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Motive & Method

Motive & Method

Xanthe Mallett and Tim Watson-Munro · TAPT Podcasts

112 episodesENExplicit

Show overview

Motive & Method has been publishing since 2024, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 112 episodes. That works out to roughly 65 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.

Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 29 min and 41 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language True Crime show.

The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 3 days ago, with 27 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2025, with 56 episodes published. Published by TAPT Podcasts.

Episodes
112
Running
2024–2026 · 2y
Median length
34 min
Cadence
Weekly

From the publisher

Motive & Method is an expert-led Australian true crime podcast. Join Dr Xanthe Mallett and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro as they unpack what really makes the offenders behind some of history’s most notorious cases tick, and also react and unpack crimes as they hit the headlines. You will also hear from victim survivors, investigators and advocates for change analysing motive, and method.

Latest Episodes

View all 112 episodes

Is There A Byron Bay Serial Killer?

Jun 2, 202634 min

A Horrific Crime In Campbelltown: Australia's DV Crisis

May 26, 202627 min

Crimefluencing: The Disturbing Phenomenon Of Crimes For Clout

May 19, 202630 min

Breakthrough: Body Found In Search for Jayden Penno-Tompsett

May 13, 202626 min

The Wrong Man? Who Killed Leanne Holland

May 12, 202637 min

Bonus: Mark Jones [Extended Interview]

May 8, 202642 min

Outback Murder Highway: The Disappearance Of Tony Jones

May 6, 202626 min

Bonus: John Twaddle [Extended Interview]

May 2, 202617 min

Outback Murder Highway: Triple Murder At Spear Creek

Apr 29, 202624 min

Bonus: David Cunningham [Extended Interview]

Apr 24, 202624 min

Outback Murder Highway: The Sensible Creek Killings

Apr 22, 202631 min

Outback Murder Highway - Coming Soon...

Apr 16, 20262 min

TED BUNDY BONUS EPISODE: DNA Breakthrough In Serial Killer Case

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. You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 8, 202633 min

Catching Peter Foster & Finding A Missing Baby: Ken Gamble (Part 2)

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 7, 202621 min

Hunting Scammers with Private Investigator Ken Gamble (Part 1)

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 omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 31, 202637 min

A Not So Perfect Murder: The Kouri Richins Case

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 24, 202627 min

He Got Away With Murder - Where Is 'Mr Cruel' Now?

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 Cruel still be out there? You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 17, 202634 min

Cult On Trial: Who Are The Zizians?

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 10, 202626 min

The Killer Babysitter: Living Free & Babysitting Again

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 joins us to reveal what she uncovered and the alarming failures meant to protect children. You can watch A Current Affair stories here:  on Youtube or 9Now  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 3, 202643 min

Lucy Letby: Is History Repeating?

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 24, 202632 min
2026 Xanthe Mallett and Tim Watson Munro