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When 24-year-old Belgian backpacker Davine Arckens reached out to a man on Gumtree about working on his farm, she was excited. The 88 days of labour would mean she could stay in Australia on a tourist visa for an extra year. She couldn’t wait to spend more time in a country she thought was safe and full of nice people.
When Davine met the man, it didn’t take long for her to realise she’d made a terrible mistake. What followed was two harrowing days where she was held against her will and an escape that made national headlines.
Walkley award-winning journalist Richard Guilliatt reported on the story, and he joins Jessie Stephens to walk us through it.
This episode first aired in 2019 and marked one of the earliest major cases on True Crime Conversations. We're re-releasing it today for listeners old and new.
CREDITS
Guest: Richard Guilliatt
Host: Jessie Stephens
Senior Producer/Editor: Elise Cooper
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show, then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At just 20 years old, Sef Gonzales murdered his entire family, his father Teodoro, mother Mary Loiva, and 18-year-old sister Clodine, in their Sydney home in 2001.
Struggling with an identity crisis, failing his medical exams, and facing rejection from his parents, who planned to disown him and cut off his inheritance, Sef devised a chilling plan. He brutally killed them and tried to stage the scene as a racially motivated hate crime. But the truth soon unravelled.
Nick Kaldas, then head of the New South Wales Homicide Squad, led the investigation that ultimately brought Sef Gonzales to justice. You can find his book, Behind the Badge, here.
CREDITS
Guest: Nick Kaldas
Host: Claire Murphy
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Audio Producer: Jacob Round
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show, then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Felicia Djamirze has lived many lives—counsellor, women’s justice advocate, three-time Miss Australia titleholder, and convicted drug dealer. Raised in a tough Sydney neighbourhood where crime and addiction were part of daily life, Felicia grew up believing survival was the best she could hope for. When her looks opened doors, she stepped through, even when they led into dangerous territory.
In her memoir Accessory, she shares her raw and unfiltered story: a childhood shaped by chaos, a youth spent among drug dealers and bikies, and the quiet moment that changed everything.
Felicia joins us to talk about resilience and reinvention. You can find out more about her book Accessory here.
This episode discusses domestic violence. If you need support, please contact 1800 RESPECT.
CREDITS
Guest: Felicia Djamirze
Host: Claire Murphy
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Audio Producer: Jacob Round
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show, then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ever since the mysterious death of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe on a snowy night in 2022, the town where he died has been deeply divided. Was he killed in a house full of law enforcement and the crime covered up, or did his girlfriend, Karen Read, strike him with her car and leave him to die?
The high-profile case gripped true crime fans worldwide, especially after Read claimed she was the victim of a corrupt cover-up. The first trial in 2024 ended in a mistrial.
In the 2025 retrial, after five days of deliberations, the jury found her not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving the scene, but convicted her of drunk driving, sentencing her to one year of probation.
Executive Producer Jessica Lowther from The Law&Crime Network and producer of the podcast series ‘Karen’’ joins Gemma Bath in this episode to dissect the case.
THE END BITS
Find out more about Mamamia's charity partner RizeUp Australia here.
You can watch Episode 1 of the Karen podcast by The Law&Crime Network and Wondery+ here.
Guest: Jessica Lowther from The Law&Crime Network and producer of podcast series 'Karen'
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Audio Producer: Scott Stronach
GET IN TOUCH:
Feedback? We’re listening! Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In 2015, Lauren Trevan’s husband was interviewed by police about messages he had sent to a teenage girl. He claimed they were harmless. They weren’t.
As the investigation unfolded, Lauren learned the full extent of his actions — and how much had been hidden. At the same time, she was navigating a controlling and emotionally abusive relationship herself.
In this episode, Claire Murphy speaks with Lauren about the intersection between coercive control and grooming behaviour — two forms of abuse that often remain unseen but have lasting impacts on victims.
Lauren shares her experience and discusses her fictionalised book Now I See You, written to help break the silence around complex forms of abuse. You can find the book here.
CREDITS
Guest: Lauren Trevan
Host: Claire Murphy
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Audio Producer: Jacob Round
GET IN TOUCH
Follow us on TikTok @truecrimeconversations
Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] or send us a voice note.
Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show, then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. You can also leave a comment for us on Spotify.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.