Australian True Crime

Dezi Freeman Dead After Months in Hiding

Fugitive Dezi Freeman has been shot dead by Australian police after seven months on the run, following the fatal shooting of two officers, Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart-Hottart, at his rural Porepunkah property last August. Authorities say the 56-year-old, linked to sovereign citizen ideology, died after an hours-long stand-off in bushland when he refused to surrender. We unpack what is known so far about the case, the manhunt and the broader concerns around anti-government extremism with Holly Hales, Chief of Staff at Australian Associated Press. You can visit the Australian Associated Press at: https://www.aap.com.au/ You can watch our episodes by visiting our Youtube Channel here. Join our Facebook Group here. Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000. For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie Guest: Holly HalesExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com

Shortcut: Dezi Freeman Dead After Months in Hiding

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. Fugitive Dezi Freeman has been shot dead by Australian police after seven months on the run, following the fatal shooting of two officers, Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart-Hottart, at his rural Porepunkah property last August. Authorities say the 56-year-old, linked to sovereign citizen ideology, died after an hours-long stand-off in bushland when he refused to surrender. We unpack what is known so far about the case, the manhunt and the broader concerns around anti-government extremism with Holly Hales, Chief of Staff at Australian Associated Press. You can visit the Australian Associated Press at: https://www.aap.com.au/ You can watch our episodes by visiting our Youtube Channel here. Join our Facebook Group here. Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000. For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie Guest: Holly HalesExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com

Strange Investigations with Charlie Bezzina - Part 2

This is part 2 of our conversation with former Homicide Detective, Charlie Bezzina about the lesser known cases from his 38 year career with Victoria Police. You can listen to part 1 "Episode 737: Strange Investigations with Charlie Bezzina" here. You can watch our episodes by visiting our Youtube Channel here. Join our Facebook Group here. Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000. For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie Guest: Charlie BezzinaExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com

Shortcut: Strange Investigations with Charlie Bezzina - Part 2

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. This is part 2 of our conversation with former Homicide Detective, Charlie Bezzina about the lesser known cases from his 38 year career with Victoria Police. You can listen to part 1 "Episode 737: Strange Investigations with Charlie Bezzina" here. You can watch our episodes by visiting our Youtube Channel here. Join our Facebook Group here. Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000. For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie Guest: Charlie BezzinaExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com

Should Sex Offenders Keep Their Super? Re-Issue

Yesterday, (March 25th 2026), the Albanese Government introduced legislation known as the Survivors Law, aimed at preventing convicted child sexual abusers from using superannuation to shield assets from unpaid court-ordered compensation. If passed, the reforms would allow victim-survivors to seek access to certain additional super contributions from their offenders, and would ensure those debts can still be pursued even if an offender declares bankruptcy. Today, we are re-issuing episode 265 from July 2022. In this conversation, Andrew Carpenter and Adam Washbourne join us to explain why advocates have long called for these changes, and what meaningful reform could mean for survivors seeking justice and financial support to rebuild their lives. Sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/strip-paedophiles-of-their-superannuation-and-give-it-to-survivors-of-child-sexual-abuse Learn more about Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia here: https://www.facaaus.org/ Learn more about Andrew Carpenter's work here: https://websterslawyers.com.au/lawyers/andrew-carpenter CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Guests: Andrew Carpenter and Adam Washbourne For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380 GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com