Big Stuff - Vikki P - and why we love true crime (Final)

Enjoyed this and want to let us know? Drop us a text Two weeks before a serial killer's parole hearing, a podcast dropped. Two million downloads later, his bid was denied — and Parliament changed the law so he could never apply again.  That's not the origin story of this episode's guest.  That's just another day for her. Vikki Petraitis has spent thirty years walking into the middle of other people's worst days — sitting with grieving families, hardened homicide detectives, and every crime scene in between — and turning it into fourteen true crime books, two Casefile Presents podcast series, and now a run of crime fiction being adapted for ABC and BBC as DUSTFALL.  In this episode, Danielle sits down with Vikki to find out how a primary school teacher ended up keeping a serial killer behind bars, why women are wired to consume true crime, and what thirty years of looking directly at the worst of humanity has taught her about the best of it.  **What happened with Paul Denyer's parole bid?** His first parole application, in 2023, was denied. In November of that year, Victorian Parliament passed a unanimous amendment to the Crimes Act specifically so he can never apply for parole again. **Is Vikki Petraitis's fiction based on real cases?** Not as direct retellings, but her Antigone Pollard crime novels (The Unbelieved and The Stolen) draw on patterns and injustices — low conviction rates, victim-blaming, workplace misogyny — that Vikki observed across thirty years of true crime reporting. **Where can I find Vikki's books and podcasts?** Her true crime books include The Frankston Murders and The Phillip Island Murder. Her Casefile Presents podcast series include The Frankston Murders and The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron. Her crime fiction (The Unbelieved, The Stolen) is being adapted for ABC/BBC as DUSTFALL. Full links below. **Where you can find Vikki Petraitis -**  Website - ⁠vikkipetraitis.com.au⁠ ⁠Instagram: @vikkipetraitis⁠ ⁠Facebook: Vikki Petraitis - Crime Writer⁠ ***Vikki's Books mentioned:*** **The Frankston Murders: 25 Years On** *The Phillip Island Murder* *The Unbelieved* *The Stolen* ***Vikki's Podcasts mentioned:***  **The Frankston Murders (Casefile Presents)** *The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron (Casefile Presents)* *The Unthinkable (with Emily Webb).* **Find more Danielle Colley -**  Website - ⁠daniellecolley.com.au⁠  Instagram - ⁠@iamdaniellecolley⁠ Or get in touch at bigstuffpodcast@gmail.com **Chapters** **0:00**  Two million downloads and a law that changed **1:30**  From primary school teacher to true crime writer **5:00**  The case that started it all  **10:00**  Why women read true crime **14:00**  Inside The Frankston Murders **18:00**  Humanising the victims **20:30  T**he psychology of manipulation **24:00**  The fight to keep a serial killer behind bars  **28:00  H**ow a podcast and a community changed the law **31:00**  From true crime to fiction  **35:00**  Turning real-world misogyny into crime fiction **39:00**  The best and worst of humanity  **43:00**  Close — two thinking points If this episode got under your skin the way it got under ours, send it to one person who'd get something out of it.  Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and drop a comment or review — it genuinely helps this show reach more ears.