On the 11th of January 1965, two fifteen-year-old schoolgirls Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt were found murdered in the Wanda sand hills, just north of Cronulla Beach in Sydney's south. The crime remains one of the most horrific Australia has ever seen. Despite an exhaustive police investigation, the killer remains unknown…
On the first of December 1948, a body of a man was located along the seawall of Somerton Beach, just near Adelaide in South Australia. At first, the police thought it was going to be a straightforward matter, but as the weeks and months went on, it became apparent that this case was anything but straightforward… To this day we don’t know who he is, we don’t know where he came from and we don’t know how he died.
On the 29th of January 1999, best friends Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman had a sleepover at Ashley’s house to celebrate her 16th birthday. Ashley’s parents Danny and Kathy Freeman were also home. It was a quiet uneventful evening, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until 6 am the next morning when a neighbour reported the Freeman house was on fire.
On the 18th of April 1943, four boys discovered a skeleton buried in the hollow of a wych-elm tree in Hagley Woods, England. Police immediately got to work on identifying the remains and trying to determine the cause of death, however, the investigation hit a wall…
On Tuesday the 2nd of November 1999 Donna Wheeler was found murdered in her home in Berala, Western Sydney. There were several suspects. Was it her ex-husband John who found her body and called the police? Was it her violent ex-boyfriend Keith who was recently arrested for assaulting Donna. Keith wasn't happy that Donna was spending a lot of time with his brother Colin since they separated…
"You won't believe it, but it was like, satan saying to me that it's the right thing to do." In the early hours of the 18th of November 2011 a fire was deliberately lit at the Quakers Hill Nursing Home. The nursing home housed 89 residents, a lot of whom were highly dependent patients who were immobile, suffering dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
On the 4th of March 2008, Julian Buchwald and his girlfriend Carolynne Watson went for a romantic picnic lunch in country Victoria. They didn't return home. It wasn't long before a terrifying, threatening note was located. Was this really the work of a satanic cult? Or was there something even more sinister going on…
On the 4th of August 2002, best friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman disappeared from the small town of Sohom in England. One of England’s biggest ever manhunts followed. The media became critical of the lack of progress police were making on the case….but they did have a suspect.
He was implicated in a case of missing money from a courthouse evidence vault. He was facing allegations of misconduct and illegal handling of a witness in a major drug trafficking trial, which lead to the judge ordering a federal investigation. One way to stop that federal investigation would be to come up with a quick plea deal to end the case. One problem, there was no way to do the plea deal without violating federal law. And unfortunately, for US assistant attorney Jonathan Luna things were about to get worse. Much, much worse.
The 7th of May 2005 was a typical run of the mill day for Shirley Withers. She worked the full day in her Melbourne fashion boutique and once the shop had closed, she bought a take-out meal and headed to the North Caufield mansion of her millionaire boyfriend Peter Shellard…
First came the seizures and sleep paralysis. Then came the hallucinations and violent behaviour. Anneliese Michel made endless visits to doctor’s and specialists only to be either referred to another doctor or placed on medication that wasn’t helping her. Her condition became so bad that at times she started to growl and speak in a horrific deep voice…
The crime scene was described as looking more like the set of a horror movie, than real life. It is one of the most horrific crimes ever committed. Not only did it shock the small town of Aberdeen in country NSW, where the crime occurred, it shocked the entire nation of Australia and parts of the world. What could possibly drive somebody to do this? A psychiatric illness? Or premeditated, pre-planned, pure evil?
In the 1980's in Sydney Australia, Justice David Opas was shot dead outside his home and bombs were exploded at the homes of Justice Richard Gee and Justice Ray Watson. All three were Family Law Court judges.
On the 23rd of July 2008 young mother, Helen Munnings disappeared from the port city of Burnie, on the North West Coast of Tasmania, Australia. She was last seen by the father of her child Adam Taylor, who picked her up for a drive that afternoon. His actions later that night were described as “interesting”. Extensive searches have been conducted, but no trace of Helen has ever been found…
In the early 80’s a series of attacks occurred in the twin city area of Minnesota, USA. The victims were all women. Police struggled in the initial part of the investigation. There was no physical evidence, and there were no witnesses.
Chris and Cru Kahui were twins, aged just three months old when they died in hospital, both suffering from traumatic brain injury. Their death was the result o a severe impact, either from direct blows or being hit, thrown or slammed against a hard surface. Violent shaking was another possible cause, and couldn’t be ruled out. What was clear was that the twins' injuries weren’t accidental…
On the 17th of May 2008, two motorway patrol officers attended to a call that a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle on the M6 motorway, near the city Stoke-on-Trent, in England. Expecting the worst, the two officers were surprised when they arrived to see two pedestrians standing calmly and uninjured on the shoulder of the motorway. It didn’t look like much was going on at all…
On the 28th of February 1997 Los Angeles police officers, Perello and Farrell were on routine patrol driving along Laurel Canyon Blvd, North Hollywood. As they were driving past the Bank of America they saw two large figures enter the bank. Both were dressed in black, both were wearing ski masks and both were carrying automatic rifles. What followed, was 44 minutes of mayhem…
Living in Australia, I had heard of the Snowtown case. I knew it as the bodies in the barrels case. But that’s all I knew. I had no idea about the who, the what, the why, or the when. So I didn’t know it was the worst case of serial killing in Australia’s history, involving torture and dismemberment. None of the murder victims are children. However, child sexual abuse is prominent throughout. It is a deeply disturbing, depraved case. I didn’t know any of that when I started looking into Snowtown, but now you do, and you can make an informed decision if you want to listen or not.
The details of this case are extremely difficult to hear. Extreme child abuse and child murder are involved. This episode won't be for everybody. There is far more courtroom audio than narration. It is a one-off for this episode. It is not something that will be a regular feature in the future. The courtroom confession is detailed and horrific. Listener discretion is advised.
On Monday the 23rd of May 1994, a violent storm hit the city of Perth, Western Australia. Peter Lawrence was starting to become concerned. It was getting late and his wife Pamela Lawrence hadn’t gotten home from work yet. He called her at 6:15 pm, when he didn’t get an answer he decided he had better go down and check on her….
It was Wednesday the 2nd of August 1989. 41-year-old Marguerite Edwards started the day like any other. Making sure her three daughters were up, and ready for school. Marguerite was happily married to Iain Edwards, a successful orthodontist with a surgery in Bondi. They lived in a two-storey house on Victoria Road, Woollahra in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs. After getting her daughters organised, Marguerite dropped them at Ascham school, in the nearby suburb of Edgecliffe. She then made her way to an aerobics class, before doing some shopping at Bondi. She returned to her Woollahra home sometime after midday. Later that afternoon, Marguerite's three daughters were waiting. School had finished, and they were wondering where mum was…
[Part 1 of 2] Donna had recently received a few prank calls and she was getting nervous. She had a young baby and didn’t like the idea of being alone at night. Her boyfriend Les worked as a pizza delivery driver, and she decided to spend the night driving around in the car with him, rather than stay home alone. The first thing Donna saw when she returned home was her cat on the lounge room floor, dead. The words “Donna you’re dead”, were written in blood up on the wall. In the bathroom were Donna’s two kittens. Both also dead.
[Part 2 of 2] Part 2 of the Frankston Serial Killer. At the end of part 1 police had found out who owned the suspicious vehicle parked on Skye Road at the time of Natalie Russell's murder. Will it get them anywhere though?
[Part 1 of 2] Haros Avenue in Nunawading (Melbourne) presented a problem for the police surveillance team following the red Jaguar. It was a small dead-end street. No way to observe the house there bank robbery suspect was heading to, without being obvious… To avoid being detected the police had no choice but to let the suspect out of there sight. There was only one way in and out of Haros Avenue, so the suspect would have to come back past them eventually…
[Part 2 of 2] We left part one just after the government announced a 500 thousand dollar reward for any information to help solve the case. It was hoped this large reward would be enough to entice a male caller to make contact again. He had already called numerous times before, claiming to know who the bombers were…
“If any bastard ever thought about going to the cops about us, they’ll be killed and so will their fucking families. And if we don’t get them, our mates will. It would be a shame if anything happened to your sweet little Prue, wouldn’t it”. Those words were allegedly said by one of the men convicted for the Russell Street Bombing that we covered the last episode. The person he said those words to? Paul Hetzel…
Vancouver Island. Known for its breathtaking scenery, astonishing postcard beauty and amazing wildlife. Heaven on earth. But on certain parts of the island, beneath the beauty, some will tell you there lies a dark underbelly. And in the early hours of the morning, June 30th, 2002, that underbelly came to the surface.
The eastern side of the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is closed in by mountains. On the city’s west side, a mesa rises out of the Rio Grande Valley. In 2005, subdivisions and new housing were being built along the West Mesa. The construction pressed up against the vast desert that stretches beyond where you will find tumbleweeds, high tension wires and trash. It is a desolate isolated spot.
24-year-old Lindsay Buziak loved her job as a Vancouver Island real estate agent and was looking forward to carving an impressive career for herself. So in early 2008, she was eager to please when she received a phone call from a woman who had recently relocated to the area and wanted Lindsay’s help in finding a one million dollar property that was available immediately. On February 2, Lindsay organised to meet the woman and her husband at a house in the suburb of Saanich. She was a little sceptical as to why the couple had sought her help in particular and as a safety precaution, she asked her boyfriend Jason Zailo to wait in his car outside. It turned out that Lindsay was right to be concerned.
The 80-year-old retired publisher Joseph Clever lived with his wife Hilda at Burgate House, a secluded mansion on the edge of New Forest in Hampshire, England. On the evening of September 1 1986, they invited their son Tom and his wife Wendy over for dinner. The following morning, two maintenance workers arrived to find the property engulfed in smoke. Investigators rushed to the scene soon realised that fire was the least of the problems. As they ventured further inside Burgate House, it was clear that something far more sinister had taken place.
This episode of Casefile was released in 2016 when the case was still unresolved. Major developments have since occurred and as a result, we have elected to remove the episode, with a view to releasing an updated version in the future.
Over a five-week period in 1986, four young women went missing from around Perth in Western Australia. 22-year-old Mary Neilson, 15-year-old Susannah Candy, 31-year-old Noelene Patterson and 21-year-old Denise Brown all disappeared without a trace, but police were sceptical that some were runaways and no links were drawn between the missing women. That was until November 10 1986, when a man standing outside a vacuum cleaner store was suddenly approached by a hysterical, barefoot young woman.
After migrating from England to Australia after World War II, the Holmes family were looking forward to embracing a safer and higher quality of life. They’d experienced trauma and hardship during the war years and were ready to start afresh. That dream was shattered on August 29, 1950, just weeks after their arrival, when 18-year-old Grace Holmes and her 11-year-old sister Kathleen went for a walk along the Canton Beach foreshore in Toukley and never returned home. NOTE: The interviews played in this episode are a re-enactment of actual transcripts. Detective Whalen is played by Sam McCool. William Birtle is played by Craig Forest.
In the early 1990s, South Lake Tahoe was considered a safe and sheltered place to live. All that changed on June 10 1991, when 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted in broad daylight while walking to her school bus stop. Almost two decades later, convicted sex offender Phillip Garrido visited the University of California’s Berkeley campus, where a staff member noticed something suspicious about the way he was behaving. What was Garrido trying to hide, and who were the two children he had with him?
[WARNING – This episode deals with child sex abuse. It will not be suitable for all listeners.] In the early 1960s, Victorian Detective Denis Ryan was transferred from Melbourne to the regional town of Mildura where he soon ran into a familiar face – local priest, Father John Day. The two had encountered one another before during a less than savoury incident in St Kilda several years prior.
On the evening of March 18 2001, 22-year-old Sian O’Callaghan enjoyed a night out with friends in the Old Town of Swindon in South West England. The flat she shared with her boyfriend Kevin Reape was less than a kilometre away, making it an easy walk home.
In late 2000, the owner of a Polish advertising company, Dariusz Janiszewski, went missing after going to meet a client. His body was later found floating in a lake, but police had no idea who could be responsible and the Polish press ultimately dubbed the case “the perfect murder.”
[Part 1 of 3] West Yorkshire is a county in England that has a population of over 2 million people. It covers an area of over 2,000 km² and is formed by five cities: Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees, and Calderdale. Each one of these cities has its own history, its own identity, and its own voice. But during the 1970’s, they were all united. The residents of each city were looking over their shoulders, praying they wouldn’t be the next victim, in one man’s reign of terror who the press named, “The Yorkshire Ripper.”
[Part 2 of 3] With the Yorkshire Ripper showing no sign of slowing down, police appealed directly to the killer himself in the hopes of putting an end to the crime spree. --- Research for this episode by Victoria Dieffenbacher. Co-written by Victoria Dieffenbacher and the Anonymous Host.
[Part 3 of 3] With the West Yorkshire Police no closer to identifying The Yorkshire Ripper, the department came under intense scrutiny. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher offered to take over the investigation, while the media and public demanded that Scotland Yard be called in to find the killer.
Indiana born Diane Whitmore always dreamed of making it big in New York City. When she met Wall Street securities analyst Joseph Pikul, she thought she was on the way to the perfect life. But her marriage to Joseph Pikul wasn’t perfect. In fact, it was far from it... --- Victoria Dieffenbacher researched and co-wrote this episode.
After a string of failed relationships and other disappointments, Janelle Patton made the decision to relocate from Australia to Norfolk Island in search of a fresh start. With a population of around 2000 people, the small South Pacific island was considered a safe and friendly place, with no major crimes having occurred there in over a century.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta was a hotbed for criminal activity. Heroin use was rife and users flocked to the area looking for their next fix. As was to be expected, the drug epidemic resulted in an increase in violent crime, including gangs, home invasions, robberies, extortions, kidnappings, and worse.
Hi, everyone! Case 40: John Newman was our last case this year. The next episode will be out on the 7th of January 2017, but we didn't want just to leave, so we recorded a short end of year message for you. Once again we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and for listening to the show. It's been an incredible year with unexpected twists and turns, and we cannot wait for the next one! See you soon, Casefile Team
This is an update on the Claremont Serial Killer case in Case 30.
This is an update on the Lisa Marie Young case in Case 26.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Melbourne was gripped by fear when a masked assailant began breaking into suburban family homes and abducting young children. The attacks were particularly callous, earning the assailant the title of Mr Cruel.
When 29-year-old Sherri Rasmussen married the love of her life, John Ruetten, the future looked promising. But just three months after their wedding, Sherri was found shot to death in the couples Van Nuys apartment. One thing was clear – Sherri had fought for her life until the very end...
The summer of 1986 was a busy one for 19-year-old Silver Spring resident, Keith Warren. Having recently graduated from John F. Kennedy High School, Keith worked two jobs to save money for college. Popular and sociable, he spent his spare time hanging out with friends and was excited about what the future held.
The desert roads of the Northern Territory are as long as they are desolate. If you stand still, the loudest sound you’ll hear is your own heartbeat. For British tourists Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees, the prospect of driving from Adelaide to Darwin along the expansive, open road was the thrill of a lifetime and unlike anything, they’d ever experienced before.
On April 28 1996, a lone gunman entered the Broad Arrow Café in Tasmania’s historic Port Arthur site and opened fire. By the end of his shooting spree, 35 lives had been lost and 24 others were injured, including two young children...
In the 18 month period between May 1980 and October 1981, six women went missing from the Frankston and Tynong North areas in Melbourne’s south-east. The victims – Bertha Miller, Catherine Headland, Ann-Marie Sargent, Narumol Stephenson, Allison Rooke and Joy Summers – were later found murdered and dumped in remote scrubland. Obvious efforts had been made by the offender to prevent the victims from being identified.
The Italian town of Brembate di Sopra is home to a quiet, close-knit community, and like the other local youths, 13-year-old Yara Gambirasio felt safe navigating the streets alone. On November 26 2010, Yara left the town’s sports centre and didn’t hesitate to walk the 700-metre journey home by herself. However, when she failed to arrive, it turned out the streets of Brembate di Sopra weren’t as safe as everyone thought...
At midday on July 28 1986, 25-year-old British real estate agent Suzy Lamplugh left work to attend an appointment. The only clue as to where she was headed was a note scrawled in her diary that read: “12:45 Mr Kipper – 37 Shorrolds Road”...
[Part 1 of 3] In 1963, two youths disappeared during separate incidents in and around the northern English city of Manchester. First, 16-year-old Pauline Reade vanished while on her way to a dance. Then, four months later, 12-year-old John Kilbride disappeared from a market in Ashton-under-Lyne.
[Part 2 of 3] Ian Brady had fantasies about committing the “perfect murder.” After sharing his secret with his girlfriend, Myra Hindley, the fantasy soon became a reality.
[Part 3 of 3] After Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are arrested for the string of horrific slayings dubbed ‘The Moors Murders’, the true horror of their crimes finally comes to light. As the couple are brought to trial, the nature of their twisted relationship is scrutinised by law enforcement, the justice system, and England’s media.
On the evening of November 8 2010, 25-year-old University of Toronto student Jennifer Pan was relaxing in the bedroom of her family home in the Ontario neighbourhood of Unionville. Her parents, Bich Ha and Hann Huei, were also home at the time. Suddenly, Jennifer heard unfamiliar voices downstairs, followed by thudding footsteps. She immediately knew that something was very wrong.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and one of Australia’s most famous tourist attractions. Its warm, clear waters and tropical marine life make it popular with scuba divers the world over.
In May 1980, Mary Stauffer was a happily married mother-of-two, living in Minnesota. She and her family were about to make a big move to the Philippines, where Mary and her husband had previously worked as Christian missionaries. In the lead up to their departure, Mary took her eight-year-old daughter Beth for a haircut at a local beauty salon.
[Part 1 of 5] In the summer of 1976, a serial offender began terrorising several quiet, suburban communities throughout Northern California’s Sacramento County. He would stalk his victims before breaking into their homes under the cover of darkness, binding them and raping them repeatedly. By the end of the year, he’d committed a total of ten attacks.
[Part 2 of 5] By the start of 1977, panic had well and truly set in throughout Sacramento County as news of the East Area Rapist spread. Despite residents preparing for possible attacks and police forming a special task force, the perpetrator continued his crime spree unabated.
[Part 3 of 5] Throughout the summer of 1978, the East Area Rapist continued to stalk, attack and assault women and their families. He extended his hunting grounds, moving beyond Sacramento County to target victims in other Northern California communities.
[Part 4 of 5] As the 1970s drew to a close, the East Area Rapist continued terrorising residents of Northern California. His attacks became increasingly violent, with one psychologist warning that the perpetrator would most likely escalate to murder as soon as he felt killing was justified.
[Part 5 of 5] In 1979, the East Area Rapist’s three-year-long crime spree came to an abrupt halt. Residents of Northern California could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Although the perpetrator hadn’t been captured, the nightmare was finally over...
EAR/ONS BONUS EPISODE #1 Interviews with Jane Carson-Sandler & Carol Daly Jane Carson-Sandler survived the brutal attack and rape of the East Area Rapist in the October of 1976. She is the fifth known survivor. She was in bed with her three-year-old son when they were attacked. Her attack had come off the back of around a month of hang up calls. These calls had escalated, and one time, Jane told the caller to stop, the voice then told her he was going to kill her husband. Police who were not linked to the Rapist investigation assured the family it sounded like a prank…
EAR/ONS BONUS EPISODE #2 Interview with Paul Holes Contra Costa County DA Cold Case Investigator Paul Holes spoke with us for the series. You heard him discussing the “Homework Papers" found in Danville as well as his role in finding the DNA match between the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker. We spoke to Paul about his theories and some key questions from our research.
On December 7 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe set out from his home in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast to walk the one-kilometre journey to the nearby bus stop. He was planning to go to a local shopping centre to get a haircut and buy some Christmas presents for his parents. It was a trip Daniel made often, usually with his twin brother, Bradley.
On February 11th, 2005, a group of four German backpackers arrived into the NSW Northern Rivers City of Lismore. 25-year-old Simone Strobel, her 24-year-old boyfriend Tobias Suckfuell, Tobias’ older sister 28-year-old Katrin Suckfuell, and Katrin’s friend Jens Martin aged 25. Simone and Tobias had arrived in Australia six months earlier on a working holiday visa. They planned to travel around the country while working odd jobs and enjoying the Australian lifestyle. On the Australia day holiday- January 26th, 2005, Tobias’ sister, Katrin and her friend Jens arrived to meet them for a month long trip. They were excited to see each other and Simone and Tobias picked them up at Brisbane airport. From there, the foursome travelled north to the Great Barrier Reef. After that, they headed south and ended up at Lismore. Up until the time they reached Lismore, Jens described it as the best three weeks. Everyone had gotten along really well…
On the morning of February 4 1986, a dairy farmer in the outer Sydney suburb of Prospect noticed his cows had been behaving strangely. For hours, they had stood gathered at one particular spot in his paddock. The farmer went to see what they were doing and found the brutalised body of 26-year-old nurse Anita Cobby.
At 11 PM on October 11 1988, Victoria Police Constables Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre began working the night shift in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran. After attending to a number of routine policing matters, they were called out to inspect a Holden Commodore that had been abandoned in Walsh Street, South Yarra.
Nine-year-old Shannon Matthews lived with her family at the Moorside Council Estate in West Yorkshire, England. On February 19 2008, she said goodbye to her mother Karen before setting off on the half-mile walk to school.
In March 1998, 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley joined her parents and brother on a weeklong cruise through the Caribbean. While the rest of her family was excited about the trip, Amy was reluctant. She had an apprehensive feeling that she just couldn’t shake.
[Part 1 of 3] During childbirth, Lynetta Jones’ deceased mother appeared to her in a vision and prophesied that the baby would one day become a great man. Lynetta’s son was Jim Warren Jones, who grew up to become the leader of a new religious movement he named ‘The Peoples Temple’.
[Part 2 of 3] In the late 1970s, Jim Jones and hundreds of his followers relocated to The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project in the South American country of Guyana – more commonly known as ‘Jonestown’.
[Part 3 of 3] On November 17 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan travelled to Guyana to inspect Jonestown for himself. When a number of Peoples Temple members expressed a desire to leave with him, Jim Jones was furious. What followed next would go down in history.
On the morning of July 18 2009, customers gathered outside Min Lin’s news agency in North Epping, New South Wales. The family-run business always opened on time, but on this particular day its doors were locked and there was no sign of anyone inside.
Between 1985 and 1986, five young women went missing on the Hawaiian island of Honolulu. The victims – Vicki Purdy, Regina Sakamoto, Denise Hughes, Louise Medeiros and Linda Pesce – were each found strangled to death with their hands bound behind their backs.
On the evening of April 14 1987, 28-year-old Catherine Holmes hosted a small party at her home in the small New South Wales town of Cowra. When she failed to show up at work the following day, a friend went to Catherine’s home to check on her. There, they discovered Catherine’s badly beaten body, along with that of her friend and colleague, 24-year-old Georgina Watmore...
An important update on the case from Victoria police on October 21st, 2017.
The Weinberger family was emblematic of 1950s suburban America. Husband and wife Betty and Morris lived in a modest home in Westbury, New York, where they were raising their two-year-old son Lewis and their newborn baby, Peter.
When Brisbane based real estate agent Gerard Baden-Clay woke up at 6 AM on the morning of April 20 2012, there was no sign of his wife, Allison. This wasn’t completely out of the ordinary, as Allison sometimes went for early morning walks around their Brisbane neighbourhood. She was always home in time to get the couple’s three daughters ready for school, but when 7:15 rolled around, there was still no sign of her.
North Carolina residents James Napoleon Taylor and Raymond Reid died 13 years apart from seemingly natural causes, and doctors felt there was nothing suspicious about their deaths.
In the 1940s, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in the San Francisco Bay was a state-of-the-art facility. Deemed to be completely escape-proof, convicts from all over the United States who were regarded as dangerous and incapable of rehabilitation were often transferred to the gloomy island prison.
Following the failed 1946 escape turned violent siege, safety measures at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary were made even more stringent and inmates were kept under harsher controls. In the decade following the Battle of Alcatraz, no further escapes were attempted.
On the morning of May 3 1997, 33-year-old Gary Patterson woke up early at his home in Waco, Texas. Gary was excited, as he was flying out to El Paso to complete the final stage in a series of job interviews. He had an appointment with the company’s CEO and by the end of the day, he hoped to be the new head of a large housing development project.
In June 1987, the bodies of Phillip Walkemeyer, Julie Warren and Terry Bolt were found shot dead at a campsite at the Pentecost River Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region. Their burnt-out vehicle was found nearby. Similarities were drawn to the double homicide of father and son, Marcus and Lance Bullen, that occurred days earlier at a remote river hundreds of kilometres away in the Northern Territory.
On May 2 2005, an officer at the Aigues-Mortes police station in Southern France received a phone call from a panicked man who warned, “A guy who just left my place is about to kidnap a girl. He’s armed, and I think he’s about to do something horrific.” The caller directed police to a nearby cafe and told them to be on the lookout for a man accompanied by an attractive young woman.
Announcement from the Anonymous Host.
For several weeks, 56-year-old Wilhelmina Kruger was unable to shake the feeling she was being watched. Her anxiety became so strong that on the night of January 29 1966, she had her partner drive her to her shift at the Piccadilly Centre in Wollongong, where she worked as a cleaner. It turned out Wilhelmina’s suspicions were right. The following morning, her mutilated body was found at the bottom of the basement stairs in what was considered one of the most brutal attacks in New South Wales history.
On September 15 1878, three teenage boys were tending to cattle in the woods near Silver Lake in Staten Island when they discovered a wooden barrel sticking out of the mud. Excited about the potential treasure that lay within, they frantically dug at the barrel with sticks.
On the morning of January 24 1987, nine-year-old Eric Coy hopped on his bike to make the one-mile journey to his cousin Eddrick’s house in the Northern Californian town of Martinez. The two boys were best friends and it was a trip Eric had made countless times before. Eager to get there as quick as he could, Eric took a shortcut.
On June 1 1960, Sydney resident Bazil Thorne received a phone call informing that he’d just won one hundred thousand pounds in a Sydney Opera House Lottery. Bazil couldn’t believe his ears – he’d never won anything of significance before.
[Part 1 of 3] Pennsylvania State University student Ross Ulbricht had been fascinated with mathematics and science from a young age. During his college years, he developed a new fascination with libertarianism, a political philosophy that values individual freedom above all else. For Ross, this became more of an interest – it became a way of life.
[Part 2 of 3] As The Silk Road continued to expand, problems started piling up for Ross Ulbricht, AKA The Dread Pirate Roberts. With business booming and concerns that law enforcement were lurking on the site, Ulbricht created an emergency ‘To Do List’ in case he ever came under real danger of getting caught. It read: ‘Encrypt and backup important files on laptop to memory stick; destroy laptop’s hard drive and hide/dispose; destroy phone and hide/dispose; find place to live on Craigslist for cash and create new identity.’
[Part 3 of 3] The investigation into The Silk Road and Ross Ulbricht heats to boiling point as Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI hone in on their suspect. Will Ulbricht’s attempts to create a new identity pay off and will his emergency plans succeed?
The evening of July 6, 1993, was a typical one for Mia Zapata. The 27-year-old was a staple of Seattle’s music scene, having fronted punk rock band The Gits since the group’s inception in Ohio in 1986. She spent the night at a live music venue, The Comet Tavern, before visiting a friend at their apartment. --- Opening poem titled; ‘Slaughter of Bruce’, written by Mia Zapata.
During the Iraq War, four members of the Janabi Family were found brutally massacred in their farmhouse in the rural village of Yusufiyah. 14-year-old Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi had been violently raped and the family’s home had been set on fire.
16-year-old Rayna Rison was a devoted animal lover who dreamed of one day becoming a veterinarian. On March 26 1993, she arranged to meet her ex-boyfriend Matt Elser at the animal hospital where she worked part-time in the small Northern Indiana city of LaPorte. But when Matt arrived to pick Rayna up, the lights were off in the building and she was nowhere to be seen.
Bonus interview with Vikki Petraitis – author of the book "The Phillip Island Murder"
Around midday on August 28 2003, 46-year-old delivery driver Brian Wells clocked in for his usual lunchtime shift at Mama Mia’s Pizzeria in Erie, Pennsylvania. At 1:30 PM, he was called to deliver two pizzas at an address at the end of a dirt road on Peach Street.
50-year-old Maria Korp was a devoted mother of two, so when she went missing from her Mickleham home in Melbourne’s north in February of 2009, it was clear that she hadn’t left on her own accord.
This is an update on the Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman case in Case 03 (23.04.18).
This is an important update on the EAR-ONS/Golden State Killer case in Case 53 (25.04.18).
In 2007, 28-year-old Chantelle McDougall told her family she was moving to Brazil for spiritual purposes, along with her daughter Leela, partner Simon Kadwell, and friend Tony Popic. The group packed up their farmhouse in the small Western Australian town of Nannup and vanished, but there was no evidence to confirm they ever left the country.
[Part 1 of 2] On October 5 1975, April Molseed sent her 11-year-old daughter Lesley Molseed to the nearby corner store in Rochdale to buy a loaf of bread. Hours later, she still hadn’t returned. Fears quickly escalated when it was discovered that Lesley never made it to the shop at all.
[Part 2 of 2] With Stefan Kiszko behind bars for the murder of Lesley Molseed, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester police were commended for their exceptional work in bringing the child killer to justice. The people of Rochdale once again felt safe knowing that the monster had been locked away… or so it seemed.
When 18-year-old Canadian High School student Tom Brown failed to return home by his midnight curfew on Thanksgiving of 2016, his mother Penny immediately knew something was wrong. It wasn’t like Tom to stay out late or not respond to text messages.
When FBI agents received word that online hackers had cracked their way into the dark web and uncovered an Albanian murder-for-hire organisation known as the Besa Mafia, they never expected their investigations would lead them to the quiet suburbs of Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
When Irish childcare worker Elaine O’Hara went missing in 2012, her family and friends feared she may have taken her own life. Although she’d recently spoken about an abusive affair she was having with a married man, Elaine struggled with mental illness and was prone to telling tales. Her stories were therefore written off as fictional.
Most people who try skydiving do it just once – it’s something to tick off the bucket list. But for a small minority, skydiving becomes an obsession, a way of life. While accidents are expected, skydiving deaths are uncommon. On the rare occasion that a jumper loses their life, a universal toast is given: “Blue skies, black death.”
In September 2012, former Countdown champion Richard Britton walked into a pub and was served by a 21-year-old bartender, whom he nicknamed “Ella Tundra”. From that moment on, Britton developed a fixation with Ella that filled the typically outgoing and confident young woman with paranoia and anxiety.
19-year-old Julian Knight was obsessed with war and combat from a young age. He enrolled in the Royal Military Academy of Duntroon with dreams of one day defending his country, but there was one problem – he didn’t like authority.
In 2006, Myspace was the biggest social media platform in the world, surpassing Google as the most visited website. Like many teenagers, 14-year-old Carly Ryan turned to the internet to interact with friends and meet new people. It wasn’t long before she struck up a friendship with 18-year-old Brandon Kane, who went by the username ‘KuruptKoala.’
Throughout June and July of 2007, residents of the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk were gripped by fear after a spate of murders occurred seemingly at random. Victims were brutally beaten using hammers and steel pipes, while some were tortured, with children, the elderly and homeless most vulnerable to the attacks.
When 40-year-old bank manager Susan Snow collapsed in her shower after complaining of a headache, the cause of her sudden death wasn’t clear. In a bid for answers, an autopsy was conducted, during which the medical examiner notices a distinct smell that immediately alerts her to the possibility that Susan was poisoned.
On the morning of March 3 1993, Vivian Rice pulled up outside the Silver Spring home of her sister, Millie Horn, and immediately noticed that something was wrong. The garage door was wide open and Millie’s minivan was nowhere to be seen. After cautiously entering the house, Vivian discovered the slain bodies of Millie, her eight-year-old quadriplegic son Trevor, and Trevor’s nurse Janice Saunders.
In 1964, an unknown offender took to the streets of Krakow to stab elderly women in what appeared to be a string of senseless, unprovoked attacks. The victims had no connection to one another, nor were they robbed or sexually assaulted, leaving police with no obvious motive to go by.
[Part 1 of 3] On March 22 1999, Sierra County police were dispatched to conduct a welfare check at a property in Hot Springs Landing, a small suburban community in the New Mexico town of Elephant Butte. Along the way, they ran into a visibly shaken witness who reported seeing a naked woman covered in blood running down the road with a chain clearly visible around her neck.
[Part 2 of 3] As the investigation into David Parker Ray’s alleged crimes continued, an officer recalled a past encounter with a hitchhiker that he believed could be connected. When the woman finally comes forward to report her story, the true extent of Parker Ray’s crimes becomes clear. What’s more, it becomes apparent that he didn’t act alone.
[Part 3 of 3] While viewing a video of one of David Parker Ray’s assaults, investigators successfully identify yet another victim. The cases go to trial, but will it be the outcome his survivors and the public are hoping for?
When aspiring actress Rebecca Schaffer secured the second lead in a new Hollywood sitcom, My Sister Sam, it felt like all her dreams were finally coming true. As she was thrust into stardom, she learned the truth the hard way – that fame comes with a dark side.
On the night of October 10 1984, a fire broke out at Ole’s Home Centre in South Pasadena that claimed the lives of four victims – Ada Deal, Matthew Troidl, Carolyn Kraus and Jimmy Cetina. Glendale arson investigator John Orr suspected the blaze had been deliberately lit, but his theory was dismissed and the fire was ruled a tragic accident.
When Bristol teenager Becky Watts failed to show up for a planned lunch date with her boyfriend and then stopped responding to text messages from her friends, they immediately suspected that something was wrong. Although it wasn’t like Becky to be out of contact for so long, there was nothing to indicate she had run away from home or met with foul play.
On January 26 1966, siblings Jane, Arna and Grant Beaumont joined the hundreds of Adelaide residents who flocked to Glenelg beach to find respite from the scorching summer heat. It was a trip they’d made on their own many times before, and as usual, their mother Nancy sent them off with just enough money to buy bus fare and lunch from the bakery.
12-year-old Sunshine Coast schoolgirl Sian Kingi was looking forward to her friend’s upcoming birthday party. She joined her mother at the shops in Noosa Heads to buy fabric for a new outfit and then rode her usual bike route home.
21-year-old Britt Lapthone developed a passion for travel at a young age, so it came as no surprise to her friends and family when she announced her plans to backpack solo through Europe. In mid-2008, Britt took off in search of adventure, lapping up many unforgettable experiences before eventually arriving in the Croatian town of Dubrovnik.
On 10 July 2001, New South Wales police received a frantic phone call from 21-year-old Sef Gonzales. He’d just returned home to discover that his mother Loiva, father Teddy, and younger sister Clodine had been the victims of a brutal murder.
In the early 2000s, the internet became increasingly affordable and readily available, which led to online chat rooms soaring in popularity. Logging into the local Manchester Teens chat room became a regular occurrence for 16-year-old Stockport student, “Mark”, who longed to find a girlfriend online.
Hi, everyone! Case 104: Mark & John was our last case this year. The next episode will be out on the 26th of January 2019; however, we have a surprise for you – a bonus Q&A episode with the host...
During recess and lunchtime at Hackham West Primary School in 1982, teachers patrolled the schoolyard to oversee the young children as they ran around and played together between lessons. Yet, there was often one student separated from the others, preferring to stick by her teachers’ sides rather than go off and play with her peers – 10-year-old Louise Bell...
[Part 1 of 2] As midnight approached on July 1 2002, the German village of Owingen was disturbed by a deep rumbling from above. Residents assumed an unforecast storm was brewing, but seconds later a thunderous explosion roared as a large ball of fire illuminated the night sky.
[Part 2 of 2] After 46-year-old Vitaly Kaloyev loses his entire family in the Überlingen mid-air collision, he becomes consumed by grief. Unable to move on, he pours his energy into finding the air traffic controller he believes is responsible for the death of his wife and children. As Kaloyev discovers whether revenge really is the best medicine, the question emerges – is he a hero or a villain?
In early 2001, 21-year old Lucie Blackman left her job as a flight attendant for British Airways in search of new adventures. She embarked on a working holiday to Japan, where she secured a job as a hostess at Club Casablanca in Tokyo’s bustling Roppongi district. Lucie struggled with the transition, writing in her diary: “I’m not coping well here. I can’t pull myself out of this hole I’ve fallen into… I just want to disappear.”
When three women – Mitra Simjanoska, Ljubica Licoska and Zivana Temelkoska – are murdered in the Macedonian city of Kicevo, local journalist Vlado Taneski takes it upon himself to cover the stories in detail. Unbeknownst to him, police set their eyes on an unlikely suspect and start closing in to make an arrest.
Part I coming soon...
[Part 1 of 5] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, backpackers from across the globe flocked to Australia in search of sun, surf and adventure. Although hitchhiking was frowned upon, it remained a popular option for those seeking a cheap, convenient method of transit.
[Part 2 of 5] After the remains of two bodies are found in Belanglo State Forest, New South Wales police establish a task force to oversee the investigation into the double homicide. Fearing that more remains will be discovered, a wide-scale search of Belanglo is conducted but the murder is ultimately considered to be an isolated incident.
[Part 3 of 5] After a witness comes forward to report a suspicious incident that occurred near Belanglo years earlier, the investigation quickly gains momentum. The spotlight is placed on a local family when one name keeps coming up repeatedly – Milat.
[Part 4 of 5] At 6:36 am on May 22 1994, a team of heavily armed police surrounded the Cinnabar Street home of Ivan Milat and instructed him to exit the house with his arms raised. Dumbfounded, Ivan responded: “Okie dokie. Just let me put me pants on…”
[Part 5 of 5] Accused serial killer, 51-year-old Ivan Milat sat motionless before the court dressed in a navy suit, white shirt and grey checkered tie...
On December 29 1969, News of the World deputy chairman Alick McKay returned to his manor in London’s upscale Wimbledon district to find the place ransacked. His wife, Muriel McKay, was nowhere to be seen.
In 1992, the children of Oil City, Pennsylvania were excited as Halloween approached. But when 11-year-old Shauna Howe fails to return home after a church Halloween party on October 27, the typically festive atmosphere quickly turns to one of anxiety and fear.
15-year-old Rachel Barber was thrilled to make the move from a conventional high school to a special performing arts school in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Richmond. On the evening of March 1 1999, she waved goodbye to her classmates after making plans to meet them for breakfast the following morning. Little did they know, it was the last they’d ever see of her.
In February 2015, Victorian police were called to the eastern banks of the Maribyrnong River in Moonee Ponds after two passersby made a grim discovery. Floating downstream was a plastic grocery bag containing a human forearm.
When teenager Elisa Claps mysteriously disappears after going to meet a friend in the Southern Italian town of Potenza, all possibilities are explored. Initial suspicions are cast on 21-year-old Danilo Restivo, but when reported sightings of Elisa begin to come in from across Italy and as far away as Albania, the investigative waters are muddied.
In the mid-1990s, police caught wind of an online paedophile ring known as The Orchid Club, in which members were using chat rooms to create and trade child exploitation material. Several American men were arrested, but detectives soon discovered The Orchid Club was just the tip of the iceberg.
British glamour model Chloe Ayling was ecstatic to be hired for a photoshoot in Milan. But after failing to return to the United Kingdom on her scheduled flight, it appears that the golden opportunity was too good to be true.
At 11:00 PM on March 14 2003, an emergency services operator in the United Kingdom answered a phone call on the nation’s 999 helpline. The person on the other line was silent. As was protocol, the operator transferred the call through to the ‘Silent Solutions’ department, where the call was ultimately disconnected.
After seven residents of Chicago passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in 1982, authorities discovered they shared a common link. In the hours before their deaths, each of the individuals had taken Tylenol branded paracetamol.
Monday, February 13, 2017, was a bonus day off school for students in the small American town of Delphi, Indiana. Best friends Abigail Williams and Liberty German decided to spend the day hiking and taking photographs on the Monon High Bridge Trail, which forms part of Delphi’s Historic Trails. Later that evening, when they fail to meet Liberty’s father at their designated pick-up spot, it’s soon suspected that the two teenagers met with foul play.
On May 5 2004, the first of three suitcases containing dismembered human remains washed up on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Detectives had two difficult tasks ahead of them. First, they needed to identify who the remains belonged to. Secondly, they had to figure out who was responsible for the murder and why.
During the early 1970s in Washington, D.C, six black girls aged between 10 and 18 were abducted and murdered in separate brutal attacks. The bodies of Carole Spinks, Darlenia Johnson, Brenda Crockett, Nenomoshia Yates, Brenda Woodard and Diane Williams were all found alongside busy roads, with most showing evidence of strangulation and sexual assault. The unidentified perpetrator, thought to be Washington’s first serial killer, became known as The Freeway Phantom.
In Australia, one woman is killed by her current or former domestic partner every week. So when 29-year-old Leeann Lapham went missing from her short term accommodation in Innisfail in 2010, suspicion was immediately cast on her boyfriend, Graeme Evans. Although the two were known to have a volatile and often violent relationship, Graeme maintained that Leeann had left on her own accord.
When 21-year-old Mark Kilroy and a group of his friends headed to South Padre Island in Texas for Spring Break, all they had in mind was sun, sand and celebration. However, when they crossed the border into the Mexican city of Matamoros to party with their fellow college students, things soon took a dark turn.
The small rural property of Hinterkaifeck lay approximately 70 kilometres north of the German city of Munich. Members of the Gruber-Gabriel family could usually be seen milling about, but in early April 1922, locals noticed that the Hinterkaifeck farmhouse was unusually void of activity.
In mid-July 2015, a motorist was travelling down the Karoonda Highway in South Australia when he pulled over near the small town of Wynarka to urinate. As he made his way into the thick bushland framing the side of the road, he noticed an array of dirty, torn children’s clothing strewn under a patch of trees. In front was an abandoned suitcase. He crouched down to unzip the case and began rummaging through its contents. Inside, he found a small human jawbone.
After 38-year-old Johnny Altinger goes on a date with a woman he met online, his friends start receiving strange emails. Things appear to have gone so well that Johnny decided to join the woman on an impromptu trip to Costa Rica. He even sends a resignation letter to his work, indicating that he has no immediate plans to return to Canada.
Brazilian born Pedro Rodrigues Filho first felt the desire to kill at the age of 13. It wasn’t long before he gave into his desires and claimed his first victim. Over the years that followed, Pedro’s thirst for violence grew. He soon became one of Brazil’s most prolific serial killers, with his crimes earning him the nickname of ‘Killer Petey.’
When 49-year-old Joan Vollmer begins acting strangely, her husband Ralph blames spiritual problems and turns to religion for answers. Rather than seeking help for Joan’s obvious mental health issues, Ralph consults with other members of the couple’s church, who believe they know the truth – that Joan has fallen victim to demonic possession.
On March 4 1998, the parents of Rui Pedro Teixeira Mendonça grew concerned when their son failed to show up for a lesson with his tutor. The 11-year-old had last been seen riding his bike near their family home in Lousada, Portugal. P
On Sunday, October 26 1997, an emergency services dispatcher in Canberra received a hysterical call from a young woman who refused to provide clear answers to basic questions. Between sobs, she requested an ambulance to treat a suspected heroin overdose.
During the 1970s and 80s, a series of terrifying sexual assaults occurred inside homes throughout the Victorian suburb of Donvale. The unidentified perpetrator was initially referred to as The Donvale Rapist, but after several survivors described him as having a distinctly offensive odour, he was given a new nickname – ‘Mr Stinky.’
In early April 2011, several friends and relatives of Nante’s Dupont De Ligonnès family received an unexpected letter that read: “Hi everyone! Huge surprise: we have to leave urgently for the U.S due to a very particular set of circumstances that we will explain below. When you read this letter, we will no longer be in France and won’t be able to return for an as-yet-undetermined period of time.”
When American couple Tom and Eileen Lonergan set out to visit Australia, they were particularly looking forward to putting their diving skills to good use. On January 25 1998, they took advantage of the perfect weather conditions and boarded a charter boat at the Port Douglas Marina for a day out exploring the Great Barrier Reef.
16-year-old Martha Puebla was no stranger to gang violence. She lived in California’s San Fernando Valley, where Latin American organisations like the 18th Street Gang and the Vineland Boyz controlled the streets. So when Martha inadvertently witnessed a gang-related murder, she knew to keep her mouth shut.
On December 23 1927, the streets of Cisco, Texas were full of festive cheer as residents prepared for Christmas. When a man dressed as Santa Clause entered the First National Bank of Cisco, customers chuckled that even Saint Nick had finances to attend to during the holiday season.
End of Year Message from Casefile team.
In late 2019, Casefile spoke with a special guest related to one of our most controversial episodes. The interview was initially intended for our companion podcast, From the Files, but as we’ve since put that show on hiatus, we’ve decided to air it as a bonus, one-off release due to its importance.
On August 17 1980, the Chamberlain family were camping at Uluru when Lindy Chamberlain went to put her nine-week-old daughter Azaria to sleep in the tent. Moments later, the other campers heard Lindy cry out, “My God, my God, a dingo has got my baby!”
19-year-old Arlis Perry took her Christian faith seriously. After fighting with her husband Bruce on the night of October 12 1974, she decided to clear her head by stopping in at the Stanford Memorial Church to pray. When she still hadn’t returned an hour later, Bruce checked the church but the doors we locked. He waited a few more hours before reporting Arlis missing.
In October of 1628, the newly constructed Batavia embarked on its maiden voyage from the shores of The Netherlands, setting sail for the Dutch East Indies. The 341 individuals on board were oblivious to the fact that the journey would eventually be described as one of the worst horror stories in maritime history.
[Part 1 of 2] When newlyweds Beryl and Timothy Evans found out they were expecting their first child, they set about finding a place of their own to live. They soon found a suitable rental property in London’s Notting Hill district, located at 10 Rillington Place.
[Part 2 of 2] On March 24 1953, a tenant at 10 Rillington Place was renovating their kitchen when they made a shocking discovery. After police arrive at the property, the true extent of the horror becomes clear.
Just after midnight on November 10 2012, a loud and frightening sound erupted in the Indianapolis subdivision of Richmond Hill. The force was so powerful that it registered on a regional earthquake sensor and homes were left rattling from the impact. Emergency services raced to the scene but were unable to save the lives of two residents, Dion and Jennifer Longworth.
18-year-old Natalee Holloway had been looking forward to her senior class trip to Aruba all year. The tropical vacation was a rite of passage for students at Mountain Brook High School, who celebrated their newfound freedom with five days of sightseeing, swimming and bottomless booze in the idyllic Caribbean location.
Australia is no stranger to bushfires. But when Victorian Premier John Brumby warned residents that the weather conditions for February 7, 2009, could be “the worst day in the history of the state,” no one could have predicted the damage that lay ahead.
Teenagers in the New South Wales town of Stockton Beach were excited as they gathered at the North Stockton Surf Club to celebrate the sixteenth birthday of a schoolmate. 14-year-old Leigh Leigh promised her parents she’d be waiting at their designated meeting spot in four hours time. When she didn’t arrive, they immediately knew something was wrong.
[Part 1 of 3] When specialty plumbers arrived to inspect the drains at a property in the north London suburb of Muswell Hill in early February 1983, it seemed like any regular job. Upon closer inspection, they were baffled by the presence of the “porridge-like substance” that appeared to be clogging the drains underneath the house.
[Part 2 of 3] By the time Dennis Nilsen moved out of his flat at 195 Melrose Avenue in Cricklewood, he had already taken the lives of twelve victims. Eager to start afresh, he set himself up on the top floor at 23 Cranley Gardens in Muswell Hill and focused on putting the past behind him.
[Part 3 of 3] As Dennis Nilsen prepares to face trial and the true extent of his murder spree begins to emerge, so many questions remain unanswered. What drove him to kill? Who were his victims? And how did he manage to get away with his crimes for so long?
On the morning of August 5 2009, 26-year-old Dalia Dippolito was working out when she received a voicemail from a detective at the Boynton Beach Police Department. He instructed Dalia to return to her home immediately, saying, “It involves your husband. There’s been an incident. I’ll tell you everything you need to know when you get here.”
When 18-year-old Brittany Phillips enrolled to study at Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma, she was excited to move into her own apartment. With the help of her mother Maggie Zingman, she soon found the perfect place – a one-bedroom apartment in the Glen Eagles housing complex on East 65th Street.
On July 10 1991, 18-year-old Julie Dart disappeared after a night out in Leeds. Two days later, her boyfriend Dominic Murray received a letter from Julie that read: “Help me, please. I’ve been kidnapped and I’m being held as personal security… Please go and tell my mum straight away.” The following week, a group of farmers working in a field alongside an abandoned railway line come across Julie’s decomposing body.
On the morning of September 15 2007, an elderly couple were walking through Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station when they noticed a young Asian girl standing alone near the escalator. Assuming she was lost, police were quickly notified and attempted to identify the toddler. Unable to verify who she was, they nicknamed her “Pumpkin.”
After the Western Australian gold rush of the late 1800s, there was little work available in the isolated Murchison region. Those lucky enough to find jobs were the ones willing to tough it out in the harsh conditions of the small towns and stations along the Rabbit Proof Fence. Due to the transient nature of these communities, it wasn’t unusual for people to leave without ever being heard from again.
Residents of Hudson, Wisconsin are left rattled when funeral director Dan O’Connell and his trainee James Ellison are found shot to death in The O’Connell Family Funeral Home. The two were hardworking men with no known enemies and nothing about their murders seem to add up.
Note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this episode contains the names of people who have passed away. The families of Cindy and Mona Lisa Smith have given Casefile permission to air this content.
Newlyweds Anni Hindocha and Shrien Dewani were looking forward to celebrating their honeymoon in South Africa. After a traditional wedding in India, they set off for a luxury stay at Kruger National Park before making their way to Cape Town.
When seven-year-old Steven Stayner fails to return home from school on December 4 1972, life changes irrevocably for the Stayner family. As the years pass by with no sign of their beloved son and brother, they do their best to adjust to life without him.
It wasn’t unusual for 25-year-old Danniella Vian to lose her phone. So when her mother-in-law Julie received a phone call from a stranger saying he had Danniella’s mobile, this wasn’t a cause for concern. The previous day, Danniella had made a highly anticipated car purchase and spent the night out celebrating with friends.
In Ireland in 1968, a period known as The Troubles began. Years of extreme protesting and violence culminated in low morale and widespread despair throughout the country, and the economy struggled, resulting in high unemployment rates and mass emigration.
** Warning: This episode contains descriptions of sexual violence *** The evening of April 9, 2004, started as a regular, uneventful shift for employees at a McDonald’s restaurant in Mount Washington, Kentucky. Until 4:56 PM, when the phone rang and the man on the other line introduced himself as Officer Scott.
31-year-old Russell ‘Stabba’ Martin was well known around the small town of Stawell in Victoria’s west. A staple of the local pubs and footy club, it wasn’t unusual for Russell to leave town for days at a time. No matter where he went or why Russell’s journey always led him back home to his wife Helen and their four children.
When 47-year-old Mississippi resident James Craig Anderson realised he’d locked his keys in his car in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 26 2011, he was thankful when a vehicle pulled up offering to help. But it soon became clear that the occupants were anything but good samaritans.
In late July 1990, siblings Steve and Jane McGowan both received a letter in the mail from their sister, 34-year-old Beverly McGowan, advising that she had quit her job and was selling her condo in order to go travelling. This made no sense to Steve and Jane.
[Part 1 of 2] Carole Sund and her teenage daughter Juli were excited to take their family friend and Argentinian exchange student, Silvina Pelosso, on a trip to see the natural wonders of Yosemite National Park. But when they fail to arrive at the San Francisco Airport for their scheduled flight home, investigators suspect that the trio might have met with foul play.
[Part 2 of 2] After the decapitated body of 26-year-old naturalist Joie Armstrong is found in Yosemite’s Foresta region, investigators are quick to deny that her murder is linked to that of Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. But when suspicions are cast on a local maintenance worker, the investigation takes a shocking turn.
In 1995, 15-year-old Scottish schoolboy Lawrence Haggart’s dreams came true when he was signed to join Celtic, an elite Scottish football club. The future looked bright for young Lawrence, until one night in March 1996 when his brother John Haggart awoke to the smell of something burning. He discovered Lawrence downstairs, beaten and set on fire.
[Part 6] This is the final instalment in a Casefile series that was first released in 2017. It covers recent developments in the case and mentions incidents detailed in previous episodes. If you haven’t already, we recommend you go back and listen to the first five parts of Case 53: The East Area Rapist before proceeding with Part Six.
Casefile will be back in early February, but for now, the team is taking a brief break to enjoy the holidays and process the unprecedented year that was 2020. All of us here at Casefile would like to thank you, our listeners, for your time, your feedback, and your encouragement. Your ongoing support is what enables us to keep this show going and we truly appreciate each and every one of you.
During the 1980s, Canadian nurse Cindy James was tormented by an unknown assailant at her home in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was subject to threatening phone calls, break-ins, arson attacks and even physical assaults. Cindy tried everything to protect herself, from installing an alarm system to moving house, but nothing – not even her policeman roommate – could deter the assailant.
In 1994, 13-year-old Nicholas Barclay disappeared after playing basketball with his friends in his home town of San Antonio, Texas. Years went by with no sign of him. Just when his family thought all hope was lost, in October 1997 they received a call from a police officer in the Spanish city of Linares. Nicholas had been found wandering the local streets, alive and well.
In 1979, residents of Adelaide were gripped by fear when several young men began to go missing under mysterious circumstances. 17-year-old Alan Barnes, 25-year-old Neil Muir, 14-year-old Peter Stogneff, 18-year-old Mark Langley and 15-year-old Richard Kelvin were later found dumped in the Adelaide Hills and surrounds. They had been drugged and subject to horrific sexual abuse and torture.
Hello Casefile listeners! Anonymous host here. I’m making a special appearance to tell you about a very special challenge I’ll be participating in this weekend. The 4x4x48 challenge by David Goggins. I’ll be raising money for Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN) - a charity that humanises missing people and supports loved ones left behind. Click the link below to read the full story about the challenge and why I’m doing this - and to make a donation to MPAN. I’ll be posting updates after every leg of the challenge so keep an eye on our social media channels for some exclusive content!
In Australia, Father’s Day falls on the first Sunday of September and is typically a time for families to gather together and celebrate. But on Father’s Day in 2005, the small Victorian town of Winchelsea was rocked by news that a local man named Robert Farquharson had driven his three young sons – Jai, Tyler and Bailey – into a dam. Robert survived, but all three boys drowned.
In January 1974, 18-year-old Guðmundur Einarsson enjoyed a night out with friends in the town of Hafnarfjordur, Iceland. At the end of the evening, he walked into a wild snowstorm and was never seen again. Ten months later, in November 1974, 32-year-old Geirfinnur Einarsson (no relation) also disappeared from the Icelandic fishing town of Keflavik. In a country with next to no homicide, foul play was considered immediately.
On October 2 1987, a council employee in Central City, Kentucky called police after finding an abandoned, blood-smeared Pontiac outside his workplace. When Lieutenant Billy Fields arrived at the scene, he found the savagely assaulted body of 20-year-old Corinna Mullen in the boot. Corinna hadn’t been seen since the previous night when she’d gone out drinking with her roommate Angela Smith.
On February 29 2008, members of the Caffey Family were sleeping soundly in their Texas home when intruders suddenly stormed in and launched a brutal attack. After setting the house on fire, the intruders fled, unaware that one family member was still alive. Patriarch Terry Caffey emerged from the burning building barely clinging to life, his body riddled with bullet wounds.
On August 19 1988, two armed offenders entered a branch of the Deutsche Bank in Gladbeck, West Germany with the intention of holding it up. Hans-Jürgen Rösner and Dieter Degowski planned to steal a large sum of money, then make a quick getaway.
In August 1961, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were sitting in their car in Dorney Reach, UK when an intruder forced his way into the backseat brandishing a gun. After driving them around the English countryside for hours, the intruder shot both Michael and Valerie, leaving them on the side of the road at a location known as Deadman’s Hill.
When 19-year-old Rocio Wanninkhof failed to return home after a night out with friends, her mother Alicia was immediately worried. The family lived in the small town of La Cala de Mijas, Spain – where teenagers felt safe going out alone. Alicia’s concern quickly turned to distress when she discovered Rocio’s shoes lying abandoned in a clearing near their home, alongside a pool of blood.
One cold winter night in 1991, best friends Vicki Arnold and Julie-Anne Leahy vanished from their town of Atherton, Queensland. The two women had left for a late-night fishing trip but never came home. Two weeks later, their bodies were found in Julie-Anne’s car on a remote bushland track, in the opposite direction from where they’d been headed.
When newlyweds Gail and Rick Brink failed to show up to their respective jobs on the morning of November 23 1987, the alarm was immediately raised. The couple’s bodies were discovered at the ranch house they had only just purchased. Both had been shot multiple times in the head, execution-style. The slayings shocked the quiet community of Holland, Michigan, and everyone had a theory as to what might have happened.
On June 9 2017, Yingying Zhang vanished on her way to an appointment in Urbana, Illinois. The Chinese visiting scholar missed her bus and after she failed to return to work that day, her colleagues quickly raised the alarm...
Married couple Derek and Maria Broaddus were house hunting when a property in the affluent neighbourhood of Westfield, New Jersey immediately caught their attention. 657 Boulevard was a striking six bedroom, four bathroom Dutch Colonial style home that was the perfect place to raise their family – or so they thought.
Between 1993 and 2009, DNA discovered at 40 crime scenes across Germany, Austria, and France were linked to an unknown woman of eastern European descent. Dubbed ‘The Woman Without a Face’, her crimes ranged from petty theft to murder. After her DNA was linked to the murder of Heilbronn police officer, Michele Kiesewetter, the suspect was renamed ‘The Phantom of Heilbronn’.
On the morning of September 6 2011, Auckland teenager Christie Marceau was woken by a troubling phone call from an acquaintance named Akshay Chand. The two 18-year-olds had previously worked together at a supermarket, and Chand was now threatening to take his own life.
“This is going to be the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard. This is going to be the craziest thing you’ve ever heard. There is nothing in your lives or background that has prepared you to understand the Potter family. You have never seen anybody like them.”
During the early ’70s, cemeteries and mortuaries throughout Germany were targeted by a particularly disturbing grave robber. Not only did he steal the personal belongings of the dead, but he also exhumed, mutilated, molested, and gnawed upon the bodies...
To our faithful listeners, we regret to inform you that Casefile will be taking a short, unexpected break while our beloved host recovers from a medical issue. We should be back to our usual schedule in a few weeks. In the meantime, be sure to check out the latest Casefile Presents podcast series, The Invisible Hand or explore Casefile’s back catalogue and rediscover some of the podcast’s classic episodes. We know our listeners will join us in wishing the host the best as he rests and recuperates. The entire Casefile team looks forward to sharing new episodes with you very soon. Thank you for understanding, Casefile team
On February 5 1921, eight-year-old Freda Burnell went missing in the small coal-mining town of Abertillery, Wales. The unusual disappearance reached a tragic conclusion when her bound and beaten body was found dumped inside a sack in an alleyway...
Karen MacKenzie resided in Greenough with her three children - Daniel, Amara, and Katrina. The 31-year-old single mother had recently gotten together enough money to rent a small house on the rural outskirts of town...
Early on the morning of October 18 1947, a stewardess working on the ocean liner Durban Castle discovered something strange. The cabin belonging to an actress named Gay Gibson was empty...
When Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong were offered the chance to star on a prank show that aired on YouTube, the young women thought it was the opportunity of a lifetime. All they had to do was approach strangers on the street and rub oil on their faces...
When 16-year-old Colleen Walker suddenly vanished from the New South Wales town of Bowraville in September 1990, her family and friends knew something was terribly wrong. But local police dismissed their concerns, suggesting that the Indigenous teenager had simply “gone walkabout”...
In the early hours of Monday, November 15 2004, husband and wife Peter and Joan Porco were savagely attacked with an axe while they slept...
On August 2 2006, 32-year-old lawyer Robert Wone knocked off after a long day at his office in Washington DC. To save making the journey home so late at night, he arranged to stay at a friend’s house...
When JoAnne Chambers was hired to teach at Coolbaugh Learning Centre in Pennsylvania she arrived with glowing reviews from her former school. So when an anonymous harasser began targeting the popular school teacher, she was left stunned...
[Part 1 of 2] During the 1970s and ’80s, a predator was stalking the streets of Anchorage, Alaska. By day, he was a respectable family man who ran his own business. But at night, he would prowl Anchorage’s infamous Tenderloin District, looking for vulnerable or destitute women...
[Part 2 of 2] In June 1983, Cindy Paulson ran out onto a highway in Anchorage, barefoot and handcuffed. She was the prized prey of a prolific serial killer who was plaguing the region and had escaped his plans to hunt her down in the Alaskan wilderness – something he had done with many other women...
Melbourne psychotherapist Margaret Hobbs was used to dealing with sex offenders. Many of her clients were men who had been referred to her through the court system after committing terrible crimes...
On Christmas Eve 1945, while most citizens of the town of Fayetteville, West Virginia celebrated the end of World War Two, Italian immigrants - George and Jennie Sodder watched their house go up in flames...
On July 17, 1984, a deceased female was located in a deserted area near Lake Tahoe, California. Investigators were stumped as to her identity or her killer, who had horrifically murdered her by setting her alight...
Saturday, June 4 1960 seemed like the beginning of an idyllic summer break for Finnish teenagers, Nils Gustafsson, Seppo Boisman, Maila Irmeli Björklund and Anja Tuulikki Mäki. The four friends had decided to go camping at Lake Bodom, a picturesque region not far from their homes in Helsinki...
On the evening of May 22 2010, Steve Herr drove over to his son Sam’s apartment in Costa Mesa, California. The 26-year-old college student was supposed to be spending the weekend with his parents but when he never showed up, Steve decided to check on him...
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim *** In March 1997, residents of Kobe, Japan were horrified when dead and mutilated cats began appearing at random along the city's sidewalks...
In 1974, a young woman named Margaret Schafer was strangled to death in her hometown of Ewersbach, Germany...
When Kmart employee Tami Reay failed to show up at work in Pierre, South Dakota on the morning of Wednesday, February 8 2006, her co-worker Brian Clark called the police to report her missing. Brian had reason to suspect that Tami might have fallen victim of foul play. He and Tami had been having an affair, and her husband had just found out.
During the summer of 1976 and 1977, seven young women mysteriously disappeared from the streets of Adelaide. Veronica Knight, Sylvia Pittman, Julie Mykyta, Connie Iordanides, Vicki Howell, Tania Kenny, and Deborah Lamb were all last seen near main roads or waiting at bus stops.
Casefile will be back in early February 2022. Thank you all for listening to the podcast and for your support. It keeps us going every day! In the meantime, be sure to check our Casefile Presents shows here: https://casefilepresents.com There are more to come in 2022!
[Part 1 of 4] During the 1960s, California saw a wave of senseless, unsolved slayings. Cab driver Ray Davis was murdered in cold blood after an anonymous killer warned of his intentions. Two young couples – Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards, and Johnny and Joyce Swindle – were gunned down in separate yet similar attacks.
[Part 2 of 4] On December 20 1968, teenagers David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen were gunned down in the middle of the night on a deserted road in Benicia, California. Six months later, another young couple, Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau, were shot in a parking lot in nearby Vallejo. When an anonymous caller informed the police that he’d committed both attacks, the hunt was on.
[Part 3 of 4] On September 27 1969, friends Cecelia Shepard and Bryan Hartnell were relaxing at Lake Berryessa, California, when their afternoon was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a menacing figure. His face was concealed by a black hood, painted with a crosshair symbol. The man unleashed a brutal attack on the pair before fleeing the scene.
[Part 4 of 4] On March 22 1970, 22-year-old Kathleen Johns suffered a terrifying encounter when her car broke down on a California highway. Was it possible she’d encountered the Zodiac Killer?
When 22-year-old Janet Chandler was abducted while working the night shift at the Blue Mill Inn on January 31 1979, her disappearance appeared to be part of a robbery...
On Saturday, February 23 1957, 11-year-old Moira Anderson set out in a blizzard to run a quick errand. When she failed to return home, locals in her hometown of Coatbridge, Scotland began searching the area for any sign of her...
On January 26 2005, 25-year-old Juan Alvarez parked his car on a railway line in Glendale, Los Angeles, causing an explosive train crash that killed and injured dozens of commuters. Alvarez, plagued by family troubles and a difficult past, claimed it was an accident but those who witnessed the crash said otherwise. Was Alvarez an innocent victim or a calculating killer?
On March 9 2001, 43-year-old computer engineer Bernd Brandes disappeared from his home in Berlin, Germany. Although his absence was extremely out of character, investigations into his whereabouts proved unsuccessful...
On Tuesday, July 27 1976, 16-year-old Candra Torres and a man named Tom Brown showed up in an Oregon sheriff’s department to report a terrible incident. Candra’s husband, 21-year-old Julio Torres, had been accidentally shot and killed while the three were on a camping trip deep in Mount Hood National Forest...
In early January 1977, residents of Easey Street in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Collingwood noticed they hadn’t seen the tenants at number 147 for several days...
In 2018, American missionary John Chau sailed out to North Sentinel, a forested island off the coast of India. He intended to spread the word of God to the Sentinelese, a small population of indigenous people considered the most remote tribe in the world. Yet, the Sentinelese have made it very clear to outsiders that they desire isolation above all else.
When Swedish backpackers Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen go missing during a camping trip around New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula, concerns are quickly raised that the newly engaged couple could have fallen victim to foul play. Worries increase once it’s discovered that convicted killer, David Tamihere, was on the loose in the area at the time, having jumped bail on a rape charge.
On March 11, 2011, two employees of the Lululemon Athletica yoga store in Bethesda, Maryland fell victim to a brutal attack carried out by two masked men. 30-year-old Jayna Murray was murdered, while 28-year-old Brittany Norwood survived the ordeal which included sexual assault, torture, repeated stabbings and burglary.
When Omaha mechanic Dave Kroupa met Cari Farver in late 2012, he thought he’d found the perfect woman. Unfortunately, their relationship soon turned sour and when Dave ended things, Cari began to obsessively stalk him, turning his life into a living nightmare...
On December 21 1924, itinerant beggar, Vincenz Olivier, knocked on the door of an apartment building on the outskirts of Münsterberg in Weimar, Germany. Father Denke, the elderly man who answered the door, gladly offered Vincenz 20 pfennigs to help him write a letter to his brother. Vincenz accepted and was welcomed into Father Denke’s home...
It was around 2:30 am on Sunday, December 18 1994, when a group of friends stumbled across the bloody and brutalised body of a young woman, lying in the middle of a road in Gqeberha, South Africa. She was the latest victim of Frans Du Toit and Theuns Kruger; two men who the press would come to dub The Noordhoek ‘Ripper Rapists’.
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim *** When the body of four-year-old Kevin Hjalmarsson was found floating on a wooden pallet in Sweden’s Kyrkviken bay, police determined that it wasn’t a tragic drowning, but a cold-blooded murder.
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim *** On May 26 1978, four-year-old Eric Christgen suddenly disappeared while playing in a park in St Joseph, Missouri. The next day, his body was discovered near the Missouri River, sparking a manhunt like the small town had never seen before.
Eliahu Itzkovitz spent much of his childhood confined behind the walls of Romania’s Chișinău Ghetto – a place where he and other Romanian Jews were held prisoner by their government...
In March 1998, members of the Cat Protection Society in Brisbane, Australia were shocked at the murder of one of their own, a 52-year-old Veterinarian named Dr Kathleen Marshall. An outspoken crusader for animal rights, Kathleen seemed an unlikely target for such a brutal assault...
[Part 1 of 2] At the height of World War Two in London, a serial killer roamed the streets. In just one week in February 1942, he killed four women and attempted to kill others, taking them by surprise at night during the enforced blackout periods.
[Part 2 of 2] In Berlin, Germany at the height of World War Two, a man took advantage of the Blackout orders at night to frighten and assault women in an isolated garden colony. Soon, he progressed to attacking and killing women on the S-Bahn train by throwing them from the carriage door while the train was in motion.
Hey Casefile fans! In support of Missing Persons Week, I’ve accepted a challenge to record 145 personalised messages for the first 145 listeners to secure their spot. Why this many? Because on average, 145 Australians are reported missing every single day. Whether you know a Casefile fan with an upcoming birthday or just looking to change your voicemail? Get creative! Spots will open at 8 am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Sunday 31st of July, and close on Saturday 6th of August, unless sold out prior. 100% of the proceeds will go to Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN); an Australian charity creating awareness for missing persons and providing support to their families and friends. Go to mpan.com.au/customcasey and I’ll look forward to speaking to you, personally, soon.
Dr John Schneeberger’s charming and gentle manner made him a popular and trusted figure in the tiny Canadian town of Kipling. So when a young woman named Candice accused him of raping her in 1992, most townsfolk were left shocked and found the allegation impossible to believe.
When the bodies of British tourists 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller were found brutally murdered on the remote Thai island of Koh Tao, the police immediately concluded that the killer had to be a foreigner, as a Thai person couldn’t be capable of such brutality.
In May 1975, 45-year-old Frank Hilley began experiencing severe nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps in his home in Anniston, Alabama. He died just over a week later. Soon after, his wife Marie Hilley began to receive threatening phone calls, messages and damage to her property. When her teenage Carol Hilley began to show the same symptoms as her late father, Marie flew into a panic trying to get to the bottom of what was happening.
In 1996, Karina Holmer left her small Swedish village of Skillingaryd to travel to Boston, Massachusetts. The 19-year-old had plans to work as an au pair with an American family who lived in an affluent neighbourhood called Dover. Karina settled in well with her host family: married couple Frank Rapp and Susan Nichter and their two young children. But just three months after arriving in Dover, Karina suddenly disappeared after a night out with friends...
*** Warning: This case involves a child victim *** When Czech Republic man Eduard Trdý inadvertently intercepted the video feed of his neighbour’s security camera in May 2007, he was so alarmed by the footage that he contacted the police...
On October 24 1953, 15-year-old Evelyn Hartley set out for a babysitting job in her neighbourhood of La Crosse, Wisconsin. When she didn’t call her parents at 8.30 pm as promised, Evelyn’s father raced to the house to check on her...
Semper Fidelis – which means ‘Always Faithful’ is the motto of the United States Marine Corps and a nod to the tight-knit culture the corps is known for. At the Parris Island recruit depot in South Carolina, new recruits undergo a gruelling 13-week training program that determines whether they will become Marines.
In 2003, 12 elderly women were killed in their homes in Mexico City. Most were strangled and robbed. Fears arose that a serial killer was on the loose, with the media dubbing the perpetrator‘El Mataviejitas’- The Little Old Lady Killer. Police initially dismissed the serial killer notion, until the victim count continued to rise and the evidence became too strong to ignore.
The weekend of December 16 2000 was shaping up to be a good one for Tallahassee man Mike Williams. With a romantic getaway planned to celebrate his sixth wedding anniversary to his wife Denise, Mike got up early to sneak in a couple hours of duck hunting on Lake Seminole. When he failed to return home, Denise quickly raised the alarm.