Real Crime with Adam Shand

Adam Shand had a front-row seat to exactly the kind of incident his latest guest spends every day managing. After stepping in when a drunk man harassed women on a Melbourne train — only to watch Victoria Police's Protective Services Officers handle it with quiet, professional authority — Adam sat down with Acting Superintendent Sean Halley from the Transit Safety Division to unpack what's really happening on the network. From knife operations in Frankston to gang activity at high-risk stations, Sean pulls back the curtain on the work of PSOs — sworn officers with the same powers as police who are the frontline of safety across Melbourne's rail system. He also tackles the big question: should bystanders intervene, or hit the button and let the professionals do their job?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When three armed intruders broke into  "Michael"'s Melbourne home in the dead of night, they weren't expecting a fight. Armed with machetes and a gun, the men ransacked his home demanding money. What they got instead was a man who refused to back down. Bloodied but unbeaten, "Michael" held his ground using nothing but a decades-old ornamental sword and the muscle memory of martial arts training he hadn't used in 20 years. No one has been arrested. And "Michael" suspects someone he trusted set him up. Adam Shand sits down with "Michael" inside the home where it happened — carpets ripped up, locks still being changed — to hear a raw, first-hand account of survival, betrayal and a justice system that's yet to deliver answers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2008, Melbourne man Fred Boyle was convicted of murdering his wife Edwina in October 1983 — then keeping her body sealed inside a 44-gallon drum for 23 years, moving it with him from house to house as he raised their two daughters. Tracey Franze knew Edwina through a shared love of horses in the late 1970s. She watched Fred's cruelty up close — towards animals, towards the truth and ultimately towards the woman who devoted her life to her family. When Edwina vanished, Tracey and her friend Lee went to Dandenong Police Station. They were dismissed. Now, almost 40 years on, Tracey has come forward with something she's never spoken about publicly. It's raised questions that have never been answered, and a possible connection to one of Victoria's most chilling unsolved cases — the Tynong-Frankston murders of the early 1980s.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June 1980, Maria James was stabbed 68 times in her Thornbury bookstore. Her killer was never charged. For years, investigators and a high-profile podcast pointed the finger at local parish priest Father Anthony Bonjourno — but Phil Cleary has always believed the real killer was someone else entirely. Phil Cleary is no stranger to violent crime. In 1987, his sister Vicki was murdered by her ex-partner Peter Raymond Keogh. And the deeper Phil dug into the Maria James cold case, the more he became convinced Keo was responsible for that killing too. In this episode, Adam Shand sits down with Phil Cleary to lay out the case against Keogh — a man with a documented history of violence against women, a flimsy alibi that was later rescinded, a witness who picked him out of a photo board years after the murder, and a chilling statement made to Vicki weeks before her own death: I'll do to you what I did to the woman in the bookshop.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kay Docherty was 15 years old when she vanished on July 1979. She'd told her mum she was going to babysit at a friend's place. Her twin brother Kevin was supposed to pick her up at nine. He never got the chance. Forty-six years later, her twin brother Kevin Docherty, is still searching for answers — and still fighting to be heard. Adam talks to Kevin Docherty about the night Kay disappeared, the letters that were never properly investigated, the toll of 46 years of unanswered questions, and why this inquiry may be the family's last real chance at the truth. Unsolved Murders and Long-term Missing Persons InquirySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

****Content Warning:**** This episode contains discussion of the abduction, sexual assault and murder of children. Listener discretion is strongly advised. In August 1973, two girls vanished from Adelaide Oval at a Saturday afternoon football match. Joanne Ratcliffe, 11, and Kirsty Gordon, 4, walked to the toilet at 3:45pm and were never seen again. For decades, the prime suspect was Errol Radan — a convicted paedophile held under an indefinite detention order in a Queensland prison until his death in 2022. He never spoke publicly about the girls. He never confessed. Or so we thought. Adam Shand speaks with "Ted" — a former Queensland prison officer who ended up on the other side of the bars after a conviction of his own. Placed in the same high-security protection unit as Radan, "Ted" spent three months playing chess with a man the other inmates refused to go near. And one afternoon, leading up to Christmas, Radan broke his silence. What he said to "Ted" has stayed buried for over fifteen years. Until now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark "Hammer" Dixon spent years on the road with Roger Rogerson and Mark "Chopper" Reed — working security, collecting debts and sharing hotel rooms in outback Queensland. And in that time, Rogerson said things he probably shouldn't have. He told Dixon the two men convicted of the 1973 Whiskey Au Go Go firebombing — which killed 15 people — were innocent. That he'd written them up. He hinted that Donald McKay's body was never going to be found in Griffith, because investigators were looking in the wrong state. He let slip, in an unguarded moment over a glass of red, exactly who pulled the trigger on undercover cop Michael Drury in 1984. Dixon isn't a criminal. He has no record. But for a stretch of years, he had a front-row seat to one of the most dangerous men Australia has ever produced — and he remembers everything.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Shand sits down with author Michael Madigan to discuss his book Father Teacher Child Killer, the chilling account of Dieter Pfennig, the South Australian man now serving life for the murders of 10-year-olds Louise Bell and Michael Black. Louise Bell vanished from her bedroom in Hackham West on the night of January 3rd, 1983 — taken without a sound while her younger sister slept beside her. Six years later, Michael Black disappeared from the Murray Bridge riverbank on what was meant to be his first solo fishing trip. Both cases went cold for years, haunted by false leads, a wrongful conviction and Pfennig's sadistic games with police. Madigan also explores the disturbing question that lingers: how many more? Pfennig's movements during school holidays, his connections to the families of other missing children and the unsettling echoes of cases like Eloise Worledge and the Adelaide Oval abductions suggest his crimes may stretch far beyond what he's been convicted of. Father Teacher Child Killer by Michael Madigan is available now. https://www.booktopia.com.au/father-teacher-child-killer-michael-madigan/ebook/9781764386142.html?srsltid=AfmBOoonKackHoFbhNqJJt3V9MkINs_CjEM_f86JgAFEUKjpGhqOYGjqSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join host Adam Shand in this episode of Real Crime as he delves into the ongoing quest for justice in the tragic case of Cheryl Grimmer, featuring an update from her brother, Ricky Nash. After years of fighting for recognition, the New South Wales DPP has agreed to review the admissibility of critical confessions made in the 1971 case. In this discussion, Ricky shares the emotional toll of seeking justice for his sister and reflects on the impact of the case on his family, including his estranged daughter, Melanie. Together, they explore the complexities of their relationship shaped by grief and determination.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In November 2005, 18-year-old Lauren Huxley was at home alone in Sydney when her life was changed forever. Randomly targeted by violent offender Robert Black Farmer — Lauren was brutally attacked, bound, beaten, doused in petrol and left for dead as her family home was set alight. It was a crime that shocked Australia. Against all odds, Lauren survived. Now, nearly 20 years later, Farmer is eligible for parole. In this powerful and emotional episode of Real Crime, Adam sits down with Lauren and her sister Simone to revisit that horrific day, the long road to recovery, and the renewed fear as the man who nearly killed her could soon walk free. Sign the Petition Here: Deny Parole for Robert Black Farmer https://www.change.org/p/deny-parole-for-robert-black-farmerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with Peter and Belinda Bates — a couple whose love story began behind prison walls and whose shared mission now is to stop the cycle of violence before it destroys more lives. Raised in a home defined by extreme domestic violence, coercion and control, Peter grew up believing brutality was strength and drugs were survival. By 19 his life had spiralled into tragedy. A confrontation ended in a young man’s death. Charged with murder and ultimately sentenced for manslaughter, Peter would spend 14 and a half years behind bars. Belinda brings her own story. Having lived through coercive control in a previous relationship, she understands how abuse hides behind silence, shame and normalization. Together, they now work to break the patterns that shaped both their lives. Find more about their projects here: https://linktr.ee/petebatesproject?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=c9aec04d-d7c5-4bfa-b3cd-ba74989be97b Peter Bates Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petebatesproject?igsh=MTY5MWQ2andtZ283bQ==See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In April 1995, Australia’s richest man, Kerry Packer, reported that 285 kilograms of gold bullion had been stolen from a safe inside his Sydney office. It was the largest gold theft in Australian history — a brazen break-in that appeared to be the work of a master safecracker who slipped past 24-hour security without a trace. But what if the robbery was never a robbery at all? In this episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand reopens the cold case of “Packer’s Gold.” Three decades on, fresh evidence, retired insiders, and long-buried photographs raise explosive new questions about what really happened inside Packer’s inner sanctum. Was this an audacious underworld heist? An inside job fuelled by betrayal? Or an elaborate multi-million-dollar insurance scam designed to fail from the start? Featuring interviews with notorious safe-breakers, confidential sources, and new forensic insights into the safe itself, this investigation pulls apart the accepted version of events — and examines whether one of Australia’s most powerful men may have staged the perfect crime. If the gold was never stolen… who really benefited? And after all these years, is the truth still locked away?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with recently retired Queensland Police Chief Inspector Corey Allen — a cop who never quite fit the mould. As a teenager, Corey dreamed of becoming a writer. Instead, he spent nearly four decades inside the Queensland Police Service — stretching himself (literally and figuratively) to get in the door. What followed was a career that took him from tactical response units and protest lines to becoming one of the strongest advocates for empathy in modern policing. Corey reflects on the culture of policing in 1980s Queensland, the glorified myths of “the good old days,” and the hard lessons that reshaped his approach to the job. From arresting 75 people in a single night to realising he was part of the problem, Corey describes the moment he began listening instead of reacting. And how that shift transformed not only his career, but the lives of vulnerable people on Brisbane’s streets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1987, Vicki Cleary was murdered by her ex-partner, Peter Keogh. In the first part of this series, Adam spoke with her brother Phil about the legal battle that followed — and the fight to abolish the provocation defence that allowed Keogh to serve just three years and eleven months for her killing. In this second part, Adam sits down with Vicki’s younger sister Lizzy Cleary, who was just 14 years old when her sister was killed. Lizzy takes us back to the day she was pulled from school and told the news. She speaks candidly about the trauma that never leaves — the courtrooms where her sister’s character was attacked, the rage and fear when Keo was released without the family being told and the complicated relief when he later took his own life. https://www.vickiclearyday.com.au/ 1800 RESPECT – National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service📞 1800 737 732 Lifeline Australia📞 13 11 14 DVConnect 📞 1800 811 811See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this first episode of a two-part series, Real Crime with Adam Shand examines the deadly risks women face when leaving violent relationships. Adam speaks with former federal MP and long-time advocate Phil Cleary about the 1987 murder of his sister, Vicki Cleary, by her ex-partner — a killing that exposed deep flaws in Australia’s legal system, including the now-abolished provocation defence that reduced her killer’s charge to manslaughter. Cleary reflects on decades of campaigning for justice, the ongoing epidemic of domestic violence, and why separation remains the most dangerous time for women. He also shares deeply personal memories of Vicki — a vibrant young woman whose life and legacy continue to fuel a national fight for change. Get in touch with Phil Here https://www.vickiclearyday.com.au/ Next episode, Adam speaks with Vicki’s sister Lizzie Cleary about the personal impact of loss and her own journey into advocacy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1970s and ’80s, Victoria was in the grip of an armed robbery epidemic. Banks, newsagents and small businesses were hit daily. Gunmen didn’t hesitate. Police were targets. And the Armed Robbery Squad was on the front line. In this episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand sits down with former Victoria Police detective Rod Porter, a proud member of the Armed Robbery Squad during its most violent era. Rod takes us inside a time when policing was raw, relentless and often deadly. He recounts the 1987 fatal shooting of prolific heroin-fuelled robber Mark Milano — a split-second decision that would haunt him for decades. He describes the surreal seconds after shots are fired, the trauma of facing a coroner’s inquest and the personal toll that high-stakes policing took on his marriage and family life. He also speaks candidly about handling one of Australia’s most infamous criminals — Mark “Chopper” Read — who became his informer before the notorious Bojangles nightclub murder. The relationship would drag Rod into controversy and scrutiny, adding yet another layer of pressure to an already dangerous career.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The disappearance of three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer from Fairy Meadow Beach in 1970 has haunted Australia for more than five decades. But the impact of that crime didn’t stop on the sand dunes that day — it rippled through generations of one family. In this episode of Real Crime, Adam Shand speaks with Melanie Grimmer, Cheryl’s niece and the daughter of Cheryl’s brother, Ricky. Melanie shares what it’s like to grow up in the long shadow of an unresolved crime — carrying inherited guilt, fear, anger and grief for an aunt she never knew.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 28, 1992, a meticulously planned armed robbery at Melbourne Airport ended in bloodshed.More than a million dollars was stolen from an Ansett Freight terminal — but the gang never made their escape. In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam speaks exclusively with Steve Barci, the third member of the crew — a seasoned armed robber who has never spoken publicly about the crime until now. But this conversation goes far deeper than the robbery itself. Barci breaks his silence to defend Normie Lee’s legacy, responding to recent media claims linking Lee to the infamous Mr Cruel child abductions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Between the ages of 13 and 27, Dean King didn’t spend a single full year out of jail. A hardened criminal shaped by violence, addiction and the prison system, he was destined to die behind bars — until one explosive moment in rehab changed everything. Dean recounts the day the floodgates finally opened, forcing him to confront decades of buried pain — a turning point that led him away from crime and into an extraordinary second life. Today, Dean is a successful businessman, author of King Hit and a living example of what radical self-accountability can achieve. Get Dean King's "King Hit" book here:https://www.kinghitbook.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with Lewis Mbwela, an Iboga practitioner trained in the traditional West African medicine used for centuries by the Bwiti people. Unlike clinical Ibogaine treatments now appearing in the West, this experience involves the full Iboga root — a powerful plant medicine said to confront trauma at its source. What begins as an observational journey becomes personal when Adam decides to undergo the treatment himself. He shares his unfiltered experience, the physical and psychological effects, and what he witnessed among Australian Special Forces veterans struggling to come home from war. Learn more about Lewis here: https://www.instagram.com/ibogazw?igsh=MWViMWt5dndmYnpiMQ== Lewis 'Mbela Badiango' talks IBOGA Plant MedicineSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 1982, Daphne Enid Sansbury’s body was found at Victoria Park Racecourse in Adelaide. No one was ever held accountable. More than forty years later, her children and grandchildren are still living with the trauma of her death — and of a system that took her children, silenced her voice and failed to deliver justice. Through intimate family testimony, archival evidence and investigative reporting, Adam Shand retraces Daphne’s life: from government policies of assimilation and forced child removal, to the night she was last seen alive and the flaws that surrounded the police investigation that followed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On his first day at Paddington Police Station, 19-year-old Tony Russell attended a welfare check at the Sydney factory of celebrated wallpaper designer Florence Broadhurst. What he discovered inside would become one of Australia’s most notorious unsolved murders — and the beginning of a lifetime of unanswered questions. In this powerful episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Tony Russell speaks publicly about that day for the first time. He describes finding Florence Broadhurst’s body, the evidence he says was overlooked and the extraordinary decision to erase his presence — and his testimony — from the official investigation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1963, a 19-year-old Perth man became the face of one of Australia’s most devastating miscarriages of justice. In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam speaks directly with John Button, now in his 80s, about the night that changed his life, the brutality of a forced confession, and the system that chose expediency over justice. Button recounts living under the shadow of a wrongful conviction for nearly 40 years, the toll it took on his mental health and family and the bitter reality of being exonerated but never truly compensated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam speaks with former radio newsreader Lance White, who was the victim of a savage attack at a suburban Perth train station. Set upon by a group of young men simply looking for someone to bash, Lance survived — but the long-term psychological toll would change his life forever. Thirteen years on, the attackers have never been caught. Despite CCTV footage and detailed descriptions, justice never came. But the story takes an extraordinary and disturbing turn when Lance’s DNA, later places him under suspicion for a completely separate and serious crime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with NSW Legislative Council member Jeremy Buckingham, chair of a parliamentary inquiry into unsolved murders and missing persons cases. What begins as a New South Wales investigation is rapidly expanding into a nationwide probe, uncovering chilling links between Milat and dozens, possibly scores, of unsolved killings across Australia. From lovers’ lane executions to savage stabbings, from Queensland highways to Victorian backstreets, Buckingham lays out disturbing patterns, missed connections and institutional failures that may have allowed one of Australia’s most notorious killers to operate for decades with impunity. Unsolved Murders and Long-term Missing Persons InquirySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with retired NSW Detective Sergeant Damian Loone, a relentless investigator whose 35-year career spanned some of Australia’s most haunting cold cases. From the murder of Lynette Dawson, to the disappearance of Cheryl Grimmer and the killing of Rachel Childs - Loone reflects on the victories, the heartbreaks and the cases that still refuse to let go.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Real Crime with Adam Shand, Adam sits down with Mark De Bono — a man whose life collided head-on with Melbourne’s criminal justice system during one of its most notorious eras. Mark recounts a chilling firsthand experience inside Russell Street Police Headquarters in the mid-1980s, where he says detectives dangled him out a window to force cooperation. A story whispered about for decades, but rarely spoken about publicly. The conversation spirals into a raw and unflinching account of addiction, trauma, violence and survival inside Victoria’s most feared institutions, including Pentridge Prison.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.