Episodes

• Season 3

• The fugitive's fatal mistake: police shooting of Arthur Nelson

  Arthur James Nelson was a third rate crook who had convictions for burglary, theft, assault, false pretences and drugs. In July 1988 his path fatally crossed police officers, Lachlan McCulloch and Syd Hadley. We hear the police re-enactment tapes conducted the day after the shooting as McCulloch and Hadley describe blow by blow the one hour chase and reenact the split second moment they shot dead Nelson.  Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  April 13, 2021

  26 min

• Justice Frank Vincent: The secrets of the Supreme Court

  He was the best defence lawyer representing murder defendants in around 200 cases. He went on to be a respected Supreme Court Judge presiding over the most difficult homicide trials, including the Walsh Street police killings, the Russell Street bombing that killed police constable Angela Taylor; the Bega double murder trial of Leslie Camilleri, one of two men who tortured and killed NSW schoolgirls Lauren Margaret Barry, and Nichole Emma Collins in Victoria in 1997; and the trial of serial killer Paul Charles Denyer, who killed three women and stalked hundreds in the Frankston area. Frank Vincent was the long-time head of the Parole Board who often had to decide who should be freed and who would remain in jail. Frank takes us through a journey into the criminal justice system and reveals the secrets of the Supreme Court. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  April 6, 2021

  31 min

• Bernie 'The Attorney' Balmer, knockabout lawyer

  He has represented Mick Gatto and Mark 'Chopper' Reid among other Melbourne gangland characters, but even as a school-kid, lawyer Bernie Balmer had an aversion to bullies.  As a year 11 student he had a difference of opinion with a Brother at Assumption College who responded by punching the young Balmer in the face. Bernie, who would go on to be a more than handy heavyweight boxer, dropped the bully. While he was only defending himself, he was forced to leave under threat of expulsion. It still burns that some who knew the truth failed to stand up for him and perhaps that is one of the reasons he became a seven-day-a-week defence lawyer, often giving a voice to those who desperately need one. Balmer is respected on both sides of the law and has a unique insight into the criminal justice system. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  March 30, 2021

  28 min

• Graeme Alford: The stick-up, the lawyer and the long lunch

  Graeme Alford was a smart, cunning, hard-working criminal lawyer with a loyal and regular client base all connected to the feared Painters and Dockers Union. It was a licence to print money. He was also a heavy punter and prodigious drinker - both vices that are not unknown in the legal fraternity. Eventually, facing huge gambling debts, he stole from his trust fund, was jailed and became a full time criminal. It was October 15, 1982, when a half-drunk Alford donned a balaclava, grabbed his shotgun and with fellow armed robbers burst into the Chapel Street Prahran branch of the National Bank. He was a better lawyer than bandit and was arrested at the scene. We speak to the police who nabbed him and to Graeme about his descent into the underworld and his battle to reclaim his life. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  March 23, 2021

  28 min

• Kill or be killed: The cop and the country bandit

  Wayne Sherwell was a country cop on traffic duty on a quiet rural road when he pulled up a speeding motorist who claimed to be a vet. The man behind the wheel was calm and matter-of-fact and there was nothing initially to make the cop suspicious.   In fact he was the notorious 'Country Bandit' who made a specialty in robbing regional banks. The confrontation ended with the bandit dead and the policeman recognised as a hero. But for many years Sherwell had to live with the ghost of the man he killed. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  March 16, 2021

  38 min

• Jane Thurgood-Dove: The mistaken identity murder

  Jane Thurgood-Dove was murdered in front of her three children in the driveway of their Muriel Street, Niddrie in November 1997 - as she stepped from the car and with her kids aged 11, six and three still strapped securely in their seats she was confronted by a pot bellied gunman who chased her around the family’s four-wheel-drive before shooting her in broad daylight. Jane was just 34 then and appeared to be an average mum in an average street married to an average guy. For years police worked on the theory a man obsessed with her was the killer. They were wrong. A hit team was hired to kill the blonde mother with kids who lived in Muriel Street. But it wasn’t Jane. It was a case of mistaken identity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  March 9, 2021

  28 min

• Russell Street bombing: The day that shocked a nation

  Sometimes life and death can be decided by something as simple as the toss of a coin. On that day, so many years ago, a young policewoman named Angela Taylor was working in the watch house at Russell Street when she lost the toss over who would do the staff lunch run. She was only a metre away when a car bomb, containing around 60 sticks of gelignite, exploded at 47 seconds past 1pm. She was caught in the fireball, suffered horrendous injuries and died 24 days later.While Melbourne was shocked, those who made the bomb were disappointed with the level of devastation. While they killed one and left another 21 injured, they expected a much greater death toll. This is the story of the bombing, the investigation and the tragic aftermath. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  March 2, 2021

  42 min

• Mark 'Chopper' Read's legacy of violence

  Contrary to popular opinion, Mark Brandon “Chopper” Read was no underworld mastermind and his criminal history was littered with blunders. His police record shows that when he broke the law he was usually caught and convicted. But he was a master story-teller and here, in a series of never before heard tapes, we hear from the real Chopper. Recorded in 1999 - late at night in his car with the help of his friend, Jim Beam bourbon - Chopper talks into a tape recorder about crimes he hadn't been convicted for, how to dispose of a dead body and his run in with Alan Jones on live television. It was while serving one of these long jail stints he learnt that writing sentences beat the hell out of serving them. For it is as storyteller that Chopper Read will be remembered and with good reason. He knew the dark side fascinated solid citizens, or as he said, “Posh people love gangsters.” For years, Read was available to any reporter looking for a quick one-liner on matters of crime, which meant the underworld head-hunter was hunted for a headline. And that, at least initially, was Read’s motivation. He always wanted to be remembered - and he has got his wish. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  February 23, 2021

  46 min

• Coming Soon: Naked City season 3

  On Wednesday 24 February, in the first episode of the third series, listen to never heard before tapes from Mark 'Chopper' Read to get insight into the myth and the legend. Subscribe to get new episodes published every Wednesday straight to your device. John Silvester, Australia’s longest-serving crime reporter, will take you on a journey through his 40 years of dealing with the nation’s most dangerous criminals.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  February 16, 2021

  3 min

• Trailer: Naked City season 3

  Join John Silvester from Wednesday 24 February for the third series of Naked City. Subscribe now and get all the episodes straight to your device every Wednesday. Silvester is Australia’s longest-serving crime reporter, will take you on a journey through his 40 years of dealing with the nation’s most dangerous criminals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  February 9, 2021

  4 min
• Season 2

• The death of a neo-Nazi crime boss

  Phillip Grant Wilson was a neo-Nazi and a killer. He recruited a gang and according to one police report, ''This group undertook intense physical fitness training for the purpose of establishing a physical and mental advantage over police, especially the Special Operations Group, against whom they fully expected to come up against at some time in the future.'' Detective Sergeant John Morrish of the armed robbery squad was one of the key investigators who worked on Wilson. Morrish was known to have an intense dislike of people who used guns to terrorise members of the public. He wasn't too fond of Nazis either. On August 4, 1987, the Iceman was shot dead in an ambush outside a South Yarra chiropractic clinic. The murder remains unsolved. Silvester has a recorded interview with Wilson, and we hear John Morrish’s recollections, including that he was initially considered a suspect in Wilson’s murder. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
  September 23, 2020

  35 min

• Bonus episode: Portrait of an artist

  Mica Pillemer is an accomplished international artist who, for reasons best known to himself, wanted to paint John Silvester for the Archibald Prize. During the sitting he reflects on his family history – from the concentration camps of Europe, the oppression of South African Apartheid to the New York Twin Towers attack. And the sliding door moment that brought him to find love and settle in Melbourne. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
  September 18, 2020

  27 min

• Mad Max meets his maker

  A Bulgarian army deserter, Pavel Marinof trained himself for an armed confrontation with police, saying they would 'never take him alive'. Because he was violent and dangerous Australian media dubbed him 'Mad Max'. Marinof always traveled with two pistols and had a favourite gun, a F1 submachine gun. Senior Detective Rod McDonald describes the moment when he and Detective Sergeant John 'Kappa' Kapetanovski finally discovered Marinof after an eight-month long manhunt. The Hume Highway confrontation didn't work out well for anybody. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
  September 15, 2020

  28 min

• The Ramchens: Beauty and the Beast

  She was a stunning former model and television hostess. He was a successful businessman. They owned two mansions and had three beautiful children. So why did Jacqui Ramchen vanish without a trace? Her husband, Slavik "Vic" Ramchen, a no nonsense, hard drinking, hard-working civil engineer was the prime suspect. Of all the cases veteran homicide detective Charlie Bezzina has investigated the case of Jaqui Ramchen is one of the most frustrating. Jaqui disappeared in 1992 leaving her three children and a family fortune. Bezzina has no doubt she was murdered by her husband Vic, who took his secrets to his grave. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
  September 8, 2020

  37 min

• Sandy MacRae: 'This is Mildura, not Chicago'

  Convicted of four murders, but suspected of many more, Alistair 'Sandy' MacRae could be one Australia's worst serial killers. He was a brothel boss, standover man, organised crime associate and small-time businessman. He lured people to his property near Merbein in country Victoria with the promise of a drug deal, took their money, killed them and buried them on the property. In an interview with police, MacRae blames one of the killings on his girlfriend, saying she wanted to be a gangster, and that he told her 'this is Mildura, not Chicago'. Suspected of being involved in the deaths of up to 15 prostitutes among others police think they may never know how many people Sandy MacRae actually killed. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
  September 1, 2020

  23 min

• The Snake and The Ladderman

  Hugo Rich and a crook known as The Ladderman are at opposite ends of the criminal food chain. Rich was a violent, calculating armed robber and murderer. Ladderman wouldn’t hurt a fly. In this episode you will hear audio tapes from both - Rich's outburst in the County Court where he threatened to kill the prosecutor and did everything in his power to sabotage his trial to a bizarre collection of police interviews with a small time thief. See how police deal with all kinds - from the homicidal to the hilarious. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/
  August 25, 2020

  30 min

• Bertie Wrout: Stories from a gangland lieutenant

  He nearly died because his boss liked a cheap beer: Bertie Wrout was right hand to Melbourne crime lord Lewis Moran and saw the gangland wars up close. He was there as Moran family and associates came and went, witnessed the rise of the infamous drug lord Carl Williams and was with Lewis Moran when he was was shot dead at his favourite drinking hole, The Brunswick Club. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/
  August 18, 2020

  45 min

• Peter Dupas: Stalking a serial killer

  Peter Norris Dupas is the worst type of serial killer - a man who stalked women for decades and, police suspect, randomly killed six strangers. Convicted of the murders of Nicole Patterson and Margaret Maher he was the prime suspect in the murder of Mersina Halvagis, stabbed to death in 1997 in the Fawkner Cemetery tending her grandmother’s grave. It would take homicide investigators Jeff Maher and Paul Scarlett 13 years, two trials and a shock witness to get their man. This is the inside story on the pursuit of Peter Dupas and the fight for justice for Mersina Halvagis. Andrew Fraser, a lawyer police loved to hate, would become the star witness. We hear from Fraser, the police and the prosecutors on the 13 year journey that led to Dupas’ conviction and life sentence. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/
  August 11, 2020

  39 min

• Inside maximum security: The boxing officer

  What happens once the criminals are locked up? In his years as an officer at Port Phillip Prison, Paul O'Sullivan has seen more than most will see in a lifetime. An accomplished boxer, he could hold his own and he had to, because jail is a violent place. He's witnessed murders, bashings, and even had his own throat cut. But he's also made friends, had a laugh and got a better understanding of human nature. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/
  August 4, 2020

  40 min

• The Walsh Street aftermath: Murder and betrayal

  Part 2 of 2 - We take you inside the investigation, the witness betrayal and the bloody aftermath of the killing of two young police officers on Walsh Street in South Yarra in 1988. It was a war fought in Melbourne streets that left three suspects dead, two patrol officers murdered and led a respected investigator to take his own life. John Noonan, the joint head of the Ty-Eyre taskforce, recounts the brutal slaying as well as the investigation and prosecution. The taskforce charged Victor Peirce, Trevor Pettingill, Peter David McEvoy and Anthony Farrell with the Walsh Street murders. With Victor's wife, Wendy Peirce was to be the star witness. She stayed in police protection for 18 months - at a cost of $2 million - but eventually refused to give evidence at the Supreme Court. Peter "Bubble-Brain" McEvoy wasn’t so much a black sheep but a dark stain on his family. His brothers were prison officers. He was a rapist, armed robber and alleged police killer. He has always maintained his innocence, but his brother Geoff tells a different story. Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find us. Become a subscriber: our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Becoming a subscriber also gets you exclusive behind-the-scenes content and invitations to special events. Click on the links to subscribe https://subscribe.theage.com.au/ or https://subscribe.smh.com.au/
  July 28, 2020

  31 min