Investigates

On Easter 2015, in Leeton, NSW, around five hours from Sydney, a chill hung in the air of the usually bustling country town.Leeton was a quiet, unassuming place. Nothing bad ever seemed to happen there. People kept their doors unlocked and every one know each other at the local grocery store. The worst crime would be a scuffle outside of the pub on Friday night. But five years ago, evil came to Leeton. On Easter Sunday, 2015, 26-year-old schoolteacher Stephanie Scott said goodbye to her fiancé Aaron Leeson-Wooley, and headed into Leeton High School for a few hours.Stephanie was a drama and English teacher at the local high school. And in a few days time, she was getting married to the love of her life. Friends and family would tell you just how excited Steph was to become Mrs Leeson-Wooley. She’d been planning her wedding for months – and it was nearly here.That Easter, Stephanie had decided to dedicate a few hours to preparing work for her students while she was away on her honeymoon. See, Steph had a heart of gold. She was adored by anyone and everyone who met her. Spending a Sunday devoted to making sure her pupils wouldn’t miss a beat while she was away was typical Steph. But that day at Leeton High, Steph would come face-to-face with a monster. The excited bride-to-be was brutally murdered just days before she was due to say I do. The story of her death is utterly heartbreaking and touched so many people who had never even met her, including Leeton journalist Monique Patterson.Monique – who once edited the local paper The Irrigator – wrote a book on Stephanie’s murder and the effect it had on the town of Leeton. She joins us on today’s episode.

Melbourne woman Lily Parmenter was only 19 when her mum Kathleen O’Shea – known to her family and friends as Katie - disappeared from the Queensland town of Atherton in December 2005. Katie was a quirky, happy and beloved single mum of five from Melbourne. On December 17, Katie and her 11-year-old daughter Brigid O’Shea flew to Cairns to visit her son, Alan and his partner Bryer. Alan and Bryer lived two hours from Cairns in the town of Ravenshoe, and they were expecting their first child. Lily says, she was so incredibly excited to meet her very first grandchild. But Katie never made it to the birth of her granddaughter. After a few weeks of staying at Alan and Bryer’s property, on December 29, Katie decided to go for a walk into town. Her son Alan then picked her up and dropped her at a pub in Atherton. She told him she was going to the pub to play pool. This was the last time anyone saw Katie alive. The New Year came and went, and on January 9, 2006, Bryer gave birth to a baby girl. Katie wasn’t there. It’s been 15 long years and Katie still hasn’t been seen by a single soul. In this episode, we speak to Lily about where she thinks her mother is – and why it’s taken so long to find any answers about her missing mother...Your host is April Glover The Executive Producer is Elissa RatliffSubscribe to Investigates here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/investigates/id1344649849

When you think of Luna Park you probably think of fun, rides and fairy floss. But on the 9th of June 1979, as many Sydney-siders and tourists flocked to the amusement park - they had no idea some of them would be leaving without their lives. Because in 1979, Sydney’s Ghost train ride caught on fire and it killed six children and one adult. On this episode of Investigates Stephen sits down with journalist John Burfitt to find out how the fire really started…If you or someone you know needs support, help is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.Your host is Stephen DownieThe Executive Producer is Elissa RatliffSubscribe to Investigates here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/investigates/id1344649849

Why do some people see ghosts? And are they actually real?Most of us love a good ghost story. Popular culture is rife with spooky tales of apparitions, poltergeists and unexplained noises in the night. While some ghosts are said to be benign, others can be malicious or even downright evil – if you believe that kind of stuff.And there are plenty who do.Today, we’re talking to Karina Machado, host of the Ghost Files podcast and author of the books Spirit Sisters and Love Never Dies. On her podcast Karina hears stories from everyday Australians about their encounters. Everyone one of them is absolutely convinced they saw or heard something paranormal.But just because they can’t explain what it is, does it necessarily mean it’s a ghost? Let’s unravel the mystery…If you or someone you know needs support, help is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.Your host is Stephen DownieThe Executive Producer is Elissa RatliffSubscribe to Investigates here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/investigates/id1344649849

In the tiny mid-north coastal town of Kendall, in NSW, Australia, a little boy in a Spiderman suit was running around his grandmother’s backyard on Benaroon Drive His name, of course, was William Tyrrell.It was September 12, 2014 – and at around 10.30am – three-year-old William was playing hide-and-seek with his older sister.William was a cheeky, playful little boy and one of his favourite games was pretending to be a tiger.As his mum and grandma went inside for a cup of tea, William let out one final roar, ran around the side of the house, then nothing.“It had become quiet,” his foster mum would later say. “Too quiet.”When William’s mother came outside only moments later, she expected to see her two young children playfully running about the backyard, but there was no sign of William.She called out his name again and again. But there was only silence. By all accounts, he’d simply vanished off the face of the earth.The police were called, and by 11.30am, there was an official search party combing the nearby woods for the little boy in the Spiderman outfit.This was six long years ago – and William, who would now be eight years old, still hasn’t been found. No trace of him – not a single hair follicle or piece of clothing - has ever been found.Award-winning journalist and author Caroline Overington, like many of us, is fascinated and heartbroken by the story of William Tyrrell.In her book, Missing William Tyrrell, Caroline delves into the mystery and explains why Australia won’t give up until we have answers.

In a world where we are deeply fascinated with true crime, digging into the lives of perpetrators and victims and vicariously living through these horrific stories, there’s a side to it we always tend to forget.And that is the police officers who see it all – these heroes are in the thick of every terrible, haunting case – from homicides, 10-car pile-ups to terrorist attacks.But the emotional toll it can take on our cops is very, very rarely spoken about.Police officers are regarded as strong and invincible protectors who can’t get hurt. But they can and they do.Seeing death, destruction, tragedy and turmoil on a daily basis is not normal.Sadly, not many members of the police force feel comfortable or even safe speaking about their emotions or mental health. The mantra is to bottle it up, forget about it and tomorrow is a new day.Our guest on this episode is former Victoria police officer Cameron Hardiman – and he knows very well just how devastating ignoring your mental health on the force can be.If you or someone you know needs support, help is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.Your host is April GloverYour audio editor is Melanie De GioiaThe Executive Producer is Elissa RatliffSubscribe to Investigates here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/investigates/id1344649849