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Australian True Crime
The "Sharpie" Gangs
The Sharpies were probably Australia's most fashionable gang in 1960s/70s Australia.
Their clothing was custom made from European tailors and their hairstyles were unmistakable.
Our guest for today's episode is Author and Social Worker, Julie Mac. Julie herself was a proud Sharpie in the 1970s, and she's here to tell us who the Sharpies really were beyond the violent headlines.
You can purchase Julie's latest book "TAILS" here.
You can purchase signed copies of Julie's work here.
For Support:
Lifeline on 13 11 14
13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
CREDITS:
Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram
Guest: Julie MacExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard
GET IN TOUCH:
https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/
Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook
Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com
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625. Shortcut: Tony Mokbel’s Freedom with Charlie Bezzina
14:59||Season 1, Ep. 625This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed.Retired homicide detective Charlie Bezzina reflects on Melbourne’s gangland era and Tony Mokbel’s role within it.He discusses the work of the Purana Task Force and the impact of Nicola Gobbo’s dual role as a lawyer and police informant, which has raised questions about past convictions.With Mokbel now released on bail, we examine the lasting implications of this complex chapter in Australian criminal history.Links:Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Join our Facebook Group here.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Charlie BezzinaExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com624. Tony Mokbel’s Freedom with Charlie Bezzina
42:19||Season 1, Ep. 624Retired homicide detective Charlie Bezzina reflects on Melbourne’s gangland era and Tony Mokbel’s role within it. He discusses the work of the Purana Task Force and the impact of Nicola Gobbo’s dual role as a lawyer and police informant, which has raised questions about past convictions. With Mokbel now released on bail, we examine the lasting implications of this complex chapter in Australian criminal history.Links:Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Join our Facebook Group here.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Charlie BezzinaExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com623. ATC Plus *Preview*: The Continued Fight to Find Marea Yann's Murderer
13:14||Season 1, Ep. 623This is a preview of a full-lenth bonus episode for Australian True Crime Plus subscribers. To listen to all of our bonus episodes, plus early and ad-free access to every episode of the podcast, you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts.In 2022, we spoke with the Yann family about the 2003 murder of Marea Yann in her Healesville home. Despite a 2006 inquest and a trial, no one has been convicted, and the case remains unsolved.Today, we revisit the story with Marea’s granddaughter, Esther, who shares recent developments and updates on the family’s ongoing fight for justice.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.Listen to our original episodes with the Yann family "Cold Case: Marea Yann" here: Part One and Part TwoYou can watch "Who Murdered Marea Yann?" here on YoutubeKeep in touch with the developments of this case at the Facebook page, "Help Marea Yann Catch Her Murderer".For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Esther YannExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.comATC Plus: The Continued Fight to Find Marea Yann's Murderer
33:22|In 2022, we spoke with the Yann family about the 2003 murder of Marea Yann in her Healesville home. Despite a 2006 inquest and a trial, no one has been convicted, and the case remains unsolved.Today, we revisit the story with Marea’s granddaughter, Esther, who shares recent developments and updates on the family’s ongoing fight for justice.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.Listen to our original episodes with the Yann family "Cold Case: Marea Yann" here: Part One and Part TwoYou can watch "Who Murdered Marea Yann?" here on YoutubeKeep in touch with the developments of this case at the Facebook page, "Help Marea Yann Catch Her Murderer".Join our Facebook Group here.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Esther YannExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com622. Shortcut: A Dark End to Donna Fitchett's Dark Life
12:39||Season 1, Ep. 622This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed.Content warning: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence against children.In March 2025, Donna Fitchett’s story came to a grim end, just weeks after her release from prison.Fitchett had served 15 years for the shocking murders of her two young sons, Thomas and Matthew.Criminologist and Forensic Pathologist Dr. Xanthé Mallett, author of Mothers Who Murder, joins us on this episode to delve into the psychology of a person capable of such an unimaginable act of betrayal.Links:Click here to purchase Mothers Who Murder.Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Join our Facebook Group here.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Dr. Xanthé MallettExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com621. A Dark End to Donna Fitchett's Dark Life
35:56||Season 1, Ep. 621Content warning: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence against children.In March 2025, Donna Fitchett’s story came to a grim end, just weeks after her release from prison.Fitchett had served 15 years for the shocking murders of her two young sons, Thomas and Matthew.Criminologist and Forensic Pathologist Dr. Xanthé Mallett, author of Mothers Who Murder, joins us on this episode to delve into the psychology of a person capable of such an unimaginable act of betrayal.Links:Click here to purchase Mothers Who Murder.Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Join our Facebook Group here.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Dr. Xanthé MallettExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com620. Shortcut: Elizabeth Struhs and the Religious Cult Behind Her Death
17:19||Season 1, Ep. 620This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed.Elizabeth Struhs was just eight years old when she died in 2022 after her parents stopped giving her insulin, following the beliefs of a religious cult called The Saints. Journalist Pippa Bradshaw, who has covered the case from the start, now hosts "The Saints", a podcast investigating the cult and the institutional failures that led to Elizabeth’s death.Links:Click here to listen to The Saints on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Join our Facebook Group here.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Pippa BradshawExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com619. Elizabeth Struhs and the Religious Cult Behind Her Death
42:58||Season 1, Ep. 619Elizabeth Struhs was just eight years old when she died in 2022 after her parents stopped giving her insulin, following the beliefs of a religious cult called The Saints. Journalist Pippa Bradshaw, who has covered the case from the start, now hosts "The Saints", a podcast investigating the cult and the institutional failures that led to Elizabeth’s death.Links:Click here to listen to The Saints on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Join our Facebook Group here.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Pippa BradshawExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com618. Shortcut: The Last Victim of Serial Conman Hamish McLaren
17:05||Season 1, Ep. 618This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed.Tracy Hall was in a long-term relationship with a man she knew as Max Tavita—until his 2017 arrest revealed he was actually serial con artist Hamish McLaren. As explored in the hit podcast Who the Hell is Hamish?, McLaren defrauded victims worldwide of millions. Tracy joins us to discuss her new book and the shocking discovery that she, too, had been one of his victims.Links:Click here to purchase Tracy's book, The Last VictimClick here to visit Tracy Hall's websiteNeed support? Click here to visit the IDCARE websiteClick here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Join our Facebook Group here.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on instagram.Guest: Tracy HallExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardGET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com