Don't Blame The Mom

Today’s episode concludes our two part deep dive into the case of 35 year old Claudia Lawrence who disappeared on March 18th 2009 from Heworth, York, England .

Claudia had last spoken to her parents on the phone around 8:30pm the night before saying she would head up to bed and after that she was never seen or heard from again .

Over the years many different theories and possibilities of what may have happened to Claudia have been explored and investigated. However to this day 16 years later , she still remains one of Britain’s longest running missing persons.

Today we cover the appeals & police investigation, different suspects & arrests that were made , and any information that has been discovered in the past 16 years as the search for Claudia continues …

Although her family & friends are still desperately hoping for answers, the heart breaking mystery of what happened to Claudia 16 years ago is still unknown .

But, one thing is for sure…

That somebody out there is hiding something , someone who knows more than they are letting on, & someone holds the key to unravelling what happened to Claudia Lawrence …

This is episode 108: Somebody Knows, The Disappearance Of Claudia Lawrence

Crime talk timestamp : 9:56 minutes

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Sources :

Wikipedia / BBC.co.uk/ Answers For Claudia podcast audio always Spotify / The Guardian / Missingpeople.org.uk/ Yorkmix.com/ NorthYorkshirePolice.co.uk

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It started out as a normal day on the 18th of March 2009 as 35-year-old chef, Claudia Lawrence left her work to head home in Heworth, York, England.

After speaking to both of her parents later that evening all seemed well as she explained she was going to head up to bed so she would be ready for her early shift the next morning.

Little did her parents know this would be the last time they would ever speak to her again, because at some point in the hours following this, Claudia Lawrence vanished.

As a huge nationwide search for the much loved missing woman was launched, a search that now spans years, many different theories have been explored.

And many people have been questioned in relation to her possible whereabouts

Yet 15 years later it still seems we are no closer to finding out the truth of what happened the night she vanished.

With police now treating her case as a murder investigation today we are looking into what we do know about the details of Claudia’s case and explore the different possibilities in the hope we can raise awareness of a young woman who is still missing and whose remaining family members still need answers …

This is episode 107:

Somebody Knows: The Disappearance Of Claudia Lawrence Part 1

Crime talk timestamp: 12:09 minutes

Sources: Wikipedia / The Guardian / Yorkshire Live/ missing people.org.uk/ bbc.co.uk/ YouTube

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It was early on the morning of September 8th 2010 as 19 year old Ethan walton &

his 20 year old girlfriend Amanda Burney drive towards an isolated property in Prague, Oklahoma to sell some land to a man they vaguely knew, named Glendon Gouker.

As they set out on what feels like a normal car ride the excited young couple have no idea they are driving straight into a deadly trap.

What they are about to endure is a real life nightmare that is so terrifying, so violent & horrific, that it could be straight out of a horror film . And it not only involves the man they planned to do business with, but also his wife Michele .

Even though two of them had set off that day to sell the property just to better their lives & fund their future plans, tragically only one out of this young couple would escape alive …

This is episode 106: Escaping The Toolshed Killer

The case of Amanda Burney & Ethan Walton ..

Crime Talk Timestamp: 7 minutes

Sources: I Survived/ Wikipedia / IMDB.com/ Spiky Tv/ Poddtoppen/ Medium article (Verity Partington)/

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In this concluding part to the case of 13 year old Daniel Morcombe, we see how the Australian police refuse to give up on finding the man responsible for his disappearance.

This leads to them launching a long & complex undercover police sting in order to trick their main suspect, convicted paedophile Brett Peter Cowan, into a confession that they desperately need in order to seek justice for Daniel & to bring closure to his family.

This was an undercover operation the likes of which was totally unprecedented & had never been seen before in Australian history .

But thankfully & unbelievably the plan works, & thanks to law enforcement’s perseverance, hard work & diligent efforts Cowan walked straight into the trap they had laid out for him . Finally leading to the answers everyone in Australia had wanted for 8 years .

Not only did he unknowingly confess to undercover police what had happened to Daniel that day he disappeared from a bus stop , but Cowan also naively leads them directly to where he so callously discarded Daniel’s body all those years before.

Todays case shows how a country pulled together to keep the search for Daniel going even years after his disappearance. And how his family managed to turn some darkness into light by creating ‘The Daniel Morecombe Foundation’. This helps them raise awareness of stranger danger to children in schools across the country .

It also shows us how someone so innocent like Daniel who was just going about a normal Sunday, can innocently cross paths with a true monster. But although Daniel was taken he still to this day will never be forgotten & he continues to save lives through the foundation built in his memory ….

This is episode 105: Forever 13

The Tragic Case Of Daniel Morecombe

Crime Talk Timestamp: 1 minute

Sources : Wikipedia / YouTube ( undercover audio of Brett Cowan/ The Sting Katie Kyriacou/ The Daniel Morecombe Foundation / 60 Minutes Australia

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It was a sunny Sunday on December 7th 2003 as 13 year old Daniel Morcombe left his home on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, to buy some

christmas gifts for his family.

As he said goodbye & walked out of the door that afternoon, his family had no idea that they would never see Daniel alive again.

Shortly after this he disappeared from the bus stop, & a huge national search for him followed that left the whole country praying for his safe return.

For years his brave, stoic parents never gave up hope of one day finding their son.

They searched tirelessly for him, until one day a huge undercover police sting finally managed to trick the cruel, predatory paedophile who took Daniel’s life .

Despite Brett Peter Cowan now being locked away in prison, the loss that the whole of Australia felt over Daniel’s tragic murder is still felt to this day.

But out of the darkness can come some semblance of light, & his death has not been totally in vain. Because his parents Bruce & Denise have managed to use their grief & channel it into a positive force, as they continue to campaign for safety for children bringing awareness about ‘stranger danger’ all over the country to different schools.

No doubt also saving young lives in the process & very importantly, keeping Daniel’s memory alive .

In today’s case we see how the murder of an innocent young boy had hugely deep & lasting ripple effects spanning people across an entire country, people who all continue to mourn the loss of Daniel to this day….

In a testament to the strength of them as a nation, the people of Australia come together to celebrate him yearly on a “Day for Daniel”

Where they can remember him for the beautiful loving boy he was, & to let him & his family know that even though Daniel was taken, he will never be forgotten….…

This is episode 104

Forever 13: The Tragic Case of Daniel Morcombe Part 1

Crime talk timestamp: 11:05 minutes

Sources : Wikipedia / The Guardian.com/ The Daniel Morcombe Foundation/ education . qld.gov/ 60 minutes Australia / monument Australia/

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It was the 25th September 2005 and 18 year old upcoming British model Sally Anne Bowman had enjoyed a night out in her local town of Croydon, South London .

In the early hours of the morning her on again off again boyfriend drops her home almost to her doorstep.

So you would Imagine that from there she would be able to walk safely to her house.

But tragically for Sally Anne this was not the case….

Because unbeknownst to her a predator was lurking, watching from the shadows nearby.

Just waiting for an opportunity to pounce on an unsuspecting victim when they least expect it in order to carry out his savage deadly fantasies .

In today’s case we take a deep dive into the tragic case of Sally Anne’s murder & how the answer of who did it is not always the most obvious one .

And of course it also shows that you are not always safe even when you are so close to home….even if you are right on your own doorstep ….

This is episode 103

Death On Her Doorstep

The Tragic Case Of Sally Anne Bowman

Crime talk timestamp: 13:45

Sources : Wikipedia / BBC News / Murderpedia / Sky News / True crime Edition/ The Guardian

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It was a beautiful sunny day on June 29th 2014 in Calgary, Alberta, as 66 year old Alvin & his 53 year old wife Kathy Liknes finished up their estate sale.

After which they had a cozy night in with their 5 year old grandson Nathan O’Brien.

They enjoyed a nice meal & quality time together & everything seemed just totally normal…..

But, when Nathan’s mother Jennifer went back the next day to pick up her son what she discovered was like a scene from a real life nightmare , and her son, mom & stepfather were nowhere to be found.

What follows is one of the most heinous, barbaric, & evil cases we have ever heard of that involves a twisted killer named Douglas garland.

A killer who had harboured a violent, tortuous plan of revenge for years that he had been hell bent on carrying out.

And sadly on that fateful night in June 2014 he finally decided to make his move, putting his meticulously planned crimes into action ….

This is episode 102

A killer in Calgary :

The Evil Crimes Of Douglas Garland

Crime Talk Timestamp-10:40 minutes

Sources : Murderpedia/ www.vice.com/ Calgary herald.com/ web sleuths.com/ www.cbc.ca

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Today’s episode concludes our 2 parter on the horrific murder & consequent investigation of 21 year old British student Meredith Kercher .

Following the discovery of her body in her shared flat in Perugia Italy, from the get go it seems the ball was dropped when certain forensic procedures were not followed correctly in the aftermath , and the crime scene was also compromised quickly when certain protocols were not applied .

As a result of this, along with certain Italian police just acting on a false hunch, the wrong people Amanda Knox & Raffaele Sollecito were arrested for her murder.

Then the young couple were imprisoned for 4 years for a crime they didn’t commit .

Meanwhile Meredith’s real killer local criminal

Rudy Guede went largely unnoticed by the press & the world’s media, who chose to zone in on Amanda & Raffaele as it made for better headlines .

Thus allowing her killer Guede, who had violently sexually assaulted her before murdering her , to remain almost anonymous in Meredith’s story of what really happened to her in that fateful night .

And sadly as her family continue to mourn the loss of Meredith, this case highlights how the victim can sometimes be overshadowed by the suspects in the media .

And how important it is to remember that a young girl with the world at her feet needlessly lost her life that night, for no reason other than a predator wanting to satisfy his sick urges .

A man who could very likely go on to commit another crime like this now he has been released ….

This is episode 101

The Botched Italian Job: The Murder Of Meredith Kercher Part 2

Crime talk timestamp : 6:55 minutes

Sources: Il Messagero/ Wikipedia / The Murder Of Meredith Kercher prime tv / Murderpedia / bbc news / Sky News.com

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21 year old Meredith Kercher had the world at her feet as she lived out her dream of studying in Perugia, Italy for one year.

However her Italian dream soon turned into a real life nightmare on November 2nd 2007, as Meredith’s body was discovered in her bedroom. She had been brutally sexually assaulted & murdered.

What followed was years of false accusations against her young flat mate Amanda Knox who became known by the world’s media as the salacious nickname Foxy Knoxy, & her boyfriend Rafael Sollecito.

The pair were falsely imprisoned and suffered through years of legal wrangling to seek justice & exonerate themselves. Whilst the world’s press & Italian investigators zoned in on them, Meredith’s real killer a man called Rudy Guede very nearly slipped through the net.

Despite what is widely regarded as a botched forensic & police investigation justice finally prevailed for Meredith as Guede was sentenced for this horrific crime.

But imprisoning the wrong people had almost at times led to the most important thing, Meredith’s memory, being lost along the way. These mistakes also led to a lot of unnecessary pain & suffering for her grieving family .

Like In most countries, in Italy individuals accused of any crime are usually considered innocent until proven guilty.

However as this case unfolds we will see that is not always how it happens.

Knox & Sollecito were demonised by the press before ever having stood trial, leading to the stigma of being accused of murder hanging over their heads for years to come….

As we delve into this case that has many twists & turns, we want people to remember this should not be all about the people who were wrongly accused , or even about her real killer .

We need to remember it is about Meredith Kercher, an innocent victim who should not be forgotten along the way , who at only 21 had her life cut short way too soon in a totally senseless act of violence…

This is episode 100

The Botched Italian job

The Murder Of Meredith Kercher ….

Crime talk timestamp: 8:50

QSources : Il Messagero / Wikipedia /news.sky.com/ BBC News/ Sky News/ People Magazine/ Fox News

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In today’s episode we continue with part 2 of the amazing survival story of then 27 year old Alison Botha.

In 1994 Alison was kidnapped in her car outside her apartment in South Africa , then driven to an isolated area where she was raped by two attackers & left for dead having sustained over 37 knife wounds & had her throat slit many times .

Despite all odds she managed to crawl to safety, & incredibly flagged down help, only just escaping with her life in the process.

Today we delve into Alison’s road to recovery both physically & mentally after undergoing so much trauma .

Also how she made sure to do everything in her power to help police identify the evil men who tried to take her life .

Her courage & will to make sure they faced justice meant that the predatory pair who tried to kill her , Franz Du Toit & Theuns Kruger would be put behind bars for many years …

They notoriously became known in the press as ‘The Ripper Rapists’ & Alison made sure they could no longer roam the streets looking for another innocent victim. She has since become the voice for many victims of violence & survivors around the world .

This is episode 99: Surviving The Ripper Rapists

The Incredible Case Of Alison Botha Part 2

Crime talk timestamp: 9:00

Sources : Alison Documentary on Prime / Daily Maverick / BBCNews / Sky News / Wikipedia

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