
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
She killed three babies and tried to murder two others. How is Australia's worst female serial killer now living in anonymity within close proximity t...
Lucy Letby: Is History Repeating?
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is this another case of wrongful conviction like Kathleen Folbigg?In this episode, we revisit the case of Lucy Letby, as fresh legal developments...
What Happened To Gus Lamont?
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont has become one of the most troubling and fast-moving investigations in the country. The case that began ...
Julian Ingram: Wanted For Murder
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At the time this episode is released, Julian Ingram is one of the most wanted men in Australia. A major manhunt was launched in regional NSW afte...
Sydney’s Baby Farming Murders
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When the remains of an infant were uncovered in a Sydney backyard, it was just the start of a dark and twisted scandal that shocked colonial Australia...
The Most Isolated Prisoner In The World
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Maudsley has spent more than 40 years in near solitary confinement, caged in a bespoke glass cell. Also branded ‘Britain’s Most Dan...
Taken In The Night: The Eloise Worledge Mystery
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fifty years after eight-year-old Eloise Worledge vanished from her bedroom, the case is back in the spotlight with a $1 million reward announced for a...
Files Unsealed: The Last Woman Executed in Australia
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In 1951, Jean Lee was the last woman executed in Australia. 75 years after her execution, the case has been thrust back into the spotlight with the re...
Cold Cases Cracked Open In 2025
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As we step into the new year, this episode turns the spotlight to some of the meaningful progress made in major Australian cold cases in 2025. After d...
Year in Crime: Cases That Defined 2025
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special end-of-year episode, Xanthe and Tim look back on Australia’s biggest and most unsettling cases of 2025. From the trial tha...
REPLAY: 2025 Fan Favourite - Inside Snowtown with Gordon Drage
28 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Catch up on one of our most-listened episodes in 2025. Forensic investigator Gordon Drage lifted the lid on Australia’s most horrific serial kil...
HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Bizarre, Brazen & Baffling Cases of 2025
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special holiday episode, Tim & Xanthe step away from the dark and disturbing and turn to some of the more unusual crime stories of the yea...
REPLAY: Xanthe's 2025 Top Episode - The Horrors of Human Trafficking Networks
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a new listener or haven't heard this episode, this is Xanthe's 2025 "must listen" episode from February. While many think human traffic...
Terror At Bondi: Stories from 2GB & 9News
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On December 14, 2025, Bondi Beach became the site of the deadliest terror attack on Australian soil - 15 innocent people killed when two gunmen opened...
BONDI TERROR ATTACK: A Forensic Perspective with Dr Nathan Brooks
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of the deadly Bondi terror attack, Tim and Xanthe are joined by Forensic Psychologist Dr Nathan Brooks - a leading expert in ‘lone a...
Toyah Cordingley & The International Manhunt To Catch Her Killer
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A young woman murdered, a suspect who vanished overseas and a seven-year pursuit of justice that spanned continents. This episode revisits the killing...
A Poisonous Legacy: One Family, Two Killers
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1920 Alexander Newland Lee murdered his wife and three of his children. His method? Poison. It would later be uncovered he was the nephew of infamo...
Murderous Medics: When Caretakers Become Killers
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Around the world disturbing cases have emerged from behind the walls of hospitals and aged care homes of nurses and healthcare workers using their car...
Diagnosis On Trial: Are Innocent Parents Being Jailed?
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have innocent mums and dads been jailed for a crime they never committed? That’s the question at the crux of a major new investigation into Shak...
The Toolbox Murders
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was a crime so merciless it shook even the most seasoned detectives and it all started with one photo. In January 2016, Cory Breton and Iuliana Tri...
A Perth Serial Killer & The Innocent Men Jailed For His Crimes
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It took one determined journalist to uncover the shocking truth behind this Australian serial killer. In the 1960s, Perth was gripped by fear as a str...
Ed Gein: The Making Of A Monster
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world's attention has been gripped by the story of Ed Gein thanks to a confronting and disturbing new Netflix series. When police entered hi...
'The Giggling Granny' Serial Killer
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nanny Doss looked like a sweet and kind grandmother - but behind her smile hid a serial killer. For nearly three decades, Nannie Doss left a trail of ...
Career Criminal & Master Conman: The Extraordinary Life Of Carl Synnerdahl
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From child thief to infamous bank robber to master conman, Carl Synnerdahl’s life became a Hollywood script. Carl's story is one of deception, c...
Manipulated Into Murder: The Woodchipper Killers
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It looked like a tragic accident until detectives unravelled the truth of a gruesome plot - a murder by woodchipper. Three arrests were made, but the ...
The Hoddle Street Massacre: Inside The Mind Of Julian Knight
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1987, Tim Watson-Munro was called in to assess one of Australia’s most notorious mass murderers - Julian Knight. He’d just opened fire ...
The Highschool Catfish
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, Tim and Xanthe dive into the world of 'catfishing' and explore a truly shocking catfish saga in the United States that’s been unra...
Mushroom Murders: A Life Sentence for Erin Patterson
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A stunning conclusion of one of Australia’s most notorious trials - Erin Patterson has been sentenced to 33 years non-parole. The sentenci...
The Rise of Lone Actors with Dr Nathan Brooks
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What drives lone actors to carry out mass casualty attacks? And could understanding them be the key to preventing the next tragedy? This week, Fo...
The Porepunkah Police Shootings
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the day this episode is released, the hunt is continuing for self-described sovereign citizen, Dezi Freeman, wanted over the shooting deaths of two...
AI Clones: The Future of ‘Artificial’ Evidence
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Just months after a world-first AI clone gave a victim impact statement in court, another victim of crime has been re-created to answer questions from...
The University of Idaho Murders
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When four young university students were found brutally stabbed to death in Idaho, with no clear motive and scarce leads, the case became one of the m...
Mushroom Trial Update: Erin Patterson’s Police Interview
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Lies, deception and an extreme lack of remorse”. In this special bonus episode, Xanthe and Tim dissect Erin Patterson’s newly relea...
Ashlea Hansen: Cracking Open A Cold Case Murder
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 2001 murder case of Rachelle Childs has been cracked back open in the new investigative podcast ‘ Dear Rachelle’. Host and journalist ...
Kerry Tucker: Finding Purpose in Prison
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From forging cheques to finding purpose, this week’s guest shares her incredible story of redemption. In this episode, Tim and Xanthe sit down w...
Inside Snowtown: The Cop Who Found The Bodies in the Barrels
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He’s the cop who lifted the lid on Australia’s most horrific serial killings. In this episode, retired forensic investigator, Gordon Drage...
Love Behind Bars: Pen Pals to Prison Romance
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They say you can't help who you fall for... So is it truly possible to fall head over heels in love with a criminal? From the infamous courtroom "grou...
Life Undercover with Keith Banks
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the most dangerous criminal you ever hunted was… you? In this episode, Tim and Xanthe pull back the curtain on the astonishing double l...
BONUS EPISODE: Mushroom Murder Motive with Gary Jubelin
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, the host of I Catch Killers, Gary Jubelin and Dr. Xanthe Mallett unpack the trial which has kept everyone talking. From t...
GUILTY: Unpacking The Erin Patterson Verdict
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
She's been dubbed the 'Mushroom Cook' by many, but now, Erin Patterson is a convicted triple murderer. The 50-year-old has been found guilty by the ju...
Kids Who Kill
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia’s youngest convicted murderer was just 13 years old. In this chilling episode, Xanthe and Tim delve into the disturbing reality of chi...
Cassie Sainsbury: Groomed or Guilty?
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Xanthe and Tim unpack the twisted tale of Cassie Sainsbury aka “Cocaine Cassie” and her claims of coercion and grooming by organised crime...
Dr. Nathan Brooks: Inside the Mind of a Stalker
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tim and Xanthe are joined by forensic psychologist Dr. Nathan Brooks to delve into the psychology of stalking - a crime fueled by obsession, control, ...
Female Serial Killers: From Poisoners to Predators
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
They’re rare, often overlooked, and shrouded in myth - but female serial killers are as deadly as they are complex. In this episode, Xanthe and ...
Shooting Victim Confronts His Killer: An Artificial Intelligence World First
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world first, Stacey Wales used AI to bring her brother back to life so he could face his killer and deliver his own victim impact statement from ...
His Brother Vanished 50 Years Ago - Can The Case Be Solved Now?
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this gripping and emotional episode, we sit down with Daryl Floyd, whose brother Terry went missing 50 years ago. His relentless search for the tru...
Who is ‘The Playboy Swindler’? Inside the Psyche of a Serial Scammer
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Motive and Method, we dissect the mind of David Prince-Popovich, aka ‘The Playboy Swindler’. From bogus bank transfers to pri...
SPECIAL GUEST: Why Innocent People Confess
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why would someone admit to a crime they didn’t commit? In this gripping episode, Xanthe and Tim are joined, from the US, by renowned false confe...
Is Lucy Letby Innocent?
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tim and Xanthe are join by Professor Neena Modi, who was part of the international panel who looked at the case of Lucy Letby, to discuss the trial, t...
The Dark Side of Public Registers: Protection or Peril?
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Does naming and shaming really make our kids safer, or does it just open the door to misinformation and vigilante justice? This federal election could...
Bondi Junction stabbings one year on with Greg Barton
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Distinguished academic, Professor Greg Barton, joins the podcast to reflect on the Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing rampage one year on.See omnystudi...
Do Citizen Sleuths Help or Hinder Investigations?
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Xanthe and Tim discuss the rise of citizen sleuths and their impact on investigations, and look at specific case studies such as Gabby Petito, Ivan Mi...
Adolescence and the Manosphere
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Xanthe and Tim discuss Netflix drama Adolescence and how it's turned the world's attention to the growing influence of the manosphere and the influenc...
SPECIAL: Tony Mokbel FREED after a 'Seismic Moment in Legal History'
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tim and Xanthe are joined by criminal barrister Ruth Parker to discuss the fallout and ramifications after underworld figure Tony Mokbel was set free ...
A cult convicted of killing an 8-year-old girl
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Xanthe and Tim unpack the shocking death of an eight-year-old girl in rural Queensland, after she was denied life-saving medication by her parents and...
Should juries have to explain their verdicts?
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Xanthe and Tim examine the jury secrecy principle with barrister and academic Jason Donnelly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...
Will Victoria's 'toughest ever' bail laws reduce reoffending?
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Xanthe and Tim discuss bail and its role in the criminal justice system, and if Victoria's sweeping reforms will help to reduce crime rates, and the r...
Simon Feldman: The Man Who Embezzled $16.7 Million
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Feldman was a successful company co-founder at the height of his career… But the higher you fly, the further you can fall. Simon hi...
Can people really commit crime whilst asleep?
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when we sleep? Parasomnia is a sleep disorder that causes people to do strange or even dangerous things while they're asleep. In so...
How Belle Gibson conned the world
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
She built an empire on hope—a wellness guru with a miraculous story of healing. Belle Gibson claimed she had cured her terminal brain cancer thr...
Remembering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies... One Year On
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On February 18 2024, Sydney was shaken by the disappearance and tragic deaths of television presenter Jesse Baird, 26, and his partner, Qantas flight ...
The Unbelievable Horrors of Human Trafficking Networks
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Human trafficking is a hidden crime that strips millions of their freedom every year. While many think it’s a distant issue, it’s happenin...
Where Is Samantha Murphy's Body?
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's been one year since the disappearance of 51-year-old Australian woman, Samantha Murphy. Samantha left her home in Ballarat, Victoria, for a morni...
How Forensic Genetic Genealogy Is Solving Serial Crime...
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix's latest short series, 'The Breakthrough', has captured the attention of true crime fans across the globe for it's fictional account of the in...
Hate Crimes & The Rise of Anti-Semitic Incidents
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia has experienced a significant increase in anti-Semitic incidents, with reported cases quadrupling since October 7, 2023. Known more br...
Unpacking the Menendez case with Laura Richards
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Later this month, infamous brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez will have a sentencing hearing, where a judge will determine their fate and freedom. ...
Ask The Expert | 2024
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What's the most bizarre case you've ever worked on? Do lie detectors REALLY work? Do you ever suffer from Imposter Syndrome? In this...
Watch out for crime at Christmas time...
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's the most wonderful time of the year... But also rife for crime. In this episode of Motive & Method, Tim and Xanthe detail the crimes which ...
"He could attack at any time"... The woman who was stalked
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In April 2024, the Netflix miniseries 'Baby Reindeer' captured the attention of millions across the world, following the story of a relentless stalker...
Tracy Hall... The woman who dated an international con artist
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy Hall thought she’d fallen head over heels with the love of her life… But instead, she’d fallen for an elaborate scam which would cost her ...
Investigative journalist Neil Mercer on Crime and Corruption
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a cop crosses the line and partners with a kingpin? Renowned investigative journalist Neil Mercer joins Tim and Xanthe to unpack the...
Former Deputy Police Commissioner Mick Willing
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"At 5pm I was Deputy Police Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force, at 5:30pm, I was unemployed" Mick Willing is one of our most decorated a...
Is There a Serial Killer Loose on the NSW North Coast?
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The worst serial killer in Australia’s history may be on the loose in the region from Newcastle to Byron Bay, where 67 murders and disappearances of...
The Menendez Brothers | Halloween
29 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast Xanthe and Tim give us their thoughts on the Netflix show Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which has recentl...
A Tale Of Whistleblowers and Rotten Apples
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The podcast series 'Rotten Apple' is available now wherever you listen to your podcasts. In this episode of Motive & Method we talk to the award w...
Poisoning Cases
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recently there have been some very high-profile cases of alleged poisoning, some of which we have already dissected on this podcast. This week we are ...
Women as Offenders
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week the country was shocked by allegations that Nirmeen Noufl (53) killed and dismembered her husband, Mamdouh Noufl (62), who has not been sinc...
Easey Street | Advances in DNA Analysis
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we have a very special guest, Jae Gerhard, who we will be talking to about all things forensic DNA. Jae is an expert with over 20 year...
Ashley Griffiths | Monster Hiding in Plain Sight
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Childcare predator, Ashley Griffiths, plead guilty to 307 charges recently. He was active across multiple childcare facilities, with charges against...
The Harrowing Story of Gisèle Pélicot
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve talked a lot about violence against women, in various forms, much of it domestic. Largely this has focussed on Australian cases, highlightin...
Who kills?
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Missing Campers Trial, Penny and Erin are joined once again by leading criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett, and forensic psychologi...
The Trauma of Unsolved Child Abduction and Murder Cases
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we will talk about the psychological impacts on families in unsolved child abduction and murder cases. This discussion is timely, as Septe...
An Analysis of Gregory Lynn
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Missing Campers Trial, Penny and Erin are joined by leading criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett, and forensic psychologist Tim Wats...
The Brutal and Inexplicable Murder of Charlise Mutten
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On the 26 August 2024, Justin Stein was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the brutal and callous murder of 9-year-old Charlise M...
Women as Sexual Predators
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we will be talking about female sexual predators, in the wake of two women school teachers being accused of sexual assaulting boys in their ...
Henry Keogh | The Murder That Never Was
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1994 Henry Keogh was found guilty of the murder of his fiancée, Anna-Jane Cheney, and was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Henry’s conviction wa...
From Bali to Brazil | The Life of a Crime Reporter with Ashlea Hansen
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ashlea Hansen is a familiar face to everyone interested in true crime, as she has spent over 15 years reporting on some of Australia’s biggest cases...
Melissa Downes and Jess Lodge | The Ultimate Sacrifice
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train shot and killed two police officers and their neighbour at their remote property at Wieambilla in December 202...