When Qiong Yan stopped answering video calls in late 2020, her mother grew anxious. But the texts kept coming. They were short. Strange. But still hers… weren’t they?

Qiong lived in Brisbane, sharing an apartment with Yang Zhao — a man drowning in debt. Over ten months, Zhao impersonated Qiong through WeChat, replying to every message and stealing nearly half a million dollars.

All while Qiong’s body decomposed metres away — locked inside a metal toolbox on the balcony.

In this episode of Crime at Bedtime, we unravel one of Australia’s most quietly horrifying crimes: a murder without a scream, and a fraud built on silence.

If you’re looking for a true crime story where the horror lies in what was hidden… this one will stay with you.

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In 2002, former prison officer John Darwin was presumed dead after vanishing while canoeing off the coast of Seaton Carew. His broken canoe was found. His wife mourned publicly. His sons believed he was gone forever. But John Darwin wasn’t dead — he was living in secret, just metres from his old life.

This is the extraordinary true story of how a man faked his death to escape debt, lied to his family, and fooled the world… until a single photograph shattered the illusion. Tonight on Crime at Bedtime, we explore one of the UK’s most bizarre fraud cases — a tale of deception, survival, and a very public downfall.

If you're looking for a twisty story that won’t keep you up with nightmares but will leave you shaking your head — this one’s for you.

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In 1930s New York, four desperate men hatched the perfect murder plot — or so they thought. Tony Marino, Joseph Murphy, Francis Pasqua, and Tony Bastone targeted a homeless man named Mike Malloy, hoping to kill him for insurance money. But Malloy wouldn't die. Poisoned drinks, antifreeze, carpet tacks, freezing nights, even a hit-and-run — he survived it all. This is the bizarre true crime story of how one man accidentally became a legend, and how four would-be killers were ultimately outwitted by the most unlikely survivor in true crime history.

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In 1972, Richard McCoy Jr. hijacked a commercial jet, demanded half a million dollars, and parachuted to freedom — echoing the infamous case of D.B. Cooper just five months earlier. Was it coincidence, or was McCoy actually Cooper himself? From military service to prison escape, and finally a fatal standoff with the FBI, this is the incredible true crime story of the man who nearly pulled off the perfect crime — twice. A must-hear for fans of unsolved mysteries and skyjacking legends.

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Betsy Faria was battling cancer when she was found brutally murdered in her Missouri home. Her husband Russ was quickly charged—but was the real killer hiding in plain sight? In tonight’s episode, we unravel a case of friendship, fraud, and fatal betrayal.

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It was the perfect story: a dangerous stranger, a husband protecting his wife, and a tragic ending. But when the details started to unravel, investigators realised that this wasn’t a story about a hero at all—it was a setup from the very beginning.

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When Barbara McCulkin and her daughters went missing in 1974, rumours swirled but answers never came. It took forty years to expose the truth—and reveal the shocking connection to Brisbane’s criminal underworld.

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The disappearance and murder of Toyah Cordingley in 2018 sparked one of Queensland’s largest manhunts. This is the full story—from the day she vanished, to the arrest and extradition of the man accused of her murder Rajwinder Singh, all the way through his first trial to the eventual hung jury.

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By day, Robert Hansen was a quiet family man, a skilled baker, and a respected member of Anchorage, Alaska’s small community. But beneath the surface was a predator like no other. Between 1971 and 1983, Hansen abducted, assaulted, and murdered at least 17 women — though authorities suspect the number may be much higher. His twisted signature? Flying his victims into the Alaskan wilderness, releasing them… and hunting them like animals. In this episode, we uncover how Hansen evaded suspicion for over a decade, the investigation that finally caught him, and the terrifying details of his chilling double life.

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In April 1981, 36-year-old Glenna “Sue” Sharp and her five children were living in Cabin 28 of the Keddie Resort, a rural and rundown former holiday spot in northern California. On the morning of April 12th, Sue, her 15-year-old son John, and John’s friend Dana Wingate were found brutally murdered in the living room. The bodies had been bound, stabbed, and bludgeoned with what investigators believed was a claw hammer and a knife. Sue’s 12-year-old daughter, Tina, was missing. Despite extensive investigations, no arrests were ever made — and when Tina’s remains were discovered three years later in a remote forest, the mystery deepened further. In this episode, we unravel one of America’s most haunting and frustrating unsolved cases.

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