Episodes
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.
Published 10/21/24
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...
Published 10/07/24
A knife is found near a drain, but is it the one police looking for? A man is put on trial, and the court hears the evidence against him. But as each side mounts their case, which piece of evidence will really matter when the time comes for the jury to decide?
Published 10/07/24
A life filled with diamond deals, drug money, bribes and corruption is strange enough. But the truth is even stranger. Deeper forces are at work, with a bigger purpose. Mr Big's web of secrets is revealed.
As Alicia digs further into what happened in this case, the ingenious techniques of the gang are laid bare, and a series of strange scenarios begins to make sense as part of a larger picture.
Published 10/07/24
Mr Big, the mysterious head of a criminal gang, calls a meeting at Crown Towers Casino and demands to know everything about the murder of Mary Cook. For hours, two men talk. Lies are told, and a confession emerges. But how do you tell the truth from the lies? And who is Mr Big?
Published 10/07/24
If you're under investigation, the last thing you should do is commit more crimes. But this suspect is on a slippery slope. Small jobs become bigger jobs. Fake diamonds, huge sums of cash, and guns pass hands. A network of corrupt cops, government and court officials and shady underworld figures seem to form a gang with far-reaching tentacles.
Published 10/07/24
Everyone says one man in the neighbourhood, Terry Britton, is dangerous. But could there be someone else who wished Mary harm? Terry has a temper and a history of violence. He threatened Mary Cook and her kids. Then Mary was murdered, and her house was set alight. But police are also looking into someone else: a much quieter man with no serious criminal record.
When detective Ron Iddles interviews the other suspect, Glenn Weaven, things get tense.
Published 10/07/24
A killer is caught on tape talking about a murder with a mysterious crime boss. Earlier, on a summer's night in suburban Melbourne, a mother of three is stabbed, and her house is set on fire. Firefighters race to the house, but the blaze is too intense. Police begin their investigation close to the home of the victim, Mary Cook.
Journalist Alicia Bridges looks into the case. She will spend years trying to work out what the tape really means, and finding out about the crime boss on it, Mr Big.
Published 10/07/24
On a secretly recorded tape, a confident-sounding man boasts of his influence with corrupt police. He sounds like a crime boss, or some kind of underworld Mr Big. He says he can help make problems with the law go away. But first, he wants the truth about a murder.
But who is Mr Big? Alicia Bridges investigates.
Mr Big is the latest season of Unravel, the ABC's award-winning true crime podcast.
Published 09/23/24
While you're waiting for the next season of Unravel, why not check out this new podcast from the CBC. Every week, Crime Story brings you an in-depth conversation with a storyteller who has lived and breathed a tale of true crime. Go inside some of the most riveting and complex crimes in recent memory. More episodes of Crime Story are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/ZEuv51dF
Published 11/28/23
While you're waiting for the next season of Unravel, why not check out this new podcast from the BBC.
An aspiring male model hopes a meeting with Abercrombie and Fitch's former CEO could be a career break. But it's far from a dream opportunity — revealing fashion's dark side. This is World of Secrets: Season 1 — The Abercrombie Guys, an investigation from BBC 5 Live and Panorama.
Published 10/25/23
Go behind the scenes of the podcast with co-reporters Crispian and Alex as they describe how they made this season of Unravel True Crime.
Published 10/09/23
Crispian and Alex find troubling signs among current-day extremist groups. Meanwhile, in this episode of Unravel True Crime the restaurant kids discuss how they processed what happened to their families.
Published 09/25/23
Crispian and Alex hit the road to track down the gang's leader, Jack Van Tongeren. It turns out that Jack's past contains some big surprises. Meanwhile, in this episode of Unravel True Crime a former member of the gang reveals its secrets.
Published 09/18/23
A decade later, the gang reemerges. In this episode of Unravel True Crime, Crispian and Alex come face to face with a former follower of the gang at a men's health and yoga retreat, sparking a bizarre and emotional reckoning.
More Information
Host and co-reporter: Crispian Chan
Co-reporter: Alex Mann
Producer and researcher: Dunja Karagic
Research and fact checking: Johnny Lieu
Rollout producer: Amelia Mertha
Theme and music composition: Martin Peralta
Sound design and additional music:...
Published 09/11/23
A risky undercover operation strikes at the heart of the firebombing gang. But in this episode of Unravel True Crime, hatred reverberates around the city, and lives are lost.
(Audio of Russell Willey courtesy of Anthony Buckley AM, from the film ‘Nazi Supergrass’)
Published 09/04/23
As police struggle to keep up with a wave of terrorism, unlikely defenders emerge to confront the city's gangs.
In this episode of Unravel True Crime, activists are badly beaten, and the neo-Nazi gang is starting to push its luck, but the police still can't nail anyone over the restaurant firebombings.
Published 08/28/23
The city has been blanketed in threatening posters. The list of suspects narrows as the fire bombers' potential motivations become clearer.
In this episode of Unravel True Crime, Police become suspicious of a hardened and fanatical group of neo-Nazi activists, who are thumbing their nose at law enforcement and threatening Asian communities in Perth.
Published 08/21/23
Chinese restaurants are being firebombed in the dead of night. As the attacks spread, police scramble to work out what is happening in the city.
In this episode of Firebomb, host Crispian Chan sets out to investigate the events surrounding the fire that destroyed his family's restaurant.
Published 08/14/23
Chinese restaurants are being firebombed in the dead of night. The police arson squad is racing against the clock to stop the next attack. Along the way, there are buried weapons, secret informers, punks, ninjas, and political manoeuvres.
As the rest of Australia celebrates the nation's bicentenary, a campaign of terror is getting underway in Perth. Now, in this deeply personal season of Unravel True Crime, Crispian Chan will investigate what really happened after his family's restaurant...
Published 07/31/23
Unravel presents the new BBC Studios series, Believe in Magic. This series tells the story of 16-year-old Megan Bhari who set up a charity called Believe in Magic, which gained the backing of global celebrities One Direction. The charity granted wishes to seriously ill children.
But when her supporters were told that Megan herself had a brain tumour, and needed money for treatments abroad, a small group of parents doubted the claims. Further investigations led by Jamie Bartlett (The Missing...
Published 06/22/23
Australia's biggest-ever environmental battle was over a wild river in a remote part of Tasmania: the Franklin. Protesters flooded in from all over Australia to stop the Franklin River from being dammed for hydropower.
They stood in front of bulldozers and were jailed for it. But for lots of locals, the dam represented a job opportunity at a time of economic crisis. This fight tore apart communities and captured the attention of the nation.
Today, more people are concerned about the planet...
Published 04/30/23