Crime Insiders

Triple murderer Sef Gonzales has been granted the right to appeal against his life sentence. Gonzales was just 23 when he murdered his parents and sister over 20 years ago. 

Sef has always maintained his innocence.

Today, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal granted him the right to appeal because Gonzales successfully argued that he had lived with PTSD after being sexually abused as a child.

Former Crime Insiders Forensics host, Kathryn Fox, spoke about Gonzales with forensic child psychiatrist, Dr John Kasinathan. 

We’ve put it back in your feed to provide some background and insight into Gonzales and his horrific crimes….

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Twenty years ago this year, Michael Long set fire to the Palace Backpackers hostel in the regional Queensland town of Childers. Fifteen people were killed, nine men and six women.

Long inititally admitted to the crimes, but later retracted his confession. In this episode of Crime Insiders | Judgement we go into his trial and also the Coroner's Inquiry to learn what happened on that fateful night twenty years ago, and if Long is likely to get parole later this year.

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Richard Bassed is one of Australia's most experienced forensic odontologists. His work is complex and important in solving high profile murders - like that of The Vampire Gigolo - but also, in identifying victims of mass fatalities and mass disasters. 

In this Rewind episode of Crime Insiders | Forensics, former host Kathryn Fox discovers how forensic odontology is helping to solve and prevent crime in Australia. 

Coming up…Richard’s first case and how he knew he’d made the right decision in moving from dentistry to odontology… 

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Former QLD Detective Inspector Mal Gundry was head of the Queensland Police Criminal Investigation Bureau at Indooroopilly in Brisbane.

He was integral part of the investigation into Sean Sargent, a 24-year-old Australian Army lieutenant, who disappeared in the early hours of March 20, 1999, after attending a party in St Lucia, Brisbane.

Originally from Mackay, Queensland, Sargent was stationed at Enoggera Barracks and had a promising military career. His sudden disappearance prompted extensive investigations and speculation.

Mal Gundry was also head of the CIB branch that led the investigation into the murder of Allison Baden Clay, that led to the arrest of her husband, Gerard Baden Clay.

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Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter Khandalyce Pearce were tragically murdered in 2008 in a case that shocked Australia.

Their deaths remained unsolved for several years, with their identities and the circumstances of their deaths only being uncovered in 2015.

In this episode of Crime Insiders | Judgement we learn how police linked the two deaths and how they tracked down the man responsible.

**A WARNING…..THIS PODCAST CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF EVENTS AND SITUATIONS THAT SOME LISTENERS MAY FIND DISTURBING OR DISTRESSING. PLEASE LISTEN WITH CARE**

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A crime without a motive. A detective who investigated the unthinkable.

On September 2nd, 2001, a father murdered his three children, Jackson (6), Taylah (11 months), and Mikaylah (11 weeks). To this day, his motive remains unknown. 

Former Detective Carla Tomadini was on the frontline of the investigation. At the same time, she had two young children of her own. Carla spent nearly two decades in the force before becoming a solicitor with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Hear about that case and the impact it had on Carla, as she sat down with host Brent Sanders on this episode of Crime Insiders | REWIND.

This content contains references to domestic violence and violence against children. Help is always available, dial 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. If this content affected you, the number for Lifeline is 131 114.

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Reporting a sexual assault is deeply challenging in any context, so what happens when you’re in a war-torn region, where infrastructure has crumbled, and justice systems are non-existent?

Associate Professor David Wells retired as Victoria's top forensic physician in 2013. Since then, his work has taken him to some of the world's most volatile places, including Gaza, the West Bank, and other corners of the globe where conflict has gutted hospitals and justice systems alike. There, he's helped build systems to support survivors of sexual violence, often under near impossible conditions.

In this episode, David takes us to the front lines of forensic medicine in a conflict zone, and reflects on the challenge of treating survivors where hospitals barely exist, and navigating the cultural, legal and ethical landmines that surround violence in war. What does it take to offer care when the world is falling apart? And what role can forensic medicine play, not just in accountability, but in healing?

If you or anyone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 131 114, beyondblue on 1800 512 348, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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In the dead of night, Friday October 15, 2021, on the rugged coastline of Western Australia, four-year old Cleo Smith is abducted from a tent at a campsite.

Her disappearance sparked a massive police search and captured the nation’s attention with ‘round the clock media coverage.

The child was found 18 days later in what was one of Australia’s most successful police operations.

Who abducted her….and why?

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It’s National Science Week….Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology.

In this episode of Crime Insiders Rewind, we re-visit three episodes of our Forensics series to learn how science helps us better understand how examining the human body contributes to solving crime or even someone being exonerated, and fibre and the role that fibre plays in solving crimes.

We begin with forensic anthropologist Penny McArdle to determine if pigs can actually destroy a body.  Then it’s Dr Micah Newland, the Deputy Director at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research to discuss what’s called time since death and finally we’re joined by distinguished Professor Claude Roux -a pivotal figure in Australian Forensic Science. He's the Director of the UTS Centre for Forensic Science and President of the International Association of Forensic Sciences.  Claude discusses a case from the mid-90s where fibre was critical in solving a murder….

***Please be advised that this episode’s case studies may contain content that some listeners may find distressing. Listener discretion is advised***

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Kathleen Folbigg is front page of every newspaper and news website this morning after we learned the NSW government had paid her just $2million in compensation after she served twenty years in prison after being wrongfully jailed for the deaths of her four children.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has said Ms Folbigg should sue his government if she wants more compensation.  Ms Folbigg told News Ltd the suggestion is a slap in the face.

After her convictions were quashed in 2023, many touted forensics as the saviour for Kathleen Folbigg. But, how did they fail her in the first place, and what led to one of Australia's greatest ever miscarriages of justice? 

In 2021, Professor Stephen Cordner was one of 90 eminent scientists who signed a groundbreaking petition calling for the immediate pardon and release of Kathleen Folbigg.

Let’s revisit our interview with Professor Cordner to try to understand the forensics behind Kathleen's final and successful bid for freedom, and unpack why her case was such a gross miscarriage of justice in the first place. 

If this content raised issues for you, call Red Nose Grief and Loss on 1300 308 807. 

Red Nose provides specialised bereavement support free of charge to any person affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a baby or child during pregnancy, birth, infancy or childhood.

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