On the first day of her murder trial, the jury learned charges Erin Patterson tried to kill her estranged husband had been dropped. Patterson is standing trial accused of murdering three other family members and attempting to murder a fourth after serving a lunch of beef wellington containing deadly mushrooms. She’s pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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If you're looking for another podcast to dive into over the holidays, we recommend The Mushroom Trial: Say Grace.
This podcast follows the case of Erin Patterson, currently serving a life sentence for murdering three guests who attended a lunch at her property in the Latrobe Valley in 2023. Co-hosted by Nine reporter Penelope Liersch and The Age Crime & Justice Reporter Erin Pearson, this podcast takes you inside the trial and every update since.

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Weeks out from the third anniversary of the Wieambilla shootings, the State Coroner hands down his report - finding the actions of the Trains on 12 December, 2022 was not a ‘terrorist act’. 

Some, but not all, of the key issues raised in the inquest are addressed in the Coroner's 10 recommendations - including drones for regional police, mandatory mental health checks for gun licences, intelligence sharing and training for triple 0 call operators.

The McCrow and Arnold families voice their disappointment at the findings and recommendations. They pledge to continue to channel their grief into bringing about systemic changes.

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A major update in Donald Day Jr’s case - the man originally accused of inciting the deadly police ambush has struck a surprise plea deal in the United States. Melissa Downes is joined by Arizona journalist Cody Lillich to unpack the legal twists, the FBI recordings and how Day walked away with a watered-down conviction.

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A year after the Wieambilla shootings, on the other side of the world, FBI agents swarmed a petrol station in a remote Arizona town, making a dramatic arrest and revealing the man behind the name “Don”. 

Donald Day Jr. is now heading to trial on five federal charges and the evidence against him has been laid bare in new court documents; disturbing videos praising the Trains, online comments boasting about being “an x-con, who’s armed to the teeth”, and the cache of guns found at his home. 

In this episode, U.S Correspondent Jonathan Kearsley breaks down the evidence and how rejected plea deals, and attempts to throw out the charges, have drawn out this case.

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Heartache and disappointment consumed the coronial inquest on its final day. The mothers of Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold deliver emotional statements, sharing the many “what ifs” that still haunt them from that day, and the critical questions that remain unanswered.

In this episode, new details come to light around radio blackspots, body worn cameras, the Arnold family’s agonising five-hour wait for answers, and Rachel McCrow’s final message. And as Internal Investigations hone in on opportunities for improvement, the families are demanding more be done; fighting for Matt and Rachel’s legacy to be one of change, so their sacrifice will protect others.

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Ominous final emails sent by Gareth Train never made it into the hands of Queensland police. 

Why were those four young constables sent to that property, into that ambush, without all the information? Would it have even made a difference?

This episode takes us back to the start, unravelling the missing persons report that set this whole series of tragic events in motion. 

More than a dozen New South Wales and Queensland police officers are called into the witness box; every conversation, phone call and email scrutinised.

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Was the Wieambilla attack an act of terrorism?

An expert in political and religious extremism dissects the evidence to address this question. He breaks down Gareth, Stacey & Nathaniel’s radicalisation into five phases, highlighting their dramatic shift through the pandemic along with the part Donald Day Jr played in the rapid escalation of the Train’s extremist religious beliefs.

The Coronial Inquest hears about prison letters, more Youtube videos and cryptic diary entries, and the actions the Train’s took to “bunker down” believing they were nearing their “time in battle”.

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Gareth, Stacey and Nathanial Train had descended into a world of paranoia and conspiracy, experiencing a shared psychotic disorder; Folie à troix, “madness of three”.

This is the assessment of one of Australia’s leading forensic psychiatrists who, after dissecting their upbringing, communications and relationships, has delivered a deep and comprehensive analysis of the Train’s mental state, concluding they were experiencing “identical persecutory and religious beliefs and delusions”. 

In this episode we hear how Gareth's diagnosis may stem all the way back to birth, how this delusional disorder evolved and how he was able to transfer his delusions to his wife and brother, as he revealed his 'Grand Opus' - ultimately leading them to believe the police were devils, and that they must fight to the death to reach religious salvation. 

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They’re some of the most highly trained police officers in Australia; and now, specialist operatives take us inside “the most dangerous operation” they’ve ever faced - Wieambilla in December 2022. 

The team leader recalls the extraordinary ‘volley of gunfire’ that shook their heavy, armoured vehicles. The SERT commander lays out their mission to ‘isolate, contain and arrest’, and their tactical approach, fearing the Trains would escape. Plus, the court releases new recordings of negotiation attempts, appeals to the Trains to end the situation without violence, that went unheeded... 

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Untold stories of bravery and courage emerge as the first responding officers step into the witness box, delivering confronting and emotional testimony. Before now, we didn’t know their names, or the extent of their selfless actions, to rescue Constable Keeley Brough, retrieve their fallen colleagues and protect the community. 

Losing daylight, with limited information and unreliable radio communications, they mapped out their plan on the bonnet of a car and volunteered to risk their lives, completing their mission just minutes before the Trains opened fire once again. 

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