Podcast
Motive & Method
Hosted by Tapt Podcasts · EN
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.
49episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ted Bundy Bonus Episode: DNA Breakthrough In Serial Killer Case
Apr 800:33:32Tap to summarizeBreaking news on notorious serial killer Ted Bundy decades after his execution - A DNA breakthrough has linked Ted Bundy to another cold case murder, proving his story may not be as closed as once believed. In this bonus episode, Xanthe and Tim unpack the breakthrough and what it reveals about the enduring power of forensic science. Also, how rapid advances in DNA technology are cracking long-cold cases here in Australia and driving fresh arrests. From infamous killers to unknown offenders, this episode explores how science is reshaping investigations and what secrets might still be waiting to surface. You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Catching Peter Foster & Finding A Missing Baby: Ken Gamble (Part 2)
Apr 700:21:21Tap to summarizeA dramatic arrest on a Queensland beach and a years-long search for a missing baby - it’s not all cybercrime for private investigator Ken Gamble! In part two of our conversation, Ken takes us inside his pursuit of Australia’s most notorious conman, Peter Foster. Plus, how he got dragged into a major case of a missing baby in the United States - and unravelled the mother's conflicting claims of murder and adoption. You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Hunting Scammers with Private Investigator Ken Gamble (Part 1)
Mar 3100:37:25Tap to summarizeHe’s helped bring down international fraud rings, recover millions for victims and hunt some of the world’s most notorious con artists - including serial swindler Peter Foster. In part 1 of Tim & Xanthe’s conversation with private investigator Ken Gamble, Ken talks overnight mafia stakeouts, unmasking one of the world’s first major online ticket scammers and busting ‘boiler rooms’ in the Philippines that were stealing millions from Aussie mums and dads. Part two is out next week - 8th April, 2026. You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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REPLAY - DEZI FREEMAN: The Porepunkah Police Shootings
Mar 3000:33:50Tap to summarizeREPLAY: This episode was originally released in September, 2025 as the hunt was continuing for self-described sovereign citizen, Dezi Freeman who was wanted over the shooting deaths of two police officers in Porepunkah. Tim and Xanthe are joined by one of the country's leading experts on radicalism and extremism - Dr Josh Roose - to unpack the rise of the sovereign citizen movement and the threat it poses in Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →A Not So Perfect Murder: The Kouri Richins Case
Mar 2400:27:14Tap to summarizeHer husband died. She wrote a book about grief. Then she was charged with his murder.The Kouri Richins case is one of the most talked about recent criminal trials. While she was giving interviews spruiking the book she wrote to help her children cope with the loss of their father, investigators were uncovering drug deals, secret debts, an affair and a sinister murder plot. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe discuss how a story of grief unravelled into a murder motivated by greed. You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →He Got Away With Murder - Where Is 'Mr Cruel' Now?
Mar 1700:34:54Tap to summarizeHe was one of Australia's most feared predators - and he was never caught. In this episode, Tim & Xanthe revisit the terrifying crimes of Mr Cruel, the masked offender who stalked Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, targeting young girls, in the late 1980s. Tim worked alongside Victoria Police at the time, profiling the serial rapist as the attacks grew more brazen, escalating from calculated home invasions and kidnappings to the murder of 13-year-old Karmein Chan. More than thirty years on, the mystery remains: how did one of Australia’s most methodical offenders get away with it - and could Mr Cruel still be out there? You can watch our full video episodes on Youtube - click here!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Cult On Trial: Who Are The Zizians?
Mar 1000:26:55Tap to summarizeSix deaths, multiple states and a high-IQ cult at the centre of it all. In this episode Xanthe and Tim unravel the bizarre and deeply unsettling case of 'The Zizians', whose alleged victims include a border patrol agent and one member's own parents. So how and why did a group of highly intelligent Silicon Valley overachievers spiral into violence? It's a twisted web authorities are still trying to untangle, with seven cult members currently behind bars awaiting trial. You can watch our full episodes now on Youtube: click here!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →The Killer Babysitter: Living Free & Babysitting Again
Mar 300:43:24Tap to summarizeShe killed three babies and tried to murder two others. How is Australia's worst female serial killer now living in anonymity within close proximity to young children?An investigation by A Current Affair reporter Erin Ramsay has thrust the case of Helen Patricia Moore, the so-called killer babysitter, back into the spotlight. Despite serving less than fourteen years for murdering babies in her care, Moore rebuilt her life under a new identity - and was babysitting again.Plus, a chilling new claim from her own brother raises the possibility she got away with another murder. Erin Ramsay joins us to reveal what she uncovered and the alarming failures meant to protect children. You can watch A Current Affair stories here: on Youtube or 9Now See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Lucy Letby: Is History Repeating?
Feb 2400:32:58Tap to summarizeIs this another case of wrongful conviction like Kathleen Folbigg?In this episode, we revisit the case of Lucy Letby, as fresh legal developments continue to reshape how the evidence is being examined. With new inquests announced and ongoing legal processes underway, questions are being raised about expert testimony, systemic failures and whether earlier conclusions still stand. Tim & Xanthe unpack what’s changed, what’s still contested and why this case remains far from settled.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →What Happened To Gus Lamont?
Feb 1700:23:59Tap to summarizeThe disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont has become one of the most troubling and fast-moving investigations in the country. The case that began as a desperate search in remote South Australia has since shifted into a major crime investigation. This episode, Tim & Xanthe discuss the key developments and turning points, and what detectives are saying now about their direction and their suspect. It's a case still unfolding with updates released literally as we record this episode, so by the time you're listening, the story may have already changed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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