Hedley Thomas started his career as a copy boy at 17 and spent four decades chasing some of the world's biggest stories, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Hong Kong handover, before finding his most powerful tool yet: the podcast.

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with the award-winning investigative journalist and creator of The Teacher's Pet to explore how long-form audio storytelling has reshaped the fight for justice in cold cases and missing persons investigations.

From reporting on the Dawson case in a Brisbane newspaper library in 2001 to producing a podcast that helped send Chris Dawson to prison, Hedley explains how the freedom of podcasting allows him to go where traditional media can't, unpacking briefs of evidence, finding new witnesses, and keeping cases alive long after the system has moved on.

With more than a hundred million downloads and investigations that have driven real-world change, Hedley reflects on what keeps him going, why he believes the criminal justice system has failed victims, and why the missing still matter even when the guilty think they've gotten away with it.

 

Hedley Thomas started his career as a copy boy at 17 and spent four decades chasing some of the world's biggest stories, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Hong Kong handover, before finding his most powerful tool yet: the podcast.
In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with the award-winning investigative journalist and creator of The Teacher's Pet to explore how long-form audio storytelling has reshaped the fight for justice in cold cases and missing persons investigations.
From reporting on the Dawson case in a Brisbane newspaper library in 2001 to producing a podcast that helped send Chris Dawson to prison, Hedley explains how the freedom of podcasting allows him to go where traditional media can't, unpacking briefs of evidence, finding new witnesses, and keeping cases alive long after the system has moved on.
With more than a hundred million downloads and investigations that have driven real-world change, Hedley reflects on what keeps him going, why he believes the criminal justice system has failed victims, and why the missing still matter even when the guilty think they've gotten away with it.
&nbsp;

For more than 25 years, Sally Leydon has been waiting for answers about her missing mum, Marion Barter.

In Season 2, Sal steps beyond her own story to speak with other families enduring the same unthinkable reality—the ambiguous loss of a loved one who has vanished without explanation.

These are raw, intimate conversations about hope that refuses to die, grief that never finds closure, and the strength it takes to live in the in-between. 

If you know someone who is dealing with a missing person, and would like to share your story, contact Sally at info@themissingmatter.com

 

For more than 25 years, Sally Leydon has been waiting for answers about her missing mum, Marion Barter.
In Season 2, Sal steps beyond her own story to speak with other families enduring the same unthinkable reality&mdash;the ambiguous loss of a loved one who has vanished without explanation.
These are raw, intimate conversations about hope that refuses to die, grief that never finds closure, and the strength it takes to live in the in-between.&nbsp;
If you know someone who is dealing with a missing person, and would like to share your story, contact Sally at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:info@themissingmatter.com">info@themissingmatter.com</a>
&nbsp;

Just when you thought the story was over, the questions only deepen.  In The Missing Matter: The Next Chapter in the Search for Marion Barter, Sally Leydon and investigative partner Joni Condos team up to reopen the 1997 disappearance of award-winning teacher Marion Barter. Across a global retracing of Marion’s final steps, never-before-heard evidence and interviews with key insiders shed fresh light on cash-trail anomalies, legal briefs, and unanswered questions.

The Missing Matter

Just when you thought the story was over, the questions only deepen. 

In The Missing Matter: The Next Chapter in the Search for Marion Barter, Sally Leydon and investigative partner Joni Condos team up to reopen the 1997 disappearance of award-winning teacher Marion Barter. Across a global retracing of Marion’s final steps, never-before-heard evidence and interviews with key insiders shed fresh light on cash-trail anomalies, legal briefs, and unanswered questions. The ad-free first episode lands on Apple Podcasts on 12 May 2025, with the full series opening up to all listeners two weeks later.

Just when you thought the story was over, the questions only deepen.&nbsp;
In The Missing Matter: The Next Chapter in the Search for Marion Barter, Sally Leydon and investigative partner Joni Condos team up to reopen the 1997 disappearance of award-winning teacher Marion Barter. Across a global retracing of Marion&rsquo;s final steps, never-before-heard evidence and interviews with key insiders shed fresh light on cash-trail anomalies, legal briefs, and unanswered questions. The ad-free first episode lands on Apple Podcasts on 12 May 2025, with the full series opening up to all listeners two weeks later.

The Power of the Podcast with Hedley Thomas 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/93f3b34d-b3c7-444a-9ebd-b41a0030cbf1/transcript

In this deeply personal episode, Sally sits down with her daughter Ella to explore what it’s really like growing up in the shadow of a missing person. It’s a raw and honest conversation about family, identity, and the quiet impact of a story that never truly leaves you.

In this deeply personal episode, Sally sits down with her daughter Ella to explore what it&rsquo;s really like growing up in the shadow of a missing person. It&rsquo;s a raw and honest conversation about family, identity, and the quiet impact of a story that never truly leaves you.

The Daughter’s Side of the Story - Sally and Ella

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/22668254-0983-4343-b758-b413000edac3/transcript

Former police officer turned investigator Graeme Crowley has spent nearly fifty years chasing justice.

What began as a career in policing eventually evolved into something unexpected, true-crime podcast investigations that challenge official narratives and reopen forgotten cases.

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with Graeme to explore how podcasting has become a powerful tool for uncovering new evidence, questioning flawed investigations, and giving families answers when the system has failed them.

From missing persons to suspicious suicides and wrongful convictions, Graeme explains how pulling apart a brief of evidence can reveal cracks in the story prosecutors once relied on.

He shares how one podcast investigation helped push police to re-examine a suspicious death  ultimately leading to a murder arrest that may never have happened otherwise.

Together, Sally and Graeme discuss:


Why missing person cases often lose urgency within the system


The hidden problems inside coronial investigations


The emotional toll on families waiting decades for answers


How podcasts are changing the landscape of criminal investigations

For Graeme, this work isn’t a job — it’s a lifelong pursuit.

Because sometimes the search for truth doesn’t begin with police.

And sometimes the answers come from the people who refuse to stop asking questions.

Former police officer turned investigator Graeme Crowley has spent nearly fifty years chasing justice.
What began as a career in policing eventually evolved into something unexpected, true-crime podcast investigations that challenge official narratives and reopen forgotten cases.
In this episode of The Missing Matter, Sally sits down with Graeme to explore how podcasting has become a powerful tool for uncovering new evidence, questioning flawed investigations, and giving families answers when the system has failed them.
From missing persons to suspicious suicides and wrongful convictions, Graeme explains how pulling apart a brief of evidence can reveal cracks in the story prosecutors once relied on.
He shares how one podcast investigation helped push police to re-examine a suspicious death&nbsp; ultimately leading to a murder arrest that may never have happened otherwise.
Together, Sally and Graeme discuss:
<ul data-start="1509" data-end="1763">
<li data-section-id="1o0ja5v" data-start="1509" data-end="1574">
Why missing person cases often lose urgency within the system
</li>
<li data-section-id="lv0bmf" data-start="1575" data-end="1629">
The hidden problems inside coronial investigations
</li>
<li data-section-id="ugth8j" data-start="1630" data-end="1692">
The emotional toll on families waiting decades for answers
</li>
<li data-section-id="fzhn0f" data-start="1693" data-end="1763">
How podcasts are changing the landscape of criminal investigations
</li>
</ul>
For Graeme, this work isn&rsquo;t a job &mdash; it&rsquo;s a lifelong pursuit.
Because sometimes the search for truth doesn&rsquo;t begin with police.
And sometimes the answers come from the people who refuse to stop asking questions.

The Justice Tragic: Graeme Crowley’s Fight for the Forgotten

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/24649cb8-7ed7-41b6-a992-b40c004d3484/transcript

When 23-year-old Leisl Smith left home on the New South Wales Central Coast on August 19, 2012, she told her father she’d be back by five to feed her animals.

She never returned.

In this episode of The Missing Matter, Leisl's mother, Sandi Harvey, shares the story of the quirky, animal-loving young woman who preferred horses and swimming pools to crowded rooms—and the day her life changed forever.

What began as a routine meeting near Tuggerah Railway Station would become the start of a mystery that still haunts her family more than a decade later. Leisl was reported missing days after she vanished, and the investigation that followed would stretch across ten years, uncovering disturbing inconsistencies and ultimately leading police to charge the man they believed responsible.

With the verdict sealed by law and Leisl still missing, Sandi has been left navigating a grief without resolution. Yet her determination to speak, to push for change and to bring Leisl home has never wavered.

Because Leisl matters.

When 23-year-old Leisl Smith left home on the New South Wales Central Coast on August 19, 2012, she told her father she&rsquo;d be back by five to feed her animals.
She never returned.
In this episode of&nbsp;The Missing Matter, Leisl's mother, Sandi Harvey, shares the story of the quirky, animal-loving young woman who preferred horses and swimming pools to crowded rooms&mdash;and the day her life changed forever.
What began as a routine meeting near Tuggerah Railway Station would become the start of a mystery that still haunts her family more than a decade later. Leisl was reported missing days after she vanished, and the investigation that followed would stretch across ten years, uncovering disturbing inconsistencies and ultimately leading police to charge the man they believed responsible.
With the verdict sealed by law and Leisl still missing, Sandi has been left navigating a grief without resolution. Yet her determination to speak, to push for change and to bring Leisl home has never wavered.
Because Leisl matters.

Leisl Matters... 4,925 days missing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/6f1ac039-c503-4dbc-b9db-b405002eb3de/transcript

The Power of the Podcast with Hedley Thomas

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