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PODCAST

Motive & Method

Xanthe Mallett and Tim Watson-Munro

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.

true crime

All Episodes

31:26

Files Unsealed: The Last Woman Executed in Australia

Motive & Method ·

2026/01/13

In 1951, Jean Lee was the last woman executed in Australia. 75 years after her execution, the case has been thrust back into the spotlight with the release of never-before-seen court documents. Lee was convicted of murder alongside two men - despite ongoing debate about her true role in the crime. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe unpack the crime, the controversial police investigation and the legal twists that sealed her fate. It’s a case that forces us to confront uncomfortable questions

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25:54

Cold Cases Cracked Open In 2025

Motive & Method ·

2026/01/06

As we step into the new year, this episode turns the spotlight to some of the meaningful progress made in major Australian cold cases in 2025. After decades of unanswered questions, several long-standing cases saw significant breakthroughs, new evidence and even arrests. Tim & Xanthe revisit just some of the many cases that were cracked back open last year, offering long-awaited progress for families who have been waiting years for answers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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47:49

Year in Crime: Cases That Defined 2025

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/31

In this special end-of-year episode, Xanthe and Tim look back on Australia’s biggest and most unsettling cases of 2025. From the trial that gripped the nation, to some of the lesser publicised but equally disturbing cases, they unpack the investigations that shaped public conversation and debate. Plus, the cases we should keep watching as we head into 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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45:46

REPLAY: 2025 Fan Favourite - Inside Snowtown with...

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/28

Catch up on one of our most-listened episodes in 2025. Forensic investigator Gordon Drage lifted the lid on Australia’s most horrific serial killings - the infamous Snowtown ‘bodies in the barrels' case. 26 years on, he still remembers every detail of the day they made the gruesome discovery in that bank vault. Now retired, Drage is a passionate advocate for mental health support within emergency services, sharing his powerful insights on the profound impact such cases have on those who

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31:09

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Bizarre, Brazen & Baffling Cases of...

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/23

In this special holiday episode, Tim & Xanthe step away from the dark and disturbing and turn to some of the more unusual crime stories of the year - the bizarre, brazen and baffling! They’re putting each other to the test, in a series of games, to examine the stranger side of human behaviour.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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34:46

REPLAY: Xanthe's 2025 Top Episode - The Horrors of...

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/21

If you're a new listener or haven't heard this episode, this is Xanthe's 2025 "must listen" episode from February.While many think human trafficking it’s a distant issue, it’s happening closer than we realise - in neighborhoods, cities, and countries around the world, including Australia.In this episode, Tim and Xanthe speak to Matt Friedman - a leading, internationally renowned global expert on modern slavery and human trafficking. From forced labor to exploitation and coercion, Matt

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4:49

Terror At Bondi: Stories from 2GB & 9News

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/18

On December 14, 2025, Bondi Beach became the site of the deadliest terror attack on Australian soil - 15 innocent people killed when two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration. Built from eyewitness testimony and deeply personal stories gathered in the immediate aftermath, this series documents how a peaceful Sunday evening gathering became one of the darkest days in Australia’s history. Through interviews recorded by reporters across the 2GB and Nine News teams, hear raw, unfiltered

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27:51

BONDI TERROR ATTACK: A Forensic Perspective with Dr...

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/17

In the wake of the deadly Bondi terror attack, Tim and Xanthe are joined by Forensic Psychologist Dr Nathan Brooks - a leading expert in ‘lone actor’ violence and mass casualty attacks. Together, they explore what we know so far and why grounding public understanding in verified facts matter. Dr Brooks cuts through speculation and shares his expertise around offenders, methods and warning signs that can be missed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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52:34

Toyah Cordingley & The International Manhunt To Catch...

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/16

A young woman murdered, a suspect who vanished overseas and a seven-year pursuit of justice that spanned continents. This episode revisits the killing of 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley - murdered on a quiet Queensland beach in 2018 - and the extraordinary international effort to track down her killer. Tim & Xanthe are joined by Nine News reporter Lily Greer, who followed the case from Cairns to India. Together, they unpack the international manhunt that culminated in Rajwinder Singh’s recent

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33:19

A Poisonous Legacy: One Family, Two Killers

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/09

In 1920 Alexander Newland Lee murdered his wife and three of his children. His method? Poison. It would later be uncovered he was the nephew of infamous serial killer Martha Needle - AKA ‘The Richmond Poisoner’.Author Dr Samantha Battams - who has written on both cases - sits down with Tim & Xanthe to share her insight into the disturbing threads linking these two generations of killers and the chilling parallels of their crimes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

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27:24

Murderous Medics: When Caretakers Become Killers

Motive & Method ·

2025/12/02

Around the world disturbing cases have emerged from behind the walls of hospitals and aged care homes of nurses and healthcare workers using their caregiving role as a cover for murder. This episode explores how these killers manipulate trust, vulnerability and medical authority to hide their crimes in plain sight. Tim and Xanthe delve into the darkest side of professions built on compassion, and analyses the disturbing psychology that turns caregivers into killers.See omnystudio.com/listener for

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37:19

Diagnosis On Trial: Are Innocent Parents Being Jailed?

Motive & Method ·

2025/11/25

Have innocent mums and dads been jailed for a crime they never committed? That’s the question at the crux of a major new investigation into Shaken Baby Syndrome. In this episode, investigative journalist and host of the podcast ‘Diagnosing Murder’, Michael Bachelard joins us to dissect the science, flaws and potential miscarriages of justice he’s uncovered. Listen to Diagnosing Murder hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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22:03

The Toolbox Murders

Motive & Method ·

2025/11/18

It was a crime so merciless it shook even the most seasoned detectives and it all started with one photo. In January 2016, Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru were lured to a unit in south-east Queensland where they were tortured, locked inside a metal toolbox and dumped into a lagoon. In this episode, Tim and Xanthe unpack the motivations behind the so-called 'Toolbox Murders' and how justice finally caught up nearly a decade later.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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31:54

A Perth Serial Killer & The Innocent Men Jailed For...

Motive & Method ·

2025/11/11

It took one determined journalist to uncover the shocking truth behind this Australian serial killer. In the 1960s, Perth was gripped by fear as a string of random murders and attacks left police and the public baffled - until the arrest of Eric Edgar Cooke, a seemingly ordinary family man hiding a violent double life. But even after Cooke’s capture, two innocent men remained behind bars for his crimes.In this episode, we’re joined by Walkley Award-winning journalist and author Estelle

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28:09

Ed Gein: The Making Of A Monster

Motive & Method ·

2025/11/04

The world's attention has been gripped by the story of Ed Gein thanks to a confronting and disturbing new Netflix series. When police entered his Wisconsin farmhouse in 1957, they uncovered a scene so grotesque it redefined horror itself. Gein's crimes inspired cinema's darkest characters, from Psycho's Norman Bates to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's 'Leatherface'. This episode delves into the mind behind the madness and the real monster who changed horror forever.See omnystudio.com/listener for

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31:04

'The Giggling Granny' Serial Killer

Motive & Method ·

2025/10/28

Nanny Doss looked like a sweet and kind grandmother - but behind her smile hid a serial killer. For nearly three decades, Nannie Doss left a trail of death through small-town America. Among her 11 victims - four husbands and her own children and grandchildren. This episode, Tim and Xanthe take us back in time to unravel the twisted life and crimes of Nannie Doss, whose disturbing confessions earned herself the chilling nickname ‘The Giggling Granny’.See omnystudio.com/listener for

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32:58

Career Criminal & Master Conman: The Extraordinary...

Motive & Method ·

2025/10/21

From child thief to infamous bank robber to master conman, Carl Synnerdahl’s life became a Hollywood script. Carl's story is one of deception, charm and sheer audacity - pulling one of the most brazen ruses Australia has seen, fooling doctors, guards and the courts into thinking he was blind. Tim got to know Carl while working as a psychologist inside Parramatta jail. This episode he shares his unique insight into the mind of a man who build his life on lies. See omnystudio.com/listener for

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41:55

Manipulated Into Murder: The Woodchipper Killers

Motive & Method ·

2025/10/14

It looked like a tragic accident until detectives unravelled the truth of a gruesome plot - a murder by woodchipper. Three arrests were made, but the mastermind behind Bruce Saunders' death wasn’t even there. Sharon Graham had charmed and manipulated the men around her to kill for her.In this episode journalist Tara Cassidy - host of the award-winning podcast ‘Crime in Focus: Killer Charm’ - takes us inside this twisted case and the love quadrangle that turned deadly.And we ask the

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34:24

The Hoddle Street Massacre: Inside The Mind Of Julian...

Motive & Method ·

2025/10/07

In 1987, Tim Watson-Munro was called in to assess one of Australia’s most notorious mass murderers - Julian Knight. He’d just opened fire in the middle of Melbourne's Hoddle Street, killing seven people and injuring 19 more. In this episode, Tim shares his rare and intimate insight into this case. Plus, the surprising message Knight gave Tim during a prison visit years later.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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20:20

The Highschool Catfish

Motive & Method ·

2025/09/30

This episode, Tim and Xanthe dive into the world of 'cafishing' and explore a truly shocking catfish saga in the United States that’s been unravelled in a new Netflix documentary. When a teenage couple were viciously and relentlessly cyberbullied and tormented, suspicion spread through their school and chaos engulfed the small town. The FBI joined the hunt for the catfish, eventually uncovering the disturbing truth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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