True Crime Conversations

Katherine Knight, Sarah Makin, Caroline Grills, Catherine Birnie, Helen Moore, and Rachel Pfitzner are among the most notorious female killers in Australian history. But what compels a woman to take a life, whether it’s someone close to her or, more rarely, a stranger?
Dr Xanthe Weston, a criminal psychologist, has long been driven by this very question. Drawing on years of research into cases like these, she joins us today to explore what she’s discovered - why women’s motives for killing often differ from men’s, and whether some perpetrators are inherently predisposed to violence, or shaped by circumstance.
LINKS
Listen to the Method & Motive podcast here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
CREDITS
Guest: Dr Xanthe Weston
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Audio Engineer: Jacob Round
Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1984, Terry Ferguson was approached in a busy Florida mall by a charming photographer with an Australian accent. He promised her stardom; instead, she became a victim of Christopher Wilder, the notorious "Beauty Queen Killer."
While Wilder’s confirmed body count sits around 11, new evidence suggests a much darker reality: a trail of over 30 victims stretching from Australia to America.
Today, we explore Wilder’s predatory tactics, his transition from serial to spree killer, and his potential connection to Australia’s infamous, unsolved Wanda Beach murders.
LINKS
Listen to the Catching Evil podcast here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your code ends April 1st.
CREDITS
Guest: Mark Llewellyn & Andy Byrne
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Audio Engineer: Jacob Round
Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2007, a family of three and their friend vanished from their secluded home in Nannup, Western Australia, leaving only a cryptic note claiming they had moved to Brazil. They never arrived.
As investigators delved into the lives of Chantelle McDougall, her partner Simon Cadwell, their daughter Leela, and friend Tony Popic, they uncovered a web of doomsday prepping and cult-like spiritual beliefs.
Was this a voluntary disappearance to a "higher plane," or something far more sinister?
LINKS
Listen to Expanse: The Nannup Four here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your code ends April 1st.
CREDITS
Guest: Dominique Bayens
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Audio Engineer: Jacob Round
Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Her life changed forever when her five-year-old daughter, Rose, bravely spoke up about a trusted family friend sexually assaulting her.
That moment led Michelle to discover that both of her daughters had endured abuse for years, and it marked the start of the family’s journey toward justice and healing.
In this episode, Michelle shares how she and her daughters, Pippa and Rose, navigated their challenges together, supported by their older sister Maggie and their father. Now adults, Pippa and Rose are using their voices to drive positive change in the way child victims are treated within the legal system. Their journey is a powerful testament to resilience, courage, and the unbreakable strength of family in overcoming adversity.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via 1800 RESPECT. If the content in this episode has brought up anything for you, please contact Lineline on 13 11 14.
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
CREDITS
Guest: Michelle Milthorpe
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Audio Engineer: Jacob Round
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some women dream of launching a career before 25. Some dream of owning their first home. Jemma Lilley had a different goal: she wanted to kill someone before her 25th birthday, but she knew she couldn't do it alone.
Obsessed with serial killers and violent fantasy, Lilley set her sights on turning desire into reality. She found an accomplice in Trudi Lenon, an impressionable single mother whom she gradually drew into her world of fixation and planning. Together, they searched for what they chillingly described as the “perfect victim.” They chose 18-year-old Aaron Pajich-Sweetman, a vulnerable teenager who was a friend of Lenon’s son.
It is a case that still shocks those who hear it. A real-life horror story about manipulation, obsession, and the calculated, meticulous planning of two women who conspired to take the life of an innocent young man.
CREDITS
Guest: Tim Clarke
Host: Claire Murphy
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Audio Engineer: Jacob Round
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.