Leslie Ball didn't just disappear, someone went to extraordinary lengths to erase him.
But a trail of forged signatures, fraud and burnt evidence couldn't keep this 33-year-old cold case buried forever.
In this episode Xanthe and Tim are joined by News.com.au investigative reporter Jo Townsend to untangle the mysterious 1993 disappearance of 71-year-old Leslie Ball. Townsend details her deep dive into her podcast Witness: Perfect Alibi, exposing how an ex-cop's web of fake documents and fabricated timelines obscured the reality of Ball's murder. 
Together, they explore the dark financial motives, the devastating emotional impact on Ball's daughter Le-Chelle and the haunting theory of where his remains may be hidden.  

Learn more about the investigation here at news.com.au
Or Listen to 'Witness: Perfect Alibi' on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Watch our full video episodes on YouTube

Leslie Ball didn't just disappear, someone went to extraordinary lengths to erase him. But a trail of forged signatures, fraud and burnt evidence couldn't keep this 33-year-old cold case buried forever. In this episode Xanthe and Tim are joined by <a href="https://www.news.com.au/topics/perfect-alibi">News.com.au</a>&nbsp;investigative reporter Jo Townsend to untangle the mysterious 1993 disappearance of 71-year-old Leslie Ball. Townsend details her deep dive into her podcast Witness: Perfect Alibi, exposing how an ex-cop's web of fake documents and fabricated timelines obscured the reality of Ball's murder. Together, they explore the dark financial motives, the devastating emotional impact on Ball's daughter Le-Chelle and the haunting theory of where his remains may be hidden.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Learn more about the investigation here at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news.com.au/topics/perfect-alibi">news.com.au</a> Or Listen to 'Witness: Perfect Alibi' on <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3CrSoHQi9Qel9rFlmkNzdc">Spotify</a> or <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/witness-perfect-alibi/id1754487264">Apple Podcasts</a>
<hr>
Watch our full video episodes on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CrimeCentralAustralia">YouTube</a>

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.

Motive &amp; 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.

Motive & Method

Motive & Method is an expert-led Australian true crime podcast. Join Dr Xanthe Weston 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.

Motive &amp; Method is an expert-led Australian true crime podcast. Join Dr Xanthe Weston and criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro as they unpack what really makes the offenders behind some of history&rsquo;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.

Forgery & Foul Play: Who Killed Les Ball?

Two unidentified bodies were found years apart and thousands of kilometres away from eachother- Then came the chilling discovery that they were a mother and her young daughter.
When the remains of a young woman were discovered in the notorious Belanglo State Forest, no one knew who she was. Her identity remained a mystery for five years, until the horrific discovery of a toddler's body on the side of a highway, and the heartbreaking truth they were mother and daughter. 
This episode, Xanthe takes us through why Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter Khandalyce were never reported missing - and how they were finally identified. 
Plus the depraved actions of the man who killed them - and his calculated deception designed to convince family and police they were still alive. 

Watch the full video episode on Youtube atCrime Central Australia HERE.

Two unidentified bodies were found years apart and thousands of kilometres away from eachother- Then came the chilling discovery that they were a mother and her young daughter. When the remains of a young woman were discovered in the notorious Belanglo State Forest, no one knew who she was. Her identity remained a mystery for five years, until the horrific discovery of a toddler's body on the side of a highway, and the heartbreaking truth they were mother and daughter.&nbsp; This episode, Xanthe takes us through why&nbsp;Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter Khandalyce were never reported missing - and how they were finally identified. Plus the depraved actions of the man who killed them - and his calculated deception designed to convince family and police they were still alive.&nbsp;
Watch the full video episode on Youtube at<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CrimeCentralAustralia"> Crime Central Australia HERE.</a>

The Murders Of Karlie & Khandalyce

For years, Christopher Flannery AKA 'Mr Rent-a-Kill' was the man Australian mobsters hired to make people disappear - until he became a target and vanished into thin air himself.
In 1985, after becoming a volatile liability who simply knew too much about corrupt police and syndicate bosses, the feared assassin vanished without a trace. 
In this episode, Tim and Xanthe sit down with former detective and author Duncan McNab to unravel Flannery's violent trajectory from a troubled youth in Melbourne to the high-stakes underworld of Sydney. Together, they examine the infamous hit on police officer Mick Drury, his shady links to notorious corrupt cop Roger Rogerson and the lingering theories behind Australia's most enduring underworld disappearance.

For years, Christopher Flannery AKA 'Mr Rent-a-Kill' was the man Australian mobsters hired to make people disappear - until he became a target and vanished into thin air himself. In 1985, after becoming a volatile liability who simply knew too much about corrupt police and syndicate bosses, the feared assassin vanished without a trace.&nbsp; In this episode, Tim and Xanthe sit down with former detective and author Duncan McNab to unravel Flannery's violent trajectory from a troubled youth in Melbourne to the high-stakes underworld of Sydney. Together, they examine the infamous hit on police officer Mick Drury, his shady links to notorious corrupt cop Roger Rogerson and the lingering theories behind Australia's most enduring underworld disappearance.

Mr Rent-A-Kill: The Underworld Hitman Who Disappeared

From unvetted science to coerced confessions, catastrophic failures in Australia's justice system have stolen decades from innocent people for crimes they didn't commit. 
In this episode Xanthe and Tim sit down with Walkley Award-winning investigative journalist Neil Mercer to discuss his new book, Falsely Convicted. Mercer details how the Australian criminal justice system has catastrophically failed innocent people through police misconduct, prosecutorial oversights and unvetted expert testimony.
Their conversation highlights heartbreaking real-world cases, including a former teacher jailed on biologically impossible abuse claims and a man who served 20 years for murder based on the testimony of an unqualified pathologist. They also examine the tragic case of Gene Gibson - a cognitively impaired Indigenous man coerced into a confession without an interpreter - underscoring the immense barriers vulnerable suspects face. 
Neil Mercer gives a sobering insight into the devastating personal toll of wrongful convictions and the extraordinary effort required to overturn them. 

For more information on ‘Falsely Convicted’ visit allenandunwin.com

Watch the full video episode on Youtube atCrime Central Australia HERE.

From unvetted science to coerced confessions, catastrophic failures in Australia's justice system have stolen decades from innocent people for crimes they didn't commit. In this episode Xanthe and Tim sit down with Walkley Award-winning investigative journalist Neil Mercer to discuss his new book,&nbsp;Falsely Convicted. Mercer details how the Australian criminal justice system has catastrophically failed innocent people through police misconduct, prosecutorial oversights and unvetted expert testimony. Their conversation highlights heartbreaking real-world cases, including a former teacher jailed on biologically impossible abuse claims and a man who served 20 years for murder based on the testimony of an unqualified pathologist. They also examine the tragic case of Gene Gibson - a cognitively impaired Indigenous man coerced into a confession without an interpreter - underscoring the immense barriers vulnerable suspects face. Neil Mercer gives a sobering insight into the devastating personal toll of wrongful convictions and the extraordinary effort required to overturn them.&nbsp;
For more information on &lsquo;Falsely Convicted&rsquo; visit <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Neil-Mercer-Falsely-Convicted-9781761472978">allenandunwin.com</a>
<hr>
Watch the full video episode on Youtube at<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CrimeCentralAustralia"> Crime Central Australia HERE.</a>

Forgery & Foul Play: Who Killed Les Ball?

In 1 playlist(s)

Motive & Method

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips