Unravel True Crime: Snowball

In the final episode of the series, Keiran and Aunty Pip get together for a final debrief on what they've uncovered during their gruelling eight-month investigation. They have some surprising differences of opinion: one is adamant enough is enough and, for the other, this is just the beginning.

Keiran gets on a plane across the ditch to her old home, New Zealand, to track down one of the main suspects in Juanita Nielsen's suspected murder ... with unexpected outcomes. Back home, a new lead unearths someone who's never spoken before. The man was a young law student recruited by police to go undercover inside jail. He tells of a terrifying cat-and-mouse encounter that led to a detailed confession of murder. The sting also reveals a money trail involving crime boss Abe Saffron and an alleged attempt to influence the outcome of a court case. Both potentially game-changing revelations, the investigator claims, were ignored or buried by senior police.

Keiran's investigation moves towards one of the big unanswered questions: why wasn't Juanita's case solved at the time? What went wrong with the police investigation? Revelations about entrenched police corruption start to tumble out during the 1983 inquest into Juanita Neilson's disappearance. Young crime reporter Neil Mercer finds himself in the centre of the furore when it's revealed he has recordings of multiple interviews with Carousel Club manager Jim Anderson he's then forced to hand over. Mercer tells Keiran he got to know "Jimmy" as he calls him over a period of more than two decades. Anderson admits both he and his boss Abe Saffron used blackmail as a way of controlling and/or calling in favours from powerful people. Mercer believes senior police may have been compromised in this way and, as a result, deliberately undermined Juanita's case. Mercer's evidence also exposes details of the serious rift between the two partners in crime. The final bombshell ... we learn Anderson is a police informer who had a role in eventually bringing down Saffron on tax evasion charges.

In the weeks leading up to her disappearance, Juanita Neilson received strange phone calls with requests for her to meet to talk about advertising in her newspaper. She told her business partner something wasn't right about them. After some serious digging, Keiran tracks down a man who owns up to being the voice behind those calls. He has never spoken publicly about what he knows. Lloyd Marshall was one of three men charged over a plan to abduct Juanita, but later acquitted. He worked at the Carousel Club and divulges disturbing details of how the underworld operated in Kings Cross around that time. Lloyd thinks Juanita was conned into turning up to the venue that final day. He shares with Keiran his suspicions that his boss Jim Anderson was involved in Juanita's disappearance. 

In the weeks leading up to her disappearance, Juanita Nielsen received strange phone calls with requests for her to meet to talk about advertising in her newspaper. She told her business partner something wasn't right about them. After some serious digging, Keiran tracks down a man who owns up to being the voice behind those calls. He has never spoken publicly about what he knows. Lloyd Marshall was one of three men charged over a plan to abduct Juanita, but later acquitted. He worked at the Carousel Club and divulges disturbing details of how the underworld operated in Kings Cross around that time. Lloyd thinks Juanita was conned into turning up to the venue that final day. He shares with Keiran his suspicions that his boss Jim Anderson was involved in Juanita's disappearance. 

If Juanita was killed because she knew too much, what was she working on that put her in such danger? Keiran dives down the rabbit hole of years of whispered suggestions that crime boss Abe Saffron had kept dossiers for blackmailing prominent people. The lead was first uncovered by a journalist duo who received death threats and were so scared they left the country. The story's wild twists include talk of photos of illegal sex acts, a bank robbery, a famous media mogul, a crooked judge and walkie talkie conversations with a prisoner in jail. Was Juanita the person on the other end of the handset, in a car outside the jail? Did she gain information about secret dossiers and was she threatening to release them?

Keiran looks deeper into the details of what happened on Juanita's last day and the business meeting she had at The Carousel Club on July 4, 1975. Who are the people behind the club and what connection might there be with what is happening in Victoria Street? In her own unconventional way, Aunty Pip follows a lead on the receptionist at the club, regarded as the last person to see her cousin Juanita alive. Pip takes off in a shonky campervan to a country town for an interview with Loretta Crawford. Loretta hasn't spoken for twenty years and has new information to share about exactly who she believes might be behind Juanita's suspected murder.

When Juanita moved to Kings Cross in 1970 to run a local newspaper, she didn't realise the suburb was about to explode… and that her street would be at the centre of it. Keiran traces the response to multi-million dollar development plans and how protesters and residents groups clashed with hired thugs in a three-day street battle. She meets with a protest leader who tells the terrifying story of being thrown in the boot of a car and kept hostage for several days. Things ramp up further when the powerful union boss Jack Mundey steps in and imposes a series of green bans. An Aboriginal woman squatter loses her life in a suspicious fire.

At primary school, Keiran McGee did a talk about her activist aunt Juanita Nielsen telling the class she was murdered by the Kings Cross underground. Her classmates didn't clap. Decades later, Keiran is embarking on her own investigation to find answers for her family about Juanita's unsolved disappearance and get to know the aunt she never knew. Her first interview is Juanita's ex-boyfriend, who was one of the last people to see her alive.  Keiran, along with Aunty Pip, discovers a trove of documents that other family members have put aside, more than twenty boxes revealing numerous leads and fresh evidence from witnesses who've never been made public. 

Keiran's investigation moves towards one of the big unanswered questions: why wasn't Juanita's case solved at the time? What went wrong with the police investigation? Revelations about entrenched police corruption start to tumble out during the 1983 inquest into Juanita Neilson's disappearance. Young crime reporter Neil Mercer finds himself in the centre of the furore when it's revealed he has recordings of multiple interviews with Carousel Club manager Jim Anderson he's then forced to hand over. Mercer tells Keiran he got to know "Jimmy" as he calls him over a period of more than two decades. Anderson admits both he and his boss Abe Saffron used blackmail as a way of controlling and/or calling in favours from powerful people. Mercer believes senior police may have been compromised in this way and, as a result, deliberately undermined Juanita's case. Mercer's evidence also exposes details of the serious rift between the two partners in crime. The final bombshell ... we learn Anderson is a police informer who had a role in eventually bringing down Saffron on tax evasion charges.

In 1975, Australia was transfixed by the disappearance of Juanita Nielsen. Juanita was a journalist, fashion model, socialite and Sydney's most famous anti-gentrification activist. 46 years later, our new series looks into Juanita's suspected murder — who might have killed her and why? What made Juanita a target? Over seven episodes, Unravel: Juanita takes listeners on a wild ride into a world of crime and corruption, with interviews and explosive revelations from witnesses who've never spoken out before. The series has a unique insider perspective, investigated by Juanita's niece Keiran McGee with help from Pip Rey, Juanita's cousin. Episodes 1 and 2 drop on July 13, then weekly every Tuesday.

On Ladies, We Need To Talk, Host Yumi Stynes stumbles down the lady-business rabbit hole where no topic is too taboo. Whether that's breaking up, fetishes or pubic hair — Yumi is not afraid to go there.

Unravel Season 2 told the story of Trudie Adams. On a regular Saturday night in June 1978, 18-year-old Trudie leaves a party at Newport Surf Club just after midnight. Thumbing a ride on Barrenjoey Road, she is picked up… and never seen again. Reporting duo Ruby Jones and Neil Mercer looked at what might have happened to Trudie and they found a case that exposed a dark underbelly on the northern beaches of Sydney. The pair have now uncovered new evidence, which is featured in a book — Barrenjoey Road.

Good news: a new season of Unravel is in production for release later this year. In the meantime, we think you might enjoy this taste test of another fantastic new ABC storytelling podcast. Each week, Days Like These introduces you to one regular human as they live through something wild. In this episode, mesmerised by the hard-headed glamour of bikie culture, Mahmood Fazal, the son of Afghan refugees finds brotherhood in an outlaw motorcycle club. What happens when he wants out? Find Days Like These in the ABC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts. There are nine other equally great stories ready to binge.

Good news: a new season of Unravel is in production for release later this year. In the meantime, we think you might enjoy this taste test of another fantastic new ABC storytelling podcast. Each week, Days Like These introduces you to one regular human as they live through something wild. In this episode, mesmerised by the hard-headed glamour of bikie culture, Mahmood Fazal, the son of Afghan refugees finds brotherhood in an outlaw motorcycle club. What happens when he wants out? Find Days Like These in the ABC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts. There are nine other equally great stories ready to binge.

As a lawyer, Nicola Gobbo represented some of Australia’s most dangerous criminals, while covertly feeding the Melbourne underworld’s secrets back to police. When her secret life as an informer was exposed, she fled. The only reporter to interview her since she went into hiding is Rachael Brown. In the new season of Trace, Rachael, and her co-reporter Josie Taylor, tell the extraordinary story of Australia’s most controversial informer. Listen to this special preview of the new series.

Snowball host Ollie Wards has, for now, officially given up his pursuit of Lezlie Manukian, the Californian conwoman who married his brother and cleaned out the family finances. Instead, he has a recommendation for a new podcast series... a political thriller about the day that broke democracy in Australia. November 11, 1975... the day Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was sacked. It's called The Eleventh and comes via the core team behind Unravel True Crime. Follow this link to Episode One: http://bit.ly/2vCW2ak Or check out the show's website: https://abc.net.au/TheEleventh

After the confrontation in the supermarket carpark, Ollie is left feeling confused — has he been charmed just like everyone else in this story? Will Lezlie fail to keep her promises to Ollie or leave him and his family hanging?

After the confrontation in the supermarket carpark, Ollie is left feeling confused — has he been charmed just like everyone else in this story? Will Lezlie fail to keep her promises to Ollie or leave him and his family hanging?

Ollie and Simon have criss-crossed California to find themselves parked in a supermarket car park staking out where Lezlie supposedly works. They may only have one shot to talk to her and finally get some answers. It doesn't go the way Ollie imagined.

Ollie and his brother Simon follow the trail of broken dreams and failed restaurants to Paso Robles, California. It's apparent Lezlie's exploits didn't stop when she left New Zealand. Ollie discovers his former sister-in-law had manufactured an image of a successful restaurateur in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and New Zealand. Her exotic CV and exciting stories pull a new family into her web — with disastrous consequences.

Following the trail to Lezlie Manukian, Ollie and his other brother Simon end up in California. With a muscle car and loud Hawaiian shirts, the brothers look every bit like '80s TV detectives as they head off on their very first stakeout. But, when the trail runs cold, they decide to chase down a lead at Lezlie's first restaurant in the resort town of Lake Tahoe. Meanwhile, Lezlie's emails become stranger than fiction.

Lezlie Manukian's stories about her time in Hawaii usually ended with murderous local mobsters running her off the island. So, to track down his brother Greg's ex-wife, Ollie Wards needs to understand her past. What really happened according to "the coconut wireless"?

Ollie and Greg's dad, David Wards, picks through the clues left behind by Greg's American wife, Lezlie. He realises that the entire family may have been victims of an elaborate con job. David is obsessed with finding answers, launching his own investigations and even becoming a 60-something computer hacker.

When Ollie Wards' brother Greg marries his American dream girl in New Zealand and they go into business together, it seems like a perfect start to a new life. But only a few months later, Greg is heartbroken, the family home is gone — and so is Lezlie.

After the confrontation in the supermarket carpark, Ollie is left feeling confused — has he been charmed just like everyone else in this story? Will Lezlie fail to keep her promises to Ollie or leave him and his family hanging?

Ollie and Simon have criss-crossed California to find themselves parked in a supermarket car park staking out where Lezlie supposedly works. They may only have one shot to talk to her and finally get some answers. It doesn't go the way Ollie imagined.

Ollie and his brother Simon follow the trail of broken dreams and failed restaurants to Paso Robles, California. It's apparent Lezlie's exploits didn't stop when she left New Zealand. Ollie discovers his former sister-in-law had manufactured an image of a successful restaurateur in Hawaii, Lake Tahoe and New Zealand. Her exotic CV and exciting stories pull a new family into her web — with disastrous consequences.

Following the trail to Lezlie Manukian, Ollie and his other brother Simon end up in California. With a muscle car and loud Hawaiian shirts, the brothers look every bit like '80s TV detectives as they head off on their very first stakeout. But, when the trail runs cold, they decide to chase down a lead at Lezlie's first restaurant in the resort town of Lake Tahoe. Meanwhile, Lezlie's emails become stranger than fiction.

Lezlie Manukian's stories about her time in Hawaii usually ended with murderous local mobsters running her off the island. So, to track down his brother Greg's ex-wife, Ollie Wards needs to understand her past. What really happened according to "the coconut wireless"?

Ollie and Greg's dad, David Wards, picks through the clues left behind by Greg's American wife, Lezlie. He realises that the entire family may have been victims of an elaborate con job. David is obsessed with finding answers, launching his own investigations and even becoming a 60-something computer hacker.

When Ollie Wards' brother Greg marries his American dream girl in New Zealand and they go into business together, it seems like a perfect start to a new life. But only a few months later, Greg is heartbroken, the family home is gone — and so is Lezlie.

In 2006, Greg Wards was your average Kiwi backpacker on an overseas adventure in the UK, working hard, playing harder — and falling head-over-heels in love. After a whirlwind international romance, Greg married Lezlie Manukian in New Zealand. Their new life started out by setting up a small business north of Auckland. But a snowball had started to roll the day Greg met Lezlie Manukian. It wasn't long before this ball of chaos gathered pace and crushed Greg and his family. Ten years on, Greg's younger brother Ollie takes up the case begun by his amateur PI Dad and goes on the hunt. Across three continents and over seven episodes — with many twists, turns and WTF moments — Ollie goes on a mission to unravel a quirky and baffling love fraud. Who is Lezlie Manukian — and why did she con his family? Is this the first time this has happened? Can he track her down and finally get some answers? This series of Unravel is released on September 3.

In 2006, Greg Wards was your average Kiwi backpacker on an overseas adventure in the UK, working hard, playing harder — and falling head-over-heels in love. After a whirlwind international romance, Greg married Lezlie Manukian in New Zealand. Their new life started out by setting up a small business north of Auckland. But a snowball had started to roll the day Greg met Lezlie Manukian. It wasn't long before this ball of chaos gathered pace and crushed Greg and his family. Ten years on, Greg's younger brother Ollie takes up the case begun by his amateur PI Dad and goes on the hunt. Across three continents and over seven episodes — with many twists, turns and WTF moments — Ollie goes on a mission to unravel a quirky and baffling love fraud. Who is Lezlie Manukian — and why did she con his family? Is this the first time this has happened? Can he track her down and finally get some answers? This series of Unravel is released on September 3.

Host Gina McKeon interviews film-maker Helen Barrow about her coverage of Belinda Peisley’s inquest and the behind-the-scenes moments that we can’t hear in the audio. Helen’s one-hour tv documentary WHO KILLED BELINDA PEISLEY? is available on the streaming platform ABC iView. Download the app or visit the website: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/who-killed-belinda-peisley

Host Gina McKeon interviews film-maker Helen Barrow about her coverage of Belinda Peisley’s inquest and the behind-the-scenes moments that we can’t hear in the audio. Helen’s one-hour tv documentary WHO KILLED BELINDA PEISLEY? is available on the streaming platform ABC iView. Download the app or visit the website: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/who-killed-belinda-peisley

Some of the most explosive moments in Belinda Peisley’s inquest happen between lawyer Phil Strickland and the man we’re calling Luke. Luke admits to using heroin and to staying on Belinda’s floor from time to time, like a lot of their crowd in Katoomba at the time. He’s got a violent past and a long rap sheet, but denies being a standover man or ever demanding money from Belinda. In the coroner’s court, Luke is grilled about an alleged conversation he had in jail with a fellow prisoner who remembers Luke bragging about smashing Belinda’s head with a rock. Luke denies all these accusations.

Some of the most explosive moments in Belinda Peisley’s inquest happen between lawyer Phil Strickland and the man we’re calling Luke. Luke admits to using heroin and to staying on Belinda’s floor from time to time, like a lot of their crowd in Katoomba at the time. He’s got a violent past and a long rap sheet, but denies being a standover man or ever demanding money from Belinda. In the coroner’s court, Luke is grilled about an alleged conversation he had in jail with a fellow prisoner who remembers Luke bragging about smashing Belinda’s head with a rock. Luke denies all these accusations.

Jeremy Ward Douglas was going out with Belinda Peisley’s best friend, Heidi Wailes, at the time Belinda disappeared. The inquest into her death heard Jeremy had a reputation around town as a violent and controlling guy with a short temper who would hang around Belinda’s house, often against her wishes. Heidi says that, after Belinda disappeared, she remembers Jeremy behaving like he knew she wasn’t coming back. The court hears stories from others of Jeremy’s rage and that he allegedly had ideas about where Belinda’s body might be.

Jeremy Ward Douglas was going out with Belinda Peisley’s best friend, Heidi Wailes, at the time Belinda disappeared. The inquest into her death heard Jeremy had a reputation around town as a violent and controlling guy with a short temper who would hang around Belinda’s house, often against her wishes. Heidi says that, after Belinda disappeared, she remembers Jeremy behaving like he knew she wasn’t coming back. The court hears stories from others of Jeremy’s rage and that he allegedly had ideas about where Belinda’s body might be.

Heidi Wailes was close to Belinda and says she looked out for Belinda like an older sister would. But a break-in at Belinda’s house just days before she disappeared suggests Heidi might not have always been the friend she claimed to be. Many, including the coroner at Belinda’s inquest, believe Heidi may know more about what happened to Belinda than she is revealing. As pressure mounts in the courtroom, cracks begin to show. We also hear from another person in Belinda’s friendship circle, Wanda Loynds (aka "Storm") who admits to punching Belinda on the last day she was seen alive.

Heidi Wailes was close to Belinda and says she looked out for Belinda like an older sister would. But a break-in at Belinda’s house just days before she disappeared suggests Heidi might not have always been the friend she claimed to be. Many, including the coroner at Belinda’s inquest, believe Heidi may know more about what happened to Belinda than she is revealing. As pressure mounts in the courtroom, cracks begin to show. We also hear from another person in Belinda’s friendship circle, Wanda Loynds (aka "Storm") who admits to punching Belinda on the last day she was seen alive.

We go inside the courtroom at Belinda Peisley's inquest to hear firsthand the arguments, phone taps and witness testimony. Jason*, Belinda's boyfriend at the time, says he met up with her on the night she disappeared. They had an argument at her house and he left. It's the last time he ever saw her. Jason is from a footy family in the Mountains and his father John* wasn't impressed his son was going out with someone from the so-called 'junkie' crowd. Hear the inquest testimony from Jason and his father as they answer questions about Belinda's disappearance. *We've changed their names for legal reasons.

We go inside the courtroom at Belinda Peisley's inquest to hear firsthand the arguments, phone taps and witness testimony. Jason*, Belinda's boyfriend at the time, says he met up with her on the night she disappeared. They had an argument at her house and he left. It's the last time he ever saw her. Jason is from a footy family in the Mountains and his father John* wasn't impressed his son was going out with someone from the so-called 'junkie' crowd. Hear the inquest testimony from Jason and his father as they answer questions about Belinda's disappearance. *We've changed their names for legal reasons.

Belinda Peisley's life descended into chaos after her 18th birthday when she received a big inheritance and bought her own place in Katoomba. Her family hoped the house would set her up for life but, instead, her new address became a magnet for a world of drugs and crowd of people who’d turn up at all hours. Six months later, Belinda disappeared. In the months before she vanished, Belinda told her family she was scared — even that she wanted to change her identity and leave town — but they couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt her. Join reporter Gina McKeon as she travels to Katoomba to begin to understand what happened to Belinda Peisley.

Belinda Peisley's life descended into chaos after her 18th birthday when she received a big inheritance and bought her own place in Katoomba. Her family hoped the house would set her up for life but, instead, her new address became a magnet for a world of drugs and crowd of people who’d turn up at all hours. Six months later, Belinda disappeared. In the months before she vanished, Belinda told her family she was scared — even that she wanted to change her identity and leave town — but they couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt her. Join reporter Gina McKeon as she travels to Katoomba to begin to understand what happened to Belinda Peisley.

19-year-old Belinda Peisley vanished after she left a Blue Mountains hospital on September 26, 1998. The single mum-of-two disappeared within a year of inheriting a significant sum of money from a relative and buying a house in Katoomba. The first episode of Unravel Season 3 lands on February 5.

19-year-old Belinda Peisley vanished after she left a Blue Mountains hospital on September 26, 1998. The single mum-of-two disappeared within a year of inheriting a significant sum of money from a relative and buying a house in Katoomba. The first episode of Unravel Season 3 lands on February 5.

In the Season 2 finale, Ruby and Neil get the lead they have hoped for — a tip-off from an old law enforcement source about a potential burial site for Trudie Adams.

In the Season 2 finale, Ruby and Neil get the lead they have hoped for — a tip-off from an old law enforcement source about a potential burial site for Trudie Adams.

Investigating the link between a career criminal, Trudie ... and a corrupt cop.