Crimes That Shook Australia

Hosted by Matt Doran (Season 3) and Stan Grant (Seasons 1&2), this series investigates Australian crimes that upset and stunned the nation. Using gripping interviews with people at the heart of the tragedies, drama reconstructions and archival footage, it details the events leading up to the crime, the crime itself and the aftermath of the biggest crimes ever committe... Read all

Genre: Documentary, Biography, Crime

Cast:Stan Grant , Matt Doran , Nig Richards , Claryn Scott , Adam Abreu , Hugh O'Brien , Pamela Ashton , Adam Probets , Ernest Vernon , Wayne Devlin , William Bale , Graham Burton , Allan Hopwood , Steven Norris , Tony Crookes , Sean Rooney , David Wilks , Sarah Mhlanga

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ The Murder of Ebony Simpson

Wed, Apr 16, 2014

On 19th August 1992, Andrew Garforth waited by his car for the regular school bus to drop off nine-year-old Ebony Simpson just 1 kilometre from her home. As Ebony walked towards her home Garforth grabbed her and placed her in the boot of his car and drove to a remote location where he assaulted her, before throwing her into a dam where she drowned. Shortly after her disappearance, over 300 people set out in search of the little girl, with Garforth joining them in an attempt to cover his tracks. Investigations eventually led to Garforth. Miraculously he admitted to the murder almost immediately and led police to Ebony's body late into the night of the 20th August. Garforth was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1993. Following Ebony's tragic death her mother, Christine Simpson, fought tirelessly to change legislations for victims of crime.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ The Port Arthur Tragedy

Wed, Apr 23, 2014

On 28th April 1996, 28-year-old Martin Bryant shot and killed 35 people in the popular Tasmanian tourist site of Port Arthur and its surrounding areas. He began his killing spree by killing the owners of the hotel he was staying in. He then went to the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur where he ate a meal before opening fire on unsuspecting tourists restaurant, using his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle to end the lives of over 20 people in a matter of seconds. Continuing his rampage, Bryant drove around the surrounding area, chasing innocent victims and shooting them at point blank range, including women and children. Bryant then took a hostage back to his hotel where police attempted to negotiate with his demands - he wanted a helicopter to take him to Hobart Airport so he could to be flown to Adelaide. At some point during the negotiations Bryant killed his hostage. He was eventually caught when he set fire to the accommodation and ran out of the house suffering from severe burns. Bryant was sentenced to 35 life sentences without parole for each of his victims. Following the Port Arthur tragedy swift action was taken to change gun laws in the country.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ Peter Dupas

Wed, May 7, 2014

On 19th April 1999, several times convicted criminal Peter Dupas posed as a new client of psychotherapist Nicky Patterson. Having made arrangements for his first appointment, 28-year-old Nicky welcomed Dupas into her home under the pretence that she would be giving him counselling for gambling. Dupas then attacked Nicky with a knife before mutilating her body. Evidence at the scene led police to Dupas. Dupas was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole in August 2000 and was later found guilty of the separate 1997 murders of Margaret Maher and Mersina Halvagis and was given two more life sentences.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ Jason Downie

Wed, May 7, 2014

On 8th November 2010, Jason Downie broke into the house of his friend's girlfriend, where Chantelle Rowe and her parents were asleep. Woken up by the intruder, Andrew Rowe confronted Downie but was stabbed at least 29 times and eventually died. Downie then turned to Rose Rowe as he attacked and killed her in the same way. After witnessing the attack on her parents, 16-year-old Chantelle hid under her bed in terror, but Downie proceeded to stab her to death. When their bodies were found Downie showed no remorse but instead was seen to be grieving, laying flowers outside the Rowe family home. When traces of his DNA and semen connected him to the frenzied attack, he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 35 years.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ Katherine Mary Knight

Wed, May 14, 2014

Katherine Mary Knight lived in the small town of Aberdeen, NSW. In the early hours of March 1st 2000, Knight attacked her de facto husband John Price by stabbing him repeatedly. One day earlier, John had gone to court and taken out an Apprehended Violence Order against her. Knight's experience as an abattoir worker and her obsession with knives may have aided in how she then mutilated the body. After skinning John's body she then decapitated him and cooked parts of his body to serve to his relatives. After noticing John missing from work, his employer notified police and one of the most horrific crime scenes in Australian history was to be uncovered. She was the first Australian female to be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole and her papers were marked 'never to be released'.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ Derek Percy

Wed, May 21, 2014

On 20th July 1969, Derek Percy approached 12-year-old Yvonne Tuohy and her friend Shane Spiller whilst they were playing at their local beach in Warneet, Victoria. He snatched Yvonne into his car before trying to get Shane too, but Shane managed to defend himself. Percy took Yvonne to a remote location where he then murdered her. Shane contacted the police and was able to recall several things about Percy's car, including a navy sticker which led police to the local Navy base HMS Cerberus and to Percy. After his arrest Percy admitted to the crime and calmly led police to Yvonne's body. Controversially, Percy was found 'not guilty' on reasons of insanity but was considered too dangerous to ever be released. Since then, Percy has been a suspect in a number of murders and disappearances of other children all over Australia including 7-year-old Linda Stilwell who went missing from St Kilda beach in 1968. He was known as Australia's most notorious child killer until his death in prison in July 2013.

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Robert Farquharson

Sun, May 29, 2016

The crime committed by Robert Farquharson has been etched on the minds of Australian's since 2005. Farquharson drove his car into a dam off the Princes Highway near Winchelsea on Father's day, drowning his three sons, Jai, 10, Tyler, 7 and Bailey, 2. After two trials, Farquharson was found guilty of murder with the prosecution confirming he killed his children to get revenge on his wife from whom he had recently divorced. Featuring interviews with Cindy Gambino, the children's mother, plus detectives from the team charged with bringing Farquharson to justice, the programme reveals the true horror of this shocking crime.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Peter Falconio

Sun, Jun 5, 2016

On the 14 July 2001, British couple Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees stopped on the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory after a man flagged down their car. This man, later identified as Bradley Murdoch, shot Falconio before tying Lees up. She managed to escape while Murdoch was distracted, hiding in nearby bushes for five hours until she was able to run out into the road and flag down a truck driver who took her to safety. Falconio's body has never been found. The subsequent trial and media furore would stun the nation as well as raising questions about the strength of the allegations against Murdoch.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ The Strathfield Massacre

Sun, Jun 12, 2016

The Strathfield massacre in Sydney on the 17th August 1991 will be forever remembered as one of Australia's most shocking gun crimes. A lone gunman, Wade Frankum, entered a shopping mall one afternoon, had a cup of coffee and observed shoppers going about their business. Moments later, he stabbed a teenage girl next to him before opening fire on unsuspecting shoppers for ten minutes. The devastation left eight dead and six wounded. Before police arrived, he took his own life. Officers later found a collection of violent literature and films at his home - the only clue into why this killer took all those innocent lives. The crime provoked fierce debate on the country's gun laws.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ Darcey Freeman

Sun, Jun 19, 2016

Five-year-old Darcey Freeman suffered a horrific death at the hands of her father on the 29th January 2009. Driving her to her first day at school, he stopped the family car on the West Gate Bridge and callously threw her off the side, in full view of her two older brothers. He then returned to his car and drove to the law courts in central Melbourne where he handed himself in, pleading with officials to take his boys off him. In a trial that gripped the nation, the jury had to decide if Freeman was 'mad or bad'.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ The Russell Street Bombing

Sun, Jun 26, 2016

On Easter Thursday in 1986, a car bomb exploded outside the Russell Street Police HQ in central Melbourne. Constable Angela Taylor was caught by the full force of the blast and succumbed to her wounds 21 days later in hospital. She was the first serving female Australian Police officer to be killed in the line of duty. The subsequent investigation into the bombing would change the face of forensic inquiries and lead to the apprehension of a gang or armed robbers with a vendetta against the Police. Includes interviews with Angela's parents, officers who carried out the investigation and survivors of the attack, many of whom haven't spoken of their experiences before.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Raechel Betts

Sun, Jul 3, 2016

Raechel Betts was a young woman from the Melbourne suburbs whose life spiralled out of control after she began selling drugs on behalf of a male acquaintance. Tragically this man, unbeknownst to Raechel, was a double murderer who had slipped through the parole system and was free to kill again. In August 2009, her remains washed up on a Phillip Island beach. Her body had been dismembered. Featuring interviews with Raechel's friends and family as well as the detective who led the investigation, we tell the tragic tale of Raechel's life and death plus examine the failings in the system that allowed a killer to murder an innocent woman.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Hoddle Street Massacre

Sun, Jul 10, 2016

In August 1997, Hoddle Street in Clifton Hill, Melbourne became the scene of utter carnage as disgraced Army cadet, Julian Knight shot and killed seven people and injured countless more. He was given 27 years minimum sentence and despite several legal petitions, the Victorian government has said it is unlikely he will be released. Featuring interviews with survivors, Police officers and emergency responders we tell the true of story of the massacre. The programme also features chilling footage of Knight's Police interview as well as footage of the moment he was taken back to the scene and explained what he had done.

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ Gerard Baden-Clay

Sun, Jul 17, 2016

Allison Baden Clay was a beauty queen with a successful real estate husband. They lived in Queensland with their three young children. In 2012, Allison's body was discovered in a creek, ten days after being reported missing by her husband. In July 2014, Gerard Baden Clay was found guilty of murder after a protracted trial. He appealed the verdict and in 2015, to widespread outcry, his conviction was downgraded to manslaughter. The crime has shone an uncomfortable light on the prevalence of domestic violence in Australia.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ Snowtown: The Bodies in the Barrels Murders

Sun, Feb 18, 2018

On reopening several missing person's cases police found they were all connected to two men. The trail of missing people led them to a bank vault in Snowtown. Inside the vault, they found a number of barrels - all containing body parts.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ The Bega Schoolgirl Murders

Sun, Feb 25, 2018

In 1997 two teenage girls were abducted whilst camping. They were driven across the state of Victoria and subjected to 9 hours of rape and torture before being stabbed to death.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ The Queen Street Massacre

Sun, Mar 4, 2018

On the 8th of December 1987 Frank Vitkovic entered the Queen St HQ of Auspost at 191 Queen Street, Melbourne and opened fire with a military grade rifle firing 40 rounds and killing eight people.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ Matthew Milat

Sun, Mar 11, 2018

Matthew Milat In November 2010, in the quiet Belanglo State Forest, Matthew Milat fulfilled his desire to follow in his infamous uncle's footsteps when he brutally murdered his school friend in cold blood.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ Anu Singh

Sun, Mar 18, 2018

In October 1997, Law student Anu Singh held two dinner parties to say goodbye to her friends after she had allegedly divulged to them that she and her boyfriend Joe Cinque were to die in a suicide pact.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Daniel Kelsall

Sun, Mar 25, 2018

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7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ Raymond Edmunds

Sun, Apr 1, 2018

In Great Falls, Montana, detectives are called to the scene of a grisly crime, a 51-year-old former corrections officer dead is found dead. This is the second seemingly random murder in six weeks, a chilling statistic in a city that sees only about six homicides a year. As the hunt for the killer begins, detectives race to stop him before he hurts anyone else.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ Patricia Byers

Sun, Apr 8, 2018

This week's Crimes That Shook Australia explores the theme of greed and tells the story of a woman, dubbed by the media as The Black Widow, who methodically set out to murder two men in three years. For their money.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ The Walsh Street Massacre

Sun, Apr 15, 2018

The investigation into the execution of two young Victorian Police Officers by criminal elements in revenge For the shooting of a suspect by the armed Robbery squad .

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ Jill Meagher

Sun, Apr 22, 2018

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