True Crime Conversations

Mamamia

3.5 (2)
TRUE CRIME

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

5 DAYS AGO

Will The Menendez Brothers Be Released From Prison?

It’s August 1989, and a 911 call comes through from a Beverly Hills mansion on Elm Drive just before midnight. The call is from a hysterical Lyle Menendez, and you can hear his brother Erik crying in the background. The brother's parents, Jose and Kitty, are dead, shot a combined 16 times at close range while in their TV room. The crime scene is horrific. At first, police suspect a Mafia or mob hit. But seven months later, it’s the brothers who are arrested for murder in a case that catapults them into worldwide infamy. Even 35 years later, we’re still discussing the Menendez brothers, asking why they killed their parents. Robert Rand is an award-winning journalist who has been covering the Menendez brother's case since the day after the murders on August 21, 1989. He has a personal relationship with the brothers, speaking with them regularly. He helps us tell this story. You can read his book The Menendez Murders here. You can watch The Menendez Brothers documentary on Netflix here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here. CREDITS Guest: Robert Rand Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Thom Lion GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. 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.

56 min
25 OCT

Bonus: The Spill: The Best True Crime Documentaries Of All Time

True crime documentaries have always been a cornerstone of the pop culture world and with recent releases such as The Menendez Brothers documentary dropping on Netflix our appetite for these stories is at an all-time high.So, we’ve brought in an expert whose job is hooked on watching every true crime documentary ever released and we’ve rounded up the best offerings out there, with true stories that will literally make your jaw drop.And we haven’t forgotten about Weekend Watch! Today we have a new blockbuster with a sexy leading man to recommend to you, along with a new thriller you’ll want to binge this weekend.THE END BITSFind The Spill podcast on Instagram here. Listen to more episodes of The Spill here. Listen to The Spill episode: Liam Payne’s Life, Death And Complicated Legacy, here.The Spill episode: The Comfort TV Shows You Need To Watch Immediately, listen here.The Spill episode: A Brutally Honest Review of Nobody Wants This, listen here.The Spill episode: A Brutally Honest Review of The Perfect Couple., listen here. Listen to The Spill episode: A Brutally Honest Review Of Emily In Paris Season Four, here.Subscribe to Mamamia GET IN TOUCH:Do you have feedback or a topic you want us to discuss on The Spill? Send us a voice message, or send us an email thespill@mamamia.com.au and we'll come back to you ASAP! WANT MORE?Subscribe to The Spill Newsletter by clicking here.Read all the latest entertainment news on Mamamia... here. CREDITS Hosts: Laura Brodnik & Em VernemExecutive Producer: Kimberley Braddish Audio Producer: Scott Stronach 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.

30 min
23 OCT

The Many Faces of Samantha Azzopardi: The Con Artist Who Just Won't Stop

It's October 2013, and two police officers in Dublin spot a distressed young girl outside the General Post Office. She’s crying and unable to speak, using her fingers to show she’s 14 years old. They take her to a nearby children’s hospital while trying to figure out who she is. Local media starts speculating about possible sex trafficking as interest in her case grows. As a month goes by, police decide to release her photo to the public and are quickly flooded with calls from Australia. It turns out this isn’t a vulnerable 14-year-old girl in distress; the woman in the Dublin hospital bed is actually 25-year-old Samantha Azzopardi, a serial con artist. And as the years go by, this wouldn’t be the first alias she’s used to trick her victims. Paula Bycroft from CJZ Productions is the Executive Producer of the Australian documentary series Con Girl, which details the life and crimes of Samantha Azzopardi. She helps us to tell this story. You can watch Con Girl here. There’s also a Con Girl podcast series you can listen to here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Listen to the episode of No Filter about Samantha Azzopardi here. Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here. CREDITS Guest: Paula Bycroft Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Thom Lion GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. 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.

41 min
16 OCT

Judy Malinowski Testified At Her Own Murder Trial

At around 5pm on a hot August afternoon in 2015, a 911 call comes in about a fire at a service station in Columbus, Ohio. A man has poured two jerry cans of fuel over his partner, 31-year-old Judy Malinowski, and is watching as flames engulf her. Judy is rushed to the hospital with 90 per cent of her body burned. Doctors warn her family that her chances of survival are slim, but against all odds, Judy survives. She endures severe ongoing pain and dozens of surgeries in the years that follow, dying two years after being set on fire. After she dies, she becomes the first person in history to testify at her own murder trial. Director Patricia Gillespie seeks to honour Judy’s remarkable strength and raise awareness about domestic violence in her documentary, The Fire That Took Her. You can watch it here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here. And if this episode has brought up anything for you or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). CREDITS Guest: Patricia Gillespie Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. 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.

45 min
9 OCT

Has The Long Island Serial Killer Finally Been Caught?

In the early hours of May 1, 2010, Shannan Gilbert called 911 from a Long Island house after working as an escort with a client she met on Craigslist. After seeking help from neighbours, she disappeared from the street before the police arrived.Months later, extensive searches turned up no trace of the 23-year-old, but authorities discovered the bodies of four other young women, later known as “The Gilgo Four,” all escorts who found clients online.Rex Heurmann has been charged with their murders, along with two others.There are four more bodies found nearby, that detectives are still investigating. Shannan was also eventually found, but is her death linked?True crime producer and investigative journalist Alexis Linkletter has extensively covered the case. You can listen to her podcast, Unravelled, here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here. CREDITS Guest: Alexis Linkletter Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. 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
2 OCT

The Melbourne Mother Executed By Mistake

On an ordinary Melbourne afternoon in 1997, suburban mum of three Jane Thurgood-Dove pulled into her driveway with her kids in the back seat. As Jane got out of her car, a stolen Commodore pulled in behind her. A man with a gun chased her around the car and then shot Jane as her kids looked on in horror. For years, police were convinced she was killed by a man with an obsession, but they were wrong. This murder of a young Melbourne mother is believed to be a devastating case of mistaken identity. Australia’s longest-serving crime reporter, John Silvester, speaks with us today. You can find John’s book Dark City here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here. CREDITS Guest: John Silvester Host: Gemma Bath Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. 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
25 SEPT

A Babysitter’s Deadly Obsession With The Girl Across The Road

When Rachel Barber failed to return home from dance practice one evening in 1999, her family reported her missing and launched a desperate search. They plastered Melbourne with over 2,000 posters, hoping for any news of her whereabouts. After days of searching, their hopes shattered on day 12 when they learned Rachel had been murdered. Her killer was a 19-year-old former babysitter and family friend who had been consumed by jealousy and obsession with Rachel, stalking her for years. Criminal court reporter Megan Norris co-wrote a book with Rachel’s mother, Elizabeth, titled Perfect Victim, detailing the families tragic loss and the details of the case. You can find Megan’s book with Elizabeth Southall Perfect Victim here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here. CREDITS Guest: Megan Norris Host: Gemma Bath Producers: Tahli Blackman & Christel Cornilsen Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. 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
18 SEPT

Cold Cases & Serial Killers: Inside The World Of A Famous Homicide Prosecutor

From solving cold-cases to putting multiple serial-killers behind bars, Matt Murphy is one of America’s top homicide prosecutors. Many of his cases are known as some of America’s biggest crimes that have made headlines worldwide, including the Dirty John case that became a global media phenomenon. In this episode, we dive deep into the cold-case of Cathy Torrez that Matt successfully prosecuted, as well as what makes a serial killer different from a “one-off” murderer, and the dangers of online dating for women. After never losing a homicide case and spending 17 years assigned to the Homicide Unit of Orange County, California, Matt has released his first book: THE BOOK OF MURDER: A Prosecutor’s Journey Through Love and Death, available here. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here. And if this episode has brought up anything for you or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). CREDITS Guest: Matt Murphy Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producers: Liv Proud & Christel Cornilsen Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. 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.

39 min

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