Tahlia Isaac sat in a watch house, facing serious criminal charges, with no phone, no money, and a face beaten by her abusive partner. Her lawyer told her she was going to prison. So she set her life on fire.

After using drugs recreationally as a teenager, Tahlia quickly fell into a spiral of addiction, toxic relationships, drug dealing, and serious criminal charges. But that's only half the story.

In this episode of I Catch Killers, Tahlia challenges everything you think you know about who ends up in prison and why.

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Australia's war on tobacco has backfired spectacularly, and the consequences have become deadly. 

In this episode of I Catch Killers, former ABF and AFP detective Rohan Pike takes us deeper into the self-inflicted tobacco wars and its consequences - including the booming unregulated vape industry, with almost all vapes sold in Australia now illegal. Rohan also tells us about serving as an AFP officer in Islamabad in the aftermath of 9/11, his role in the high-profile Jihad Jack case, and leading Australia's first ever foreign bribery investigation.

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A decade ago, Australian Border Force Tobacco Strike Team leader Rohan Pike issued a stark warning: skyrocketing tobacco excises would unleash organised crime and fuel a dangerous illicit market. Today, his prediction has become reality - firebombings terrorise suburban streets, borders are breached daily, and innocent people are being murdered as a result of the multi-billion-dollar black market.

In this episode of I Catch Killers, Rohan takes us inside Australia's self-inflicted tobacco wars, revealing how violent crime syndicates smuggle millions of illicit tobacco products into the country every day, why current enforcement strategies are failing, and what it will take to stop this rapidly escalating crisis before more lives are lost.

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Tens and thousands of Australians are scammed out of millions every year. However, the exploitation doesn’t stop there - a shocking number of scammers are human trafficking victims, involuntarily held in prison-like compounds and violently punished if they don’t meet their targets. 

In part 2 of her chat on I Catch Killers, detective turned romance scam investigator Kylee Dennis reveals the red flags that indicate you're talking to a scammer, how scammers use psychological manipulation to create a perfect storm of emotional and financial devastation, and the connection between romance scams, organised crime, and transnational criminal networks. 

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On a quiet Sunday afternoon, former NSW Police detective Kylee Dennis got a call from her elderly mum - she’d met a man online. Within hours, Kylee had unravelled a web of lies and realised her mum was caught in a romance scam.

In this episode of I Catch Killers, Kylee lifts the lid on the murky, billion‑dollar world of romance scams - how they’re built, who they target, and the shame that keeps victims silent. She also shares her remarkable career in the NSW Police Force, from Marrickville general duties to undercover stings and high‑stakes hostage negotiations.

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How did Charles Manson convince multiple people to murder nine innocent victims?

In this episode of I Catch Killers, forensic psychologist Dr Jeff Smalldon recounts his dealings with Manson and the women devoted to him, and reveals how they tried to recruit him. Jeff also reveals what he's learnt about the mindset of murderers, the secret to gaining the trust of a serial killer, and the chilling three word message Ted Bundy sent him.

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Imagine opening your letterbox to a letter from Ted Bundy or a handmade Christmas card from John Wayne Gacy. Forensic psychologist, Dr Jeffrey Smalldon, doesn't have to imagine. He's communicated with some of the most notorious serial killers in American history.

In this episode, Gary and Jeff unpack Gacy’s charm and lures, how predators pass as “normal”, the double homicide that changed Jeff’s life, and what decades evaluating murderers reveal about psychopathy, empathy, and survival on death row.

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When his community started making their own weapons and scheming to kill cops, Brodie Finegan Forbes knew it was time to leave the sovereign citizen movement. Scared, alone, and homeless, he did the worst thing a sovcit can do - he went to the police. 

In part two of his chat with Gary, Brodie takes us inside his journey of escaping the sovereign citizen movement, and shares what he’s learnt since. 

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At 21, Brodie Finegan Forbes found himself in the centre of the sovereign citizen movement, which he calls a ‘decentralised, pseudo-legal cult’.

The combination of a troubled childhood, loss of his burgeoning music career, and societal and psychological pressures led him to 24-hour Zoom ‘echo chambers’ where he learned how to challenge authority, take on judges, and terrorise people with paperwork. He was part of a ‘chosen few’ who had figured out a ‘secret’. At least that's what he thought...

In this episode, Gary chats with Brodie about the lure of the sovereign citizen movement, how he ended up living in a remote Victorian compound, and the bizarre tactics used by the movement to manipulate the law and avoid accountability.

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In Part 2 of Gary’s discussion with former detective Dr Vince Hurley and reformed prisoner Claude Robinson on I Catch Killers, the unlikely duo pull back the curtain on a justice system that is failing victim survivors, perpetrators, and the public alike. They argue that the current approach to tackling domestic violence is little more than a "ten-billion-dollar business" that prioritises prison beds over prevention. However, they may have a solution. 

This episode contains descriptions of men’s violence against women. If you or anyone you know needs support or information, contact 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732. 

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Is the ‘tough on crime approach’ working to keep people safe? 

In this episode of I Catch Killers, Gary is joined by two men from opposite sides of the law who have arrived at the same radical conclusion - the justice system is broken for everyone.

Dr Vince Hurley is a former Detective turned academic, and Claude Robinson is a former heroin addict and prisoner who now runs Rainbow Lodge, a residential center helping high-risk men transition from prison back into society. Together, they challenge everything we think we know about the justice system. 

This episode contains descriptions of men’s violence against women. If you or anyone you know needs support or information, contact 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732. 

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