September at Coffee & Crime AU: Four Cases, One Standout & What’s Coming in October
September at Coffee & Crime AU
Four cases. One clear listener favourite so far. And a month that left a mark.
September delved into some of the most disturbing cases in Australian true crime: a missing baby, a murder overshadowed by forensic blunders, betrayal within a marriage, and a bedroom killing that initially appeared to be a home invasion.
A note from me
September felt like one of those months. Some of these stories stayed in my head long after I’d stopped recording, especially when the case itself was only part of the story and the aftermath raised just as many questions. Thank you for listening so closely, for keeping the discussions respectful, and for giving me the space to tell these cases properly.
September at a glance
4 main cases
Shandee Blackburn remains the most-listened-to September episode so far
Megan Kalajzich is now live, with a new evidence breakdown published too
1 giveaway winner
A Frannkly unreasonable amount of coffee ☕
Keli Lane & Tegan Lane
THE BABY WHO VANISHED
September opened with one of Australia’s most debated cases. Tegan Lane disappeared after leaving hospital with her mother, Keli Lane, and decades later the case still provokes fierce discussion.
The companion episode, The Other Babies, went deeper into the pregnancies surrounding Tegan’s disappearance and the parts of the story that sit beyond the main episode.
Shandee Blackburn
★ SEPTEMBER’S MOST LISTENED-TO EPISODE SO FAR
Shandee Blackburn remains the September episode listeners have gone to the most so far.
Her murder became inseparable from the forensic failures exposed afterward, and from the people who refused to let those failures disappear into paperwork. The case is bigger than one night, and the aftermath became a story in its own right.
If you missed one episode this month, this is the place to start.
Maria Korp
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MARIA KORP
Maria Korp’s story took us behind the closed doors of a marriage already coming apart, into betrayal, violence and the difficult medical and legal decisions that followed.
The subscriber episode, The Other Woman, explored the relationship before the attack and Tania Herman’s role in the case, adding a second layer to a story already heavy with unanswered questions.
Megan Kalajzich
NOW LIVE — THE BEDROOM MURDER THAT LOOKED LIKE A HOME INVASION
Megan Kalajzich is now live.
What first appeared to be a terrifying home invasion became something far darker as investigators pulled apart the story, the relationships around the marriage and the evidence that would eventually reshape the case.
The evidence breakdown, Megan Kalajzich: The Evidence That Broke the Home-Invasion Story, is also now live on the website for anyone who wants to go deeper into how the case against Andrew Kalajzich took shape.
Coming Tuesday: Andrew Kalajzich — The Life He Built
The subscriber companion episode shifts the focus away from retelling Megan’s murder and digs into Andrew Kalajzich’s life, relationships and the world around him before and after the case. It’s built to stand beside the main episode rather than repeat it.
Go deeper into the case
The public episode is only the first layer.
Deeper Into the Case is where the story opens up: companion episodes, timelines, legal breakdowns, source material, case files and the pieces that simply won’t fit into the main episode. Early Access listeners also get the weekly main case before public release.
Coffee, community and a winner
A huge congratulations to Louisa Pestridge, winner of the Coffee & Crime AU × Frannkly Roasted giveaway.
Her prize includes 1kg of Frannkly Roasted coffee and a Coffee & Crime AU magic mug. Thank you to everyone who entered, tagged a mate and joined in. It was a small bright spot in a month full of very heavy stories.
October: five cases are waiting
October is now locked in, and it’s a very different mix of cases: disappearances, disputed evidence, family secrets and two of Australia’s most enduring mysteries. I’m keeping these teasers short so the episodes can do the storytelling.
Saturday 3 October — A disappearance that would become one of Sydney’s most haunting unsolved cases.
Saturday 10 October — An island mystery tangled in relationships, suspicion and unanswered questions.
Saturday 17 October — A case that has remained controversial for decades, with the evidence still fiercely debated.
Saturday 24 October — A case of violence, secrets and a family story that would end in tragedy.
Saturday 31 October — Two teenage girls, a summer afternoon, and one of Australia’s longest-running unsolved murder cases.
Early Access lands on Thursdays, the public episodes follow on Saturdays at 6:30am, and subscriber companion episodes continue on Tuesdays.
Marilyn Wallman has been moved out of October so the new inquest evidence can be properly incorporated before I record her case.
Product of the Month
September’s pick is Frannkly Roasted coffee. I finally got to try it this month and genuinely loved it.
This isn’t a paid sponsorship or a sponsored recommendation. It’s simply something I tried, enjoyed and wanted to share with you.
Considering how much coffee gets consumed behind the scenes at Coffee & Crime AU, it felt only right that the newsletter got its own monthly coffee pick too.
But the reason Frannkly Roasted stood out to me isn’t only the coffee.
The brand was created by Greg Jenkins in memory of his parents, Anna and Frank Jenkins, who were known for quietly showing up for people who needed help. After losing both of them, Greg turned that idea into something deliberate: keep showing up, especially when someone is facing one of the worst days of their life.
Frannkly Roasted helps support Greg’s work with veterans, first responders, victims of crime and their families through practical support and advocacy. Every bag carries Anna and Frank’s names, and that gives the business a purpose that goes well beyond what’s in the cup.
That part matters to me. Coffee & Crime AU tells stories about people and families living through unimaginable circumstances, so a coffee brand built around simply being there for people feels like a pretty natural fit.
One quick favour
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Those ratings help new listeners find the podcast and help Coffee & Crime AU keep growing.
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Thank you for listening
Every play, share, comment and message helps Coffee & Crime AU grow. More importantly, it keeps these stories in the conversation.
See you in October. ☕🖤
