Where is Daniel Morcombe? | 1. Bus 1a

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Binge Cases: Where is Daniel Morcombe?

Episode 1: "Bus 1a"

Date: October 1, 2025
Host/Reporter: Matt Angel
Produced by: Sony Music Entertainment & Campside Media

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Episode Overview

In the powerful first episode of "Where is Daniel Morcombe?", host Matt Angel introduces listeners to the Morcombe family, illuminating their normal life on Australia’s Sunshine Coast before the traumatic disappearance of 13-year-old Daniel in December 2003. Through personal interviews with Daniel’s parents, Bruce and Denise, the episode delves into the day Daniel went missing and the frantic search that followed—setting the stage for one of Australia’s most significant and far-reaching criminal investigations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Morcombe Family Background (04:11–14:16)

• Bruce & Denise’s Early Life and Family:
  • Denise recounts meeting Bruce in 1980:

    “My girlfriend was going to a place called Lawn in Victoria and I drove down by myself... Bruce was on the beach and I said hello to him.” (04:11)

  • Their early years together, starting a family, and the birth of their three sons, Dean (1987), and twins Daniel and Bradley (1989, born premature).
  • Denise’s maternal aspirations:

    “I always wanted to be a mother of boys.” (06:55)

• Challenges of Early Family Life:
  • The family’s financial struggles and Bruce’s decision to purchase a Jim’s Mowing franchise to support them (09:04).
  • The eventual move to Queensland and settling at Camellia Cottage, an idyllic, spacious property, which became a childhood paradise for the boys.

2. Life at Camellia Cottage (11:03–13:15)

• Family Dynamics & Daily Life:
  • Descriptions of the boys’ adventures with animals; Daniel’s love for animals and gentle, shy nature.
  • Denise shares a playful memory:

    “He’d just walk past and tap me on the shoulder. But he’d be on the other side of me and I’d turn the wrong way, of course, and he’d laugh and carry on.” (12:57)

3. The Day Daniel Disappeared – December 7, 2003 (16:54–22:59)

• The Ordinary Morning:
  • The three brothers plan to pick fruit for pocket money, but a delay changes the family’s plans for the day.
  • Bruce and Denise go to a business luncheon, leaving the boys at home.
  • Daniel decides to take a bus to Sunshine Plaza; Bradley recounts:

    “Daniel’s gone to the shops, catching a bus. He’s going to get a haircut and to buy some Christmas presents.” (18:29)

• Mounting Concern:
  • Denise senses something is wrong by late afternoon:

    “About 4 o’clock, 4:15, I knew something wasn’t right. Just had a gut feeling.” (18:48)

  • She searches the bus stop and neighborhood, notices a broken-down bus, and the family begins a more frantic search as darkness falls.
  • The realization of Daniel’s true absence grows as calls to his friends and the bus company yield nothing.
• Reporting to Police:
  • Initial police response is procedural and dismissive; the family is told to return home and wait.
  • Bruce describes the endless night:

    “We had a great big barn ... We walk around the property. We know we’re calling out, we’re yelling.” (22:08)

4. The Police Investigation Begins (23:23–29:41)

• Monday, December 8th:
  • Bruce and Denise are joined by Bradley at the Maroochydore police station.
    • Denise recalls police intimidation:

      "[Sergeant Davidson] pretty much went to Bradley, pointed at him and pretty much pushed his finger into his chest and he said, ‘You know what happened? You know what happened to your brother? Where’s your brother, where’s your brother?’” (24:12)

  • Significant early investigation moments, including interviews, property searches, and the official missing persons report.
  • Media alerts and physical searches escalate—police divers, helicopters, and detectives arrive, underscoring the case’s gravity.
• Family Under Scrutiny:
  • The Morcombes recall how the police focused heavily on them at first.

    “We threw the challenge to the police. Find the answers. And if you want to stare me down, by all means. But at the end of the day, maybe you should be staring down somebody else.” (30:11 Narrator/Interviewer)

5. The Search Expands & Emotional Toll (30:43–34:05)

• Full-scale Search:
  • Police, helicopters, divers, and media descend on the property and community.
  • Denise describes how trauma lingers:

    “When I hear a helicopter now, you look up in the sky and it brings back memories of that day… Every time you see a helicopter, same thing happens.” (31:37)

• Family Isolated & Vulnerable:
  • The family is separated for statements, and police seize their computers.
  • Senior Constable Samantha Knight is appointed as family liaison, collecting Daniel’s DNA and helping with communication.
• A Haunting Moment:
  • The family gathers for the twins’ birthday, lighting three baptismal candles; Daniel’s candle unexpectedly goes out:

    “Three candles lit, and one just went out. I think I just stared at it. Didn't know what to do, didn't know what to say.” (36:03 Denise Morcom)

6. The Scope of the Investigation (34:05–38:08)

• Operation Bravo Vista Launched:
  • Detective Inspector Mike Condon leads what becomes the largest investigation in Queensland’s history.
  • Over 700 persons of interest are investigated.

    “There were over 700 persons of interest. It was absolutely enormous.” (37:31 Narrator/Interviewer)

• Reflections and Foreshadowing:
  • The Morcombes’ determination to find Daniel and pursue justice is unwavering, even as the future stretches into years.

    “He said, it’s gonna be a long few days. We didn’t know it was going to be a long 12 years, a decade long.” (37:09 Denise Morcom)

  • Questions about the investigation’s quality are raised:

    “Largest investigation ever in Queensland probably was. Was it the best investigation? Probably not.” (37:45 Narrator/Interviewer)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “They thought that a few of us weren’t quite good enough to go to their schools. They were fucking bitches, to be honest.” — Denise Morcombe (05:56)
• “We just had three boys. We just thought we were average mum and dad.” — Denise Morcombe (14:13)
• “I sat on the couch most of the night just looking out the window. Cause I couldn’t sleep... I saw Bruce cry for the first time since his father had died.” — Denise Morcombe (22:25)
• “If Bruce cries, something’s pretty deep there.” — Narrator/Interviewer (23:01)
• “Find the clues, find the child. To hunt down whoever was responsible.” — Matt Angel (37:16)
• “As a covert operative, you can't be not called a liar because you're living a lie and everything you do is a lie. So you're a trained liar. That's what it's all about. The master deceiver was deceived and manipulated himself.” — Narrator/Interviewer (37:47)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:11 | Denise recounts meeting Bruce and their early life. | | 06:55 | Denise’s wishes for motherhood and description of her sons. | | 11:03 | Arrival and life at Camellia Cottage. | | 16:54 | Morning of December 7, 2003; family plans change. | | 18:29 | Daniel takes the bus; mom’s growing sense of unease. | | 21:03 | Reporting Daniel missing to the police. | | 23:23 | The official investigation begins; family at police station. | | 31:37 | Denise’s trauma response to helicopters. | | 36:03 | The candle goes out during the twins’ birthday. | | 37:31 | Scope of the investigation; over 700 persons of interest. |

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Tone & Style

The episode balances journalistic clarity with deep empathy, blending narration and personal testimony. Matt Angel provides evocative scene-setting and emotional context, while Bruce and Denise’s voices offer authenticity and resonant vulnerability.

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Summary

Episode 1 of "Where is Daniel Morcombe?" introduces listeners to the Morcombe family's world: their joys, struggles, and the ordinary day that became a nightmare. Through real, unsparing details, the episode tells the heartbreaking story of Daniel’s disappearance and the shockwaves it unleashed—a precursor to the monumental, complex investigation that unfolds across Australia and into history. The Morcombes’ courage, the failings and mobilization of law enforcement, and the enduring mystery pull listeners into a story as haunting as it is important.

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Note:
For listeners eager to follow the investigation's twists, links for further episodes and information about the Daniel Morcombe Foundation are provided by the producers at the close.

Transcript

[Jonathan Van Ness]

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[Matt Angel]

Listen to all episodes of Where Is Daniel Morcom? Ad free right now by subscribing to the Binge. Visit the Binge channel on Apple Podcasts and hit subscribe at the top of the page or visit getthebinge.com to get access. Wherever you listen the Binge feed your true crime obsession.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

The Binge.

[Matt Angel]

Campsite Media There was nothing unusual about a 13 year old boy on Australia's Sunshine coast catching a weekend bus to the Sunshine Plaza, a local shopping centre. Standing on the shoulder of a four lane highway and flagging down a sky blue sun. Busy. It was something of a rite of passage. As long as there was enough space on the side of the road to safely pull over, those buses would stop. The Queensland operator called it the Hail and Ride policy. What was unusual was what happened on the hot summer afternoon of Sunday, December 7, 2003. Ross Edmonds was driving a bus full of passengers down the Nambour Connection road when its acceleration cable snapped. He pulled over and waited for a replacement bus to arrive. Once it did, the stranded passengers boarded. Jeff Norman, his boss, then gave Edmonds very clear instructions. He said, head straight to the plaza and don't stop for anyone along the way. Norman said he would follow and take care of any pickups. That's why Ross Edmonds didn't stop stop at the Keel Mountain Road underpass where he saw a boy in a red shirt waiting. Edmonds motioned to the boy. He was trying to communicate that another bus was on the way. He radioed back and gave Norman a heads up. Less than three minutes later, Jeff Norman arrived at the underpass. But the boy in the red shirt, he was gone. I'm Matt angel and from Sony Music Entertainment and Campside Media, this is where is Daniel Morcom? Episode 1 Bus 1, ready. How did you two meet?

[Denise Morcom]

In February 1980 was the day after Valentine's Day. My girlfriend was going to a place called Lawn in Victoria and I drove down by myself in my little yellow Gemini. That afternoon, Bruce was on the beach and I said hello to him.

[Matt Angel]

Bruce, you're shaking your head.

[Denise Morcom]

I think the first thing I said.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It'S heading to too much detail is where I'm thinking.

[Denise Morcom]

The first thing I said to Bruce was, you got red eyes. He must have been a bit sunburned. And he just sort of smiled at me.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I'd been swimming in the surf.

[Denise Morcom]

He just smiled at me. And there was nothing more than we just started talking. And 45 years later, we're still together.

[Matt Angel]

This is Bruce and Denise Morcom. And this conversation we're having, it's one I've been looking forward to for a very long time. For more than two decades, the Morcoms have been known across Australia, but I'm not sure many have ever heard this side of them.

[Denise Morcom]

On the Monday when I went to work, the girl said, oh, how was your weekend? I said, I met a guy called Bruce and we're going to get married. I just sort of knew straight away.

[Matt Angel]

Did you know that?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I didn't know. I was doomed at that stage.

[Matt Angel]

Bruce is five' ten. He has a full head of white hair, a matching beard. He is a true blue Aussie, genuine, loyal, tough. He doesn't give much away. But that's not what Denise saw that day on the beach.

[Denise Morcom]

I don't know, he just felt secure and comforting and just a nice person.

[Matt Angel]

Don't let Denise's gentle voice fool you, or her shyness or her short stature. She is a fireball and she packs one hell of a punch. This is her telling me about some of the girls she went to high school with.

[Denise Morcom]

They thought that a few of us weren't quite good enough to go to their schools. They were fucking bitches, to be honest.

[Matt Angel]

But Denise Morcom is also one of the most caring humans I've ever met. That old phrase about eyes being the window to the soul, I never thought much of it until the first time I met Denise. Her Piercing blue eyes are otherworldly. They seem to carry the sorrow of a thousand lifetimes. And they tell a story. A story I first heard nearly a decade ago. A story with ripple effects that have quietly changed the world. And it deserves to be heard far and wide. Married life for Bruce and Denise Morcom began in a small flat in Melbourne. They both worked jobs in the city. Before long, they bought their first home. And then it was time to start a family.

[Denise Morcom]

I think I always wanted to be a mother. I said, I always wanted to be a mother of boys.

[Matt Angel]

And she got her wish. Their first son, Dean, was born in October 1987. Just over one year later, Denise was.

[Denise Morcom]

Pregnant again at 16 weeks. I had my scan and I remember the lady in the hospital saying to me, how financial are you? And I said, why are we having twins? Because I dreamt about it.

[Matt Angel]

The answer was yes. Two more boys arrived on December 19, 1989.

[Denise Morcom]

Daniel and Bradley were eight weeks premature.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

This was an emergency birth of twins. So your heart's in your mouth.

[Matt Angel]

The delivery room was packed, 30 people, doctors, nurses. Bradley came first. Minutes later, Daniel was born, but his lungs hadn't fully developed and he was rushed away.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

You try and comfort Denise and say everything will be okay and you just know you can't contribute to make this better.

[Matt Angel]

They were in the hospital for the next five weeks.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I remember walking around the premature ward and so many other really tiny babies there and you realise how vulnerable life really is.

[Matt Angel]

Once the twins were cleared, the family of five settled in at home.

[Denise Morcom]

Daniel having a two year old and then twin boys was very, very busy. You just get up every day and you wash this one, you look after this one, you change the nappy on this one, you feed this one. It's just part of life being a mother and it's just natural. You see Humpty Dumpty, Humpty Dumpty, Dumble.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I think Dean was more outgoing being the older brother and I think the younger ones looked up to him.

[Denise Morcom]

Bradley was always the funny one, smart, quite talkative, always laughing and joking. And Daniel was more into. He had great big teddy bear and whatever Dean was doing, he loved doing.

[Matt Angel]

Can I have a go?

[Denise Morcom]

Oh, God.

[Matt Angel]

Come on, mate, I've just turned bloody thing on.

[Denise Morcom]

Go and have a go at.

[Matt Angel]

It was a good life, but things weren't always easy.

[Denise Morcom]

Bruce was working, I wasn't working. We didn't have any money so we had to borrow. Just different things. It was quite difficult at the time.

[Matt Angel]

Bruce's job at a public utility board wasn't Bringing in enough to keep them afloat. So he left and bought a Jim's Mowing franchise.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

If your garden looks more like a jungle, call your local Jim. Jim's Mowing the complete same day gardening service.

[Matt Angel]

Jimbo, Jimbo. Off to wherever we go.

[Denise Morcom]

He was gone sometimes 12, 13 hours a day, mowing lawns pretty much from daylight to dark.

[Matt Angel]

Business boomed. They had their footing and a year later an offer came in. A swap. Their franchise in Melbourne for the rights to the whole of a region in Queensland. A stunning oasis, the sunny coast.

[Denise Morcom]

We took the gamble and we moved up here and by 2003 we had 56 franchisees running around. And then one day, Bruce and I were going for a drive and we drove past an open house in Palmwoods and we drove down this long driveway, this beautiful two story Queenslander. And we looked at each other and said, let's put an offer in.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It was called Camellia Cottage. It was a five acre property. They had something like 400 camellia trees or shrubs as well as some old shedding, huge pineapple packing shed. It was very private off the main road and the boys could do as they wanted to. It ticked a lot of boxes. It was a great home.

[Matt Angel]

He's right. It was. They took me to see it.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

You just see on the right hand side, about three metres up. I'll just. Maybe I'll just stick my nose in the driveway. You won't see the house. So you come here. House?

[Matt Angel]

Yeah, just go for it. Bruce.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

The Morcoms are here.

[Denise Morcom]

I haven't seen the house since we lived.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

You haven't been there?

[Matt Angel]

You haven't been down here?

[Denise Morcom]

No.

[Matt Angel]

We're moving down a long driveway through a canopy of lush trees. The air is damp and sticky. Bright exotic flowers speckle the foliage. Honestly, this is paradise.

[Denise Morcom]

There's the house, Matt.

[Matt Angel]

Oh my God.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Matt Angel]

Picture a pale yellow two story house in the heart of New Orleans. French Quarter. Wrap around balconies on both floors, white wrought iron railings, French doors. And then drop that house into the middle of a rainforest that is Camellia Cottage.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We love the place.

[Matt Angel]

Dream home.

[Denise Morcom]

It was beautiful.

[Matt Angel]

Their new life in Palm woods was the ultimate adventure for the three brothers. They saved up and bought motorbikes. There was plenty of land to rip around. There were cows, chickens, horses, even a bull named Hugo.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

The boys would get up really early and go and feed, you know, their horses and cows and chickens before getting ready to go to school. I remember looking out the bathroom window, you could see the paddocks down below and the Boys would be in their gumboots, like little farmers sloshing through the mud. And I'm not sure how or why it all happened, but it was a bit of a scene from a comedy movie, I think, where everything had escaped. The chickens were sitting on the outdoor furniture. The cow was sitting underneath the trampoline in the shade. The horses were over there eating my favourite camellias. It was just madness.

[Matt Angel]

Daniel helped round up the animals and put them back where they belonged.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

He genuinely loved these animals. That's really what it was. He just had that special touch.

[Denise Morcom]

He was always a quiet, shy little boy. And sometimes I'd remember him. He'd just walk past and tap me on the shoulder. But he'd be on the other side of me and I'd turn the wrong way, of course, and he'd laugh and carry on. But no, he liked a good joke and a laugh. And we were pretty close as well. Yeah. Want me to find that report, Kurt?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Sure.

[Matt Angel]

I'm sitting in Bruce and Denise's new home. They moved out of Camellia Cottage many years ago. It's pristine. Everything is perfectly in its place. Denise told me that she hates dust and it sits on a peaceful canal, so not a bad deal. Denise shuffles through some papers in a nearby office. She comes back with an overflowing folder. Look at this. Math. A, A plus. A minus. A minus.

[Denise Morcom]

Art C. If he's like his mother, he can't draw.

[Matt Angel]

His teachers seem to really like him. Dedicated, determined, responsible, enthusiastic. Those are just some of the words they used to describe Daniel.

[Denise Morcom]

We just had three boys. We just thought we were average. Mum and dad.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We came to the Sunshine coast and in particular were living at Palm woods, thinking what an ideal setting and it was.

[Matt Angel]

Then December 7, 2003 arrived. All of that changed. Foreign.

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[Narrator/Interviewer]

You got up early on that Sunday morning and it was a showery day. The boys had organised to do an hour, hour and a quarter fruit picking on the neighbour's farm next door.

[Matt Angel]

This is something the three Morcam brothers did often to make a bit of pocket money.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

But because it was a showery morning, the farmer phoned us and said, we'll just delay it by an hour.

[Matt Angel]

This complicated things a bit. Bruce and Denise were hosting their business Christmas luncheon that day at a park down in Brisbane. The whole family were going to leave at 8.30am, allowing them to get there and set up before the franchisees arrived at 11. But with the boys fruit picking delayed, they'd never be able to leave on time.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

So we threw it across to them in a simple family conversation. What would you guys like to do today? They didn't want to go to a crusty old family business luncheon. They wanted to stay at home and perhaps earn a little bit of pocket money.

[Matt Angel]

It was settled. The boys would stay back, pick some passion fruits and enjoy some downtime because.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

The fruit picking was just next door. As we were going down to the car, you could hear the boys laughing and joking and enjoying life.

[Matt Angel]

Bruce and Denise got Their favorite spot in the park. They enjoyed a nice lunch. They had some laughs with friends.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Around 2:00', clock, Bruce, you know, we're starting to look at each other, rattle the car keys as you do, you know, it's time to go, what do you reckon?

[Matt Angel]

They arrived back home around 4pm Bradley.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Was home, I think he was on.

[Denise Morcom]

Our computer and we said, oh, where's Dean and Daniel?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

And Bradley said, dean's gone to the skate park, meeting a couple of friends. He'll be back in a little while. Daniel's gone to the shops, catching a bus. He's going to get a haircut and to buy some Christmas presents.

[Matt Angel]

Back then, in a place like Palm woods, this was no big deal.

[Denise Morcom]

The boys used to catch the bus all the time.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We didn't think anything of it.

[Denise Morcom]

But about 4 o', clock, 4:15, I knew something wasn't right. Just had a gut feeling that something wasn't right. With Daniel just taking the clothes off the line, I thought, it's not right.

[Matt Angel]

Given the bus schedule that day, it made sense that Daniel might not be home yet. But Denise followed her mother's instinct, came.

[Denise Morcom]

Inside, got in the car and said, I'm gonna go see Daniel at the bus stop. Drove to the bus stop, waited five or 10 minutes. The bus didn't turn up. Drove a bit further down the road to Woombai.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

About a kilometre down the road, she noted, a broken down bus came back home.

[Denise Morcom]

I said to Bruce, oh, there's a broken down bus.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

So we waited about an hour, around about 5:30, I jumped in the car thinking, this is the last bus I'll rip down to the spot. We expect the bus to pass Daniel, jump off it, save him the walk again, no bus again, no Daniel.

[Denise Morcom]

We thought, oh shit, something's not right here.

[Matt Angel]

Denise called the bus company. Maybe there was a simple explanation, but there wasn't. She called some of Daniel's friends, maybe they'd met up with him, but they hadn't. No one had heard from her son, so the family began to search.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We needed to find him. There's probably only an hour or so of daylight left.

[Denise Morcom]

We looked in our paddocks, we looked in our shed, we looked up the street, we looked down the street, we looked everywhere for him.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

You know, we were thinking, oh, he's dropped his phone card, he's lost his wallet, he's fallen over. We were all even thinking, he's walking home on the edge of the road and been hit by a car. We were looking down the embankment at the edge of the road thinking, you know, if he's been hit, is he down there?

[Matt Angel]

As their search expanded, so did their fear.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We went back home, checked the boys, no news. I can recall Bradley asking, have you found him yet? No.

[Denise Morcom]

We said to Dean and Brad, just stay home, sit tight.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We jumped in the car, drove to the Sunshine Plaza shopping centre. We then drove back to Nambour. We did that a couple of times, back and forth, back and forth. Probably around 6:30, heading 7:00, I dare say. We looked at each other in the front seat of the car and we thought, what are we going to do now?

[Denise Morcom]

So I went to the Maroochdor police station and reported Daniel missing.

[Matt Angel]

Police would often wait 24 hours before filing an official missing person's report. The officer, he didn't seem worried but he told them he would broadcast a bolf alert. That's Ozzy Please speak for be on the lookout for.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Question was asked, what was he wearing? We were at a luncheon so we didn't know what he was wearing.

[Matt Angel]

They were given some reassurances and sent off.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

The police officer said, go back home, stay at home. I'm sure he'll turn up.

[Matt Angel]

Their phone rang around 10pm it was the cop from the station. He said an officer was going to come by to check on them.

[Denise Morcom]

But apparently they got called to another job and they didn't get there. No police came to our house to see what was going on.

[Matt Angel]

But they did receive another phone call from the police that night. They were told to return to the station at 8am the next morning to file an official missing persons report.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It was a night that seemed to go on forever.

[Denise Morcom]

We had a great big barn. It used to be the original pineapple packing barn for the area. Went there, we had a dam, we had torches. We walk around the property. We know we're calling out, we're yelling.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We'Re trying to work out where could Daniel be.

[Denise Morcom]

I sat on the couch most of the night just looking out the window. Cause I couldn't sleep. I know I went to bed at some stage and I do remember Brad was lying on the floor.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

He couldn't sleep. We couldn't sleep.

[Denise Morcom]

And then he came into the bed with us. And that was the first time and he'd done that for many, many years. I saw Bruce cry for the first time since his father had died. And that was 13 nearly 14 years prior.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We're probably all crying.

[Matt Angel]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

If Bruce cries, something's pretty deep there. Yeah.

[Matt Angel]

Denise ended up back on the couch that night looking through that window. She was waiting for Daniel to appear to walk down that long driveway. The sun finally rose on Monday, December 8th.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We dropped Dean off at work. Denise and I and Bradley drove to the police station, got there a couple of minutes before 8.

[Matt Angel]

They knocked, but no one was there, not yet. So they waited in their car. At 8am, Sergeant Lori Davison arrived.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We observed him going up the stairs, unlocking the front door. It's not a big police station, just a little old weatherboard cottage really. He walked inside. We followed him inside, introduced ourselves. He progressed to flick on the lights and no doubt the air conditioner and check any information on Daniel.

[Matt Angel]

The short, broad shouldered cop sat them down and began to ask questions. What did they know? What was Daniel wearing? Where was he going?

[Denise Morcom]

He was a little bit intimidating. Well, it was intimidating to myself because I hadn't been in a police station before. The police officer pretty much went to Bradley, pointed at him and pretty much pushed his finger into his chest and he said, you know what happened? You know what happened to your brother? Where's your brother? Where's your brother?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Yeah, he cried.

[Denise Morcom]

He cried?

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Yeah. No, he was gutted. He's lost his twin brother.

[Matt Angel]

Sergeant Davison picked up the phone and he called Sunbus. The Morcoms sat at the small desk opposite him. They were silent. They didn't know who it was Davison was speaking to or what he was being told, but they knew something was wrong.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It was a moment. I can see it. I could feel him at the Palmwoods police station.

[Denise Morcom]

I remember Laurie Davidson's face. I remember that.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

You could see the blood draining. He was puzzled and incredibly anxious.

[Matt Angel]

The wheels needed to start turning. Fortunately, they foreign. This podcast is supported by FX's English teacher. Last year's critically acclaimed series returns to follow Evan, Gwen and Markie as they vie for their students divided attention. See why Cosmopolitan called its premiere season a master class of comedy while glamour raved. It's the year's funniest and most heartwarming new comedy series, FX's English Teacher. All new Thursdays on FX. All episodes now streaming on Hulu.

[Denise Morcom]

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[Denise Morcom]

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[Denise Morcom]

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[Narrator/Interviewer]

On Sunday afternoon, a schoolboy set out to buy Christmas presents for his family. 13 year old Daniel Morecambe hasn't been seen since.

[Matt Angel]

They say the first 48 hours are the most critical in a missing persons case. But here's the truth. Every second is critical in a missing person's case. And the Morcoms could feel those seconds slipping away. The clock was ticking. 9:18am Sergeant Lori Davison creates a job log. He writes that Daniel Morcom had not returned home. Then he informs the juvenile aid bureau.

[Denise Morcom]

He said there was a boy in a red T shirt at the underpass.

[Matt Angel]

9:44Am Daniel's official missing persons report is entered into the Queensland Police Service database.

[Denise Morcom]

When we came home now, we had to ask Brad, what do you think Daniel was wearing? And I went through his cupboard and we worked out that he was wearing the red T shirt with the billabong signage on it.

[Matt Angel]

10:30Am the first law enforcement officials arrive at the Markham residence.

[Denise Morcom]

Laurie Davidson came to our house not long after we'd left the police station. He came in and asked for any recent photos of Daniel.

[Matt Angel]

11:18Am An SEM significant event message is sent out across the territory. Five minutes later at 11:23, a second be on the lookout for is broadcast.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

When we would ask the police, what's the angle you're pursuing here? They'd say, look, the last place Daniel was seen was at the side of the road waiting for the bars.

[Matt Angel]

12Pm Units arrive at the Keel Mountain Road underpass. They dust for fingerprints, collect shoe imprints, snap photographs.

[Denise Morcom]

I went and laid down and Bruce came with some homemade chicken soup for me. He said, you've got to eat this. It's going to be a long few days.

[Matt Angel]

1:50Pm the morcams are given a status update. Police had been dispatched far and wide. A photo of Daniel along with a brief physical description was sent out to local tv, radio and newspapers.

[Denise Morcom]

That's the photo of that boy that everyone knows with the blue eyes staring at the camera with his orange cordial.

[Matt Angel]

2:20Pm A detective from the Sunshine Coast CIB, a unit specializing in the most complex crimes, is brought in to assist.

[Denise Morcom]

Quite a few detectives came to the house asking questions of Bruce and myself, asking about the boys, asking about the family and our business.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I remember saying, ask whatever questions you want because if you don't ask the tough questions, you're not doing your job. Test me, test our story and also test our alibi in terms of, okay, where were you guys? Why weren't you looking after your boys?

[Matt Angel]

Eyewitnesses had put Bruce and Denise at the park outside of Brisbane. Cameras Captured them on the toll bridge they crossed. But they understood the reality. These cases could often end with the conviction of a family member.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We're just sitting around the kitchen table having a bit of a chat, maybe. There were four police officers there.

[Denise Morcom]

There was about 10 of them there, not four.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

There were a few, yeah.

[Denise Morcom]

The whole kitchen table was taken. Plus there was a few standing up in the kitchen.

[Matt Angel]

One officer watched from the sidelines. He stood out from the rest.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

One of those observers was absolutely staring me down, hanging off the body language, every sound that was uttering from my mouth.

[Denise Morcom]

David Hickey was the one that stared you down.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I remember him.

[Denise Morcom]

It was quite daunting and intimidating.

[Matt Angel]

It would have been no nonsense, Detective David Hickey oozes intimidation.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

We threw the challenge to the police. Find the answers. And if you want to stare me down, by all means. But at the end of the day, maybe you should be staring down somebody else.

[Matt Angel]

Their phones begin ringing. Concerned friends are calling. Daniel's face, that photo of him smiling, it's all over the local news. 4:30pm, Officers conduct door knocks in surrounding communities. Additional units from down south prepare to head north.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

I remember standing in the garden with all the camellias, beautiful gardens looking down in the valley there. There's farmland all around us. There are dams filled with water and there's police divers fully kitted out in their wetsuits. And if they find something, you ain't gonna be in a healthy condition.

[Denise Morcom]

We had big septic tanks and the big water tank under the house.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It was pretty grim standing there and watching that. There were helicopters buzzing in a grid formation, you know, going north, south and then east, west. They were mappings terrain and then at one point, the helicopter came in and landed on our front lawn. What the hell's going on here? Like, has he seen something, found something?

[Matt Angel]

To this day, they have no idea what it was all about. But something like that sticks with you.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It's a moment we will never forget.

[Denise Morcom]

When I hear a helicopter now, you look up in the sky and it brings back memories of that day. You see the movies where the Vietnam vets are out there and they hear the helicopters and they have flashbacks and visions. Every time you see a helicopter, same thing happens.

[Matt Angel]

5:30Pm, Bruce, Denise Dean and Bradley return to the police station. They're separated into different rooms where they each give Official written statements. 9:00pm, The Morcoms arrive back home. 10:15pm, A knock at the door. More police, this time coming to seize their computers.

[Denise Morcom]

Sam Knight came 8 o'clock the next morning.

[Matt Angel]

Senior Constable Samantha Knight had been assigned as the liaison officer to the Morcams. She would be a gentle buffer between this broken family and the outside world. Collect their mail, answer their phones, gather information and relay it back to her colleagues.

[Denise Morcom]

And she started asking Brad all these questions and Dean all these questions. And then she started going through Daniel's school bag and finding bits of papers and school newsletters that the boys hadn't given to us. Rotten bananas. And found a Christmas card that Daniel had made for us and she handed that to us as well.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Sam Knight also collected Daniel's DNA.

[Denise Morcom]

Yeah. Sam went to the bathroom and one of Daniel's toothbrush and his hairbrush and comb and one of his caps that he wore so that they could take that to the police station to get his DNA.

[Matt Angel]

There were a lot of difficult moments for Daniel's parents during Sam Knight's first week on the job. But it feels like one in particular haunts Denise. The Friday before Daniel went missing, the boys had planned to go to a skating rink, but a storm hit, so that was canceled.

[Denise Morcom]

And the boys asked whether we could drive to the school and pick up their report cards. But it was just torrential rain. We said, oh, look, we'll just wait for it to turn up in the post on Monday and Tuesday. So they were sort of happy with that. And that Tuesday morning, the boys report cards arrived in the post. I felt really guilty because I said, oh, we'll just wait till Tuesday. But I think I burst into tears when Sam showed me the report card.

[Matt Angel]

For the Morecambes. Time stood still. But behind the scenes for investigators, things were moving at the speed of light. The case exploded, activating agencies across the territory. The Queensland Police Service, or qps, the state's primary law enforcement agency, were fully engaged. Detective Inspector Mike Condon was the highly respected manager of the QPS's Homicide Investigations Unit. He arrived on scene that Tuesday morning, December 9th. A major incident room was set up and Operation Bravo Vista began. In the days to come, arrest teams, investigating teams, intelligence officers, crime scene managers, scientific officers and state emergency services all jump into action. Witnesses are interviewed, persons of interest are questioned. Bushland is searched. And bit by bit, detectives start to build the case. The twins 14th birthday arrived on December 19. It had been 12 days since Daniel was last seen. The family didn't feel like celebrating. But two local priests, Father Joe and Father Yarn, encouraged them to do something for the boys, for the family.

[Denise Morcom]

I found the boys three baptism candles. I had them at home. They set up a little table in the front yard. And Bradley lit the three candles. And then we were sitting there saying a couple of prayers with the priests. One of the candles just flickered and went out.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

When the candle blew out, we just looked at each other, thought, wow, that's Daniel's candle. That's a sign.

[Denise Morcom]

Three candles lit and one just went out. I think I just stared at it. Didn't know what to do, didn't know what to say.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Just a freakish puff of wind. Of course we know that. But why didn't all three blow out? Why didn't two blow out? Why didn't they just flicker and be okay? But one blew out. That was a sign that he ain't coming home.

[Matt Angel]

This season, we'll peel back the layers of one of the largest and most haunting investigations in Australian history.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Who's ever responsible to picked on the wrong family? We're gonna hunt you down.

[Matt Angel]

For the first time, Daniel's parents share with a global audience their journey to uncover what happened to their son.

[Denise Morcom]

He said, it's gonna be a long few days. We didn't know it was gonna be a long 12 years, a decade long.

[Matt Angel]

Battle to uncover what happened to Daniel Morcom. In that moment, when a child is going through the worst moments of their life, there's clues. Find the clues, find the child. To hunt down whoever was responsible.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

There were over 700 persons of interest. It was absolutely enormous.

[Matt Angel]

And to bring them to justice, the.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Largest investigation ever in Queensland probably was. Was it the best investigation?

[Denise Morcom]

Probably not.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

As a covert operative, you can't be not called a liar because you're living a lie and everything you do is a lie. So you're a trained liar. That's what it's all about. The master deceiver was deceived and manipulated himself.

[Matt Angel]

It's been a wild ride, I tell you.

[Denise Morcom]

I've been there since day one.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

It's been a wild ride.

[Denise Morcom]

It.

[Matt Angel]

Don'T want to wait for that next episode. You don't have to unlock all episodes of where is Daniel Morecam? Ad free right now by subscribing to the binge podcast channel. Search for the binge on Apple podcasts and hit subscribe at the top of the page. Not on apple. Head to getthebinge.com to get access wherever you listen. As a subscriber, you'll get binge access to new stories on the 1st of every month. Check out the binge channel page on apple podcasts or getthebinge.com to learn more. Where is Daniel Morecambe is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and Campside Media. It was hosted, reported and co written by me, Matt Angel. Joe Barrett is the Managing Producer and co writer Grace Valerie Lynette is the Associate Producer. Additional production support from Tiffany Dimmack. The series was sound, designed, composed and mixed by Garrett Tiedemann. Our studio engineer is Trino Madriz. Fact Checked by Tracy Lofgren Lee A special thanks to Ashley Ann Krigbaum and Doug Slaywin and our operations team, Ashley Warren, Sabina Mara and Destiny Dinkel. Campside Media's Executive producers are Josh Dean, Vanessa Gregoriadis and Matt Sher. Sony's Executive Producer is Jonathan Hirsch. For Pacesetter Productions. The Executive Producer is Jessica Rhodes. Allison Momassi and Brian Daly are the Associate producers for Mad Jimmy Productions. The executive producers are Me, Matt angel and Suzanne Coote. Consulting producers are Dan Angel, Lee Parker and Andrew Fairbank. If you enjoyed where is Daniel Morecambe? Please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts and if you'd like to make a donation to the Daniel Morecambe foundation, please visit danielmorkam.com au.

[Denise Morcom]

Sa foreign.

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[Matt Angel]

Com.