In this episode of Exhuming the Truth, we examine one of the most devastating coronial findings to emerge from Australia in recent years: the death of nine-month-old Kobi Shepherdson.

Kobi was a baby who should still be here today. His death was found by a South Australian coroner to have been preventable.

This is not simply the story of one dangerous offender. It is a case that exposes coercive control, escalating warning signs, and the devastating consequences when multiple systems fail to recognise and respond to the true level of risk.

Together, we’ll work through the case chronologically, analyse the documented warning signs, and examine the findings delivered by Acting Deputy State Coroner Ian White in June 2026. As always, our focus is on understanding what happened, what was missed, and the lessons that may help prevent future tragedies.

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of child death, domestic and family violence, coercive control, and other distressing themes that some listeners may find upsetting.

Some conversations take on a life of their own, and this was one of them.

I went into this interview with a list of carefully prepared questions, but within minutes, those notes were forgotten. Chris Gee’s experience, knowledge, and passion made the conversation flow in directions I hadn’t anticipated, and I found myself genuinely fascinated by his work.

In this episode, we explore Chris’s unique career, the challenges he’s faced, the lessons he’s learned and the stories that have shaped his journey. Rather than following a script, this became an authentic discussion driven by curiosity, allowing us to dive deeper into topics that don’t often get the attention they deserve.

Whether you’re interested in investigations, conservation, forensic thinking, or simply hearing from someone whose work is making a real impact, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Sometimes the best interviews are the ones where the questions stay on the page. I absolutely loved recording this episode with Chris Gee.

I went in with pages of interview questions ready to go… and I don’t think I asked a single one.

Instead, I found myself completely captivated by Chris’s work, asking question after question as the conversation naturally unfolded. Those are my favourite kinds of interviews, the ones that stop feeling like an interview and become a genuine conversation driven by curiosity.

Chris has such an interesting background, and I walked away having learned so much. I think you’ll hear that throughout this episode.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when two curious minds start exploring a topic without sticking to the script, this episode is for you.

I’d love to know what part of the conversation stood out to you the most after you’ve listened.

Following the recent Seven Spotlight interview with Josie Murray, public discussion surrounding the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont has intensified. In this episode, we move beyond speculation and take a forensic approach to the known facts.

As a criminologist and forensic scientist, I examine the timeline, investigative challenges, search efforts, digital forensic considerations, and the competing theories that continue to surround Gus’s disappearance.

Together we explore:

• The timeline and why it remains the backbone of the investigation

• The difference between evidence, belief and speculation

• The forensic significance of search failures

• The abduction, wandering and concealment hypotheses

• The role of digital evidence in modern missing persons investigations

• Questions raised during Josie Murray’s Spotlight interview

• What investigators know, what we think we know, and what remains unknown

This episode is not about choosing sides.

It is about examining evidence, testing theories and understanding how forensic investigators approach complex missing child cases.

Because the goal is not to prove a theory, the goal is to find Gus.

Listener discretion is advised.

If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review, follow Exhuming the Truth on social media, and support our ongoing advocacy for missing persons and victims’ families.

REFERENCES

• SA Police updates on the disappearance of Gus Lamont and major crime investigation status

    The New Daily – Gus Lamont Major Crime Declaration⁠

• ABC News coverage of search efforts and investigation updates

    ABC News – Police search for Gus Lamont explained⁠

• ABC News update on ongoing investigation and lack of new evidence from searches

    ABC News – Gus Lamont search finds no new evidence⁠

• ABC News six-month investigation update and timeline overview

    ABC News – Six months since Gus Lamont disappeared⁠

• Seven Spotlight interview reporting Josie Murray’s statements regarding the investigation and timeline claims

    7NEWS Spotlight coverage – Josie Murray interview reporting⁠

• Reporting on police position and Josie Murray’s response to being named a suspect

    AdelaideNow – Josie Murray named as suspect reporting⁠

On the morning of the 21st of December, 2006, detectives searched a modest rental on Rutland Avenue in the Perth suburb, Lathlain. They made a gruesome discovery.

Inside a wheelie bin that was concealed in the backyard of the property, were the remains of 16 year old Stacey Mitchell.

Within just two hours, two girls were arrested for her murder.

Stacey had only known these two girls for 3 days before they ended her life.

Join us while we unpack what happened to the forever young, Stacey Mitchell.

When police arrested Bradley Robert Edwards in December of 2016, they entered what appeared to be an ordinary suburban home in Perth. There were no secret chambers or obvious trophies displayed on his walls, nothing that immediately resembled the scenes often portrayed in crime dramas.

Yet, hidden among everyday household possessions were items that would become crucial pieces of one of Australia's most significant criminal investigations.

In this episode we examine what investigators found inside the home of the man later convicted of the murders of Claremont women Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon. We take a forensic and criminological look at how investigators connect small details, behavioural patterns, and physical evidence to build a case against a serial offender.

Listener discretion is advised.

This conversation goes where many avoid.

In Part Two of Exhuming the Truth Presents: Field Notes, we continue our discussion with Chris D’Arcy, President of Search Dogs Sydney, moving beyond search operations into the deeper realities of missing persons work rarely spoken about publicly.

This episode explores the systemic barriers in the missing persons space, the challenges that can affect search efforts, and the difficult conversations around advocacy, resources, coordination, and the realities of frontline work.

We also take an in depth look at the extraordinary lengths search teams go to in their efforts to help families searching for answers. The physical demands, emotional toll, unseen work, and unwavering commitment behind the mission to locate missing people.

These are conversations many avoid. Conversations that can be uncomfortable. Conversations that matter.

This episode offers a rare insight into the complexities behind missing persons investigations and search operations from someone living that reality.

Because understanding the system is part of improving it.

Exhuming the Truth Presents: Field Notes with Chris D’Arcy Part Two is out now.

EXHUMING THE TRUTH PRESENTS: FIELD NOTES

Episode One: Chris Darcy – President of Search Dogs Sydney

What happens behind the scenes when someone goes missing?

In the first episode of Exhuming the Truth: Field Notes, we step into the world of search operations with Chris Darcy, President of Search Dogs Sydney, for a conversation exploring the critical work undertaken by specialist search teams and the remarkable partnership between handlers and highly trained search dogs.

In this episode, Chris shares insight into the realities of search work, the challenges faced in the field, and why collaboration, training, and community involvement can play such an important role when vulnerable people disappear.

This is Part One of our discussion, an introduction and preview into a much deeper conversation still to come. Due to technical issues during recording, this interview has been released in two parts, with Part Two delivering an extended deep dive next week.

Field Notes is a new Exhuming the Truth series that brings listeners closer to the people working on the ground, the searchers, specialists, advocates, and professionals who help shape investigations, support communities, and pursue answers.

Views expressed are those of the individuals involved and are intended for educational, awareness, and advocacy purposes.

You can find more about Chris and Search Dogs Sydney at:

https://searchdogssydney.org

In the early hours of July 31st, 2022 in Strongsville Ohio, 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla drove her Toyota Camry carrying her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic Russo and friend 19-year-old Davion Flanagan into a brick building at 100mph, that's around 160kmph.

What was initially considered a tragic crash, forensic and reconstructive evidence began to show otherwise.

Today, Asha unravels the complexity of this case that recently showcases on Netflix documentaries, "The Crash", going into great detail of how and why the evidence is stacked on one side of the fence.

This episode is dedicated to the lives of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan.

Isla Bell was 19 years of age with the world at her feet when she went missing in October of 2024.

Come November 2024, her remains were found at a waste facility in Dandenong, Victoria.

But this was just the beginning of a nightmare for Isla's family seeking justice for her life, when forensic science met challenges that seemed to hinder her case when it finally faced court.

As of May 2026, the accused is facing no charges.

Sit with us and listen to Asha discuss this case from beginning to end, including what evidence is available that the prosecution believes is not enough for a conviction.