Podcast · True Crime

Unravel

by ABC Australia · English · True Crime

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New episodes: Several times a day
Typical length: 32 min
Latest: 23 Sep 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

23 Sep 2026 · 17 min

08 Lies in Lismore | BONUS Inquest insider speaks

Key inquest lawyer says other suspects weren't adequately investigated by police. Philip Strickland SC acted as counsel assisting the coroner for the recent inquest into the death of Simone Strobel. He tells Richard Baker that there's "some validity" to Tobias Moran's claim that police got tunnel vision. He says the "extremely unwise" lies told by Tobias Moran distorted the investigation. Credits Host and reporter: Richard Baker Producer and fact checker: Romy Sher Supervising producer: Alicia Bridges Special thanks: Chiara Holzhaeuser; Joanne Shoebridge and everyone at ABC North Coast…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S9 · E7 · 8 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

07 Lies in Lismore | The black top

A fresh inquest holds surprises and examines the alleged confessions. A new investigation begins, with the police work in different hands — but will it find justice for Simone? The coroner points to a piece of clothing she was wearing on the night as a potential source of DNA evidence to help solve the crime. STATEMENT FROM GABI AND GUSTAV STROBEL Mr Baker's letter sets out Tobias Moran and Katrin Suckfuell's versions of certain important matters. We deny these accounts are truthful. Tobias Moran has admitted that he and his sister lied about matters relating to Simone's disappearance and…
S9 · E6 · 8 Sep 2026 · 42 min

06 Lies in Lismore | Strange decisions

Parts of the police investigation seem confusing, even bizarre. Looking into how the detective work unfolded leads journalist Richard Baker to raise questions about the decisions made during the Simone Strobel case. He examines a crime scene analysis, and a strange 'quid-pro-quo' arrangement between detectives and a writer. Editorial note: An earlier version of this episode said that the West Australian Supreme Court agreed with Tobias Moran that the Virginia Peters book implied he was guilty. What the judge actually said was that an imputation of guilt is arguably capable of being made. But…
S9 · E5 · 8 Sep 2026 · 38 min

05 Lies in Lismore | Confessions

Multiple people are alleged to have confessed to murdering Simone, so why were they ruled out as suspects? Journalist Richard Baker hits the road to try to find them, and the people who heard their alleged confessions, to understand more. Credits Host and reporter: Richard Baker Producer and fact checker: Romy Sher Supervising producer: Alicia Bridges Special thanks: Chiara Holzhaeuser; Joanne Shoebridge and everyone at ABC North Coast Additional reporting: Cath Adams Theme composition and additional music: Martin Peralta and Ashley Cadell Sound design: Tim Symonds Executive Producers: Tim…
S9 · E4 · 8 Sep 2026 · 41 min

04 Lies in Lismore | An arrest

Decades on, police make an arrest and lay charges for the murder of Simone Strobel. But what is the new evidence they've found? Richard Baker tries to figure out what led police to this dramatic arrest years into the investigation. Credits Host and reporter: Richard Baker Producer and fact checker: Romy Sher Supervising producer: Alicia Bridges Special thanks: Chiara Holzhaeuser; Joanne Shoebridge and everyone at ABC North Coast Additional reporting: Cath Adams Theme composition and additional music: Martin Peralta and Ashley Cadell Sound design: Tim Symonds Executive Producers: Tim…
S9 · E3 · 8 Sep 2026 · 49 min

03 Lies in Lismore | One traveller speaks out

He's never spoken publicly about the night Simone disappeared, until now. Breaking his silence in an interview with journalist Richard Baker, he answers questions about what happened that night, and why he didn't tell police the full story. Credits Host and reporter: Richard Baker Producer and fact checker: Romy Sher Supervising producer: Alicia Bridges Special thanks: Chiara Holzhaeuser; Joanne Shoebridge and everyone at ABC North Coast Additional reporting: Cath Adams Theme composition and additional music: Martin Peralta and Ashley Cadell Sound design: Tim Symonds Executive Producers: Tim…
S9 · E2 · 8 Sep 2026 · 43 min

02 Lies in Lismore | The lies

Simone's diary reveals arguments amongst travellers, police say they're being lied to, and the investigation into who caused Simone's death begins to narrow its focus. An inquest into Simone Strobel's death is eventually held, but some key people don't attend. Years pass and fellow travellers refuse to speak to the media, but investigative journalist Richard Baker learns one of them might finally break this silence and talk to him. Credits Host and reporter: Richard Baker Producer and fact checker: Romy Sher Supervising producer: Alicia Bridges Special thanks: Chiara Holzhaeuser; Joanne…
S9 · E1 · 8 Sep 2026 · 32 min

01 Lies in Lismore | The backpackers

On a dream trip to Australia, Simone disappears. Her boyfriend Tobias reports her missing, and the search begins. Six days later Simone Strobel's body is found under palm fronds just a short distance away. It's clear her death is no accident and her boyfriend, Tobias Suckfuell, is questioned by police. It's been more than 20 years, and still no one has been found responsible for Simone's murder. Investigative journalist Richard Baker wants to know why. Richard attempts to unravel the truth about what happened to Simone in Lismore that night in 2005, amongst a tangle of decades-old lies.…
S9 · 6 Sep 2026 · 3 min

INTRODUCING — Lies in Lismore

Simone Strobel was 25 and travelling in Australia when she disappeared from a Lismore caravan park. Six days later, her body was found hidden under palm fronds. Ever since, questions have followed her boyfriend, Tobias Suckfuell, who's always insisted that he's innocent. But the truth is difficult to find when lies are layered upon lies. Now there are new twists in the story, and more potential suspects coming into focus. Has the truth been hiding in plain sight? Or did a killer escape without scrutiny? Acclaimed investigative journalist Richard Baker investigates. Credits Host and reporter:…
S7 · E9 · 6 Jul 2026 · 29 min

Blood on the Tracks | BONUS The Inquest Findings

After almost forty years, two inquests and because of one family that never gave up, the Coroner has finally delivered her findings into the death of Gomeroi teenager Mark Anthony Haines. Journalist Allan Clarke has spent close to a decade investigating Mark's death. His Walkley Award-winning coverage for the ABC reignited public attention on the case and helped drive it to this final inquest. Allan reflects on the findings and what it means to reach the end of a story he's carried for so long.
S8 · E8 · 1 Jul 2026 · 18 min

08 What Became of Jack? | BONUS Behind the scenes

Journalist Rob Burgin breaks down his approach to investigating What Became of Jack? with Stephen Stockwell, host of the ABC's true crime podcast, "The Case Of." Stocky asks Rob about the challenges he had reporting the story, what he thinks of the evidence, and what's next for the people at its centre.
S8 · E7 · 29 Jun 2026 · 34 min

07 What Became of Jack? | Two cars

A new theory emerges from tip-offs coming in to ABC journalist Rob Burgin. Rob investigates two cars spotted at Ficks Crossing the night Jack McLennan disappeared, hoping it might lead him to an understanding of what became of Jack.
S8 · E6 · 22 Jun 2026 · 45 min

06 What Became of Jack? | Duke Speaks

The last known person to see Jack alive finally breaks his silence. Chris Duke speaks in detail for the first time, laying out his version of what happened the night Jack McLennan vanished and revealing new details about Jack's last known moments.
S8 · E5 · 15 Jun 2026 · 41 min

05 What Became of Jack? | Whispers

Jack’s mum gets a shocking tip-off from a scared community member. With the rumour mill in overdrive, ABC journalist Rob Burgin tries to decipher what’s true and what’s not about the disappearance of Jack McLennan.
S8 · E4 · 8 Jun 2026 · 32 min

04 What Became of Jack? | The Wondai house

One of the last places Jack was seen was a house in Wondai. Rob goes there, despite being told the people inside that night have links to the region's darker side, to investigate why Jack visited that night and what happened after he left.
S8 · E3 · 1 Jun 2026 · 32 min

03 What Became of Jack? | The dark side

Rob retraces Jack's final hours via CCTV footage and meeting people who saw him in his last days. He also learns about another item found in Jack's wallet that reveals a different side to what went on that night. And finally, ABC journalist Rob Burgin gets a call through to the last known person to see Jack alive, and he agrees to speak publicly for the first time.
S8 · E2 · 25 May 2026 · 35 min

02 What Became of Jack? | The breakup

The day he vanished, Jack moved his stuff out of Carlee's place. They'd just broken up. Carlee hasn't spoken publicly about what led up to that day or why she called police twice in the days before Jack disappeared — until now. She thinks Jack's disappearance is suspicious, but tells ABC journalist Rob Burgin how speculation, rumours and aggression have flooded the vacuum of information around what happened to Jack.
S8 · E1 · 25 May 2026 · 35 min

01 What Became of Jack? | Vanished

When Jack's mate turns around, he's just… gone. Vanished. His mate says that's how fit 27-year-old Jack McLennan disappeared from a bush picnic spot 3 hours from Brisbane. But when searchers discover a trail of baffling clues, suspicions begin to deepen among friends and family. They start questioning what this is — it doesn't seem like the average missing person's case to them. Could it be murder? Is it someone who's just gone missing? ABC journalist Rob Burgin picks up the case, determined to find out what became of Jack.
S8 · 11 May 2026 · 2 min

INTRODUCING — What Became of Jack?

When a fit young man disappears from a picnic spot, leaving a trail of strange clues behind him, a community begins to suspect the worst. The belongings he leaves behind are discarded in a way that seems nonsensical, and to some, even sinister. Is he missing, has he left town or has there been a crime? Concern turns to suspicion and online speculation as weeks turn into months, with no sign of Jack. Now, ABC journalist Rob Burgin investigates what became of Jack, tracing the fragments of that night through a web of small Queensland towns, where everyone knows everyone, everyone knows…
S7 · E8 · 22 Oct 2025 · 58 min

08 Blood On The Tracks | Finally, a new inquest

It's 2025, and the NSW Deputy Coroner is holding a fresh inquest into the death of Gomeroi teenager Mark Haines, who was found dead on the train tracks back in 1988. As the inquest hearings spiral over a year a half, new witnesses appear with explosive allegations and police make surprising admissions. Allan heads to Tamworth and dives back into a story that's gripped him for over a decade. Will he finally find the answers to this mystery he's been looking for? Blood on the Tracks is the first ever series we made for Unravel, back in 2018. It is intended to be listened to as a whole, so we…
S7 · E7 · 22 Oct 2025 · 32 min

07 Blood On The Tracks | Face To Face

Years of investigation have led to this moment … a major breakthrough in the case, a potential answer to thirty years of mystery and pain for the Haines family. An alleged confession has revealed who might have placed Mark's body on the train tracks on that summer night in 1988. Now it's time to put the question to him — did he have anything to do with Mark's death? Will Allan Clarke finally have some answers for Uncle Duck? Blood on the Tracks is the first ever series we made for Unravel, back in 2018. But we're re-releasing it now with a new episode because the NSW Deputy State Coroner is…
S7 · E6 · 22 Oct 2025 · 24 min

06 Blood On The Tracks | Revelation

Allan and the team shift their focus to Tamworth and the truth starts to emerge from a fog of rumours. As Allan builds on the case, he discovers the police aren't far behind. An eyewitness comes forward. Key witnesses are confronted for the first time. An alleged confession emerges which takes the investigation in a completely new direction. If it turns out to be true, this new lead could help finally solve the 30-year-old mystery. Blood on the Tracks is the first ever series we made for Unravel, back in 2018. But we're re-releasing it now with a new episode because the NSW Deputy State…
S7 · E5 · 22 Oct 2025 · 32 min

05 Blood On The Tracks | The Driver

More than two decades have passed since the coronial inquest into Mark Haines' death. The family have been forgotten about — until news reporter Allan Clarke arrives in Tamworth on a routine story and becomes convinced this is a major injustice. Allan's reporting unearths fresh information. A mother comes forward with a story about her son's involvement. Police aren't quick to follow up. But, after a flurry of protests and phone calls … the case finally starts to gain traction. Blood on the Tracks is the first ever series we made for Unravel, back in 2018. But we're re-releasing it now with…
S7 · E4 · 22 Oct 2025 · 32 min

04 Blood On The Tracks | Whitewash

Nine months after Mark's death, an inquest is held. The family are hopeful it will give them answers, but the police won't budge from their theory that he put himself on the tracks. As the hearing unfolds, the family find out just how mediocre the initial investigation was. One person is in the family's corner though. The railway worker who found Mark on the tracks is adamant the police and the forensic pathologist have it wrong. He's remained silent for the last thirty years but finally comes forward to set the record straight. Blood on the Tracks is the first ever series we made for…
S7 · E3 · 22 Oct 2025 · 28 min

03 Blood On The Tracks | The Boxer

On the surface, Tamworth in 1988 is a typical Aussie town with rodeos, farmers and an active Country Women's Association. But beneath the friendly veneer, there's a thriving criminal underbelly. Large marijuana crops grow on the outskirts of town and there are reports of bikie gangs with links to corrupt cops on the take. The police investigation into Mark's death has stalled, allowing gossip and innuendo to take hold. The family know Mark occasionally smoked marijuana, but now they're hearing whispers that he might've got on the wrong side of some serious criminals. The family decide to…
S7 · E2 · 22 Oct 2025 · 30 min

02 Blood On The Tracks | Foul Play

When Mark Haines dies, news of the teenager's death spreads quickly through Tamworth and beyond. His family are on summer holidays in different parts of the state and rush home to be together in grief. While the family mourns and Mark's body is in the morgue, their town is in full party mode. The Tamworth Country Music Festival is on and Australia is celebrating 200 years of colonisation. For Mark's uncles, it feels like the death of a young Aboriginal boy is the last thing on anyone's mind. The police come up with a theory that Mark might've killed himself … but the family aren't buying it.…
S7 · E1 · 22 Oct 2025 · 29 min

01 Blood On The Tracks | Blood On The Tracks

Just outside Australia's country music capital, a young man's body is found on the train tracks, surrounded by shattered Christmas presents and discarded wrapping paper. For decades, the mystery has haunted Tamworth. After Unravel's first season Blood on the Tracks brought national attention to the case and won a Walkley award, a new inquest was launched. Now, Muruwari and Gomeroi journalist Allan Clarke returns to where it all began for Unravel, revisiting Tamworth and uncovering what's happened since, as the long-awaited final chapter of the story unfolds, and major new revelations are…
S7 · 22 Oct 2025 · 4 min

REINTRODUCING: Blood On The Tracks (reprise)

Back in 2018, our first season Blood on the Tracks investigated the suspicious death of 17-year-old Mark Haines, whose body was found on the railway line outside Tamworth in January 1988. Since Allan Clarke first reported this story, there's been a fresh inquest, with new witnesses and explosive allegations. Dive back into Blood on the Tracks. We're republishing the original series plus a brand new episode, where we delve into the latest from the new inquest.
S6 · E8 · 21 Oct 2024 · 21 min

BONUS | Behind the scenes on Mr Big

Go behind the scenes of the podcast with reporter Alicia Bridges, who answers questions about how she investigated Mr Big. Asking the hard questions is Rachael Brown, the host of the ABC's first true crime podcast, Trace. They discuss some of the challenges and dilemmas around reporting on the story, how Alicia came across the case, and some of the things that didn't make it in to the podcast.
S6 · E7 · 7 Oct 2024 · 45 min

07 Mr Big | Through the looking glass

As Alicia Bridges investigates the beginnings of an epic deception, she finds it spans across continents. At the heart of the deception is an upside-down world of gang crime, and a series of dilemmas. What secrets should stay secret? How far would you go to catch a killer? One man is in jail, convicted for murder. But are there other people behind bars who might be innocent, here or overseas? In Canada, a secret recording captures another man admitting to murder, and the same story begins again, but this time with a different ending. In this case, Andy Rose is under suspicion for the murder…

About Unravel

Lies in Lismore - the latest season of Unravel, the ABC’s award-winning investigative true crime podcast series. German backpacker Simone Strobel was on a dream trip to Australia in 2005 when she disappeared from a caravan park in Lismore. Six days later her body was found covered by palm fronds. Ever since that night, questions have followed her boyfriend, Tobias Suckfuell. He's always insisted he's innocent. Despite decades of sleuthing and undercover work, the police investigation has been tangled in lies, and no one has been convicted of Simone’s murder. Now there are new twists in the story. Has the truth been hiding in plain sight? Or did a killer escape without scrutiny? Acclaimed investigative journalist Richard Baker investigates who killed Simone Strobel. Previous series of Unravel cover various investigations into crimes and crime-related topics including solved and unsolved murder cases, missing persons, forensic analysis, gangland crimes, love scammers, con-artists, drugs, terrorism, neo-nazis, and miscarriages of justice — all investigated by some of Australia's best reporters and people who know the story best. In Season 8, ABC Journalist Rob Burgin investigates the disappearance of 27-year-old Queenslander Jack McLennan. Jack had been relaxing, drinking beers at a picnic spot, when his mate said he looked away, and when he looked back, Jack had vanished. Jack was fit and healthy, and even though he’d just been through a breakup, he seemed positive. But now,…

Unravel is a English true crime podcast from ABC Australia. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: ABC Australia
Language: English
Category: True Crime
New episodes: Several times a day
Typical length: 32 min
Latest episode: 23 Sep 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1386640017
Website: abc.net.au/listen/programs/truecrime

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