Afleveringen
-
Following the recent Seven Spotlight interview with Josie Murray, public discussion surrounding the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont has intensified. In this episode, we move beyond speculation and take a forensic approach to the known facts.
As a criminologist and forensic scientist, I examine the timeline, investigative challenges, search efforts, digital forensic considerations, and the competing theories that continue to surround Gusâs disappearance.
Together we explore:
⢠The timeline and why it remains the backbone of the investigation
⢠The difference between evidence, belief and speculation
⢠The forensic significance of search failures
⢠The abduction, wandering and concealment hypotheses
⢠The role of digital evidence in modern missing persons investigations
⢠Questions raised during Josie Murrayâs Spotlight interview
⢠What investigators know, what we think we know, and what remains unknown
This episode is not about choosing sides.
It is about examining evidence, testing theories and understanding how forensic investigators approach complex missing child cases.
Because the goal is not to prove a theory, the goal is to find Gus.
Listener discretion is advised.
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review, follow Exhuming the Truth on social media, and support our ongoing advocacy for missing persons and victimsâ families.
REFERENCES
SA Police updates on the disappearance of Gus Lamont and major crime investigation statusThe New Daily â Gus Lamont Major Crime Declarationâ
ABC News coverage of search efforts and investigation updatesABC News â Police search for Gus Lamont explainedâ
ABC News update on ongoing investigation and lack of new evidence from searchesABC News â Gus Lamont search finds no new evidenceâ
ABC News six-month investigation update and timeline overviewABC News â Six months since Gus Lamont disappearedâ
Seven Spotlight interview reporting Josie Murrayâs statements regarding the investigation and timeline claims7NEWS Spotlight coverage â Josie Murray interview reportingâ
Reporting on police position and Josie Murrayâs response to being named a suspectAdelaideNow â Josie Murray named as suspect reportingâ
-
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
On the morning of the 21st of December, 2006, detectives searched a modest rental on Rutland Avenue in the Perth suburb, Lathlain. They made a gruesome discovery.
Inside a wheelie bin that was concealed in the backyard of the property, were the remains of 16 year old Stacey Mitchell.
Within just two hours, two girls were arrested for her murder.
Stacey had only known these two girls for 3 days before they ended her life.
Join us while we unpack what happened to the forever young, Stacey Mitchell.
-
When police arrested Bradley Robert Edwards in December of 2016, they entered what appeared to be an ordinary suburban home in Perth. There were no secret chambers or obvious trophies displayed on his walls, nothing that immediately resembled the scenes often portrayed in crime dramas.
Yet, hidden among everyday household possessions were items that would become crucial pieces of one of Australia's most significant criminal investigations.
In this episode we examine what investigators found inside the home of the man later convicted of the murders of Claremont women Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon. We take a forensic and criminological look at how investigators connect small details, behavioural patterns, and physical evidence to build a case against a serial offender.
Listener discretion is advised.
-
This conversation goes where many avoid.
In Part Two of Exhuming the Truth Presents: Field Notes, we continue our discussion with Chris DâArcy, President of Search Dogs Sydney, moving beyond search operations into the deeper realities of missing persons work rarely spoken about publicly.
This episode explores the systemic barriers in the missing persons space, the challenges that can affect search efforts, and the difficult conversations around advocacy, resources, coordination, and the realities of frontline work.
We also take an in depth look at the extraordinary lengths search teams go to in their efforts to help families searching for answers. The physical demands, emotional toll, unseen work, and unwavering commitment behind the mission to locate missing people.
These are conversations many avoid. Conversations that can be uncomfortable. Conversations that matter.
This episode offers a rare insight into the complexities behind missing persons investigations and search operations from someone living that reality.
Because understanding the system is part of improving it.
Exhuming the Truth Presents: Field Notes with Chris DâArcy Part Two is out now.
-
EXHUMING THE TRUTH PRESENTS: FIELD NOTES
Episode One: Chris Darcy â President of Search Dogs Sydney
What happens behind the scenes when someone goes missing?
In the first episode of Exhuming the Truth: Field Notes, we step into the world of search operations with Chris Darcy, President of Search Dogs Sydney, for a conversation exploring the critical work undertaken by specialist search teams and the remarkable partnership between handlers and highly trained search dogs.
In this episode, Chris shares insight into the realities of search work, the challenges faced in the field, and why collaboration, training, and community involvement can play such an important role when vulnerable people disappear.
This is Part One of our discussion, an introduction and preview into a much deeper conversation still to come. Due to technical issues during recording, this interview has been released in two parts, with Part Two delivering an extended deep dive next week.
Field Notes is a new Exhuming the Truth series that brings listeners closer to the people working on the ground, the searchers, specialists, advocates, and professionals who help shape investigations, support communities, and pursue answers.
Views expressed are those of the individuals involved and are intended for educational, awareness, and advocacy purposes.
You can find more about Chris and Search Dogs Sydney at:
https://searchdogssydney.org
-
In the early hours of July 31st, 2022 in Strongsville Ohio, 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla drove her Toyota Camry carrying her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic Russo and friend 19-year-old Davion Flanagan into a brick building at 100mph, that's around 160kmph.
What was initially considered a tragic crash, forensic and reconstructive evidence began to show otherwise.
Today, Asha unravels the complexity of this case that recently showcases on Netflix documentaries, "The Crash", going into great detail of how and why the evidence is stacked on one side of the fence.
This episode is dedicated to the lives of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan.
-
Isla Bell was 19 years of age with the world at her feet when she went missing in October of 2024.
Come November 2024, her remains were found at a waste facility in Dandenong, Victoria.
But this was just the beginning of a nightmare for Isla's family seeking justice for her life, when forensic science met challenges that seemed to hinder her case when it finally faced court.
As of May 2026, the accused is facing no charges.
Sit with us and listen to Asha discuss this case from beginning to end, including what evidence is available that the prosecution believes is not enough for a conviction.
-
Four year old Gus Lamont vanished without a trace from his familyâs remote outback property in South Australia, sparking one of the largest missing person searches in the stateâs history. Hundreds of searchers, specialist trackers, drones, helicopters, and police scoured the rugged landscape, yet not a single trace of Gus was found.
What began as a desperate search for a missing child has since evolved into a major crime investigation, with police ruling out the possibility that Gus simply wandered away and identifying a suspect known to him.
In this episode of Exhuming the Truth, we examine the timeline of Gusâs disappearance, the forensic and investigative challenges posed by the remote environment, the search strategies employed, the inconsistencies that shifted police focus, and the disturbing questions that remain unanswered in one of Australiaâs most haunting recent child disappearance cases.
Where is Gus Lamont, and what really happened on that isolated station?
Sources and case background include publicly available reporting on the investigation and police updates.
-
In this episode of Exhuming the Truth, we examine the devastating murder of Shandee Blackburn and the extraordinary failures that followed in the pursuit of justice.
What should have been a straightforward forensic investigation instead became one of Australiaâs most confronting examples of systemic forensic failure. Shandeeâs case exposed serious deficiencies within the Queensland DNA laboratory, raising national concerns about testing standards, quality assurance, contamination risks, and the handling of critical biological evidence.
We break down the timeline of Shandeeâs murder, the investigation that followed, the controversial forensic issues uncovered during the case, and how those failures ultimately triggered widespread scrutiny of forensic practices in Queensland. We also explore the broader implications for the criminal justice system and what happens when the science intended to secure justice instead undermines it.
This episode is not only about the tragic loss of a young woman, but about how one case forced an entire forensic system into the spotlight and ignited urgent calls for reform.
Listener discretion is advised due to discussion of violence, homicide, and systemic justice failures.
-
In this episode of Exhuming the Truth, Asha breaks down CNNâs investigation into a global online ârape academyâ network and explores how digital spaces can facilitate real-world sexual violence.
Drawing on the Dominique Pelicot case in France and institutional findings in Australia, this episode examines how abuse is enabled through systems, culture, and silence.
Content warning: sexual violence.
This episode also contains an audio excerpt from ABC WA Regional Drive radio station with Annie Gaffney from 21-04-2026.
-
In the United States, you can watch a trial unfold in real timeâwitnesses, evidence, and verdicts broadcast to millions through networks like my favourite, Court TV.
But in Australia, courtrooms remain largely closed to cameras.
So why the difference?
In this episode of Exhuming the Truth, we break down the key distinctions between the U.S. and Australian criminal justice systemsâfrom televised trials and jury dynamics to sentencing laws and the role of media in shaping public perception.
We explore how high-profile cases, like the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, have blurred the line between justice and entertainmentâand why that level of exposure is unlikely to happen in Australia.
But beyond the surface, this episode asks a deeper question...
Does justice work better when the public can see everythingâŚor when the system protects the process, even if we canât?
This is a conversation about transparency, fairness, and the evolving relationship between media and the law.
-
Where is Luke Hazelwood? Part Two: Geography, What We Know, and What We Still Need
In Part Two of our investigation into the disappearance of Luke Hazelwood, we move beyond the timeline and begin examining the geography surrounding the case. Location matters in missing persons investigations. Terrain, access points, transport routes, and environmental factors can all shape what may have happened and where someone might be.
In this episode of Exhuming the Truth, we break down the landscape connected to Lukeâs last known movements and discuss what the geography may reveal about possible scenarios. We explore what we know so far, what questions remain unanswered, and the critical information still needed to move this case forward.
Using a forensic and investigative lens, we analyse the known facts, consider how geography influences search strategy, and discuss why community awareness and information sharing remain essential in cases like this.
Someone, somewhere, may hold the missing piece.
-
The Digital Evidence
In Part Two of our look into the disappearnce of Theo Hayez, we take a forensic deep dive into the digital trail he left behind.
Theo vanished from Byron Bay in My 2019 after leaving the nightclub Cheeky Monkey's . What followed has been described as a questionable series of phone movements toward the remote headland of Cape Byron.
But, when we look into the digital forensics, it paints a far more complicated picture of what actually happened that night.
In this episode, we talk about Theo's Google Maps navigational data, the digital timeline from device activity, why the "lighthouse theory" and the "drowning theory" don't clock, what the coastal topography has to challenge about what authorities conclude and the digital indicators that suggest Theo may not have been alone.
Was Theo Hayez really alone that night?
-
An 18 year-old backpacker from Belgium comes to Australia for an innocent trip after finishing school.
He left Cheeky Monkey in Byron Bay, and his mobile phone recorded every step after that.
In this episode of Exhuming the Truth, I break down the disappearance of Theo Hayez, but not just the timeline. I discuss what the digital evidence means, and what it doesn't.
If you want a visual understanding of the route Theo Hayez took that night, join us inside Exhuming the Truth Sleuth Society on Facebook - free to access for everyone with a Facebook account.
-
Tribute to Rob Snyder | The Search, The Community, and the Truth
In this special tribute episode of Exhuming the Truth, we honour the life of Rob Snyder and the extraordinary community effort that came together during the search for him.
Searches like these are never simple. Behind every public update are countless hours of planning, coordination, and investigation carried out by volunteers, family, advocates, and authorities who refuse to give up on bringing answers home.
In this episode, we reflect on the reality of what goes into a missing person search, analysing aerial imagery, reviewing ANPR camera data, exploring remote off-road tracks, documenting and reporting abandoned vehicles, and following up every lead that could bring investigators closer to the truth.
We also acknowledge the people who showed up: the searchers, the supporters, the community members who shared information, and those working quietly behind the scenes.
Rob was more than a case. He was a person who mattered deeply to many people.
This episode is dedicated to his memory and to the commitment that no one who goes missing should ever be forgotten.
Listener discretion is advised as this episode discusses missing persons investigations and the emotional realities surrounding them.
-
Luke Hazelwood was a Father, a friend, and someone to many people.
He was last known to be north of Perth in the coastal town of Lancelin, where he was last seen on the 24th of December, 2025.
His ex-wife attempted to report him missing on the 26th of December, however, the reports were not taken seriously until some days into January.
With the help of Luke's close friends, we analyse his final known movements, combined with the person Luke is to his loved ones to try to determine what went wrong for Luke.
Help us find Luke Hazelwood
-
Missing since January 22, 2025, from South Boulder, Kalgoorlie, Tristan Griffithsâ case has been marked by frustrating gaps from missing CCTV footage to delays in official responses. In Part Two, we break down the critical timeline, the investigative challenges, and the lengths Tristanâs family has gone to keep his story alive.
This episode also explores a broader question: when justice is selective, delayed, or incomplete, can it truly be called justice? Join me as we follow the ongoing search for Tristan, highlight systemic issues in missing persons investigations, and examine why accountability matters, not just for one case, but for all.
-
In the aftermath of the tragedy in Mosman Park, headlines moved quickly â using words like âmonster,â âevil,â and âunthinkable.â But what happens when we stop at outrage?
In this episode of Exhuming the Truth, forensic scientist and criminologist Asha Walther examines the structure of murder-suicide through a research-based lens, exploring why the homicide and suicide cannot be separated, why language shapes policy, and why simplistic narratives may prevent us from understanding risk.
Drawing on established criminological and psychological research, this episode explores:
⢠The behavioural structure of murder-suicide
⢠The psychology of hopelessness and cognitive narrowing under chronic stress
⢠Caregiver burden and systemic strain
⢠The pressures surrounding Australiaâs National Disability Insurance Scheme
⢠Why affluence does not equal immunity
⢠And why contextualising violence is not the same as excusing it
This is not an episode about justification.
It is an episode about prevention.
Because when we reduce complex human collapse to moral shorthand, we stop asking the questions that could protect future families.
Every childâs life holds equal weight.
Every postcode contains invisible stories.
And every word we use shapes what happens next.
Listener discretion advised.
References& Further Reading
(As discussed in this episode of Exhuming the Truth)
Arnsten, A. F. T. (2009). Stress signalling pathwaysthat impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. NatureReviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 410â422.https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2648
Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., &Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: The Hopelessness Scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42(6), 861â865. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0037562
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). TheEcology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press.
Clement, S., Schauman, O., Graham, T., et al.(2015). What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? Asystematic review. Psychological Medicine, 45(1), 11â27. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291714000129
Joiner, T. (2005). Myths AboutSuicide. Harvard University Press.
(See also: Joiner, T. (2005). Interpersonal-PsychologicalTheory of Suicidal Behavior.)
Marzuk, P. M., Tardiff, K., & Hirsch, C. S.(1992). The epidemiology of murder-suicide. Journal ofthe American Medical Association (JAMA), 267(23),3179â3183. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1992.03480230073031
McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damagingeffects of stress mediators. New England Journal ofMedicine, 338(3), 171â179.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199801153380307
Resnick, P. J. (1969). Child murder by parents: Apsychiatric review of filicide. American Journal ofPsychiatry, 126(3), 325â334.
Schulz, R., & Sherwood, P. R. (2008). Physicaland mental health effects of family caregiving. AmericanJournal of Nursing, 108(9 Suppl), 23â27.
Wilson, M., Daly, M., & Daniele, A. (1995).Familicide: The killing of spouse and children. AggressiveBehavior, 21(4), 275â291.
NationalDisability Insurance Scheme
Official website: https://www.ndis.gov.au
NDIS Review (2023â2024):
https://www.ndisreview.gov.au
Australian Productivity Commission â NDIS Study Report(2017):
https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/ndis-costs/report
LifelineAustralia
13 11 14
https://www.lifeline.org.au
BeyondBlue
1300 22 4636
https://www.beyondblue.org.au
SuicideCall Back Service
AustralianContext & Policy ResourcesNationalDisability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)Suicide& Mental Health Support (Australia)
-
In this episode, we are sharing an urgent appeal for information regarding the disappearance of Scott Colin Hayden, aged 46.
Scott was last seen on 30 May 2025 in Tibbuc, along Thunderbolts Way near Barring/Gloucester, NSW. At the time, he was wearing a white T-shirt and light-coloured shorts, and he may have been barefoot. Scott has distinctive tattoos, which are available to view in the reference images shared with this episode.
If you saw Scott on 30 or 31 May, or if you have CCTV or dashcam footage from the following areas, your information could be critical:
Bucketts Way
Thunderbolts Way
Dungog
Wauchope
Bulahdelah
Coffs Harbour and surrounding regions
If you have any information, no matter how small it may seem, please contact us or Crime Stoppers.
This appeal has been shared at the request of Scottâs family. Please consider sharing this episode to help widen the search and bring Scott home.
- Laat meer zien
