True Crime Conversations

Mamamia

4.4 (2.8K)
TRUE CRIME

True Crime Conversations explores the stories and the people behind some of the world’s most notorious crimes.

3 DAYS AGO

53 Years Ago Robyn & Her Classmates Were Kidnapped. This Is Her Story.

On a Friday afternoon in 1972, in the small town of Faraday, Victoria, 10-year-old Robyn Howarth was playing musical chairs with her classmates when something unexpected caught her eye. She turned to the classroom door and saw two men standing there—one wearing a black mask, the other with dark sunglasses and a hat. The taller man raised an enormous gun, aiming it at Robyn, her five classmates, and their 20-year-old teacher, Mary Gibbs. As Mary desperately pleaded with them, the men ordered everyone to "get in the van... now." More than 50 years later, Robyn has written a book, Faraday: A Community Rediscovered, where she recounts, in vivid detail, the traumatic events that unfolded that day. For decades, she has kept her story to herself—until now. You can buy Robyn's book here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Robyn Howarth Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Jacob Round GET IN TOUCH Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 10m
19 MAR

The Kapunda Triple Murder & An Unsuspecting Killer

In 2010, 18-year-old Jason Downie became obsessed with Chantelle Rowe, his friend’s girlfriend, after she rejected him. On the night of November 8th, in the quiet town of Kapunda, South Australia, Jason, consumed by jealousy, brutally took the lives of Chantelle, her father Andrew, and her mother Rose in their own home. Chantelle’s older brother, Chris Rowe, was on holiday in the Gold Coast at the time. When he heard rumours of a major incident back home, he logged onto Facebook to find out more. He was reassured with the message, “All’s good,” but soon, he would learn of the devastating loss of his family. Bryan Littlely, a journalist who covered the case extensively, is one of the only reporters to have interviewed Chris, the sole survivor, years later. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Bryan Littley Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Jacob Round GET IN TOUCH Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

51 min
12 MAR

The Four-Day Exorcism Of Joan Vollmer

In the remote outback of Victoria in 1993, Ralph Vollmer believed his wife, Joan, was possessed. Ralph enlisted members of his local religious community to perform an exorcism, hoping to rid Joan of the ten demons they believed controlled her. What followed was a horrific four-day ordeal that ended in Joan’s death. Margaret Thanos is the director of Furious Mattress, a play based on Joan Vollmer’s tragic story. It raises the question: what are the ethics of turning a real-life tragedy into entertainment? You can find tickets to see Furious Mattress here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Margaret Thanos Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Jacob Round GET IN TOUCH Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

46 min
5 MAR

What It's Like To Find Out The Man You Love Is An International Con Man

Hamish McLaren is a serial fraudster. Remember the podcast Who the Hell Is Hamish? He defrauded victims of their money for more than 30 years before he finally saw the inside of a prison cell. Tracy Hall was his last victim, losing over $317,000 of her life savings to Hamish while in a relationship with him for 18 months. Hamish didn’t just financially manipulate Tracy; he emotionally destroyed her. It’s taken her years to recover from that kind of deceit. She processed it by writing a book, The Last Victim, which details her story. You can find The Last Victim here. RESOURCES What to do if you're scammed, defrauded or there is a data breach. Find information here. Find downloadable tips to avoid scams here. Find Tracy's website here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Tracy Hall Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Jacob Round GET IN TOUCH Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 9m
2 MAR · BONUS

The Moment That Could’ve Saved Gabby Petito [re-release]

In August 2021, Gabby Petito went missing while on holiday with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. The pair were six weeks into a four month trip across the United States. They'd been living out of Gabby's specially decked out van, documenting and filming every adventure so she could share it on her growing social media platforms. But when the 22-year-old suddenly stopped posting, her family began to fear the worst. Gabby's high-profile disappearance sparked an unprecedented social media movement to find her. An unstoppable onslaught of amateur sleuths and armchair detectives exposed a story no one was prepared to ignore, as the world hung on each development in the nationwide search for Gabby, her fiance, and the truth. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Sarah A*o You can watch the 60 Minutes coverage of this case here. Learn more about the Gabby Petito Foundation here. Host: Emma Gillespie Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Producer: Cassie Merritt Audio Producer: Madeline Joannou GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50 min
26 FEB

Meet The Anonymous Host Of Casefile

To some, he’s the mysterious voice behind their favourite true crime podcast (besides True Crime Conversations, of course). Others know him as ‘Casey.’ But who is Casefile's anonymous host, really? Today, we get a chance to find out a little more about him. In this exclusive chat, ‘Casey’ and Gemma talk about why he’s kept his identity a secret, how Casefile got started, the creative process behind the show, and the cases that have had the biggest impact on him. He might not tell us his real name, but we’re sharing his story. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: 'Casey', anonymous host of Casefile Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Jacob Round GET IN TOUCH Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

46 min
19 FEB

"What REALLY Happened When I Confronted Belle Gibson"

In 2015, Australian con woman Belle Gibson was living the dream. Her app The Whole Pantry was hugely popular and she was about to launch a book of the same name. With hundreds of thousands of followers online, Belle had become a celebrated wellness influencer who'd overcome terminal cancer and had cured herself with healthy eating and holistic therapies. But it was all a lie. The truth came to light when her friend, Chanelle McAuliffe, noticed gaps in Belle's story. The moment she exposed her deception is now the focus of the Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar. Today, Chanelle tells us what the show got right and wrong, the challenges she faced as a whistleblower, and how she feels about Belle and her crimes now, a decade on. Very Special Kids is a non-profit organisation that provides holistic palliative care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions. You can find a link to donate here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Chanelle McAuliffe Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Jacob Round GET IN TOUCH Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

51 min
12 FEB

Maria Korp Was Left To Die In The Boot Of Her Car

Maria Korp, a 50-year-old mother of two from Melbourne, went missing in February 2005. She was discovered four days later in the boot of her car barely alive, after being strangled and left for dead. Police first suspected her husband, Joe, but it was more complicated than that. As his mistress revealed, he was the one who provided her with the weapon telling her it was the "only way they could be together." Former detective Narelle Fraser was the one who discovered Maria’s body in the boot that day, 20 years ago. It's a case she will never forget. Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note to give us feedback or suggest a case for the podcast. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Narelle Fraser Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Jacob Round GET IN TOUCH Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify. If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

53 min

See All (329)

Australia's #1 podcast for women is where smart women come for good conversation — with an occasional side serve of chaos. Covering news, pop culture and big ideas, plus the small stuff that matters, Mamamia Out Loud is hosted by journalists and authors Mia Freedman, Jessie Stephens and Holly Wainwright. It's your daily dose of conversation that's like catching up with your best, funniest and sharpest friends in the group chat, offering conversation at its most addictive.

4.3 (8090)

SOCIETY & CULTURE
Riveting stories. Fascinating lives. Australia’s #1 interview podcast, with Kate Langbroek.

4.4 (6952)

SOCIETY & CULTURE
Butter, the erotic series where female pleasure comes first.

3.0 (55)

SEXUALITY
A 10-episode series bringing together the best experts in perimenopause all in one place, direct to you - no wait times or cost. We’re covering all the topics, from debunking the myths around HRT, to explaining why sex is suddenly so painful, and validating those mood swings. We're arming you with knowledge and information about perimenopause so you can have the right conversations with your GP.

5.0 (4)

HEALTH & FITNESS
Foreign Policy editor Amelia Lester reassures her Australian friend Mia Freedman that despite a bankrupt, washed up reality star with a criminal record leading the free world things might be... fine.

4.7 (738)

NEWS

View Subscription FAQs

4.4

out of 5

2,788 Ratings

Important relevant research

14 Mar

Mary Akroyd

Would love to see/hear a review by this presenter of book: “Men Who Hate Women” by Laura Bates &/or an interview by author
John Vollmer

5 days ago

cateetaylor

This episode would have benefitted from some properly informed legal commentary in addition to the views of the person producing the play.
Tracy Hall

10 Mar

Noey78

I really enjoyed this episode. What a remarkable woman Tracy is. I wish all the best going forward for you.
Casey

26 Feb

smiley7702

You can easily find out who Casey is by an ASIC company search for about $50 smh