3 year old Cheryl Grimmer disappeared without a trace from Fairy Meadow beach in 1970. This story has rocked Australia to its core and is covered by BBC's Fairy Meadow Podcast. In this special episode of Australian Detectives, Real Crime investigator Adam Shand speaks with Frank Sanvitale and Damian Loone, the two investigators who dedicated themselves to working the Grimmer case. They found a confession in 2016, but the suspect known as 'Mercury' walked free because the confession was deemed inadmissible. They talk about the lingering affects of watching someone you truly believe is guilty slip through the cracks because of loopholes and poor police processes. Search BBC's Fairy Meadow podcast on the LiSTNR app to hear the full story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Sydney at war? It seems like crooks are dropping like flies at the moment but former Detective Superintendent Deb Wallace says "The more sophisticated the gang the less violence you'll see - they know it's bad for business". Real Crime Investigative Journalist Adam Shand chats with Deb about Bassam Hamzy, the rise of the Brothers 4 Life gang and how they tore themselves apart. For more episodes download the LiSTNR app and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do police investigators get inside information into the underworld? And then what stops those cops from taking a little extra on the side during busts? Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Kos has fought police corruption and then paid the price. Real Crime investigator Adam Shand sits down with Peter to chat through keeping our sources of information secret, and how Peter was tasked with investigating Adam, himself. For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years on from the atrocities that happened on August 9, 1987, which killed 7 people and injured 19 more Real Crime Investigator Adam Shand sits down with Detective Senior Constable Graham Kent to chat about the wanna-be soldier Julian Knight and what it was like for Graham to assess someone like this, as they were taken through a step by step account from Knight himself of the massacre. For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her 36 years on the force, Detective Superintendent Deborah Wallace has taken on bikie, Middle Eastern and Asian gangs, earning herself the nickname 'Gang Buster'. Real Crime Investigative Journalist Adam Shand speaks with Deb about the inner workings of bikie gangs, and how police strategised to keep control and peace of its members. For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey Allen remembers calling for police help when he was a boy, due to domestic violence issues. These lived experiences created an empathy which he has taken into the police force. Real Crime Investigative Journalist Adam Shand chats with Corey about empathy and understanding for people on the other side of the law. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caught in the crossfire in a shootout and heavily exposed, David Empey explains the events of a prison escape that led to his team getting ambushed. Real Crime Investigator Adam Shand chats with David about the details of this ambush, including how they were equipped, the reality of bullets flying overhead and the decisions they had to make. For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you return to a normal life after working undercover? As a large, heavily tattooed man, Steve Taylor (not his real name) was able to fit in with the crooks, but it was his life after his job where Steve needed help most. Real Crime Investigator Adam Shand chats with Steve about the lingering traumas of a life undercover, losing his identity, dealing with the paranoia of crooks and the incredible things he was tasked with doing. Trigger warning: Contains graphic details of violence and drug use. For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working a grisly double murder, Tasmanian detective David Plumpton had a story that pointed to one man but he needed evidence to convict his suspect. Real Crime investigative journalist Adam Shand talks with David about forming a rapport with a bikie known to hate the police to get crucial evidence. The retired detective also discusses about the one who got away, the alleged murderer of Hobart woman Lucille Butterworth.   For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March 1986, a car bomb goes off outside the Russell Street Police Headquarters. The two officers involved were Angela Taylor and Carl Donadio. Sadly, Angela passed from her injuries that day, becoming the first Australian policewoman killed in action, but Carl survived and served another 15 years on the force. He speaks with Real Crime investigator Adam Shand about the undercover work he has done and what goes into preparing for those roles, and the moments from the day of the bombing cemented in his mind. Trigger warning: Details of graphic injuries and death. For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1997, two young girls from Bega were kidnapped, raped and murdered. Mark Winterflood details the process of receiving the first notifications of the missing girls. He chats with Real Crime investigative journalist Adam Shand on the hard reality of not pursuing clues and following them to the end, how important it was to maintain a good relationship with the perpetrator and having to deliver the hard news to the parents. Trigger warning - this case details the heinous crime of the Bega school girls, and involves abduction, violence, rape and murder. For more episodes download the LiSTNR App now and listen for free. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris O'Connor served on the Spectrum task force that pursued a serial child abductor in Victoria, known as Mr. Cruel. He ran Victoria Police's child exploitation unit for a decade and over his career he has had the opportunity to look into the deepest recesses of the human psyche working within sex crimes in Victoria. He speaks with Real Crime Investigator Adam Shand about the kind of toll this work can take on yourself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Longest serving female police officer, Detective Senior Sergeant Joy Murphy joins Real Crime investigative journalist Adam Shand to discuss the resilience needed as a female officer dealing with horrendous sexual offenders, the issues with dating moving to online apps and how she likes to communicate with criminals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first part, Hateley describes training for a special operations unit and gearing up for a huge armed robbery, George Hateley describes the events of the armed robbery in 1992 and the decisions he had to make to try and prevent the robbery. Real crime investigator Adam Shand hears how the death of a villain continued to haunt Hateley, which led him to become the person to introduce the non-lethal taser into Australian forces. For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sons of God were a Special Operations Unit formed back in the 80's and George Hateley was head of operations, including during the shootout at Tullamarine airport in 1992. Real crime investigator Adam Shand chats with George about why more crooks are killed than cops and the training it took to join a newly formed special operations task force and how they geared up for one of the biggest armed robberies in Victoria. For part 2, download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff Maher worked on almost 200 murder investigations in 15 years at the Victoria Police Homicide Squad. Now he trains detectives at the police academy. Maher tells Real Crime's Adam Shand how serial killer Peter Dupas was brought to justice for the murders of Nicole Patterson and Mersina Halvagis. Dupas was brought undone by his modus operandi. Maher says investigators continue to pursue Dupas for other murders with that unique signature.   For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you be able to get away with lying? Real Crime investigator Adam Shand speaks with expert lie detector Steve Van Aperen about the clear give aways of liars, how certain criminals have tried to clear a lie detector test and some of the biggest murder cases that have been brought to justice through a simple line of deceptive questioning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retired NSW detective Jim Counsel, head of the 1991 investigation into the murder of heart surgeon Dr Victor Chang talks with Real Crime investigator Adam Shand about how the murderer shot down Chang in a Sydney street. Counsel recalls the hunt to bring Chang's killers to justice which spanned two continents. For more episodes download the free LiSTNR App See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pavel Marinov - otherwise known as Mad Max, is infamous for his shootout with police in 1986. Real Crime investigator Adam Shand talks to retired Victorian detective Alex Krstic who was on the team that took out Marinov. Krstic reflects on the manhunt and its brutal finale. He was later posted to Broadmeadows CIB and was witness to the start of Melbourne's bloody gangland war.  For more episodes download the LiSTNR app now and listen for free See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Real Crime investigator Adam Shand invites you into his 20-year career reporting on Australia's underworld, a unique insight into Australia's most important and iconic crime stories.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.