True Crime Conversations

In August 2025, two Victoria Police officers were shot and killed while executing a search warrant at a regional Victorian property linked to Desmond Filby, also known as Dezi Freeman. A third officer was injured, and Filby vanished into the bush, triggering a seven-month manhunt that gripped the nation.
The case began with a child abuse investigation and ended in March 2026, when police found Filby hiding in a shipping container and shot him dead after he threatened officers with a stolen police gun.
In this episode, we unpack the tragedy, the investigation, and the dramatic final chapter of one of Australia’s most confronting police operations.
LINKS
Watch Dezi Freeman: The Hunt on 7Plus here. and listen here.
If you’re experiencing family and domestic violence, Safe Steps provides immediate and confidential assistance. Find out more here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
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GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
CREDITS
Guest: Cassie Zervos
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Video Editor: Julian Rosario
Audio Engineer: Tegan Sadler
Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens after police leave a crime scene? For six years, Donna Nayler was the person called in to deal with what remained.
Wearing full protective gear, she cleaned some of the country’s most confronting scenes, from murders and domestic violence cases to homes where bodies had gone undiscovered for weeks.
Donna reveals the harsh realities that come with a job few people ever think about and the unseen work done behind closed doors.
LINKS
You can find Donna's book, Bloodstains and Ball Gowns, here.
If you’re experiencing family and domestic violence, Safe Steps provides immediate and confidential assistance. Find out more here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
CREDITS
Guest: Donna Nayler
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Video Editor: Julian Rosario
Audio Engineer: Tegan Sadler
Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WA Police have acknowledged that earlier searches in the investigation into the Nannup Four were conducted in the wrong location. Retired detective Barry McIntosh, who has long pushed for answers in the case, believes the corrected coordinates point to a more accurate search area near Northcliffe, where clothing and the reported smell of human remains were allegedly detected after the group disappeared.
Today, we check in with ABC investigative journalist Dominique Bayens about the latest developments in the case.
LINKS
Find out more about Barry's search for The Nannup Four. There's a GoFundMe page here.
Watch Expanse: The Nannup Four here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
CREDITS
Guest: Dominique Bayens
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Video Editor: Julian Rosario
Audio Engineer: Tegan Sadler
Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29-year-old Katie Haley arrived home on a Friday night in March 2018 after a long shift at a Melbourne tavern. Her partner Shane had been messaging throughout the day, calls, accusations, jealousy, and control that had continued for hours...
After reaching her limit, Katie stands up and starts packing a bag. She tells him the relationship is over. She’s leaving with their daughter. But she never makes it out the door.
Today, we’re speaking with Katie’s sister, Bianca Unwin, who has since become an advocate for domestic violence awareness following her sister’s death, and who now speaks openly about coercive control and the warning signs that were not fully recognised at the time.
LINKS
If you’re experiencing family and domestic violence, Safe Steps provides immediate and confidential assistance. Find out more here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
CREDITS
Guest: Bianca Unwin
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Video Editor: Julian Rosario
Audio Engineer: Tegan Sadler
Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is Part 2 of Nina Funnell’s story. You can listen to Part 1 here.
Nina Funnell survived a violent assault as a young woman, fighting off her attacker and escaping to call the police. Although he was never found, the experience became a turning point.
Within weeks, she chose to speak publicly, challenging stigma, victim-blaming, and the silence surrounding violence against women. Since then, Nina has become a leading advocate and journalist, driving national conversations and legal reform.
Through campaigns like Let Her Speak and Justice Shouldn’t Hurt, she has helped change laws, amplify survivor voices, and secure millions in funding for victim support services.
Today, she joins us to discuss her work supporting victim-survivors and their families, and the fight for a more just system.
LINKS
Find out more about the Keep Counselling Confidential campaign here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
Win a $2,000 Bed Threads voucher. Subscribe to Mamamia here before April 30 to be automatically entered. Current subscriber? You're already in the draw. T&Cs apply.
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.
CREDITS
Guest: Nina Funnell
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Video Editor: Julian Rosario
Audio Engineer: Jacob Round
Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.