Bad Apple: A True Crime Podcast

'The Family': Hallucinogenic hypnosis, fraudulent adoption, and starving children in Australia's largest cult.

Deep in the suburbs of south-east Melbourne, a young woman who believed herself to be the reincarnation of Christ, began to build a following based on New Age ideologies and practices. Anne Hamilton-Byrne quickly developed a following of adults who would worship her like a god, and do anything, including break the law, to help "The Family". The cult set up a network to facilitate the fraudulent adoption of children to create the next master race. These children were given heavy doses of sedatives and hallucinogens and had their food restricted as punishment for breaking the rules. It wasn't until one of them ran away that authorities became aware of the cult operating right under their noses.

Episode 46 - Missing or Murdered: The unsolved disappearance of Leisl Smith.

Episode 45 - Hospital Horrors: Jim Griffin, the Tasmanian nurse harbouring a dark secret.

Episode 44 - Joseph Thompson: New Zealand’s first serial rapist.

Episode 43 - “My Name is Cleo.”: The disappearance of Cleo Smith, and underrepresentation in reports of missing children.

Episode 42 - Trouble in Paradise: The disappearance of Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen.

Episode 41 - End of the Line: The unknown men killed on Australia’s railway lines.

Episode 40 - The Kahui Twins: How the mysterious deaths of two infants exposed New Zealand’s silent epidemic.

Episode 39 - The Perth Mint Swindle: How $3.7 million in gold simply vanished.