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Forgotten Australia
To Live & Die in D.C. – Part One: Two Aussie Girls
In November 1971, at the exact moment that Prime Minister Billy McMahon’s wife Sonia stepped out in her infamously revealing dress at a White House dinner, Australian embassy officials in Washington were thrust into the first crucial hours of a serial killer investigation. Two young women had just been found murdered in a nearby apartment and D.C. homicide detectives believed the victims were from Down Under. In a race against time, American and Australian cops and diplomats would have to work together to identify the maniac before he stuck again.
To Live & Die in D.C. reveals - for the very first time - an extraordinary instance of Australian true crime and Australian political history colliding during a shocking murder wave that was engulfing not only the American capitol but all of the United States.
The five-part miniseries is based on information unearthed in Australian government archives, US court transcripts, American and Australian historic newspaper articles – and on recent interviews with two family members.
More than a true crime deep dive, this miniseries remembers two fearless Australian women whose fates have been overlooked while Billy and Sonia McMahon’s ‘sexy’ White House shenanigans became part of pop culture history.
To Live & Die in D.C. poses still relevant questions about sexism, racism, crime and justice – and who we remember and why.
To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:
https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474
To support the show:
Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustralia
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustralia
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48. They'll Never Hold Me – Exclusive Audiobook Excerpt
35:28||Season 8, Ep. 48My new book, They'll Never Hold Me, which chronicles the life, times and crimes of Long Bay Gaol escapee Kevin John Simmonds, has just been released as an audio book. I'm pleased to present this exclusive excerpt, which comprises the prologue and first two chapters.The full version is available right now via this product page, which offers all the key places to buy They'll Never Hold Me.https://rbmediaglobal.com/audiobook/9781004181971/Email me: michaeladamswrites@gmail.com
47. Arizona Ryan and the Sydney Shootout – Part Two
37:53||Season 8, Ep. 47Who was this good guy with a gun? We delve into life of American cowboy Albert “Arizona” Ryan, who became a celebrity in 1919 in Australia after killing a man to end a Sydney siege. Hear how Arizona, like Dirty Harry, had a history of trigger-happy vigilantism, and how, like Dirty John, his creepy marriage to a wealthy woman came to a violent end. Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Mehttps://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917Support Forgotten Australia:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaEmail: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
46. Arizona Ryan and the Sydney Shootout – Part One
32:31||Season 8, Ep. 46In 1919, in the Sydney slum of Surry Hills, a Chinese gunman shot more than a dozen people, triggering a dramatic police siege that was only ended by the violent intervention of a lone American vigilante. But who was this self-styled cowboy with the six-shooter?Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Mehttps://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917Support Forgotten Australia:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaEmail: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
45. To Live & Die in D.C. – Part Five: A Forensic Furore
52:30||Season 8, Ep. 45With their suspect in custody, D.C. detectives still can’t celebrate because in Washington in 1972 seven out of every ten murderers go free. Forty years after the verdicts in these murder trials, the FBI will make a bombshell forensic revelation to cast doubt on whether justice was done.Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Mehttps://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917Support Forgotten Australia:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaEmail: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
44. To Live & Die in D.C. – Part Four: A Killer Named Goliath
39:13||Season 8, Ep. 44With another Washington woman murdered in identical circumstances to Sherry and Sharan, D.C. detectives finally have a suspect – but can they find the disturbed man who stalks the D.C. streets, hides in apartments and calls himself ‘Goliath’?Check out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Mehttps://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917Support Forgotten Australia:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaEmail: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
43. To Live & Die in D.C. – Part Three: Dead Ends and Another Dead Woman
56:33||Season 8, Ep. 43Despite the best efforts of D.C. detectives and Sydney cops – including Senior Constable Roger Rogerson – Sherry and Sharan’s killer remains at large. When a breakthrough comes, it’ll be in the worst possible circumstances.To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Mehttps://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917Email: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
42. To Live & Die in D.C. – Part Two: A Race Against Time
58:49||Season 8, Ep. 42Sherry Frahm and Sharan Tapp settle into living and working in Washington. But it’s dangerous being a counter girl in a McDonald’s during D.C.’s ever-bloodier wave of senseless murders.The five-part miniseries is based on information unearthed in Australian government archives, US court transcripts, American and Australian historic newspaper articles – and on recent interviews with two family members.More than a true crime deep dive, this miniseries remembers two fearless Australian women whose fates have been overlooked while Billy and Sonia McMahon’s ‘sexy’ White House shenanigans became part of pop culture history.To Live & Die in D.C. poses still relevant questions about sexism, racism, crime and justice – and who we remember and why.To pre-order They'll Never Hold Me:https://affirmpress.com.au/browse/book/Michael-Adams-They%27ll-Never-Hold-Me-9781923046474To support the show:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my new book, They’ll Never Hold Mehttps://affirmpress.com.au/author/61917Email: forgottenaustraliapodcast@gmail.com
40. The Rise of Roger Rogerson – Part Two: Men Died Because of What He Did
39:27||Season 8, Ep. 40How was the 1976 case of armed robber Phillip Western a prototype for the “Green Light” that’d soon be given to Neddy Smith? Continuing our in-depth interview, veteran journalist Neil Mercer explains how Roger Rogerson perverting the legal system for profit resulted in a forgotten murder and set the scene for future bloodbaths. Be sure to read Neil Mercer’s new book, The Kingpin and the Crooked Cop: The Definitive Inside Story of Neddy Smith and Roger Rogerson, Partners in Crime.Buy it here: https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Neil-Mercer-Kingpin-and-the-Crooked-Cop-9781760879952Support Forgotten Australia:Apple - http://apple.co/forgottenaustraliaPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/ForgottenAustraliaCheck out my books:The Murder Squadhttps://www.booktopia.com.au/the-murder-squad-michael-adams/book/9781922863836.htmlHanging Ned Kellyhttps://www.booktopia.com.au/hanging-ned-kelly-michael-adams/book/9781922992185.htmlAustralia’s Sweethearthttps://www.booktopia.com.au/australia-s-sweetheart-michael-adams/book/9780733640292.html