Real Crime with Adam Shand

43:00

The Girl Before Underbell

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/10/04

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

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8:44

From The Desk -A Confession the Jury Never Heard

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/10/01

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

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45:29

Breaking the Silence: Victoria’s Story

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/29

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

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48:41

The Detective’s Mind: Murder, Arson and the Evidence...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/27

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

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8:46

From The Desk -The Debbie Fahey Files: Was the Scene...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/24

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

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43:00

From Heroin to Hope: Patrick McKenzie’s Road to...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/22

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

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42:54

The Debbie Fay Files: Too Many Questions

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/20

Was Debbie Faye’s death really a murder? In 1981, Deborah “Debbie” Faye 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

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15:21

From the Desk - Why Melbourne’s Gangland War Became...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/17

Sixteen years after the death of Carl Williams, the Melbourne gangland war continues to resonate as Australia’s most famous underworld war. In this week’s From the Desk episode, Adam Shand reflects on why the Underbelly war continues to fascinate the public even as the death toll in Sydney‘s gangland conflicts continues to rise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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54:25

Live At The Stanley Pub - Part 2 ATM Glitch That...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/15

In Part Two of Real Crime: Live at the Stanley Pub, Adam Shand sits down with Daniel Saunders — the man who discovered a glitch in his bank account that seemingly gave him access to unlimited money. What followed was four months of outrageous spending, new friends, gambling, luxury hotels and a life that spiralled completely out of control. But eventually, Daniel did something almost as extraordinary as finding the glitch: he tried to give the money back. Daniel tells Adam what really

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48:09

Real Crime - Live At The Stanley Pub - Part 1

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/13

A special double episode this week, Adam Shand is taking Real Crime on the road with Dan Saunders of The Glitch podcast visiting historic Stanley in northeast Victoria for a live event at the Stanley pub, in association with Turnip Media. In this first episode, Adam tells how he got into crime writing during Melbourne’s gangland war and recounts some of his near-death experiencesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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12:55

From The Desk - Family Court Under Scrutiny: Are...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/10

This week I posted about disturbing revelations involving Australia’s Family Court. I was inundated with messages from women who believe the system failed them—and left their children in danger. In this episode of From the Desk, I examine claims that protective mothers are being ignored, disbelieved, or financially broken by a process they entered to keep their children safe. I ask whether allegations of abuse are being properly investigated, whether children’s voices are being

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37:42

Psychics, Crime and the $100,000 test

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/08

For more than 20 years, Adam Shand has asked detectives across Australia: has a psychic ever genuinely helped solve a crime? In this episode, Adam speaks with Richard Saunders from Australian Skeptics about the $100,000 prize awaiting anyone who can prove they possess psychic abilities under controlled conditions. The money is real—but can anybody pass the test? Together, they examine the claims made by psychics, the techniques that can make their predictions seem convincing, and why families

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72:59

Inside the Life of the Craigslist Drug Dealer

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/06

Jamie Burchell once made his living selling drugs and he was very good at it but he paid for it with years in maximum security and a struggle with anxiety and depression. Now free and living alone in the bush, the man once dubbed the Craigslist drug dealer speaks candidly about fatherhood, regret. self-sufficiency and his chance to build a life beyond crimeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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10:38

From the Desk -Should Australia Ever Bring Back the...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/09/03

More than one in three Australians—37 per cent—say they would support bringing back the death penalty. But supporting an execution in principle is very different from carrying one out.In today’s From the Desk, Adam asks the uncomfortable question: if the state is permitted to take a life in our name, who must bear the burden of actually doing it? Would those demanding the ultimate punishment be prepared to enter the execution chamber, carry out the sentence—and live with

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31:41

The Wolf of Whiteman Street: The Extraordinary Fall...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/08/30

He was dubbed the “Wolf of Whiteman Street," a Crown Casino high roller whose extravagant lifestyle allegedly included lavish parties, VIP treatment, and extraordinary spending. But behind the glamour, police allege Sy Giang Nguyen was funding his lifestyle through a multimillion-dollar fraud against the charity where he worked. Nguyen is facing hundreds of charges, and the allegations remain before the courts. Herald Sun senior reporter Seb Costello joins Adam Shand to unravel the

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12:54

From the Desk - Ralph Carr: Was Six Years Enough?

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/08/27

Ralph Carr was sentenced to six years in prison, with a four-year non-parole period, for two rapes and a sexual assault. For many, the punishment feels profoundly inadequate. In this edition of From the Desk, Adam Shand examines why the judge could not sentence according to public anger alone—and how precedent, proportionality, comparable cases and Carr’s personal circumstances shaped the result. He also asks what could happen if other complainants came forward and Carr were convicted of

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34:41

Pure Undistilled Evil

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/08/25

Alistair Farquhar "Sandy" MacRae is a quadruple convicted murderer who killed without mercy. At 77, MacRae is eligible for parole after completing his jail sentence in South Australia but questions remain whether he killed other people, including women who worked in massage parlours in Melbourne in the 1970s. Former Victoria Police assistant commissioner Noel Ashby dealt with MacRae and tells Adam Shand he might have got away with several other murders and should not be released, despite finishing

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31:14

Will Simon Carmen Face Execution in Thailand?

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/08/23

Australian Simon Carmen is facing the possibility of the death penalty over the alleged murder of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla in Thailand. Sydney lawyer Tony Taouk joins Adam Shand to examine the case, explain how the Thai legal system operates and assess whether a death sentence is likely to be imposed—and, crucially, whether it would ever be carried out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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9:12

From the Desk -Adult Time for Adult Crime: Is Locking...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/08/20

In this bonus epsiode From the Desk Adam asks the question. Australia is getting tougher on youth crime — longer sentences, stricter bail laws and “adult time for adult crime.” But with youth detention costing more than $1 billion a year and around 85% of young offenders returning to the system, is locking kids up really making us safer? Adam Shand looks at the disturbing crimes driving public anger, the teenagers being recruited by organised crime, and why tougher punishment alone

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46:43

Bali, Terrorism and the Thai Cave Rescue: Glen...

Real Crime with Adam Shand ·

2026/08/18

Former Australian Federal Police commander Glen McEwen spent 35 years confronting organised crime, terrorism and international crises. His new book, Crime, Chaos and Controversy, takes readers behind the scenes of operations including the Bali bombings and the dramatic Thai cave rescue. Glen joins Adam Shand to reveal what happens when police must make life-and-death decisions amid uncertainty—and the personal cost of leading when the world is watching.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

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