Motive & Method
Motive & Method
Motive & Method is an expert-led Australian true crime podcast. Join Dr Xanthe Mallett and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro as they unpack what really makes the offenders behind some of history’s most notorious cases tick, and also react and unpack crimes as they hit the headlines. You will also hear from victim survivors, investigators and advocates for change analysing motive, and method.Social links:
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HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Bizarre, Brazen & Baffling Cases of 2025
In this special holiday episode, Tim & Xanthe step away from the dark and disturbing and turn to some of the more unusual crime stories of the year - the bizarre, brazen and baffling! They’re putting each other to the test, in a series of games, to examine the stranger side of human behaviour.
31:09
REPLAY: Xanthe's 2025 Top Episode - The Horrors of Human Trafficking Networks
If you're a new listener or haven't heard this episode, this is Xanthe's 2025 "must listen" episode from February. While many think human trafficking it’s a distant issue, it’s happening closer than we realise - in neighborhoods, cities, and countries around the world, including Australia. In this…
34:46
BONDI TERROR ATTACK: A Forensic Perspective with Dr Nathan Brooks
In the wake of the deadly Bondi terror attack, Tim and Xanthe are joined by Forensic Psychologist Dr Nathan Brooks - a leading expert in ‘lone actor’ violence and mass casualty attacks. Together, they explore what we know so far and why grounding public understanding in verified facts matter. Dr Br…
27:50
Toyah Cordingley & The International Manhunt To Catch Her Killer
A young woman murdered, a suspect who vanished overseas and a seven-year pursuit of justice that spanned continents. This episode revisits the killing of 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley - murdered on a quiet Queensland beach in 2018 - and the extraordinary international effort to track down her killer…
52:34
A Poisonous Legacy: One Family, Two Killers
In 1920 Alexander Newland Lee murdered his wife and three of his children. His method? Poison. It would later be uncovered he was the nephew of infamous serial killer Martha Needle - AKA ‘The Richmond Poisoner’. Author Dr Samantha Battams - who has written on both cases - sits down with Tim & Xanth…
33:18
Murderous Medics: When Caretakers Become Killers
Around the world disturbing cases have emerged from behind the walls of hospitals and aged care homes of nurses and healthcare workers using their caregiving role as a cover for murder. This episode explores how these killers manipulate trust, vulnerability and medical authority to hide their crime…
27:24
Diagnosis On Trial: Are Innocent Parents Being Jailed?
Have innocent mums and dads been jailed for a crime they never committed? That’s the question at the crux of a major new investigation into Shaken Baby Syndrome. In this episode, investigative journalist and host of the podcast ‘Diagnosing Murder’, Michael Bachelard joins us to dissect the science,…
37:18
Behind The Scenes with Motive & Method
In this bonus episode, host Michael Bachelard sits down with criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro for an in-depth conversation on their podcast Motive&Method. Together, they share their expert insights and unpack the investigation behind Diagnosing Murder, expl…
35:48
The Toolbox Murders
It was a crime so merciless it shook even the most seasoned detectives and it all started with one photo. In January 2016, Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru were lured to a unit in south-east Queensland where they were tortured, locked inside a metal toolbox and dumped into a lagoon. In this episode…
22:02
A Perth Serial Killer & The Innocent Men Jailed For His Crimes
It took one determined journalist to uncover the shocking truth behind this Australian serial killer. In the 1960s, Perth was gripped by fear as a string of random murders and attacks left police and the public baffled - until the arrest of Eric Edgar Cooke, a seemingly ordinary family man hiding a…
31:53