Boxing Day 2004. 
It’s a day that many Australians remember, not because of how bloated they were feeling or who Australia played in the Boxing Day cricket test at the MCG - but because of the Boxing Day tsunami that struck 14 countries and killed more than 230,000 people.
So what happened when the wave hit? What was the aftermath like? And how did it change the way Australians viewed the world? 
15 years on, the Indian Ocean Tsunami as it is now known, is still one of the deadliest Tsunamis in history. 
And journalist John Burfitt joins Stephen now to discuss it...
Your host is Stephen Downie
The Executive Producer is Elissa Ratliff
Subscribe to Investigates here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/investigates/id1344649849   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Boxing Day Tsunami: 15 years on

If you find yourself googling unsolved crimes or thinking endlessly about incredible stories, then you need to listen to&nbsp;Investigates&nbsp;- the podcast that lifts the&nbsp;veil&nbsp;on some of the world’s most horrific crimes and baffling mysteries.&nbsp;From Australia’s most haunted house to the 37-year-old&nbsp;missing person’s case&nbsp;that started a&nbsp;national&nbsp;movement,&nbsp;Investigates explores some of the most fascinating stories the world has ever seen.&nbsp; 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

True crime

On this week’s episode, our guest is a young woman who has been through hell and back and is finally ready to tell her harrowing story. On April 11, 2017, the world was introduced to 22-year-old Cassie Sainsbury, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed young lady from Adelaide in South Australia. Cassie was a personal trainer, she was engaged to marry a man named Scott Broadbridge and she had a close, loving family. But Cassie’s face was splashed all over the news for a sinister reason. She’d just been arrested at El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia after custom officers found 5.8kg of cocaine wrapped inside her luggage. The drugs had been stashed inside the packaging of headphones. A photo of Cassie stood beside the 18 tightly-wrapped packages is now an iconic picture. From the outside, she didn’t look like a criminal at all. Her story shocked millions of people. How could this seemingly innocent, wide-eyed girl from the Adelaide suburbs be a drug mule? Cassie pleaded with authorities, telling them she’d been set up. She had no idea there was cocaine inside her bag. “I didn’t do it mum, you have got to get me out,” a hysterical Cassie said during a chilling phone call home after her arrest. But Cassie’s proclamations of innocence fell on deaf ears. She was charged with drug trafficking and held in a Colombian prison, awaiting trial. Under Colombian law, a drug trafficker faces life in prison. It was just the start of a three-year nightmare for the young personal trainer. She tells her story on today’s episode.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cassie Sainsbury Exclusive: “I’m no longer Cocaine Cassie”

On Easter 2015, in Leeton, NSW, around five hours from Sydney, a chill hung in the air of the usually bustling country town. Leeton was a quiet, unassuming place. Nothing bad ever seemed to happen there. People kept their doors unlocked and every one know each other at the local grocery store. The worst crime would be a scuffle outside of the pub on Friday night. But five years ago, evil came to Leeton. 
On Easter Sunday, 2015, 26-year-old schoolteacher Stephanie Scott said goodbye to her fiancé Aaron Leeson-Wooley, and headed into Leeton High School for a few hours.
Stephanie was a drama and English teacher at the local high school. And in a few days time, she was getting married to the love of her life. Friends and family would tell you just how excited Steph was to become Mrs Leeson-Wooley. She’d been planning her wedding for months – and it was nearly here.
That Easter, Stephanie had decided to dedicate a few hours to preparing work for her students while she was away on her honeymoon. See, Steph had a heart of gold. She was adored by anyone and everyone who met her. Spending a Sunday devoted to making sure her pupils wouldn’t miss a beat while she was away was typical Steph. 
But that day at Leeton High, Steph would come face-to-face with a monster. The excited bride-to-be was brutally murdered just days before she was due to say I do. The story of her death is utterly heartbreaking and touched so many people who had never even met her, including Leeton journalist Monique Patterson.
Monique – who once edited the local paper The Irrigator – wrote a book on Stephanie’s murder and the effect it had on the town of Leeton. She joins us on today’s episode. 
  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When evil came to Leeton: The Stephanie Scott murder

Melbourne woman Lily Parmenter was only 19 when her mum Kathleen O’Shea – known to her family and friends as Katie - disappeared from the Queensland town of Atherton in December 2005. Katie was a quirky, happy and beloved single mum of five from Melbourne. On December 17, Katie and her 11-year-old daughter Brigid O’Shea flew to Cairns to visit her son, Alan and his partner Bryer. Alan and Bryer lived two hours from Cairns in the town of Ravenshoe, and they were expecting their first child. Lily says, she was so incredibly excited to meet her very first grandchild. But Katie never made it to the birth of her granddaughter. 
After a few weeks of staying at Alan and Bryer’s property, on December 29, Katie decided to go for a walk into town. Her son Alan then picked her up and dropped her at a pub in Atherton. She told him she was going to the pub to play pool. This was the last time anyone saw Katie alive. The New Year came and went, and on January 9, 2006, Bryer gave birth to a baby girl. Katie wasn’t there. It’s been 15 long years and Katie still hasn’t been seen by a single soul. In this episode, we speak to Lily about where she thinks her mother is – and why it’s taken so long to find any answers about her missing mother...
Your host is April Glover 
The Executive Producer is Elissa Ratliff
Subscribe to Investigates here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/investigates/id1344649849   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who killed Katie O’Shea?

When you think of Luna Park you probably think of fun, rides and fairy floss. But on the 9th of June 1979, as many Sydney-siders and tourists flocked to the amusement park - they had no idea some of them would be leaving without their lives. Because in 1979, Sydney’s Ghost train ride caught on fire and it killed six children and one adult. On this episode of Investigates Stephen sits down with journalist John Burfitt to find out how the fire really started…
If you or someone you know needs support, help is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Your host is Stephen Downie
The Executive Producer is Elissa Ratliff
Subscribe to Investigates here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/investigates/id1344649849   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Sydney's ghost train really catch on fire?

Why do some people see ghosts? And are they actually real?
Most of us love a good ghost story. Popular culture is rife with spooky tales of apparitions, poltergeists and unexplained noises in the night. While some ghosts are said to be benign, others can be malicious or even downright evil – if you believe that kind of stuff.
And there are plenty who do.
Today, we’re talking to Karina Machado, host of the Ghost Files podcast and author of the books Spirit Sisters and Love Never Dies. On her podcast Karina hears stories from everyday Australians about their encounters. Everyone one of them is absolutely convinced they saw or heard something paranormal.
But just because they can’t explain what it is, does it necessarily mean it’s a ghost? Let’s unravel the mystery…
If you or someone you know needs support, help is available from Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Your host is Stephen Downie
The Executive Producer is Elissa Ratliff
Subscribe to Investigates here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/investigates/id1344649849   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Boxing Day Tsunami: 15 years on

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