True Crime Tonight: The Cornell 7

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Warning, this is a True Crime Segment and not suitable for children. It contains references to sexual violence and suicide, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you are not alone. Contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or visit lifeline.org.au for 24 hour support.

Matthew Tankard (0:23)

Stand off with police.

Meshel Laurie (0:24)

Wanted fugitive.

John Herbert (0:25)

Stab 19 times.

SPEAKER_3 (0:27)

The suspect lured the victim into the water.

Meshel Laurie (0:30)

Today is a major win to show what the system can do.

SPEAKER_3 (0:34)

This is True Crime Tonight.

Meshel Laurie (0:37)

Hello there. Hello. Happy Sunday night. I'm up and about, aren't I? You are up and about. It's spring.

Matthew Tankard (0:43)

You've been to the Melbourne show?

Meshel Laurie (0:44)

I have not been to the Melbourne show. And normally I do go because I love the petting zoo so much. One of my favourite things in the world. That and Lima Island at Melbourne Zoo. But it's spring, spring vibes. I'm always up and about.

Ruby Bartzis (0:56)

Yeah, it's so much more motivating.

Meshel Laurie (0:57)

It is, right? And daylight savings kicking in this weekend, is it? Has it kicked in already? I don't even know. But I know that that's annoying for a lot of people. You know, I grew up in Queensland. So, yeah.

Matthew Tankard (1:08)

I love it. I love it too.

Meshel Laurie (1:10)

I'm whispering that because Queenslanders hate it.

Matthew Tankard (1:12)

Why do Queenslanders hate it?

Meshel Laurie (1:14)

Fades your curtains, confuses your cows. I can't remember exactly, but I know that for a lot of people, you know, it's a complex issue. But look, I'll tell you what, you want to talk complex issues.

True Crime. And that's what we're all about for the next hour, six till seven, every Sunday night around the country. True Crime, we've got a recommendation for you. We've got a True Crime Hotline message. I love those so much when you guys send us messages and you've sent us on a couple of errands already, got some homework from those in the past couple of weeks that we're working on. And also tonight, we're going to hear about a book called Crossroads by a man called John Herbert, colourful character.

Ruby Bartzis (1:55)

Yes.

Meshel Laurie (1:56)

Now, I'm sure True Crime fans know what I mean by colourful character.

Matthew Tankard (2:00)

It could mean a lot of things. Well, it just does a bit of this and that.

Meshel Laurie (2:05)

Bit of this and that, bits and pieces, bibs and bobs, round the traps, and lovely fella. And he's going to talk to us about some other colourful characters he's met, round the traps, bits and pieces, bibs and bobs. But coming up next, very, very next, it's my favourite thing. It is the True Crime Hotline. You're listening to True Crime Tonight around Australia.

Around Australia, this is True Crime Tonight. Hello, if you've just joined us, if you're running a bit late, don't stress, mate, you haven't missed anything. I'm Meshel Laurie. I'm here with our producers, Matthew Tankard and Ruby Bartzis. Hi. We have an interview coming up with a colourful character, I'm calling him, called John Herbert, who has a lot of mates who are colourful characters and he's written a book about them. But it's time for a message from one of our listeners, which I love. This is the True Crime Hotline, right?

Matthew Tankard (2:49)

This is the True Crime Hotline. Please leave us a message if you'd like. You can find the link in any episode of Australian True Crime, the podcast, or on our social media. Let's listen to Gwyneth.

SPEAKER_3 (2:58)

Hello, my name is Gwyneth Owen, and I have just finished listening to your podcast about the House of Horrors, Katanning. And it's made me feel really, really sad.

I was a school student at a private girl school in Katanning called Kubilia. I was there in 1975 and 1976, and I feel a real sadness about the fact that this was happening to these young men at the same time as me, when they were the same age as me. There was nothing like this at Kubilia. We had a very safe and very monitored existence there, but these boys were not as lucky. And I feel really sad because maybe if I had known and I wasn't just a young girl, I could have done something to help them.

Meshel Laurie (3:52)

Oh, Gwyneth. So, you're making me think of something that I have to say to people oftentimes, which is that there's only one perpetrator here.

SPEAKER_3 (4:01)

Yeah.

Meshel Laurie (4:01)