Hedley Thomas

Listeners are advised that this podcast contains coarse language and adult themes.

The Poisoned Wife is a podcast investigation brought to you by me, Hedley Thomas, and The Australian.

Subscribers to The Australian hear episodes first on The Australian's app at thepoisonedwife.com and Apple Podcasts.

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She did look really, really troubled.

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The Poisoned Wife is investigated and written by me, Hedley Thomas, and Karina Berger.

Police statements and some other material have been voice acted in the episodes in this podcast series.

For almost 40 years, Roslyn's death has remained unsolved.

Hedley Thomas is the investigative journalist behind some of Australia's biggest true crime podcasts, including The Teacher's Pet and Shandy's Story.

Now, he's gone back through the evidence, interviewed people connected with the case, and begun asking whether Roslyn's murder was ever properly investigated.

His new podcast is called The Poisoned Wife, and he joins us to talk about it.

"I didn't do it.

I loved my wife" [rock music] The Poisoned Wife is investigated and written by me, Hedley Thomas, and Karina Berger.

Police statements and some other material have been voice acted in the episodes in this podcast series.

Anyone with information about the death of Roslyn McQueen can contact me confidentially at thepoisonedwife@theaustralian.com.au. Our editorial director is Clare Harvey.

Today's guest is one of Australia's most decorated and respected investigative journalists.

Hedley Thomas has built a career defined by courage, persistence, and an unwavering pursuit of truth.

A two-time Gold Walkley Award winner and recipient of eight Walkley Awards in total, he sits at the very pinnacle of Australian journalism.

The Gold Walkley is the highest honor in the profession, awarded to the journalist judged to have delivered the most outstanding contribution to public interest reporting in the country, placing Hedley Thomas firmly among the most influential investigative reporters of his generation.

His work has not just told stories, it has changed outcomes.

Through his groundbreaking podcast, The Teacher's Pet, Hedley helped bring global attention to the disappearance of Lynette Dawson.

Yeah, there you go.

He's the epitome of everything that's good, isn't he, Hugh Jackman? You, you can't find a human on the planet that could have a negative thing to say about, uh, about him, and didn't realize he was an investigative journalist be- beneath, uh, that legend of a human being.

[upbeat music] Welcome back to part two of my chat with Karina Berger, the solicitor turned citizen sleuth.

In part one, we talked about how Karina came to work with Hedley Thomas on his investigative podcast.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the case Karina and Hedley are currently investigating, the death of Roslyn McQueen, who's the subject of The Poisoned Wife podcast.

We also discuss the broader role investigative journalism plays in the justice system.

I enjoyed part one and getting a sense of how you landed yourself the, uh, world's greatest job from a, uh-

[laughs]

... crime sleuth's point of view, um, working with Hedley Thomas and using your skills as a former, uh, well, you still are, a solicitor working on, uh, investigative podcasts.

What I would like to talk about now in, uh, this part is a, uh, a, a case that I find particularly interesting, and I'll, I'll let you give us an overview of it.

Anthony Albanese defending his late mother from attacks by Pauline Hanson, and Liberal Andrew Hastie vowing to escalate his attacks on the One Nation depiction of him as a traitor.

We'll be covering all the drama live at theaustralian.com.au. Today, journalist Hedley Thomas joins us with a special insight into where his blockbuster podcast investigation, The Poisoned Wife, is heading.

After the 1986 murder of Rosalind McQueen, the homicide squad rolls into tiny Lockwood, Victoria to question husband Ray.

He's infatuated with a teenage girl, and the police interview changes everything.

Hedley's here in just a moment.

[somber music] Hedley Thomas is The Australian's National Chief Correspondent, and he's back with another blockbuster podcast.

This one's called The Poisoned Wife.

We're on episode five now.