Sodeman: The Schoolgirl Strangler

chewlikebuggery productions

In the quiet farming town of Leongatha, a modern-day murder mystery gripped the world—the shocking case of Erin Patterson, convicted of poisoning three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal. But long before this tragedy, another sinister figure lurked in the shadows of the same small Victorian farming community. Join journalist Matt Dunn, along with true-crime author Katherine Kovacic and former detective Narelle Fraser, as they unravel the chilling tale of Arnold Sodeman, a serial killer whose reign of terror in the 1930s left an indelible mark on history. Through gripping storytelling and expert insights, this podcast uncovers the dark past of Leongatha and explores what drives people to commit unspeakable crimes. Listen in as we peel back the layers of deception, horror, and intrigue—because some stories refuse to be buried.

Season 1

  1. MENA (Episode 1)

    EPISODE 1

    MENA (Episode 1)

    The case of Leongatha's Erin Patterson, who was recently convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal, captured headlines around the world. But did you know an even more prodigious killer lived in the same small Victorian farming community in the 1930s? Join Leongatha journalist Matt Dunn, alongside author Katherine Kovacic and former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser, as they uncover the chilling story of Arnold Sodeman—a serial killer who terrorised Victoria in the 1930s. In this episode, we revisit the brutal murder of 12-year-old Mena Griffiths, abducted from Melbourne's Fawkner Park in November 1930 by a stranger who lured her with a simple request. One day later, her body was found in an abandoned house in Ormond—no signs of struggle, only unanswered questions. While pressure mounts on police to make a quick arrest - with a man who was 500 km from the murder scene, arrested and charged - the real killer strikes again. For five years, police remained unaware that they were dealing with a serial killer, as Sodeman's ritualistic murders continued. Explore the overlooked details, the investigative missteps, and the terrifying escalation of Sodeman's crimes. How did one of Victoria's worst killers evade justice for so long? Tune in as we piece together the dark legacy of a murderer who walked unnoticed among the community—until the truth finally caught up. For more information and insights on the show and the life and crimes of Arnold Sodeman, check out arnsodpod.com  Ready to make your own podcast?  Choose the platform that puts creators first. As podcasting's most trusted independent platform, Libsyn is built to empower your voice, not control it. They succeed when you succeed. Share your story on your own terms. Join the platform where creators succeed. Get your first month free with my code: SODEMAN Head here: https://signup.libsyn.com/

    46 min
  2. THE WRONG MAN (Episode 2)

    EPISODE 2

    THE WRONG MAN (Episode 2)

    The case of Leongatha's Erin Patterson, who was recently convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal, captured headlines around the world. But did you know an even more prodigious killer lived in the same small Victorian farming community in the 1930s? Join Leongatha journalist Matt Dunn, alongside author Katherine Kovacic and former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser, as they uncover the chilling story of Arnold Sodeman—a serial killer who terrorised Victoria in the 1930s. In this episode we look at the wrongful arrest of Robert James McMahon for the murder of Mena Griffiths. In the spring of 1930, Melbourne was gripped by fear when the 12-year-old was found murdered in a vacant house in Ormond. Under pressure, police arrested McMahon, a recently released prisoner, and charged him with the crime. The evidence was thin, but the headlines were loud. McMahon was held in custody, awaiting trial for a murder he didn't commit. But while McMahon sat behind bars, the real killer was still free—and he struck again. Explore the overlooked details, the investigative missteps, and the terrifying escalation of Sodeman's crimes. How did one of Victoria's worst killers evade justice for so long? Tune in as we piece together the dark legacy of a murderer who walked unnoticed among the community—until the truth finally caught up. For more information and insights on the show and the life and crimes of Arnold Sodeman, check out arnsodpod.com Ready to make your own podcast?  Choose the platform that puts creators first. As podcasting's most trusted independent platform, Libsyn is built to empower your voice, not control it. They succeed when you succeed. Share your story on your own terms. Join the platform where creators succeed. Get your first month free with my code: SODEMAN Head here: https://signup.libsyn.com/

    32 min
  3. HAZEL (Episode 3)

    EPISODE 3

    HAZEL (Episode 3)

    The case of Leongatha's Erin Patterson, who was recently convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal, captured headlines around the world. But did you know an even more prodigious killer lived in the same small Victorian farming community in the 1930s? Join Leongatha journalist Matt Dunn, alongside author Katherine Kovacic and former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser, as they uncover the chilling story of Arnold Sodeman—a serial killer who terrorised Victoria in the 1930s. In this episode we look into the murder of sixteen-year-old Hazel Wilson, who was found murdered near her Ormond home in January 1931—strangled with her own stocking, her belongings scattered, her body bound with her clothes. It was a deeply disturbing crime that echoed an earlier killing: that of twelve-year-old Mena Griffiths just months prior. Not that police put the clues together. As far as they were concerned, Hazel's father was the culprit and Mena's murderer was safely locked away. Explore the overlooked details, the investigative missteps, and the terrifying escalation of Sodeman's crimes. How did one of Victoria's worst killers evade justice for so long? Tune in as we piece together the dark legacy of a murderer who walked unnoticed among the community—until the truth finally caught up. For more information and insights on the show and the life and crimes of Arnold Sodeman, check out arnsodpod.com Ready to make your own podcast?  Choose the platform that puts creators first. As podcasting's most trusted independent platform, Libsyn is built to empower your voice, not control it. They succeed when you succeed. Share your story on your own terms. Join the platform where creators succeed. Get your first month free with my code: SODEMAN Head here: https://signup.libsyn.com/

    44 min
  4. ETHEL (Episode 4)

    EPISODE 4

    ETHEL (Episode 4)

    The case of Leongatha's Erin Patterson, who was recently convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal, captured headlines around the world. But did you know an even more prodigious killer lived in the same small Victorian farming community in the 1930s? Join Leongatha journalist Matt Dunn, alongside author Katherine Kovacic and former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser, as they uncover the chilling story of Arnold Sodeman—a serial killer who terrorised Victoria in the 1930s. In this episode we investigate the murder of Ethel Belshaw. On New Year's Day 1935 drew thousands to Inverloch's lively Regatta, but the celebration turned to horror when the 12‑year‑old vanished after buying an ice cream. By morning, her body was found in the scrub off Pier Road—bound, silenced and hidden just metres from the crowds. The discovery sparked a massive search, rising panic among holidaymakers, and a frustrating investigation that quickly stalled.  This episode unpacks the final hours of a quiet country girl, the fear that gripped a seaside town, and another wrongful arrest that could well have seen a young man hanged.  Tune in as we piece together the dark legacy of a murderer who walked unnoticed among the community—until the truth finally caught up. For more information and insights on the show and the life and crimes of Arnold Sodeman, check out arnsodpod.com Ready to make your own podcast?  Choose the platform that puts creators first. As podcasting's most trusted independent platform, Libsyn is built to empower your voice, not control it. They succeed when you succeed. Share your story on your own terms. Join the platform where creators succeed. Get your first month free with my code: SODEMAN Head here: https://signup.libsyn.com/

    47 min
  5. JUNE (Episode 5)

    EPISODE 5

    JUNE (Episode 5)

    The case of Leongatha's Erin Patterson, who was recently convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal, captured headlines around the world. But did you know an even more prodigious killer lived in the same small Victorian farming community in the 1930s? Join Leongatha journalist Matt Dunn, alongside author Katherine Kovacic and former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser, as they uncover the chilling story of Arnold Sodeman—a serial killer who terrorised Victoria in the 1930s. In this episode we investigate the murder of six-year-old June Rushmer, who would become Sodeman's final victim. With the net closing on the killer, Sodeman's behaviour raises suspicions with a workmate, who takes his concerns to police. A confession will be elicited, not just for June's murder, but for three others as well. As angry locals gather to dish out some rough justice, Sodeman is whisked to Melbourne. Meanwhile, the bereft Rushmer family mourns the loss of the "little golden flower of the family". Explore the overlooked details, the investigative missteps, and the terrifying escalation of Sodeman's crimes. How did one of Victoria's worst killers evade justice for so long? Tune in as we piece together the dark legacy of a murderer who walked unnoticed among the community—until the truth finally caught up. For more information and insights on the show and the life and crimes of Arnold Sodeman, check out arnsodpod.com Ready to make your own podcast?  Choose the platform that puts creators first. As podcasting's most trusted independent platform, Libsyn is built to empower your voice, not control it. They succeed when you succeed. Share your story on your own terms. Join the platform where creators succeed. Get your first month free with my code: SODEMAN Head here: https://signup.libsyn.com/

    45 min
  6. ORIGIN STORY (Episode 6)

    EPISODE 6

    ORIGIN STORY (Episode 6)

    The case of Leongatha's Erin Patterson, who was recently convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal, captured headlines around the world. But did you know an even more prodigious killer lived in the same small Victorian farming community in the 1930s? Join Leongatha journalist Matt Dunn, alongside author Katherine Kovacic and former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser, as they uncover the chilling story of Arnold Sodeman—a serial killer who terrorised Victoria in the 1930s. In this episode we look into Sodeman's past, working to establish an idea of who he was and why he did what he did. Studying his early beginnings as a teenage criminal, right up to his time as Australia's most reviled child killer, we beg the question 'was he psychopath and could such a man love'? Explore the overlooked details, the investigative missteps, and the terrifying escalation of Sodeman's crimes. How did one of Victoria's worst killers evade justice for so long? Tune in as we piece together the dark legacy of a murderer who walked unnoticed among the community—until the truth finally caught up. For more information and insights on the show and the life and crimes of Arnold Sodeman, check out arnsodpod.com  Ready to make your own podcast?  Choose the platform that puts creators first. As podcasting's most trusted independent platform, Libsyn is built to empower your voice, not control it. They succeed when you succeed. Share your story on your own terms. Join the platform where creators succeed. Get your first month free with my code: SODEMAN Head here: https://signup.libsyn.com/

    44 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    HANGED (Episode 7: FINAL)

    The case of Leongatha's Erin Patterson, who was recently convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal, captured headlines around the world. But did you know an even more prodigious killer lived in the same small Victorian farming community in the 1930s? Join Leongatha journalist Matt Dunn, alongside author Katherine Kovacic and former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser, as they uncover the chilling story of Arnold Sodeman—a serial killer who terrorised Victoria in the 1930s. In this final episode, we step inside one of Australia's most unsettling courtrooms — the 1936 trial of Arnold Sodeman, the man later known as the "Schoolgirl Strangler." After years of fear gripping Melbourne's suburbs, Sodeman's arrest brought a wave of relief, but his trial would raise questions that still echo today. We follow the prosecution's meticulous reconstruction of the murders, the chilling details that left the courtroom silent, and the defence's attempt to argue that Sodeman's lifelong struggles with alcoholism and mental illness diminished his responsibility. As psychiatrists debated his state of mind and the public demanded justice, the jury faced a stark choice: Was Sodeman a calculating killer, or a man whose mind had fractured beyond repair? This episode unpacks the evidence, the courtroom drama, and the societal pressures that shaped Sodeman's fate, revealing how a single trial can expose the fault lines of an entire era. Ready to make your own podcast?  Choose the platform that puts creators first. As podcasting's most trusted independent platform, Libsyn is built to empower your voice, not control it. They succeed when you succeed. Share your story on your own terms. Join the platform where creators succeed. Get your first month free with my code: SODEMAN Head here: https://signup.libsyn.com/

    40 min
  8. TRAILER

    SEASON 1 TRAILER

    TRAILER

    The case of Leongatha's Erin Patterson, who was recently convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal, captured headlines around the world. But did you know an even more prodigious killer lived in the same small Victorian farming community in the 1930s? Join Leongatha journalist Matt Dunn, and special guests including author Katherine Kovacic and former Victoria Police detective Narelle Fraser, as they unearth the chilling story of serial killer Arnold Sodeman on 'Sodeman: The Schoolgirl Strangler'.   For more information and insights on the show and the life and crimes of Arnold Sodeman, check out arnsodpod.com Facebook & Instagram Email

    1 min

Trailer

About

In the quiet farming town of Leongatha, a modern-day murder mystery gripped the world—the shocking case of Erin Patterson, convicted of poisoning three relatives with a deadly mushroom meal. But long before this tragedy, another sinister figure lurked in the shadows of the same small Victorian farming community. Join journalist Matt Dunn, along with true-crime author Katherine Kovacic and former detective Narelle Fraser, as they unravel the chilling tale of Arnold Sodeman, a serial killer whose reign of terror in the 1930s left an indelible mark on history. Through gripping storytelling and expert insights, this podcast uncovers the dark past of Leongatha and explores what drives people to commit unspeakable crimes. Listen in as we peel back the layers of deception, horror, and intrigue—because some stories refuse to be buried.

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