Motive & Method

In 2007, four people vanished from a remote town in Western Australia - leaving behind an abandoned home, a cryptic note and a trail of unanswered questions.
At the centre of the mystery was a self-styled spiritual leader, who had built an online doomsday cult. Over the past 20 years, as desperate family, police and coroners examined theories ranging from suicide pacts to staged disappearances, the truth behind the so-called “Nannup Four” only became more disturbing.
In this episode, ABC journalist Dominique Bayens - behind the investigative podcast ‘Expanse: The Nannup Four’ -  joins Tim and Xanthe to examine this myst...

In this bonus episode, Tim and Xanthe sit down with MP Jeremy Buckingham, the driving force behind the parliamentary inquiry examining some of Australia’s most notorious unsolved murders and missing persons cases. 
Buckingham reveals what sparked his decade-long push for answers, the systemic failures families say have left them abandoned and why he believes these cases deserve fresh scrutiny. He also explains what changes could come from the inquiry - and why families believe this may be their best chance yet at answers and accountability.

More episodes of Australia's Killer Secrets coming soon...

See...

A three-year-old disappears. A teenager confesses. Yet more than five decades later, Cheryl Grimmer’s family is still fighting for justice.
Cheryl Grimmer vanished from a beach change room in 1970, and despite a detailed confession decades later, no one has ever been held accountable for her murder. In this powerful interview, Cheryl’s brothers, Paul Grimmer and Ricki Nash, share the devastating impact her disappearance has had on their family and their decades-long fight for justice. 
They raise troubling questions about missed investigative opportunities, a confession that was ultimately ruled inadmissible, and why they believe authorities failed to pr...

What if Ivan Milat’s first victim was killed more than two decades before the backpacker murders?
Keren Rowland was 5 months pregnant when she was brutally murdered and hidden in a pine forest in 1971. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe sit down with Keren's brother Steve Rowland and former UK detective Hugh Hughes.
They detail years of fighting for answers, alleging police ignored crucial leads, withheld information and failed to properly investigate Milat despite mounting evidence linking him to Keren’s murder.
More than 55 years on, the family is still asking the question that haunts this case: if p...

A twin brother's 47-year fight for answers, suspicious letters and a new witness who may hold the key to where Kay Docherty is buried.
In this episode, Kevin Docherty shares the heartbreaking story of his sister Kay Docherty, who vanished alongside her friend Toni Cavanagh in 1979. Nearly five decades on, Kevin recalls the night they disappeared, the suspicious letters sent to their families days later, and the long fight for answers after police initially treated the case as a runaway.
He also reveals new information from a recently emerged witness that may not only point to Ivan...

Families demand answers - police under scrutiny - and a revelation that could reshape the Milat case.
At the first hearing into dozens of Australia’s unsolved murders and missing persons cases, police revealed a previously unheard list of potential additional victims linked to Ivan Milat.

In this episode, forensic scientist and criminologist Dr Xanthe Weston and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro take you inside the landmark parliamentary inquiry in Bowral, NSW. They unpack the heartwrenching testimony from families still searching for answers, and their sharp criticism of police.

Plus, the expert evidence they presented to...

What if the full story behind Australia's most notorious serial killer Ivan Milat has never been told?
In episode one of this special series of Motive&Method, forensic scientist Dr Xanthe Weston and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro break down the unsolved missing & murdered cases being re-examined in a landmark parliamentary inquiry.
Tim & Xanthe have been working for years, alongside family members, on many of these cases. Now they're being called to give their expert submissions, highlighting the evidence and potential links in some of the investigations. 

In Australia's Killer Secrets, Tim & Xanthe are taking you i...

What if the full story behind Australia's most notorious serial killer Ivan Milat has never been told? And what if more recent cases point to a copycat killer - or worse?
In this special series of Motive&Method, forensic scientist Dr Xanthe Weston and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro take you inside a landmark parliamentary inquiry examining dozens of unsolved murders and disappearances.
From new evidence to long-overlooked links, Australia’s Killer Secrets explores the mysteries that continue to haunt a nation.

Series launches Wednesday June 10. 

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Mysterious disappearances, unsolved deaths & terrifying stories - Is a killer stalking Byron Bay? And could there be more than one?
In 2019, 18-year-old Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez vanished after a night out in Byron Bay and was never seen again. Since then, the disturbing death of Jackson Stacker and the mysterious cases of Hugo Palmer and Erwan Ferrieux, among others, have become part of a chilling theory that a serial killer may be stalking northern New South Wales.
As social media speculation collides with real police investigations, stories of alleged close calls and suspicious encounters continue to emerge...

A mother & two young boys killed allegedly at the hands of their father - This tradegy has once again left an entire country asking how this keeps happening. 
The alleged murders in Campbelltown, Sydney have been described as among the most confronting domestic violence scenes seasoned investigators have encountered. Police allege the accused may have been inspired by another shocking family killing in Perth.
In this episode, Tim & Xanthe unpack the allegations while examining the broader national crisis of domestic violence in Australia. Why do these tragedies keep happening - and what will it take for meaningful c...

Crimes for clicks, shares and online status - In this episode, Tim and Xanthe unpack the  dangerous new phenomenon “crimefluencing”. Australia’s top cop recently highlighted this “new and disturbing front in traditional gender-based violence” - with young people being drawn into online networks that encourage everything from petty offending to serious violence and exploitation. From livestreamed assaults to the coercion of vulnerable teenage girls, this episode explores how social media has gamified criminal behaviour.

WATCH OUR FULL VIDEO EPISODES ON YOUTUBE AT 'CRIME CENTRAL AUSTRALIA'. 
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In December 2017, two young men took off on a drug-fuelled roadtrip to spend New Year's Eve in Cairns. One made it to the party - the other was never seen again. Now a shocking development could see this case finally solved.

In the final episode of this special series for Outback Murder Highway, investigative journalist Amelia Oberhardt dissects the mysterious disappearance of 22-year-old Jayden Penno-Tompsett who vanished in a tiny town off the Flinders Highway. The coroner ruled out foul play - but Jayden’s mum isn’t convinced and hired a private investigator to find new evide...

More than three decades after 12-year-old Leanne Holland was murdered in Ipswich, her case remains one of Australia’s most controversial unsolved killings. In this episode, Tim and Xanthe speak with former police officer turned private investigator Graeme Crowley, whose relentless investigation helped trigger a new coronial inquiry into the case. They unpack the disappearance and murder of Leanne, the quashed conviction of her sister’s boyfriend Graham Stafford and the unanswered questions that have haunted the case for 35 years. 

Graeme reveals the new witness sightings, alternative suspects and investigative findings he believes could finally lead to the t...

Mark Jones’ little brother Tony was hitchhiking to meet their other brother in 1982 when he made a final phone call back home & was never heard from again.

In this extended interview from the documentary series Outback Murder Highway, Mark shares his disappointment in the police investigation. He is confident someone has more information about what happened to his brother, and is hopeful they’ll come forward and give his family answers after four decades of searching. 

This interview was conducted by Jo Townsend for the television series Outback Murder Highway - On Channel 9 at 8.30pm on We...

In the early '80s a young hitchhiker vanished off the Flinders Highway - despite a mysterious tip-off in the mail, a killer’s confession, and growing rumours around one outback town, the truth remains hidden. 

In this third episode for Outback Murder Highway, Tim, Xanthe and investigative journalist Amelia Oberhardt unpack the unsolved disappearance of 20-year-old Tony Jones who was on his way to meet his brother in Mt Isa but never arrived. 

You can watch the Outback Murder Highway TV documentary series 8.30pm Wednesday on Channel 9  from April 22 to May 13.
Or watch anyti...

John Twaddle thought he knew who murdered his brother Gordon, but the person he had suspected has been ruled out by police on multiple occasions. 
Almost 50 years after Gordon was found dead off Queensland’s Flinders Highway, alongside his girlfriend Karen and mate Tim, their families are no closer to the truth. 

In this extended interview from the documentary series Outback Murder Highway, John shares what it was like to return home to New Zealand without answers, and spend decades waiting for a breakthrough.

This interview was conducted by Callum Denness for the television serie...

In October 1978 three bodies are found at Spear Creek in remote outback Queensland - each has a single rifle shot to the head. Decades later a prime suspect is ruled out but did witnesses identify another man?
In this special episode for Outback Murder Highway, Tim and Xanthe are joined again by investigative journalist Amelia Oberhardt to unpack the documentary investigation into the unsolved murders of Karen Edwards, Tim Thomson and Gordon Twaddle. 

You can watch the Outback Murder Highway TV documentary series 8.30pm Wednesday on Channel 9  from April 22 to May 13.
Or watch anytime here...

For over fifty years, David Cunningham has been searching for the truth about his sister Anita, who vanished while hitchhiking Queensland’s notorious Flinders Highway in 1972.
While her friend Robin was tragically found murdered, Anita’s fate remains one of the Outback's most enduring and haunting mysteries. 
In this powerful, extended interview from the documentary series Outback Murder Highway, David shares the grueling reality of a half-century search for justice. From the initial desperate weeks to the sudden breakthrough of new witnesses, he explores the theories, the suspects and his hope that someone who knows something will come...

Two 18-year-old girls disappeared on the Flinders Highway in 1972. One was found murdered, the other has never been found.
In this first episode of our special series for Outback Murder Highway, Tim & Xanthe are joined by investigative journalist Amelia Oberhardt to dissect the unsolved case of Anita Cunningham and Robin Hoinville-Bartram. Could police have missed crucial evidence all those years ago that could prove  they were victims of one of Australia's most notorious serial killers?

You can watch the Outback Murder Highway TV documentary series 8.30pm Wednesday on Channel 9  from April 22 to May 13.
Or watch an...

One Australian highway - 11 people dead or missing
In this special series, criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro and forensic criminologist, Dr Xanthe Weston are unpacking four major cases under investigation in the exclusive new television documentary series Outback Murder Highway.
In each episode, Tim & Xanthe are joined by investigative journalist Amelia Oberhardt to dissect the history of these unsolved cases along Australia's notorious Flinders Highway, and the new developments revealed in the documentary series.
Plus, we'll be releasing bonus extended interviews from the documentary series.
Launching April 23. 

Watch Outback Murder Highway every Wednesday night fr...

Breaking news on notorious serial killer Ted Bundy decades after his execution -  A DNA breakthrough has linked Ted Bundy to another cold case murder, proving his story may not be as closed as once believed. In this bonus episode, Xanthe and Tim unpack the breakthrough and what it reveals about the enduring power of forensic science. Also, how rapid advances in DNA technology are cracking long-cold cases here in Australia and driving fresh arrests. From infamous killers to unknown offenders, this episode explores how science is reshaping investigations and what secrets might still be waiting to surface.

A dramatic arrest on a Queensland beach and a years-long search for a missing baby - it’s not all cybercrime for private investigator Ken Gamble! In part two of our conversation, Ken takes us inside his pursuit of Australia’s most notorious conman, Peter Foster.  Plus, how he got dragged into a major case of a missing baby in the United States  - and unravelled the mother's conflicting claims of murder and adoption.

You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!

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He’s helped bring down international fraud rings, recover millions for victims and hunt some of the world’s most notorious con artists - including serial swindler Peter Foster.
In part 1 of Tim & Xanthe’s conversation with private investigator Ken Gamble, Ken talks overnight mafia stakeouts, unmasking one of the world’s first major online ticket scammers and busting ‘boiler rooms’ in the Philippines that were stealing millions from Aussie mums and dads. 

Part two is out next week - 8th April, 2026.

You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!

See omny...

REPLAY: This episode was originally released in September, 2025 as the hunt was continuing for self-described sovereign citizen, Dezi Freeman who was wanted over the shooting deaths of two police officers in Porepunkah. Tim and Xanthe are joined by one of the country's leading experts on radicalism and extremism - Dr Josh Roose - to unpack the rise of the sovereign citizen movement and the threat it poses in Australia.

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Her husband died. She wrote a book about grief. Then she was charged with his murder.
The Kouri Richins case is one of the most talked about recent criminal trials. While she was giving interviews spruiking the book she wrote to help her children cope with the loss of their father,  investigators were uncovering drug deals, secret debts, an affair and a sinister murder plot. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe discuss how a story of grief unravelled into a murder motivated by greed. 

You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!

...

He was one of Australia's most feared predators - and he was never caught. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe revisit the terrifying crimes of Mr Cruel, the masked offender who stalked Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, targeting young girls, in the late 1980s. Tim worked alongside Victoria Police at the time, profiling the serial rapist as the attacks grew more brazen, escalating from calculated home invasions and kidnappings to the murder of 13-year-old Karmein Chan.
More than thirty years on, the mystery remains: how did one of Australia’s most methodical offenders get away with it - and could Mr C...

Six deaths, multiple states and a high-IQ cult at the centre of it all. In this episode Xanthe and Tim unravel the bizarre and deeply unsettling case of 'The Zizians', whose alleged victims include a border patrol agent and one member's own parents. So how and why did a group of highly intelligent Silicon Valley overachievers spiral into violence? It's a twisted web authorities are still trying to untangle, with seven cult members currently behind bars awaiting trial.

You can watch our full episodes now on Youtube: click here!

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She killed three babies and tried to murder two others. How is Australia's worst female serial killer now living in anonymity within close proximity to young children?
An investigation by A Current Affair reporter Erin Ramsay has thrust the case of Helen Patricia Moore, the so-called killer babysitter, back into the spotlight. Despite serving less than fourteen years for murdering babies in her care, Moore rebuilt her life under a new identity - and was babysitting again.
Plus, a chilling new claim from her own brother raises the possibility she got away with another murder. Erin Ramsay...

Is this another case of wrongful conviction like Kathleen Folbigg?
In this episode, we revisit the case of Lucy Letby, as fresh legal developments continue to reshape how the evidence is being examined. With new inquests announced and ongoing legal processes underway, questions are being raised about expert testimony, systemic failures and whether earlier conclusions still stand. Tim & Xanthe unpack what’s changed, what’s still contested and why this case remains far from settled.

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The disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont has become one of the most troubling and fast-moving investigations in the country. The case that began as a desperate search in remote South Australia has since shifted into a major crime investigation. This episode, Tim & Xanthe discuss the key developments and turning points, and what detectives are saying now about their direction and their suspect. It's a case still unfolding with updates released literally as we record this episode, so by the time you're listening, the story may have already changed. 

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At the time this episode is released, Julian Ingram is one of the most wanted men in Australia. 
A major manhunt was launched in regional NSW after Ingram allegedly shot and killed his pregnant ex-girlfriend, her new partner and her aunt before fleeing the scene. 
As revelations emerge of his criminal history and recent release on bail, serious questions are being asked about risk assessment, firearm access and systemic failures. We break down what is known so far - and why this case is resonating far beyond one small community.

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When the remains of an infant were uncovered in a Sydney backyard, it was just the start of a dark and twisted scandal that shocked colonial Australia. As police uncovered over a dozen more infant remains, the secret world of Sarah and John Makin’s baby-farming operation came into view.
In this episode we’re joined by author of ‘The Baby Farmers’, Dr Annie Cossens, to dissect what really happened and how baby farming thrived in an era when young women and unmarried mothers had nowhere to turn - and society looked the other way.

Find more inf...

Robert Maudsley has spent more than 40 years in near solitary confinement, caged in a bespoke glass cell. Also branded ‘Britain’s Most Dangerous Criminal’ and labelled ‘Hannibal The Cannibal’, his story has been shaped as much by myth as by fact. In this episode, we unpack Maudsley’s troubled upbringing, his violent criminal history and the extraordinary lengths taken to isolate and contain him. It’s a case that raises countless legal and ethical questions around  how far a society can go in the name of safety… and what that means for human dignity.

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Fifty years after eight-year-old Eloise Worledge vanished from her bedroom, the case is back in the spotlight with a $1 million reward announced for answers. In this episode, we speak with Eloise’s aunt, Margie Thomas, who has spent decades refusing to let her niece be forgotten. She takes us inside the night Eloise disappeared, the investigation that stalled and the toll of living with unanswered questions. If someone knows the truth, this conversation is a reminder that it’s never too late to come forward.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Eloise Worledge is urged to cont...

In 1951, Jean Lee was the last woman executed in Australia. 75 years after her execution, the case has been thrust back into the spotlight with the release of never-before-seen court documents. Lee was convicted of murder alongside two men - despite ongoing debate about her true role in the crime. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe unpack the crime, the controversial police investigation and the legal twists that sealed her fate. It’s a case that forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about justice, gender and whether the right person paid the ultimate price.

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As we step into the new year, this episode turns the spotlight to some of the meaningful progress made in major Australian cold cases in 2025. After decades of unanswered questions, several long-standing cases saw significant breakthroughs, new evidence and even arrests. Tim & Xanthe revisit just some of the many cases that were cracked back open last year, offering long-awaited progress for families who have been waiting years for answers.

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In this special end-of-year episode,  Xanthe and Tim look back on Australia’s biggest and most unsettling cases of 2025. From the trial that gripped the nation, to some of the lesser publicised but equally disturbing cases, they unpack the investigations that shaped public conversation and debate. Plus, the cases we should keep watching as we head into 2026.

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Catch up on one of our most-listened episodes in 2025. Forensic investigator Gordon Drage lifted the lid on Australia’s most horrific serial killings - the infamous Snowtown ‘bodies in the barrels' case. 26 years on, he still remembers every detail of the day they made the gruesome discovery in that bank vault. Now retired, Drage is a passionate advocate for mental health support within emergency services, sharing his powerful insights on the profound impact such cases have on those who serve.

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In this special holiday episode, Tim & Xanthe step away from the dark and disturbing and turn to some of the more unusual crime stories of the year - the bizarre, brazen and baffling! They’re putting each other to the test, in a series of games, to examine the stranger side of human behaviour.

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If you're a new listener or haven't heard this episode, this is Xanthe's 2025 "must listen" episode from February. 
While many think human trafficking it’s a distant issue, it’s happening closer than we realise - in neighborhoods, cities, and countries around the world, including Australia. In this episode, Tim and Xanthe speak to Matt Friedman - a leading, internationally renowned global expert on modern slavery and human trafficking. From forced labor to exploitation and coercion, Matt uncovers the dark reality of modern slavery and what we can do to fight it.

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