Unravel

Go behind the scenes of the podcast with reporter Alicia Bridges, who answers questions about how she investigated Mr Big. Asking the hard questions is Rachael Brown, the host of the ABC's first true crime podcast, Trace. They discuss some of the challenges and dilemmas around reporting on the story, how Alicia came across the case, and some of the things that didn't make it in to the podcast.

As Alicia Bridges investigates the beginnings of an epic deception, she finds it spans across continents. At the heart of the deception is an upside-down world of gang crime, and a series of dilemmas. What secrets should stay secret? How far would you go to catch a killer? One man is in jail, convicted for murder. But are there other people behind bars who might be innocent, here or overseas? In Canada, a secret recording captures another man admitting to murder, and the same story begins again, but this time with a different ending. In this case, Andy Rose is under suspicion for the murder of two German travellers, Andrea Scherpf and Bernd Göricke. His lawyer Tania Chamberlain recounts her shock at the contents of a VHS tape that arrives at her office one day. Eventually, the issue ends up in the Canada's highest court, and one of the country's highest-profile litigators, Marie Heinen, gets involved. Back in Melbourne, Mary Cook's daughters speak about what happened to their mother, and give their thoughts on everything that followed. STATEMENT FROM VICTORIA POLICE: Victoria Police stands behind the rigorous investigation which led to the conviction of Glen Weaven in relation to the 2008 death of Mary Lou Cook in Narre Warren. We consider this matter finalised and will not be commenting further. Victoria Police does not comment on the specifics or application of covert methodology. Covert methodology is deployed in the investigation of the most serious and violent crimes, and it is incumbent on law enforcement to pursue strategies to seek justice for victims and their families. Community safety is at the forefront of all decision making. Investigative strategies involving serious and organised crime whether covert or overt, are subject to significant planning and risk assessment processes. Victoria Police applies internal operating procedures to covert investigations, which include strict parameters and risk assessment processes including consideration of human rights. The deployments are also subject to formal reporting and oversight regimes to ensure they are employed appropriately and do not adversely impact future court proceedings or investigations. Victoria Police monitors the use of covert strategies in other Australian jurisdictions and around the world, to ensure our methods remain contemporary and that they align with best practice. Victoria Police accepts that covert methods are and have been subject to public discussion and interest due to judicial proceedings and media reporting, however further publicity does not benefit current or future application of the strategies. It is important to note that while the concepts of covert methods may be in the public realm at various times, the details pertaining to the practical application are not. All investigations whether covert or overt vary and the mechanisms employed change depending on the circumstances at the time. Success or results in terms of covert strategies is difficult to quantify. The methodology is employed as an investigative strategy with the aim of seeking answers and to identify the person or persons responsible for serious criminal offending. The outcome may not result in a criminal conviction but that does not mean there is not a result. STATEMENT FROM QUEENSLAND POLICE: The Queensland Police Service is committed to high standards of behaviour, transparency and accountability. Our purpose is to keep people, places and communities of Queensland safe through excellence in policing and community safety. To achieve this, investigators employ numerous lawful strategies for investigating and solving all crimes. These strategies can at times include covert methodologies to progress investigations, which under all circumstances should remain covert to protect their effectiveness. As with every investigation, investigators continuously review current investigative strategies, techniques and emerging trends to ensure such methods do not impede

A knife is found near a drain, but is it the one police looking for? A man is put on trial, and the court hears the evidence against him. But as each side mounts their case, which piece of evidence will really matter when the time comes for the jury to decide?

A life filled with diamond deals, drug money, bribes and corruption is strange enough. But the truth is even stranger. Deeper forces are at work, with a bigger purpose. Mr Big's web of secrets is revealed. As Alicia digs further into what happened in this case, the ingenious techniques of the gang are laid bare, and a series of strange scenarios begins to make sense as part of a larger picture.

Mr Big, the mysterious head of a criminal gang, calls a meeting at Crown Towers Casino and demands to know everything about the murder of Mary Cook. For hours, two men talk. Lies are told, and a confession emerges. But how do you tell the truth from the lies? And who is Mr Big?

If you're under investigation, the last thing you should do is commit more crimes. But this suspect is on a slippery slope. Small jobs become bigger jobs. Fake diamonds, huge sums of cash, and guns pass hands. A network of corrupt cops, government and court officials and shady underworld figures seem to form a gang with far-reaching tentacles.

Everyone says one man in the neighbourhood, Terry Britton, is dangerous. But could there be someone else who wished Mary harm? Terry has a temper and a history of violence. He threatened Mary Cook and her kids. Then Mary was murdered, and her house was set alight. But police are also looking into someone else: a much quieter man with no serious criminal record. When detective Ron Iddles interviews the other suspect, Glenn Weaven, things get tense.

A killer is caught on tape talking about a murder with a mysterious crime boss. Earlier, on a summer's night in suburban Melbourne, a mother of three is stabbed, and her house is set on fire. Firefighters race to the house, but the blaze is too intense. Police begin their investigation close to the home of the victim, Mary Cook. Journalist Alicia Bridges looks into the case. She will spend years trying to work out what the tape really means, and finding out about the crime boss on it, Mr Big.

On a secretly recorded tape, a confident-sounding man boasts of his influence with corrupt police. He sounds like a crime boss, or some kind of underworld Mr Big. He says he can help make problems with the law go away. But first, he wants the truth about a murder. But who is Mr Big? Alicia Bridges investigates. Mr Big is the latest season of Unravel, the ABC's award-winning true crime podcast.

Go behind the scenes of the podcast with co-reporters Crispian and Alex as they describe how they made this season of Unravel True Crime. More Information Host and co-reporter: Crispian Chan Co-reporter: Alex Mann Producer and researcher: Dunja Karagic Research and fact checking: Johnny Lieu Rollout producer: Amelia Mertha Theme and music composition: Martin Peralta Sound design and additional music: Simon Branthwaite Commissioning editor: Alice Brennan Executive Producer: Tim Roxburgh

Crispian and Alex find troubling signs among current-day extremist groups. Meanwhile, in this episode of Unravel True Crime the restaurant kids discuss how they processed what happened to their families.

Crispian and Alex hit the road to track down the gang's leader, Jack Van Tongeren. It turns out that Jack's past contains some big surprises. Meanwhile, in this episode of Unravel True Crime a former member of the gang reveals its secrets.

A decade later, the gang reemerges. In this episode of Unravel True Crime, Crispian and Alex come face to face with a former follower of the gang at a men's health and yoga retreat, sparking a bizarre and emotional reckoning. More Information Host and co-reporter: Crispian Chan Co-reporter: Alex Mann Producer and researcher: Dunja Karagic Research and fact checking: Johnny Lieu Rollout producer: Amelia Mertha Theme and music composition: Martin Peralta Sound design and additional music: Simon Branthwaite Commissioning editor: Alice Brennan Executive Producer: Tim Roxburgh

A risky undercover operation strikes at the heart of the firebombing gang. But in this episode of Unravel True Crime, hatred reverberates around the city, and lives are lost.  (Audio of Russell Willey courtesy of Anthony Buckley AM, from the film ‘Nazi Supergrass’)

As police struggle to keep up with a wave of terrorism, unlikely defenders emerge to confront the city's gangs. In this episode of Unravel True Crime, activists are badly beaten, and the neo-Nazi gang is starting to push its luck, but the police still can't nail anyone over the restaurant firebombings.

The city has been blanketed in threatening posters. The list of suspects narrows as the fire bombers' potential motivations become clearer. In this episode of Unravel True Crime, Police become suspicious of a hardened and fanatical group of neo-Nazi activists, who are thumbing their nose at law enforcement and threatening Asian communities in Perth.

Chinese restaurants are being firebombed in the dead of night. As the attacks spread, police scramble to work out what is happening in the city. In this episode of Firebomb, host Crispian Chan sets out to investigate the events surrounding the fire that destroyed his family's restaurant.

Chinese restaurants are being firebombed in the dead of night. The police arson squad is racing against the clock to stop the next attack. Along the way, there are buried weapons, secret informers, punks, ninjas, and political manoeuvres. As the rest of Australia celebrates the nation's bicentenary, a campaign of terror is getting underway in Perth. Now, in this deeply personal season of Unravel True Crime, Crispian Chan will investigate what really happened after his family's restaurant went up in flames. Episode 1 will be released on the 15th of August 2023. Unravel True Crime is the ABC's award-winning true crime podcast. Previous seasons include 'Blood on the Tracks', 'Barrenjoey Road', 'Last Seen: Katoomba' and 'Snowball'.

After the confrontation in the supermarket carpark, Ollie is left feeling confused — has he been charmed just like everyone else in this story? Will Lezlie fail to keep her promises to Ollie or leave him and his family hanging?

Ollie and Simon have criss-crossed California to find themselves parked in a supermarket car park staking out where Lezlie supposedly works. They may only have one shot to talk to her and finally get some answers. It doesn't go the way Ollie imagined.

Ollie and his brother Simon follow the trail of broken dreams and failed restaurants to Paso Robles, California. It's apparent Lezlie's exploits didn't stop when she left New Zealand. Ollie discovers his former sister-in-law had manufactured an image of a successful restaurateur in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and New Zealand. Her exotic CV and exciting stories pull a new family into her web — with disastrous consequences.

Following the trail to Lezlie Manukian, Ollie and his other brother Simon end up in California. With a muscle car and loud Hawaiian shirts, the brothers look every bit like '80s TV detectives as they head off on their very first stakeout. But, when the trail runs cold, they decide to chase down a lead at Lezlie's first restaurant in the resort town of Lake Tahoe. Meanwhile, Lezlie's emails become stranger than fiction.

Lezlie Manukian's stories about her time in Hawaii usually ended with murderous local mobsters running her off the island. So, to track down his brother Greg's ex-wife, Ollie Wards needs to understand her past. What really happened according to "the coconut wireless"?

Ollie and Greg's dad, David Wards, picks through the clues left behind by Greg's American wife, Lezlie. He realises that the entire family may have been victims of an elaborate con job. David is obsessed with finding answers, launching his own investigations and even becoming a 60-something computer hacker.

When Ollie Wards' brother Greg marries his American dream girl in New Zealand and they go into business together, it seems like a perfect start to a new life. But only a few months later, Greg is heartbroken, the family home is gone — and so is Lezlie.

Ollie Wards' family lost everything after their brush with a charming Californian con woman. As he embarks on a quest to find out how she did it, why she did it, and where she is now, he opens the door on a mystery that spans decades and across continents.

Host Gina McKeon interviews film-maker Helen Barrow about her coverage of Belinda Peisley’s inquest and the behind-the-scenes moments that we can’t hear in the audio. Helen’s one-hour tv documentary WHO KILLED BELINDA PEISLEY? is available on the streaming platform ABC iView. Download the app or visit the website: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/who-killed-belinda-peisley

Some of the most explosive moments in Belinda Peisley’s inquest happen between lawyer Phil Strickland and the man we’re calling Luke. Luke admits to using heroin and to staying on Belinda’s floor from time to time, like a lot of their crowd in Katoomba at the time. He’s got a violent past and a long rap sheet, but denies being a standover man or ever demanding money from Belinda. In the coroner’s court, Luke is grilled about an alleged conversation he had in jail with a fellow prisoner who remembers Luke bragging about smashing Belinda’s head with a rock. Luke denies all these accusations.

Jeremy Ward Douglas was going out with Belinda Peisley’s best friend, Heidi Wailes, at the time Belinda disappeared. The inquest into her death heard Jeremy had a reputation around town as a violent and controlling guy with a short temper who would hang around Belinda’s house, often against her wishes. Heidi says that, after Belinda disappeared, she remembers Jeremy behaving like he knew she wasn’t coming back. The court hears stories from others of Jeremy’s rage and that he allegedly had ideas about where Belinda’s body might be.

Heidi Wailes was close to Belinda and says she looked out for Belinda like an older sister would. But a break-in at Belinda’s house just days before she disappeared suggests Heidi might not have always been the friend she claimed to be. Many, including the coroner at Belinda’s inquest, believe Heidi may know more about what happened to Belinda than she is revealing. As pressure mounts in the courtroom, cracks begin to show. We also hear from another person in Belinda’s friendship circle, Wanda Loynds (aka "Storm") who admits to punching Belinda on the last day she was seen alive.

We go inside the courtroom at Belinda Peisley's inquest to hear firsthand the arguments, phone taps and witness testimony. Jason*, Belinda's boyfriend at the time, says he met up with her on the night she disappeared. They had an argument at her house and he left. It's the last time he ever saw her. Jason is from a footy family in the Mountains and his father John* wasn't impressed his son was going out with someone from the so-called 'junkie' crowd. Hear the inquest testimony from Jason and his father as they answer questions about Belinda's disappearance. *We've changed their names for legal reasons.

Belinda Peisley's life descended into chaos after her 18th birthday when she received a big inheritance and bought her own place in Katoomba. Her family hoped the house would set her up for life but, instead, her new address became a magnet for a world of drugs and crowd of people who’d turn up at all hours. Six months later, Belinda disappeared. In the months before she vanished, Belinda told her family she was scared — even that she wanted to change her identity and leave town — but they couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt her. Join reporter Gina McKeon as she travels to Katoomba to begin to understand what happened to Belinda Peisley.

19-year-old Belinda Peisley vanished after she left a Blue Mountains hospital, west of Sydney, on the night of September 26, 1998. The single mum-of-two disappeared within a year of inheriting a significant sum of money from a distant relative and buying a house in Katoomba, a small town in the Mountains. Six persons of interest were named in Belinda’s case. By piecing together the stories and evidence surrounding these six, Last Seen Katoomba, uncovers a dark underbelly of drugs and violence and a culture of fear and intimidation that still exists in this town. Twenty years on, some are still too scared to speak about Belinda’s case. The first episode of Unravel Season 3 lands on February 5.

It’s the lead Ruby and Neil have hoped for — a tip-off from an old law enforcement source about a potential burial site for Trudie Adams. Deep in Kur-ing-gai National Park is a place called Christmas Tree Hill and, rumour has it, a guy nicknamed "Chicken Wire Man" is responsible for disposing of Trudie’s body there. It’s time for one last trip to the bush.

Investigating the link between a career criminal, Trudie ... and a corrupt cop. For decades, Neville Tween evaded scrutiny by law enforcement, despite being a well-known career criminal. But what if he was protected? Not long after Trudie’s inquest, Mark Standen — one of Australia’s most powerful law enforcement officers — went down as a corrupt cop. It turns out Tween was one of Standen’s informants. As Ruby Jones and Neil Mercer begin to examine the relationship between Standen and Tween, they discover Tween was more than just an informant. There are so many questions, but only one man who has the answers. With Standen behind bars, will a letter to him from our investigation team provoke a response?

Neville Tween appeared at the inquest into Trudie’s disappearance in 2011. Unravel has been given access to Tween’s evidence — and for the first time ever, his voice is being aired. This is the man that multiple detectives think is responsible for the assaults on the northern beaches in the '70s, as well as the disappearance of Trudie Adams. As the evidence is presented against Tween — will he dig in, or fess up.

Despite the similarities between the disappearance of Trudie Adams and the assaults on fourteen women on Sydney’s northern beaches, the case goes cold for almost two decades. That is until 1992, when fresh eyes re-examine an old lead and police think they might be close to cracking the case. Is it the breakthrough they think it is? Ruby Jones sits down with a former detective who knows Trudie’s case better than anyone else

A chilling visit to bushland where abducted hitch-hikers are taken.  In the days and weeks after Trudie’s disappearance, a series of women come forward to the police telling similar, terrible stories about being targeted by two men on the northern beaches. At least 14 women have been abducted while hitchhiking or walking home. They are taken out to bushland, sexually assaulted and warned not to tell anyone. They don’t... until Trudie disappears. Many wonder if what happened to them had also happened to Trudie. The shadows of the bush are about to give up secret horrors... gunshots, a grave and an assault so depraved it could only have been committed by a criminal monster.

Trudie Adams was last seen hitching a ride home from a dance in Newport on Sydney’s northern beaches. The last known person to see her alive was her boyfriend, Steve Norris. Or more accurately, her soon to be ex-boyfriend. Police label Steve as a person of interest in the days following Trudie’s disappearance. The couple were in the process of breaking up. There were rumours of an argument. Trudie already had a crush on someone else... could this be a motive? Then there was Trudie’s upcoming trip to Bali and a strange link to a drug dealer known for bringing back marijuana from there. Could Trudie’s death have something to do with drugs? Journalist Ruby Jones tracks down Steve Norris and the original detective on the case to re-examine what happened in the days immediately following Trudie’s disappearance.

A heart breaking search for the hitch-hike girl. For a free-spirited teenager, growing up on Sydney’s northern beaches in the '70s was as good as it gets. Endless perfect surf breaks, days spent lounging on the beach with mates, parties every weekend. 18-year-old Trudie Adams was typical, hanging out with her girlfriends and looking forward to a trip to Bali. On a Saturday night out at the Newport Surf Club in June 1978, Trudie’s boyfriend watches her leave to hitch hike home. She never makes it. The laidback community quickly realise something is wrong. The popular teenager had no reason to go missing. Suddenly, the northern beaches don’t feel so safe anymore. Trudie’s disappearance exposes the dark underbelly of the "insular peninsula". There are drugs, crimes against women and, potentially, police corruption. Join investigative journalist Ruby Jones as she begins to unravel what happened to Trudie Adams.

The story of Barrenjoey Road explores the disappearance of Trudie Adams in 1978 from Sydney’s northern beaches in 1978 leaving a family and community devastated.    When 18-year-old Trudie Adams goes missing hitchhiking home on Sydney’s northern beaches in 1978, a family and community are devastated.    The case exposes the dark underbelly of the “insular peninsula”… a world where surfers run drugs home from Bali, gangs of men prowl the beaches and predators have unchecked power.    The story of Barrenjoey Road explores why the case was never solved and takes us all the way to the top... to a criminal monster with links to organised crime and police corruption at the highest level.

Years of investigation have led to this moment ... a major breakthrough in the case, a potential answer to thirty years of mystery and pain for the Haines family. An alleged confession has revealed who might have placed Mark’s body on the train tracks on that summer night in 1988. Now it’s time to put the question to him — did he have anything to do with Mark’s death? Will Allan finally have some answers for Uncle Duck?

Allan and the team shift their focus to Tamworth and the truth starts to emerge from a fog of rumours. As Allan builds on the case, he discovers the police aren’t far behind. An eyewitness comes forward. Key witnesses are confronted for the first time. An alleged confession emerges which takes the investigation in a completely new direction. If it turns out to be true, this new lead could help finally solve the 30-year-old mystery.

More than two decades have passed since the coronial inquest into Mark Haines’ death. The family have been forgotten about — until news reporter Allan Clarke arrives in Tamworth on a routine story and becomes convinced this is a major injustice. Allan’s reporting unearths fresh information. A mother comes forward with a story about her son’s involvement. Police aren’t quick to follow up. But, after a flurry of protests and phone calls ... the case finally starts to gain traction.

The family's hopes for an answer at the inquest fade fast. Nine months after Mark’s death, an inquest is held. The family are hopeful it will give them answers, but the police won’t budge from their theory that he put himself on the tracks. As the hearing unfolds, the family find out just how mediocre the initial investigation was. Lost evidence, an unsecured crime scene ... and a forensic pathologist who ignores a key injury, medical evidence that could provide clues to how Mark died. One person is in the family’s corner though. The railway worker who found Mark on the tracks is adamant the police and the forensic pathologist have it wrong. He’s remained silent for the last thirty years but finally comes forward to set the record straight.

Violence erupts as Uncle Duck and the family confront their number one suspect. On the surface, Tamworth in 1988 is a typical Aussie town with rodeos, farmers and an active Country Women’s Association.  But beneath the friendly veneer, there’s a thriving criminal underbelly.  Large marijuana crops grow on the outskirts of town and there are reports of bikie gangs with links to corrupt cops on the take. The police investigation into Mark’s death has stalled allowing gossip and innuendo to take hold.  The family know Mark occasionally smoked marijuana, but now they’re hearing whispers that he might’ve have got on the wrong side of some serious criminals. It’s hard to believe, but it’s the first plausible explanation for Mark’s death they’ve heard.  The family decide to confront the man rumoured to have killed Mark... with ugly consequences.

Mark Haines' family challenge the police investigation.  When Mark Haines dies, news of the teenager's death spreads quickly through Tamworth and beyond. His family are on summer holidays in different parts of the state and rush home to be together in grief. While the family mourns and Mark’s body is in the morgue, their town is in full party mode. The Tamworth Country Music Festival is on and Australia is celebrating 200 years of colonization. For Mark’s uncles, it feels like the death of a young Aboriginal boy is the last thing on anyone’s mind. The police come up with a theory that Mark might’ve killed himself ... but the family aren’t buying it. In the days and weeks ahead, his uncles return repeatedly to the train tracks looking around for answers. They’re worried the police have missed vital clues and they become convinced Mark met with foul play. In their quest to disprove the police theory, the family find an unlikely ally. The railway worker who first found Mark’s body on tracks is just as convinced the evidence out there on the tracks just doesn’t add up.

Thirty years of mystery surrounds the death of 17-year-old Mark Haines. It’s the summer of 1988. A train hits a person early in the morning on its way out of Tamworth. Straight away, something doesn’t add up about the scene where the body is found. A rail worker notices strange inconsistencies at the scene. If this was suicide, why is there so little blood? The boy on the tracks is Mark Haines, a Gomeroi teenager with friends on both sides of the tracks. We meet his uncle Don (Duck) Craigie, who has been tirelessly searching for answers since Mark’s death. He suspects foul play. We trace Mark’s movements on the night before his death, as he hits the town on a big night out with a bunch of friends, dancing, drinking and having fun. Mark’s friends and girlfriend say they left him in the early hours. Just after, a nearby resident hears voices on the street, what sounds like an argument, and a car driving dangerously. But the next few hours remain a mystery. How did Mark end up on the tracks?

Blood On The Tracks investigates the suspicious death of 17-year-old Mark Haines, whose body was found on the railway line outside Tamworth in January 1988.