Australian Murder

Australian Murder

Australian homicide meets Australian history as we put fresh eyes on old and cold murder cases, turning up new clues for chilling new conclusions.


From the Gold Rush and Gallipoli, to the Cold War and Swinging Seventies, we’re investigating some of our most monstrous and least-known murderers to find out what made them… who got what they deserved… and who got away with everything.


From Michael Adams, creator of the Forgotten Australia podcast and author of the true crime books Hanging Ned Kelly, The Murder Squad and They’ll Never Hold Me.


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Episode's summary

Soon after Paula married Peter K., she realised some of the truth about her new husband. He had huge debts. He was a heavy drinker and a compulsive gambler. He was relentlessly cruel to his children. Then Peter beat Paula for the first time. Worse was to follow. But Paula still didn't know the full extent of his monstrosity. **Please note: this miniseries chronicles violent acts. These include murder, rape, paedophilia and domestic violence. There are also sequences centring on suicide, mental illness, accidental child death, war-related trauma and drug and alcohol abuse. Listener discretion is strong advised. If you need help: If you're in immediate danger, please call 000. Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Call 13 11 14. 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800737732 https://1800respect.org.au/help-and-support For more Australian history, check out my other podcast: Forgotten Australia. My true crime books are: They’ll…

Episodes

7-

The Beast Must Die – An Axe To Grind

Soon after Paula married Peter K., she realised some of the truth about her new husband. He had huge debts. He was a heavy drinker and a compulsive gambler. He was relentlessly cruel to his children. Then Peter beat Paula for the first time. Worse was to follow. But Paula still didn't know the full extent of his monstrosity. **Please note: this miniseries chronicles violent acts. These include murder, rape, paedophilia and domestic violence. There are also sequences centring on suicide, mental illness, accidental child death, war-related trauma and drug and alcohol abuse. Listener discretion is strong advised. If you need help: If you're in immediate danger, please call 000. Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Call 13 11 14. 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800737732 https://1800respect.org.au/help-and-support For more Australian history, check out my other podcast: Forgotten Australia. My true crime books are: They’ll…

08 Nov 2026
6-

The Beast Must Die – The Madness In Him

As Peter K. rose to prominence in Canberra and wider Australia as ACT RSL branch secretary, he lured a young Sydney woman to be his new bride and mother to the children from his first marriage. Behind closed doors, he was more than just a liar and a cheat – he was a violent predator whose victims were those who should have been his nearest and dearest. **Please note: this miniseries chronicles violent acts. These include murder, rape, paedophilia and domestic violence. There are also sequences centring on suicide, mental illness, accidental child death, war-related trauma and drug and alcohol abuse. Listener discretion is strong advised. If you're in immediate danger, please call 000. If you need help: Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Call 13 11 14. 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800737732 https://1800respect.org.au/help-and-support Michael Adams' true crime books are: They’ll Never Hold Me:…

03 Nov 2026
5-

The Beast Must Die – The Wars After the War

Home from the Middle East, Peter would be bitter about the end of his marriage and military career. He'd start over in Canberra. But his rise to public respectability coincided with his first confirmed private brutality. **Please note: this miniseries chronicles violent acts. These include murder, rape, paedophilia and domestic violence. There are also sequences centring on suicide, mental illness, accidental child death, war-related trauma and drug and alcohol abuse. Listener discretion is strong advised. If you need help: If you're in immediate danger, please call 000. Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Call 13 11 14. 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800737732 https://1800respect.org.au/help-and-support For more Australian history, check out Forgotten Australia. Michael Adams' books: They’ll Never Hold Me: https://www.booktopia.com.au/they-ll-never-hold-me-michael-adams/book/9781923046474.html The Murder Squad:…

01 Nov 2026
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The Beast Must Die – Suffer the Children

In Canberra in the 1930s, Peter and his brothers were often in trouble with the law. But when WWII came, they'd all enlist. Some were to have horrific experiences that we don't usually read about in books or see on screen. **Please note: this miniseries chronicles violent acts. These include murder, rape, paedophilia and domestic violence. There are also sequences centring on suicide, mental illness, accidental child death, war-related trauma and drug and alcohol abuse. Listener discretion is strong advised. If you need help: If you're in immediate danger, please call 000. Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Call 13 11 14. 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800737732 https://1800respect.org.au/help-and-support Michael Adams' books are available at Booktopia and good bookstores: They’ll Never Hold Me: https://www.booktopia.com.au/they-ll-never-hold-me-michael-adams/book/9781923046474.html The Murder Squad:…

28 Oct 2026
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The Beast Must Die – The Making of Mr Hyde

Long before Peter K. was revealed as a dual personality, he was a young Scottish bloke trying to make his way in Australia during the Great Depression. In this episode, we hear how his family rose to meet these tough times, how he and his brothers started to go wrong, and the dark takeaways from Canberra’s first murder case. **Please note: this miniseries chronicles violent acts.** These include murder, rape, paedophilia and domestic violence. There are also sequences centring on suicide, mental illness, accidental child death, war-related trauma and drug and alcohol abuse. Listener discretion is strong advised. If you need help: If you're in immediate danger, please call 000. Lifeline: https://www.lifeline.org.au/ Call 13 11 14. 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. Call 1800737732 https://1800respect.org.au/help-and-support Those books are available here: They’ll Never Hold Me:…

25 Oct 2026