Vanished West

Vanished West Podcast

Vanished West is a true-crime podcast shining a light on Western Australia’s missing. Told with care and respect, each episode explores not only the mystery of disappearance but also the cracks in our systems - from mental health to policing - that allow people to slip away. This is not sensational true crime, but memory, accountability, and the search for answers.

  1. 18 MAR ·  BONUS

    Instinct. Proof. Blame.: Justice, Sentencing and the Burden of Proof

    In this special milestone episode of Vanished West, we step away from a single case to examine something that sits beneath many true crime stories — the gap between what we feel happened, and what the law can actually prove. Why do people often blame police when a case goes cold?What does “beyond reasonable doubt” really mean in the Australian justice system?Why can serious crimes sometimes result in sentences that feel too short? Drawing on the kinds of cases often discussed in Western Australian true crime — from missing persons investigations to domestic homicide and long-running cold cases — this episode explores how instinct, evidence, and public perception collide inside the justice system. Through psychological insight and personal reflection, Reba examines: • The difference between instinct and admissible evidence• How burden of proof shapes criminal investigations and prosecutions• Why detectives can suspect someone but still be unable to charge them• How sentencing works under Australian criminal law• Why public anger often falls on police when the system is far more complex• The psychology behind violence, entitlement, and escalation Blending criminal psychology with a closer look at how the legal system works in Australia, this episode reflects on justice, grief, accountability, and the uncomfortable space between knowing and proving. If you’re interested in true crime in Australia, the Western Australian justice system, criminal investigations, sentencing laws, and the psychology of violence, this episode offers a deeper look at the realities behind the headlines. Until next time, stay kind, stay curious, and never forget those who vanished from the West. Topics discussed: Australian criminal law, Western Australia true crime, burden of proof, sentencing laws, criminal psychology, police investigations, domestic homicide, missing persons cases.

    28 min

  2. 11 MAR

    Guido Michel: Beneath the Jarrah Trees

    In January 2022, 54-year-old Fremantle electrician Guido Michel drove into State Forest near Christmas Tree Well in Western Australia — and never returned. What began as a personal retreat into the WA bush soon became a missing person investigation that raised difficult questions about isolation, survival in remote environments, and the quiet struggles many people carry beneath the surface. Phone data placed Guido Michel near Christmas Tree Well days after he left home. After that, the trail goes cold. His vehicle has never been located, and extensive searches of the surrounding jarrah forest in Western Australia have failed to uncover what happened. A coroner’s inquest would later examine the timeline of Guido Michel’s disappearance, the environmental risks of the State Forest, and the personal circumstances that may have led him there. Yet even after the investigation, many questions remain unanswered. In this episode of Vanished West, we explore the disappearance of Guido Michel, the landscape he entered beneath the towering jarrah trees of Western Australia, and the broader conversation around men’s mental health, inward struggle, and how distress is often hidden in plain sight. If you have information relating to the disappearance of Guido Michel in Western Australia, please contact WA Police.

    42 min

  3. 4 MAR

    Cheryl Renwick: Long-Term Parking

    In May 1986, 33-year-old Cheryl Renwick vanished from Como, Western Australia. Days later, her car was found parked at Perth Airport — but there was no record of her boarding a flight. Nearly four decades on, Cheryl remains missing. Was she the victim of foul play? Could her disappearance be linked to the Birnie murders, domestic proximity, or other unsolved crimes in Perth’s history? And why was her vehicle left in long-term parking? In this episode of Vanished West, we examine the timeline, the investigation, the public speculation, and the unanswered questions that still haunt Cheryl’s family. If you have information about Cheryl Renwick’s disappearance, contact Crime Stoppers WA. Follow Vanished West for long-form true crime stories focused on Western Australia’s missing persons and unresolved cases.

    23 min

  4. 25 FEB

    Wayne Dennis George Drewett: Diamonds That Never Existed

    A diamond deal.Hundreds of thousands of dollars.A man who vanished without a trace. In April 2003, Wayne Dennis George Drewett disappeared in Perth, Western Australia. What remains is a coronial finding — and a silence that has never been resolved.

    15 min

  5. 18 FEB

    Jorn Jesper Jensen: The Blood That Didn't Follow

    In June 2017, Jorn Jesper Jensen vanished from his Ocean Reef home. He left behind blood on the floor. A broken internal door. And days later, his car was found more than an hour away in Lancelin — parked neatly, keys still in the ignition. No body has ever been found. An inquest determined Jesper is deceased, but how he died remains officially unascertained. Within his own family, two very different narratives endure. This episode walks carefully through what is known, what is alleged, and what still refuses to settle. Because sometimes, it isn’t the blood you see that matters — it’s the blood that didn’t follow.

    47 min

  6. 11 FEB

    Ah Bee 'Pauline' Mack: Beneath Fairfield Street

    Beneath Fairfield Street is a resolved missing person case. For years, Pauline was missing without alarm — her absence explained away, her silence mistaken for choice. This episode examines how she vanished quietly from a Mount Hawthorn home, why it took so long for questions to surface, and how the truth was ultimately uncovered years later. This is a story about a missing person whose case was solved — and what it reveals about silence, delay, and why answers sometimes come far too late.

    34 min

  7. 4 FEB

    James Patrick Taylor: The Kimberley, 1974

    In August 1974, twelve-year-old James Patrick Taylor disappeared from the Kimberley town of Derby after being sent on a simple errand. He never came home. This episode examines how a known predator was able to operate freely, how police failures shaped the response to a missing child, and why it is very likely Jimmy was taken by someone who should have been stopped. Follow Vanished West to stay with these stories.

    27 min

  8. 28 JAN

    Kate Campbell Haythornwaite: The Walk That Never Ended

    In January 1968, Kate Campbell Haythornthwaite began a familiar walk home in Boulder, Western Australia — and never arrived. Independent and routine-driven, Kate did not leave by choice. Decades later, a coroner would conclude she died that night, and that her body was concealed.

    42 min
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About

Vanished West is a true-crime podcast shining a light on Western Australia’s missing. Told with care and respect, each episode explores not only the mystery of disappearance but also the cracks in our systems - from mental health to policing - that allow people to slip away. This is not sensational true crime, but memory, accountability, and the search for answers.

Information

  • Creator
    Vanished West Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Vanished West Podcast
  • Show Website
    Vanished West

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