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Motive & Method

Tapt Media

Motive & Method is an expert-led Australian true crime podcast. Join Dr Xanthe Mallett and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro as they unpack what really makes the offenders behind some of history’s most notorious cases tick, and also react and unpack crimes as they hit the headlines. You will also hear from victim survivors, investigators and advocates for change analysing motive, and method.

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  • 29 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 30 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • June 23 · 29 min

    5. Cheryl Grimmer: A Confession Ignored- A Child Killer Never Caught

    A three-year-old disappears. A teenager confesses. Yet more than five decades later, Cheryl Grimmer’s family is still fighting for justice. Cheryl Grimmer vanished from a beach change room in 1970, and despite a detailed confession decades later, no one has ever been held accountable for her murder. In this powerful interview, Cheryl’s brothers, Paul Grimmer and Ricki Nash, share the devastating impact her disappearance has had on their family and their decades-long fight for justice. They raise troubling questions about missed investigative opportunities, a confession that was ultimately ruled inadmissible, and why they believe authorities failed to properly pursue Cheryl’s case. More than 50 years on, they continue to demand answers and the chance for their little sister to finally have her day in court. More episodes of Australia's Killer Secrets coming soon... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • June 16 · 32 min

    4. Keren Rowland: Was She Ivan Milat's First Victim?

    What if Ivan Milat’s first victim was killed more than two decades before the backpacker murders? Keren Rowland was 5 months pregnant when she was brutally murdered and hidden in a pine forest in 1971. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe sit down with Keren's brother Steve Rowland and former UK detective Hugh Hughes. They detail years of fighting for answers, alleging police ignored crucial leads, withheld information and failed to properly investigate Milat despite mounting evidence linking him to Keren’s murder. More than 55 years on, the family is still asking the question that haunts this case: if police had done more back then, could Ivan Milat have been stopped before his backpacker killing spree began? More episodes of Australia's Killer Secrets coming soon... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • June 11 · 27 min

    3. Kevin Docherty: 47 Years Searching For Answers

    A twin brother's 47-year fight for answers, suspicious letters and a new witness who may hold the key to where Kay Docherty is buried. In this episode, Kevin Docherty shares the heartbreaking story of his sister Kay Docherty, who vanished alongside her friend Toni Cavanagh in 1979. Nearly five decades on, Kevin recalls the night they disappeared, the suspicious letters sent to their families days later, and the long fight for answers after police initially treated the case as a runaway. He also reveals new information from a recently emerged witness that may not only point to Ivan Milat, but to a potential burial site that has never been searched. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • June 11 · 22 min

    2. Ivan Milat's 11 Other Victims?

    Families demand answers - police under scrutiny - and a revelation that could reshape the Milat case. At the first hearing into dozens of Australia’s unsolved murders and missing persons cases, police revealed a previously unheard list of potential additional victims linked to Ivan Milat. In this episode, forensic scientist and criminologist Dr Xanthe Weston and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro take you inside the landmark parliamentary inquiry in Bowral, NSW. They unpack the heartwrenching testimony from families still searching for answers, and their sharp criticism of police. Plus, the expert evidence they presented to the inquiry about Ivan Milat’s motives, methods and the murders they believe he may have gotten away with. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • June 10 · 28 min

    1. Australia's Killer Secrets: Milat, Murders & Missing

    What if the full story behind Australia's most notorious serial killer Ivan Milat has never been told? In episode one of this special series of Motive&Method, forensic scientist Dr Xanthe Weston and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro break down the unsolved missing & murdered cases being re-examined in a landmark parliamentary inquiry. Tim & Xanthe have been working for years, alongside family members, on many of these cases. Now they're being called to give their expert submissions, highlighting the evidence and potential links in some of the investigations. In Australia's Killer Secrets, Tim & Xanthe are taking you inside the hearings to explore the evidence - talking to family, police and politicians - in this new search for answers in some of Australia's most enduring mysteries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • June 7 · 1 min

    Introducing: Australia's Killer Secrets

    What if the full story behind Australia's most notorious serial killer Ivan Milat has never been told? And what if more recent cases point to a copycat killer - or worse? In this special series of Motive&Method, forensic scientist Dr Xanthe Weston and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro take you inside a landmark parliamentary inquiry examining dozens of unsolved murders and disappearances. From new evidence to long-overlooked links, Australia’s Killer Secrets explores the mysteries that continue to haunt a nation. Series launches Wednesday June 10. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • June 2 · 34 min

    Is There A Byron Bay Serial Killer?

    Mysterious disappearances, unsolved deaths & terrifying stories - Is a killer stalking Byron Bay? And could there be more than one? In 2019, 18-year-old Belgian backpacker Theo Hayez vanished after a night out in Byron Bay and was never seen again. Since then, the disturbing death of Jackson Stacker and the mysterious cases of Hugo Palmer and Erwan Ferrieux, among others, have become part of a chilling theory that a serial killer may be stalking northern New South Wales. As social media speculation collides with real police investigations, stories of alleged close calls and suspicious encounters continue to emerge. Are these tragedies connected - or has internet-fuelled fear created a modern Australian myth? In this episode, Tim & Xanthe separate fact from speculation and explore the stories that continue to terrify locals and travellers alike. Watch our full video episodes on Youtube on the Crime Central Australia channel. Follow us on Instagram @Motive&Method See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • May 26 · 27 min

    A Horrific Crime In Campbelltown: Australia's DV Crisis

    A mother & two young boys killed allegedly at the hands of their father - This tradegy has once again left an entire country asking how this keeps happening. The alleged murders in Campbelltown, Sydney have been described as among the most confronting domestic violence scenes seasoned investigators have encountered. Police allege the accused may have been inspired by another shocking family killing in Perth. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe unpack the allegations while examining the broader national crisis of domestic violence in Australia. Why do these tragedies keep happening - and what will it take for meaningful change? Click here for the petition calling for Royal Commission into the Killing of Australian Women and Girls 1800RESPECT Call: 1800 737 732 Text: 0458 737 732 1800respect.org.au/ Lifeline Call: 13 11 14 Text: 0477 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au/ MensLine Australia Call: 1300 78 99 78 Kids Helpline Call: 1800 55 1800 24/7 support via phone and kidshelpline.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • May 19 · 30 min

    Youth Crime & 'Crimefluencing': Clicks, Clout & Coercion

    Crimes for clicks, shares and online status - In this episode, Tim and Xanthe unpack the dangerous new phenomenon “crimefluencing”. Australia’s top cop recently highlighted this “new and disturbing front in traditional gender-based violence” - with young people being drawn into online networks that encourage everything from petty offending to serious violence and exploitation. From livestreamed assaults to the coercion of vulnerable teenage girls, this episode explores how social media has gamified criminal behaviour. WATCH OUR FULL VIDEO EPISODES ON YOUTUBE AT 'CRIME CENTRAL AUSTRALIA'. Follow us on Instagram @Motive&Method See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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