True Crime Conversations

Mamamia Podcasts

True Crime Conversations explores the world's most notorious crimes by speaking to the people who know the most about them.

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Our Editor's Take

True Crime Conversations is a podcast that explores crimes from all over the world. Host Gemma Bath examines true crime stories with a focus on women. The show aims to remove the idea of female victims in crime stories as nothing more than a body. Listeners hear about the victims of violence as the real people they were.

Gemma took over as the podcast's host in 2022. She has experience in writing, voice acting, and broadcast journalism. She joined Mamamia as a producer and editor, conducting research for the show. Before Gemma, Jessie Stephens hosted the show for three years. Jessie still works with the network as an executive editor and remains a listener. The podcast's production company comes from Australia. As a result, many episodes detail Australian true crimes. However, Gemma covers cases from America as well as European countries.

Beyond Gemma's skillful narration of each case, the podcast features a variety of guests. Guests include law enforcement, authors, and people who knew the victims. The types of crimes on the show range from serial killers to cults and human trafficking. Some cases made international news, like the horrible crimes of Ghislaine Maxwell.

The show has also covered the infamous case of Conrad Roy's suicide. The Massachusetts teen received multiple texts from his girlfriend before his death. He had started reconsidering suicide until Michelle Carter encouraged him to follow through. Roy died from exhaust inhalation alone in his car at his girlfriend's behest. For this episode, Gemma spoke to Dr. Mark Tunick. The political theorist offered his thoughts on this case's legal gray area.

Whatever the story, every episode of this podcast features a fascinating discussion. Gemma speaks with guests who add clarity to these chilling crime stories. The show explores the impact of violence on victims' families. It also reveals the complexity of investigations and the legal system. New episodes of True Crime Conversations are available every Wednesday.

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Episodes

The News Snowtown Victims Families Have Been Dreading
2d ago
The News Snowtown Victims Families Have Been Dreading
In May 1999, two detectives followed a trail of suspicious missing persons cases to an old, red-brick bank in Snowtown, South Australia.  As they head inside, they head straight for the bank’s vault where they find six large plastic barrels containing human remains. They also find handcuffs, knives, a saw, boxes of disposable gloves and bottles of hydrochloric acid.  They’d come to realise they'd found the dumping grounds of Australia’s worst serial killings, crimes that would see four men sent to prison with lengthy sentences.  But now, 2 years later, two of these men could soon be eligible for release. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Jeremy Pudney You can find more info about his book Snowtown: The Bodies in Barrels Murders here. Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Scott Stronach The story is not the first time we've covered the Snowtown Murders. Hear our past episode with Debi Marshall here. GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. Tell us what you really think so we can give you more of what you really want. Fill out this survey and you’ll go in the running to win one of five $100 gift vouchers. 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 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Triple Murder And A Broken System
Apr 17 2024
A Triple Murder And A Broken System
In May 2016, police arrived at a farmhouse in Hillier, north of Adelaide. The scene that awaited them was horrifying beyond words.  Stephen Graham Peet had just murdered three people. The bodies of his girlfriend, Adeline Yvette Rigney-Wilson, and her two young children were inside.  But as his crimes unravelled in court, something became clear. Those two little kids shouldn’t have died. Their deaths, at least, were preventable. It was a series of failures from government agencies designed to protect them that actually, left them in the path of a killer. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Sean Fewster You can listen to his podcast Just Lawful here. Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Scott Stronach The story is not the first time we've covered systemic failures within domestic violence cases. If you found this episode interesting you might like to listen to one of these next: The System That Failed Hannah ClarkeSix Deaths. One Uncomfortable Truth GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will come back to you ASAP. Tell us what you really think so we can give you more of what you really want. Fill out this survey and you’ll go in the running to win one of five $100 gift vouchers. 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 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
According To A Criminologist, Keli Lane Shouldn’t Be In Prison.
Apr 10 2024
According To A Criminologist, Keli Lane Shouldn’t Be In Prison.
On September 12, 1996, Keli Lane gave birth to a baby girl at Auburn Hospital in western Sydney. Two days later that baby seemingly disappeared.  After years of investigation, Keli was convicted of her daughter's murder in 2010 and sentenced to 18 years behind bars. But did they get it wrong? Keli Lane’s story has been compared to the wrongful conviction of Lindy Chamberlain. It’s been pulled apart and analysed for years.   So is she a baby killer? Or is she a woman, misunderstood. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia CREDITS Guest: Xanthe Mallett You can listen to her podcast Motive And Method here. Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au   Tell us what you really think so we can give you more of what you really want. Fill out this survey and you’ll go in the running to win one of five $100 gift vouchers. 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 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dorothea Puente: The Serial Killer Granny
Apr 3 2024
Dorothea Puente: The Serial Killer Granny
To the outside world, Dorothea Puente presented herself as a kind grandmotherly figure who cared for the disabled and vulnerable residents of her boarding house in downtown Sacramento. But behind closed doors, nothing was as it seemed… Not only was she stealing the money of her tenant, but she was also a serial killer. Allegedly murdering up to nine people. In today's episode, we explore the crimes of the ‘Death House landlady’ who even after she was convicted managed to win over people with her sweet, grandmotherly ruse. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Want to try our new exercise app? Click here to start a seven-day free trial of MOVE by Mamamia. CREDITS Guest: Genie Ortiz, author of The Corpse Collector: The True Story of Dorothea Puente Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au   Tell us what you really think so we can give you more of what you really want. Fill out this survey and you’ll go in the running to win one of five $100 gift vouchers. 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 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Inside The Rise & Fall Of Ruby Franke
Mar 20 2024
Inside The Rise & Fall Of Ruby Franke
Ruby Franke and her husband Kevin started posting their family online in 2015 under the pseudonym 8 Passengers. Things like birthday parties, grocery hauls, tips on getting toddlers to sleep through the night, and Sunday baking. It was an all-access pass inside their lives, and people loved it. But over the years, the criticism grew about the way Ruby and Kevin were choosing to discipline their kids. Fast forward to 2024, and Ruby and her business partner Jodie Hildebrandt were both charged with aggravated child abuse against the YouTuber's youngest two children. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Want to try our new exercise app? Click here to start a seven-day free trial of MOVE by Mamamia. CREDITS Guest: Paula Barros & Jessica Lowther.  You can listen to Episode 1 of their podcast, The Rise And Fall Of Ruby Franke here. Stay up to date with the latest updates about the Ruby Franke case with Mamamia's news podcast The Quicky. Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au   Tell us what you really think so we can give you more of what you really want. Fill out this survey and you’ll go in the running to win one of five $100 gift vouchers. 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 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How A Perth Girl Ended Up In A Thai Prison
Mar 13 2024
How A Perth Girl Ended Up In A Thai Prison
Holly Deane-Johns grew up in a wealthy area of Perth. When her family’s real estate business went bust, her mother started a successful escort agency to keep their lavish lifestyle intact. But her parent’s relationship was abusive, and when they finally split Holly’s mum met someone new that changed everything.  Simon was a heroin addict. Pretty soon her mother was too, and the family’s comfortable lifestyle collapsed as addiction took over. It didn’t take long for Holly and her siblings to also become reliant on heroin.  By the age of 20, Holly was in prison on drugs charges. By the age of 21 her mother had died of an overdose. But Holly’s hell was only just beginning.  In August 2000, she was arrested in Thailand on more drugs charges - except there, the ramifications were much, much more serious.  THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Want to try our new exercise app? Click here to start a seven-day free trial of MOVE by Mamamia. CREDITS Guest: Holly Deane-Johns. You can find out more about her book Holly's Hell: Seven Years in a Thai Prison here. Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au   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 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With Her Abuser Behind Bars, Dassi Erlich Is Ready To Talk.
Jan 31 2024
With Her Abuser Behind Bars, Dassi Erlich Is Ready To Talk.
In 2023, Malka Leifer was sentenced to 15 years in prison for 18 counts of sexual abuse against Dassi Erlich and her little sister. Leifer was the sisters' former high school principal, and when whispers of their allegations came to light in 2008, she fled from her home in Melbourne to Israel before any formal complaint could be made.  It took 70 extradition hearings and 13 years to bring her back to Australia. But finally last year, Dassi was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Leifer was finally going to pay for what she’d done.  THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Want to try our new exercise app? Click here to start a seven-day free trial of MOVE by Mamamia. CREDITS Guest: Dassi Erlich You can find out more about her memoir In Bad Faith here. Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Thom Lion GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au   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 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Complicated Crimes Of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Jan 24 2024
The Complicated Crimes Of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
In 2016, Gypsy Rose Blanchard pled guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.  She admitted to planning and orchestrating the stabbing death of her mother Dee Dee at the hands of her boyfriend Nick Godejohn, who was convicted of first-degree murder. Nick remains behind bars, but in December 2023, Gypsy was released after serving eight years of her sentence.  This case is about more than just murder. It’s one of the most famous cases involving the alleged diagnosis of Munchausen by proxy - known nowadays as ‘Factitious disorder imposed on another’. THE END BITS Subscribe to Mamamia Want to try our new exercise app? Click here to start a seven-day free trial of MOVE by Mamamia. CREDITS Guest: M.J. Pack Host: Gemma Bath Executive Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Scott Stronach GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au   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 Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.