Real Crime with Adam Shand

Calvin and Nicole were lovers who balanced their love for each other and their two children, with the heroin addiction that dominated their lives. This is not a glamorous crime yarn, it’s the story of feeding a voracious beast. It’s about compromises, crimes, and the shameful acts that must be committed to survive. Calvin’s death, when it came, was a kind of relief for Nicole, a chance to restore family relationships and to deal with her own addiction. In this honest conversation with Adam, Nicole does not make excuses but provides insight into life, death, and surviving Calvin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 31, 1971, 15-year-old Rosalyn Nolte left her home in Hamilton, Victoria, to walk her dog. She never returned.Rosalyn was brutally murdered by two 18-year-old men, Christopher Russell Lowery and Charles King. Both were convicted of murder and sentenced to death, but their sentences were commuted and both eventually walked free.For a young Phil Dunn, who was part of the defence team, it was a trial he would never forget.More than 50 years later, Phil joins Adam Shand to revisit the case that has haunted his professional memory.He reflects on the challenges of defending the accused, the extraordinary pressures inside and outside the courtroom, the death penalty and the difficult question of whether justice was ultimately served. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam is creating a new podcast series called The Real Chopper, and he wants your stories. Today, From the Desk, Adam asks how the late Mark Brandon Read created such enduring myths about his life and why people were so willing to believe them, or to suspend their disbelief.Thirteen years after his death, his books continue to sell, and his legend grows ever larger. He’s created a place for himself in crime history alongside Ned Kelly that his true story does not justify. What in the Australian psyche did Read understand when weaving his tales, and did he have an unspoken agreement with his audience? If you have a story about Chopper email me here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She lived a life of drugs, crime and prison, married to a major heroin dealer and surrounded by the trappings of wealth. But behind the money and glamour, Elizabeth — not her real name — knew little of love, safety or happiness. When her husband suddenly vanished, presumed murdered, her world collapsed. The money disappeared, addiction tightened its grip, and Elizabeth spiralled towards rock bottom. Yet somehow, after decades trapped in a destructive cycle of addiction and crime, she found the strength to turn her life around. It's a remarkable journey through addiction, loss and despair to redemption, faith and the power of hope — and a reminder that even the most damaged lives can be rebuilt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For two years, Queensland police officer Jason Somerville lived a dangerous double life. Under the assumed identity of Michael Bates, he posed as a heroin dealer, infiltrated Brisbane's drug trade, befriended hardened criminals and earned their trust to gather evidence against them. He even went undercover in a police cell to obtain a confession from an accused double murderer. But living a lie comes at a price. When the operations ended, Somerville discovered that leaving his undercover identity behind was far harder than adopting it. The constant danger, deception and paranoia had taken a psychological toll. His marriage eventually collapsed, and the effects of his undercover years followed him long after the operations were over. Jason discusses his new book, Undercurrent: The Hidden Cost of Going Undercover, revealing the close calls, moral dilemmas and personal sacrifices involved in infiltrating Australia's criminal underworld. https://artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2EMn00000k7A78 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The alleged attack on Helen Haines has shocked Australia and raised urgent questions about the safety of our elected representatives. How do we protect politicians while keeping them accessible to the communities they serve? Adam Shand examines the threatening language poisoning public debate and reflects on his own approach to handling vile comments on social media. With the accused’s motive still to be established, this is a call to consider the conversations we create—and our responsibility when anger becomes an invitation to violence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former police officer Amanda Schultz has spent years questioning the official finding that her father, Detective Inspector Geoffrey “Whit” Whitford, took his own life. The highly respected Whitford was found dead from a gunshot wound at a remote South Australian beach in October 1981. His death was officially ruled a suicide by police without a formal coronial inquest, backed by a sealed 30-year coronial report. Whitford led a covert organised crime and drug taskforce targeting the marijuana and heroin trade. Amanda discusses the evidence she believes doesn’t fit the accepted account, what her father may have known through his police work—and why she continues to fight for a fresh investigation into his death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ivan Milat murdered seven young backpackers in the Belanglo State Forest. But were those his only victims? Investigative journalist Camille Bianchi joins Adam Shand to discuss her gripping new podcast, Back to the Wall , which explores disturbing allegations linking Australia's most notorious serial killer to the dark underworld of Sydney's Kings Cross. In the 1980s and 1990s, vulnerable streetkids gathered at a place known simply as the Wall . Some disappeared. Others survived with stories of predators, powerful men and secrets that have remained buried for decades. As a New South Wales inquiry examines allegations about Milat's activities before his arrest, Bianchi tracks down witnesses whose accounts challenge the accepted history. Were opportunities to investigate serious crimes missed? Who knew what was happening? And how much of the truth can still be uncovered? A confronting conversation about missing children, institutional failures and the survivors who are finally finding their voices. Follow and listen to Back to the Wall here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A photograph, a bare wedding finger and a possible message. Adam Shand examines Snezana Wood’s first reported public appearance since her husband Sam was charged with domestic violence offences. Is this a declaration of independence, or are we reading too much into the picture? Beyond the tabloid signals lie serious questions about prosecution, family support and access to justice. Wood denies the allegations, which remain unproven. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Part Two of Kyle Madden's story, he returns to jail to find a darker more brutal environment where the old rules are breaking down. He must form strong bonds with jail gangs and fighting for survival becomes the norm. Once free again, it's only a matter of time before he's back inside, especially as his offending becomes more serious and violent. He comes to place no value on life until the loss of his unborn son and he finally begins to take responsibility for his choices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A special double episode on the journey of former Sydney criminal Kyle Madden from an underworld heavy to a new life beyond crime. In Part One, Kyle is jailed for a home invasion that results in the shooting of an innocent bystander. After his first stint, jail becomes a revolving door for Kyle as family and personal relationships break down. In custody, Kyle aligns himself with heavy crooks and begins building his criminal network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christa Pike survived Tennessee’s attempt to execute her. Should the state be allowed to try again? From the Desk, Adam Shand examines the legal precedent, the English legend of mercy after a failed hanging, and the moral limits of capital punishment. Even if another execution attempt is lawful, does that make it right? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When police officer David Raymond walked into the darkness hunting a killer, he often had just one partner besides him, a partner who couldn’t speak but whose instincts David trusted with his life. For 26 years, David worked with police dogs in Far North Queensland. But one dog would come to define his career: Vader, a jet-black German Shepherd who tracked killers, confronted armed offenders, searched for the missing and helped save lives. In this episode of Real Crime , David Raymond takes us inside the extraordinary world of police dog operations: the danger, the humour, the psychological toll and the remarkable bond that develops when a man and a dog repeatedly walk into danger together. It’s a story about courage, loyalty and an almost instinctive trust between two partners and the heartbreaking reality that even the strongest partnerships eventually come to an end. David Raymond and Vader: a police officer, a police dog, and the unbreakable bond that brought them both home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before Roberta Williams became one of the most recognisable names in Melbourne’s gangland story, she was Roberta Merciecaa, a rebellious 15-year-old growing up around Frankston.Lee McIntosh knew her then. As a youth worker, Lee worked with young people dealing with broken homes, trauma and uncertain futures. She understood them because she had lived through her own family upheaval. But Lee came to Real Crime with a mystery of her own. She had never met her father and wanted to find the man who had been missing from her life for decades. In this episode, Lee takes us back to the teenage years of the girl who would become Roberta Williams, revealing a fascinating prequel to the Underbelly story. And then we embark on a very different investigation: the search for Lee’s long-lost father. Two stories about family, identity and the strange turns a life can take and one question Lee has waited a lifetime to answer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer vanished from Fairy Meadow beach at Wollongong in 1970. A teenager later told police he had abducted and killed her. Decades on, he was charged with murder—but the case ended when a judge ruled that his police interview could not be used at trial. He pleaded not guilty, and no jury reached a verdict. After a tireless campaign for justice by Cheryl's family, the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions agreed to review the court ruling but recently upheld the decision to exclude the confession of the alleged killer. It was a devastating blow but the family fights on. They are now demanding an independent review of this decision and why evidence from new witnesses has not been investigated by police. In this From the Desk , Adam Shand asks how a family finds answers when the evidence at the heart of a case cannot be heard in court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria, with the support of her new partner, Grant, reports that the father of her children has raped and sexually assaulted her. Victoria summons the courage to go through the three-year process that led to his conviction and a 13-year prison sentence. Another woman is inspired to bring charges against the perpetrator for crimes committed against her. Victoria has waived her right to anonymity to tell this story in the hope of encouraging other women to liberate themselves from abusive partners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff Maher had a stellar career as an investigator, including a 15-year stint as a detective senior sergeant in the Victoria Police homicide squad. His crew worked on some of the most high-profile murder cases in the state’s history, which included locking up a serial killer. Peter Dupas. Jeff also worked in arson and explosives investigations. In this revealing interview, he discusses investigative methods and how he dealt with the stresses of working on horrific murder cases and dealing with the loved ones while maintaining a laser focus on professionalism. He also talks about giving back at the end of his career, training detectives at the Victoria Police Academy and a new role helping to train police in Cambodia investigating homicide and child protection cases. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Debbie Fahey’s death in a Melbourne motel room in 1981 was treated as a heroin overdose. But more than four decades later, troubling questions remain.Multiple syringes. Four foils of heroin. No obvious heat source to prepare the drug. And a strange telegram that appeared to explain Debbie’s state of mind.Then there is the man in her life: Alistair Farquhar "Sandy" MacRae — later convicted of four murders — who identified Debbie’s body and described himself as her fiancé.Were these simply the circumstances surrounding a tragic overdose? Or was somebody trying to make Debbie’s death look like one? In this special From the Desk, Adam Shand examines the anomalies in the original investigation and makes a direct appeal to anyone who knew Debbie, MacRae, or Melbourne’s drug scene in 1981.Someone may still know what happened inside that motel room. After 45 years, it’s time to talk. Listen to the full epsidoe with Debbie's daughter, Des here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like thousands of young Australians in the 1980s, Patrick McKenzie became addicted to heroin and found his way to Sydney's King Cross joining a sub-culture of drug users who financed their habit by committing petty crime. It took five days in jail for him to begin to see a life beyond drug addiction but the road to recovery was difficult, including multiple stints in rehab, relapses and the painful restoration of personal relationships. Patrick takes Adam Shand through his story of self-destruction and redemption. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Was Debbie Fahey's death really a murder? In 1981, Deborah “Debbie” Fahey died from a heroin overdose; her death was apparently another tragedy of Melbourne’s drug scene. But was there more to the story? In an earlier episode, former detective Noel Ashby identified convicted killer Alistair Farquhar MacRae as a possible suspect in a series of heroin deaths during the 1980s—deaths that may have been made to look like suicides or accidental overdoses. After hearing that episode, Debbie’s daughter, Des, contacted us. Together, we uncovered an extraordinary connection: MacRae had been Debbie’s boyfriend. In this episode, Des tells the deeply personal story of the mother she lost and the disturbing questions that have remained unanswered for more than four decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.