Katherine Knight, Sarah Makin, Caroline Grills, Catherine Birnie, Helen Moore, and Rachel Pfitzner are among the most notorious female killers in Australian history. But what compels a woman to take a life, whether it’s someone close to her or, more rarely, a stranger?

Dr Xanthe Weston, a criminal psychologist, has long been driven by this very question. Drawing on years of research into cases like these, she joins us today to explore what she’s discovered - why women’s motives for killing often differ from men’s, and whether some perpetrators are inherently predisposed to violence, or shaped by circumstance.

LINKS

Listen to the Method & Motive podcast here.

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

GET IN TOUCH

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations

Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note.

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CREDITS

Guest: Dr Xanthe Weston

Host: Gemma Bath

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy

Audio Engineer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1984, Terry Ferguson was approached in a busy Florida mall by a charming photographer with an Australian accent. He promised her stardom; instead, she became a victim of Christopher Wilder, the notorious "Beauty Queen Killer."

While Wilder’s confirmed body count sits around 11, new evidence suggests a much darker reality: a trail of over 30 victims stretching from Australia to America.

Today, we explore Wilder’s predatory tactics, his transition from serial to spree killer, and his potential connection to Australia’s infamous, unsolved Wanda Beach murders.

LINKS

Listen to the Catching Evil podcast here.

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

GET IN TOUCH

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations

Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note.

Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.

Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your code ends April 1st.

CREDITS

Guest: Mark Llewellyn & Andy Byrne

Host: Gemma Bath

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy

Audio Engineer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2007, a family of three and their friend vanished from their secluded home in Nannup, Western Australia, leaving only a cryptic note claiming they had moved to Brazil. They never arrived.

As investigators delved into the lives of Chantelle McDougall, her partner Simon Cadwell, their daughter Leela, and friend Tony Popic, they uncovered a web of doomsday prepping and cult-like spiritual beliefs.

Was this a voluntary disappearance to a "higher plane," or something far more sinister?

LINKS

Listen to Expanse: The Nannup Four here.

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

GET IN TOUCH

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations

Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note.

Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.

Get 25% off Nala with your Mamamia subscription. Click here to get your code ends April 1st.

CREDITS

Guest: Dominique Bayens

Host: Gemma Bath

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy

Audio Engineer: Jacob Round

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.