Podcast
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Hosted by TAPT Podcasts · EN
It was a scene of unspeakable evil when a routine callout turned into Queensland's deadliest police shooting.
Four young police officers were ambushed in the outback town of Wieambilla. Two were executed in cold blood, and an innocent neighbour was also gunned down. Two officers escaped the siege, injured but alive. Dozens of police reinforcements engaged in a six-hour gunfight against three heavily armed cop killers.
An investigation would unearth a dark and twisted web of conspiracy theories and religiously motivated terrorism. How a routine callout spiraled into a bloody massacre will be probed in a coronial inquest.
The Ultimate Sacrifice is the latest podcast from the acclaimed team of 9News presenter Melissa Downes and producer Jessica Lodge, following their multiple award-winning podcast Hannah's Story, and is produced in partnership with 9News and 9Podcasts.
Content Warning: This series contains content that may be distressing for some listeners.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 17. The Coroner's Recommendations
Nov 2200:35:06Tap to summarizeWeeks out from the third anniversary of the Wieambilla shootings, the State Coroner hands down his report - finding the actions of the Trains on 12 December, 2022 was not a ‘terrorist act’. Some, but not all, of the key issues raised in the inquest are addressed in the Coroner's 10 recommendations - including drones for regional police, mandatory mental health checks for gun licences, intelligence sharing and training for triple 0 call operators. The McCrow and Arnold families voice their disappointment at the findings and recommendations. They pledge to continue to channel their grief into bringing about systemic changes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 16: The Plea Deal
Nov 400:37:49Tap to summarizeA major update in Donald Day Jr’s case - the man originally accused of inciting the deadly police ambush has struck a surprise plea deal in the United States. Melissa Downes is joined by Arizona journalist Cody Lillich to unpack the legal twists, the FBI recordings and how Day walked away with a watered-down conviction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 15: Donald Day Jr.
Sep 6, 202400:36:33Tap to summarizeA year after the Wieambilla shootings, on the other side of the world, FBI agents swarmed a petrol station in a remote Arizona town, making a dramatic arrest and revealing the man behind the name “Don”. Donald Day Jr. is now heading to trial on five federal charges and the evidence against him has been laid bare in new court documents; disturbing videos praising the Trains, online comments boasting about being “an x-con, who’s armed to the teeth”, and the cache of guns found at his home. In this episode, U.S Correspondent Jonathan Kearsley breaks down the evidence and how rejected plea deals, and attempts to throw out the charges, have drawn out this case.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 14: A Legacy of Change
Aug 29, 202400:31:26Tap to summarizeHeartache and disappointment consumed the coronial inquest on its final day. The mothers of Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold deliver emotional statements, sharing the many “what ifs” that still haunt them from that day, and the critical questions that remain unanswered. In this episode, new details come to light around radio blackspots, body worn cameras, the Arnold family’s agonising five-hour wait for answers, and Rachel McCrow’s final message. And as Internal Investigations hone in on opportunities for improvement, the families are demanding more be done; fighting for Matt and Rachel’s legacy to be one of change, so their sacrifice will protect others.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 13: The Missing Persons Report
Aug 22, 202400:44:33Tap to summarizeOminous final emails sent by Gareth Train never made it into the hands of Queensland police. Why were those four young constables sent to that property, into that ambush, without all the information? Would it have even made a difference? This episode takes us back to the start, unravelling the missing persons report that set this whole series of tragic events in motion. More than a dozen New South Wales and Queensland police officers are called into the witness box; every conversation, phone call and email scrutinised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 12: An Act of Terrorism?
Aug 15, 202400:34:33Tap to summarizeWas the Wieambilla attack an act of terrorism? An expert in political and religious extremism dissects the evidence to address this question. He breaks down Gareth, Stacey & Nathaniel’s radicalisation into five phases, highlighting their dramatic shift through the pandemic along with the part Donald Day Jr played in the rapid escalation of the Train’s extremist religious beliefs. The Coronial Inquest hears about prison letters, more Youtube videos and cryptic diary entries, and the actions the Train’s took to “bunker down” believing they were nearing their “time in battle”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 11: The Madness of Three
Aug 13, 202400:41:35Tap to summarizeGareth, Stacey and Nathanial Train had descended into a world of paranoia and conspiracy, experiencing a shared psychotic disorder; Folie à troix, “madness of three”. This is the assessment of one of Australia’s leading forensic psychiatrists who, after dissecting their upbringing, communications and relationships, has delivered a deep and comprehensive analysis of the Train’s mental state, concluding they were experiencing “identical persecutory and religious beliefs and delusions”. In this episode we hear how Gareth's diagnosis may stem all the way back to birth, how this delusional disorder evolved and how he was able to transfer his delusions to his wife and brother, as he revealed his 'Grand Opus' - ultimately leading them to believe the police were devils, and that they must fight to the death to reach religious salvation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 10: The SERT Operatives
Aug 9, 202400:35:25Tap to summarizeThey’re some of the most highly trained police officers in Australia; and now, specialist operatives take us inside “the most dangerous operation” they’ve ever faced - Wieambilla in December 2022. The team leader recalls the extraordinary ‘volley of gunfire’ that shook their heavy, armoured vehicles. The SERT commander lays out their mission to ‘isolate, contain and arrest’, and their tactical approach, fearing the Trains would escape. Plus, the court releases new recordings of negotiation attempts, appeals to the Trains to end the situation without violence, that went unheeded... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 9: The Extraction Team
Aug 5, 202400:31:52Tap to summarizeUntold stories of bravery and courage emerge as the first responding officers step into the witness box, delivering confronting and emotional testimony. Before now, we didn’t know their names, or the extent of their selfless actions, to rescue Constable Keeley Brough, retrieve their fallen colleagues and protect the community. Losing daylight, with limited information and unreliable radio communications, they mapped out their plan on the bonnet of a car and volunteered to risk their lives, completing their mission just minutes before the Trains opened fire once again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribe →Episode 8: Alan Dare
Aug 2, 202400:38:55Tap to summarizeAlan Dare saw his killer seconds before he was shot, his neighbour by his side. Now, after almost two years, the video Alan was filming at the very moment he went to investigate the explosions and gunshots next door has been made public - and we hear from that neighbour for the first time. As Alan ventured out to the Train’s property, his wife Kerry was on the phone to 000, with recordings of those calls now also released. They shed light on a crucial question for Kerry; Had police warned them not to leave their home? And the real reason Alan's body was not recovered for hours is finally explained by the police who attended.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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