The Case Of

Porepunkah police shooting: The final moments

Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart were killed by Dezi Freeman in August 2025. Now, the Victorian state coroner has shared new details about their final moments.  Wodonga reporter Ashlee Aldridge was one of the first reporters on the ground in Porepunkah when the officers were killed. She pieces together the events based on the coroner’s information and her own recollection of that day.  PLUS: We’ve got the latest on Erin Patterson’s appeal against her three murder convictions, likely to be heard later this year. More detail is available in our episode Mushroom Lunch: Erin Patterson’s appeal explained. [https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/the-case-of/mushroom-lunch-erin-pattersons-appeal-explained/105984404]  If you have any questions you’d like Ashlee and Stocky to answer in future episodes, please email thecaseof@abc.net.au [thecaseof@abc.net.au].    The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.  The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.

Dezi Freeman: How the fugitive was killed

Dezi Freeman - wanted for the murder of two police officers - was shot and killed in March this year. More details of that day have now been revealed in the Coroner’s court.  Wodonga reporter Ashlee Aldridge knows the area well, and reveals for the first time the police’s version of events presented to the inquest into the fugitive’s death.  If you have any questions you’d like Ashlee and Stocky to answer in future episodes, please email thecaseof@abc.net.au [thecaseof@abc.net.au].    The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.

What is going on with Samantha Murphy’s case?

We’ve been getting a lot of emails asking if we’re going to cover the case Samantha Murphy, the Ballarat jogger who went missing on the morning of February 4, 2024.  Ballarat reporter Laura Mayers joins the pod to explain the story up to here, and where the proceedings stand. We also let you in on a few other big cases we have on our radar, heading to court later in the year.  If you have any questions, you’d like Laura and Stocky to answer in future episodes, please email thecaseof@abc.net.au [thecaseof@abc.net.au].    The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.

16 The Two Intruders | A second sting and a cancer diagnosis

A defendant's cancer diagnosis can now be revealed, along with details of a second police sting that helped link one of the intruders to the crime scene. Reporter Elizabteth Byrne explains how she campaigned the court to release more information about the two intruders, including previously suppressed stories of knuckle dusters, cable ties and a truckload of stolen cigarettes. Liz and James Vyver return to the pod to talk through the revelations. If you have any questions for Liz, James or Stocky you'd like answered in future episodes, please email thecaseof@abc.net.au [thecaseof@abc.net.au]. The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.

03 Maree Crabtree | What did the note mean?

A strange note found in Jonathan Crabtree's rubbish bin was one of the final pieces of evidence the jury saw. ABC Brisbane court reporter Talissa Siganto reveals what it said, and the role it may have played in the jury finding Maree Crabtree not guilty of murdering her son. If you have any questions you'd like Talissa and Stocky to answer in future episodes, please email thecaseof@abc.net.au [thecaseof@abc.net.au]. The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.