Motive & Method

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 missingIn 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. <p...

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.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

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...