Forensic Investigators

Forensic Investigators: Australia's True Crimes
Company type	Television series
Industry	Television
Founded	2004
Fate	Ended
Headquarters	Australia
Products	Television program

Forensic Investigators: Australia's True Crimes is an Australian TV series presented by Lisa McCune that aired on the Seven Network over three seasons between 2004 and 2006.

This program highlights significant criminal cases from Australia, emphasizing the investigative and forensic methods applied to resolve them. It includes exclusive footage from courtrooms, police recordings, crime scene photographs, and authentic reenactments. DVDs have been released for Seasons 1 and 2. The third season was scheduled for Wednesdays at 8:30 pm.

Season 1 (2004)

Episode 1
In 1993, Paul Denyer, aged 21, was convicted of murdering three young women in Frankston. The resolution of the case relied heavily on forensic and investigative skills.
Episode 2
A morning jog leads to a shocking discovery, propelling detectives into investigating one of the most unusual murders in Australia.
Episode 3
The discovery of four shot victims in a suburb outside Canberra unveiled the identity of the perpetrator and exposed a secret concealed for three years.
Episode 4
Life-sentenced inmate Neddy Smith admitted to killing Harvey Jones. In March 1995, a skull found at Botany Beach corroborated his confession.
Episode 5
Following the brutal murder of a mother and her two children, investigators deliberated whether the crime was a robbery or something more malevolent.
Episode 6
In April 1999, Maya Jakic’s body was discovered near an abandoned police station in Adelaide, South Australia. Two years later, Japanese student Megumi Suzuki vanished; discarded school items near a railway bridge indicated foul play.

Season 2 (2005)

Episode 1
In December 1994, Andrew Astbury’s body was recovered from Melbourne’s Yarra River. A dependable 25-year-old from a respectable family, his murder was solved through meticulous detective work and forensic analysis.
Episode 2
Kathleen Marshall, president of Queensland Cat Protection Society, was fatally stabbed. Forensic experts utilized five minute bloodstains to distinguish truth from deception and identify the culprit.
Episode 3
The body of an unidentified young woman, referred to as Jane Doe, was found wrapped in plastic and remained unidentified for months. The investigation centered on revealing her identity and motive.
Episode 4
Twenty-two-year-old Amanda Carter’s body was located near the Derwent River in Tasmania. After thirteen years and advancements in forensic technology, her murderer was convicted.
Episode 5
Sydney’s northern suburbs were terrorized by the "Granny Killer," who murdered six elderly women over one year. This episode narrates how John Wayne Glover was ultimately apprehended.
Episode 6
Police officer Angela Taylor lost her life in the Russell Street car bombing outside Melbourne police headquarters. Investigators examined debris to identify those accountable.
Episode 7
The battered corpse of Darryl Lewis was found near an ambulance station, initiating one of Queensland’s lengthiest investigations.
Episode 8 (Part 1)
In 1998, Wollongong experienced widespread fear after shopkeeper David O'Hearn and Lord Mayor Frank Arkell were savagely murdered.
Episode 9 (Part 2)
Mark Valera received a life sentence for two murders in Wollongong. Concurrently, his father was killed; this investigation explored both motive and perpetrator.
Episode 10
Seventeen-year-old Gabriel Meyer from the US disappeared in Northern Queensland’s Innisfail. Initial concerns about crocodile attack eventually revealed a darker reality.
Episode 11
Samantha Bodsworth’s body was discovered in a carpark near her hometown of Gympie, close to Noosa. Forensic science uncovered an error made by the killer who believed he had committed the perfect crime.
Episode 12
Fifteen-year-old Janet Phillips vanished after attending a party in Brisbane’s Wynnum suburb in 1987. DNA evidence later cleared the primary suspect while a similar attack raised suspicions of a serial offender.
Episode 13
Danny John Wasley and Mark Andrew Banks disappeared in Newcastle in August 1999. Police investigations revealed drug-related motives leading to Kevin Paul Naismith’s conviction for their murders and burial at Stockton Beach.
Episode 14
Peter Astill went missing in August 1998; his decapitated remains were found inside a wheelie bin floating in a river near Sydney. Serial number tracing connected the bin to neighbor Bruce Patterson, who killed Astill using the victim’s own axe.
Episode 15
A tragic Easter holiday ended when a truck collided with a caravan on the Hume Freeway near Violet Town, resulting in the death of a twelve-year-old boy. With no license plate or leads, identifying the driver appeared unattainable.
Episode 16
When Angelo, manager of a caravan park in Millicent, South Australia, disappeared without trace, friends and family conducted extensive searches despite no sightings or clues emerging.

Season 3 (2006)

Episode 1 – The Valentine's Day Murders
Air Date: 9 August 2006

On Valentine's Day 1994, two women were discovered deceased in a Sydney massage parlour engulfed in flames. The owner suffered stab wounds while an employee was shot. The manager, who had received death threats, appeared to be the intended victim. Evidence recovered from the fire's aftermath revealed a decade-long series of murders.
Episode 2 – Till Death do us Part
Air Date: 16 August 2006

In a rural NSW town, Ross Brown found his wife Judith dead in June 2000. Authorities noted his intense anger but debated whether he was the perpetrator or mourning. Forensic examination of a stopped watch and blood-stained footprints, alongside physics-based analysis, exposed the motive behind her killing.
Episode 3 – Flemington Armed Robbery
Air Date: 23 August 2006

During daylight in January 2002, armed assailants targeted security personnel replenishing two Melbourne ATMs, absconding with $150,000. Investigators utilized forensic evidence such as green floral contact paper and orange rope to identify and apprehend the seasoned offenders.
Episode 4 – Turkish Consulate Bombing
Air Date: 30 August 2006

In November 1986, an explosion devastated Melbourne’s Turkish Consulate, killing the bomber and causing extensive destruction. Victorian police pieced together surviving clues—including fragments of the bomb vehicle and a wallet—to pinpoint suspects involved in Victoria’s inaugural terrorism trial.
Episode 5 – My Partner, My Killer
Air Date: 6 September 2006

On a luxury yacht near Stradbroke Island in April 1993, John Asquith was fatally shot; Patricia Byers claimed they were attacked by pirates. Investigators found Byers stood to inherit almost $300,000 from life insurance and connected her to the unexplained disappearance of a former partner, suggesting financial incentives.
Episode 6 – Who Killed Paul Snabel?
Air Date: 13 September 2006

Paul Snabel vanished in November 1989. Disassembled motorcycle parts surfaced in Melbourne waste sites, indicating criminal activity. Through forensic analysis, police unraveled a complex network of deception linking suspects to this disturbing case.
Episode 7 – Truong Kidnap and Murder
Air Date: 20 September 2006

In April 1996, Le Anh Tuan was abducted in Melbourne for a $400,000 ransom; his body was later discovered with gunshot wounds. Investigators connected a Hong Kong drug dealer with Australian collaborators using international forensic data, including identification via a distinctive Marlboro baseball cap promotion.
Episode 8 – Operation Sorbet
Air Date: 4 October 2006

Victoria police intercepted a $160 million heroin shipment aboard the Pong Su in April 2003. Covert operations combined with GPS surveillance led to the arrest of four individuals who received prison terms up to sixteen years for their involvement in drug trafficking.
Episode 9 – Catch Me If You Can
Air Date: 11 October 2006

A simple traffic stop escalated into a high-speed pursuit and gunfire incident in Sydney’s Chipping Norton. Linked to numerous robberies and shootings over several weeks, forensic findings and geographic profiling aided law enforcement in apprehending the desperate criminals responsible.
Episode 10 – Park Family Murders
Air Date: 18 October 2006

Following the disappearance of a mother and her two children in October 1996, speculation ranged from trafficking to suicide. Their remains were eventually found inside suitcases abandoned in NSW bushland. Forensic inquiry confirmed the actual motive tied to debts owed by the mother's gambling-addicted husband.
Episode 11 – The Sex Worker Murders
Air Date: 25 October 2006

In August 2002 near Brisbane’s Hendra police station, prostitute Jasmin Crathern was discovered stabbed; months later another sex worker suffered a similar fate. Detectives employed forensic shoe and tire impressions along with tracking a distinctive Mitsubishi Ute to determine if one or multiple perpetrators targeted Brisbane’s street sex workers.

Notorious Cases

Forensic Investigators has showcased some of the most infamous crimes and serial killers in Australian history, such as:

Paul Denyer: Known as the "Frankston Serial Killer," he was responsible for the deaths of three women in 1993.
Neddy Smith: A Sydney underworld figure involved in numerous gangland murders during the 1980s; convicted for two homicides.
John Wayne Glover: Dubbed the "Granny Killer," he murdered six elderly women in Mosman between 1989 and 1990.
Russell Street Bombing: A 1986 car bomb attack outside Melbourne police headquarters that claimed the life of police officer Angela Taylor.
Mark Valera: Perpetrated the murders of shopkeeper David O'Hearn and former Mayor Frank Arkell, linked to a complex family-related homicide case.
Mark Errin Rust: Responsible for killing Maya Javic near Adelaide in 1999 and Megumi Suzuki in 2001.
Richard Leonard: Committed several murders, including those of Stephen Dempsey in 1994 and a taxi driver alongside his girlfriend.
Allen Thompson: Killed the Milosevic family in 1984 and connected to earlier fatal car accidents.
Lloyd Clark Fletcher: A serial rapist and murderer active from 1977 to 1997 across Victoria and Queensland.
Pong Su Incident: Involved in smuggling heroin into Australia through an organized drug trafficking network.

Home Media

In Australia, seasons one and two were issued on DVD (region 4) in 2006, with season one also released for the US market (region 1). Uniquely, South Africa distributed season three on DVD in 2007.

The DVD versions include extended footage not seen on television broadcasts, featuring lengthier interviews with law enforcement officers, victims’ relatives, and even associates of the criminals, along with additional crime scene visuals.

DVD Releases

DVD Title	Format	Episodes	Discs	Region 1 (USA)	Region 2 (UK)	Region 4 (Australia)	Special Features	Distributor
Forensic Investigators Season 01	DVD	06	3	5 September 2006	N/A	8 May 2006	None	Destra Entertainment
Forensic Investigators Season 02	DVD	12	3	N/A	N/A	8 May 2006	None	Destra Entertainment
Forensic Investigators Season 03	DVD	11	4	N/A	South Africa (2007)	N/A	None

Online Streaming

All seasons of Forensic Investigators can be streamed on Amazon Prime, 7plus, and 10Play.

Title	Format	Number of Episodes	Release Date	Availability Status	Platforms
Forensic Investigators: Season 01	Streaming	Episodes 01–06	24 June 2019	Available now	7plus, 10Play, Amazon Prime
Forensic Investigators: Season 02	Streaming	Episodes 01–16	29 July 2019	Available now	7plus, 10Play, Amazon Prime
Forensic Investigators: Season 03	Streaming	Episodes 01–10	25 July 2019	Available now	7plus, 10Play, Amazon Prime

External links