Obscura: A True Crime Podcast

(Part 2) In January 2015, Martin and Teresa Van Breda were enjoying having their oldest son, 22 year old Rudi home from university in Australia. The family’s other two children, 20 year old Henri and 16 year old Marli, also lived with their parents in the town of Stellenbosch in the south west of South Africa. Marli was nearing the end of her high school education. Like Rudi, Henri had also been studying in Australia, but dropped out of university and moved back home in 2014, to take a ‘gap year’ to reconsider his plans. Like many upper middle class South Africans, the family lived in a secure, gated, luxury housing estate. For all its beauty and cultural diversity, the risks associated with both visiting and living in South Africa are oftentimes confronting. The country is known for its high rates of violent crime, including murder, rape, carjacking, robbery and home invasions. Violent crimes such as home invasions occur not just at night, but at all hours of the day. Many intruders prefer to break into home

In January 2015, Martin and Teresa Van Breda were enjoying having their oldest son, 22 year old Rudi home from university in Australia. The family’s other two children, 20 year old Henri and 16 year old Marli, also lived with their parents in the town of Stellenbosch in the south west of South Africa. Marli was nearing the end of her high school education. Like Rudi, Henri had also been studying in Australia, but dropped out of university and moved back home in 2014, to take a ‘gap year’ to reconsider his plans. Like many upper middle class South Africans, the family lived in a secure, gated, luxury housing estate. For all its beauty and cultural diversity, the risks associated with both visiting and living in South Africa are oftentimes confronting. The country is known for its high rates of violent crime, including murder, rape, carjacking, robbery and home invasions. Violent crimes such as home invasions occur not just at night, but at all hours of the day. Many intruders prefer to break into homes when oc

In late 2018, James Gargasoulas was found guilty of six counts of murder, for running down pedestrians almost 2 years earlier in Melbourne’s Bourke Street mall during the busy lunch hour. Questions had been raised as to whether James would be fit to stand trial based on a subsequent mental health diagnosis and his long history of frequent drug use. Thankfully for the victims’ families, justice had been done. Partly, anyway. But they had no way of knowing how James’ mental health and other mitigating factors would affect his sentence. At the same time, the victims’ families had another fight on their hands. Victoria Police were now firmly in the glare of the media spotlight over their questionable judgement and decision making in the 12 hours leading up to the massacre - key decisions which failed to result in James being arrested for earlier stabbing his brother. But it was uncertain whether senior police would be held accountable by the coroner for how their critical incident management protocols did - or di

On 20 January 2017, during the typically busy lunch hour in the Melbourne CBD, 27 year old James Gargasoulas drove along the footpath of multiple blocks of Bourke Street, killing six unsuspecting people and injuring many more. The aftermath of his rampage left the people of Melbourne stunned and grieving. As details of the lead up to the carnage emerged, the public and victims’ families were outraged. Police had been tailing James for 12 hours before the massacre, as he taunted them and led law enforcement on a wild goose chase around the suburbs after stabbing his brother. The big question was, why hadn’t he been arrested sooner when numerous opportunities were available? Media reports soon revealed that James was a repeat violent offender who was out on bail when he ploughed through the city crowds, and answers were demanded as to why. How could the bail system be so fallible as to allow someone so dangerous back onto the streets? But that wasn’t the only concern. As court proceedings commenced, victims a

Welcome, I'm glad you made it. I will have a new episode for you every other week so I hope you're ready to join me by the fire. (Part 1) On 20 January 2017, office workers and tourists were among the throngs of people making their way through Bourke Street Mall amidst the lunch hour hustle and bustle of the Melbourne CBD. But the sunny summer’s day was rudely disrupted by the sound of tires skidding and police sirens blaring. In less than a minute, 27 year old James Gargasoulas had driven along the footpath multiple blocks of Bourke Street, wreaking havoc and creating a terror amongst Melbourne citizens, the fallout of which lingers today. During his rampage, James killed six people, including a three month old baby, and injured many more. But this wasn’t the most shocking aspect of what occurred. James was a repeat violent offender, and was on bail when he ploughed through the city crowds. The cascade of events culminating in what can only be described as utter carnage, led to painful questions. How

Typically Black Label episodes are exclusive to Patreon, if you enjoy this episode check out our other Black Label episodes that are released monthly! (Link Below) (This is S2E11 on Black Label)Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.comCheckout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.comSupport the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Black Label episodes are released monthly to Patreon Supporters. Take a listen to one, this is S2E10 on Black Label. (link below)Listener, if anything in today’s episode has raised any issues for you, or if you or someone you know is at risk, please call the 24 hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 in the United States, or your relevant emergency number.For further information about managing postpartum mental health, please contact your treating doctor. You can also visit www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health.gov or www.panda.org.auVisit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.comCheckout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.comSupport the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Black Label episodes are typically exclusive to Patreon supporters, to listen to our other episodes find us on Patreon at the link below. Extreme content warning. In two parts, one longer, this episode explores an increasingly desensitized internet and the dark corners of the web that's ripe for radicalization. Part 01 explores a horrific crime that's met callous jokes by users that don't bother to hide their identity. Part 02 is a deep dive into internet radicalization and its effects after nearly two decades.Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.comCheckout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.comSupport the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.com Checkout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.com Support the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Black Label monthly episodes are typically exclusive to Patreon Supporters, but throwing this one out to ya! This is S2E4 on Black Label.Mathew Borges was a teenager entirely different from Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino. While Lee was happy, positive, and able to impart encouraging wisdom to his friends on life and meaning, Mathew was a darker soul. CW: Detailed Descriptions of Extreme Violence.Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.comCheckout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.comSupport the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today’s story is something a little different. Our protagonist didn’t set out to hurt somebody else. He didn’t harm innocent people. He didn’t snap in the heat of the moment and do something shocking that can’t be undone. There was no violent crime of passion or cold blooded premeditation.In the United States, over 900,000 people work in the aviation industry, so that’s a considerable amount of people in whom we place a great amount of trust to help keep us safe in the air. What you’ll hear about today baffled and disturbed both the public and the loved ones of the person concerned in equal measure. Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.com Checkout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.com Support the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On October 24, 2017, police received a call from the manager of a U-Haul storage facility located near Kansas City, Missouri The Manager reported that a man had been illegally squatting inside the unit with his two children. The alarm inside the facility had gone off the night before, indicating that someone was present in the unit overnight. That man was Justin Todd Rey. Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.com Checkout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.com Support the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Content Warning: Graphic Audio,  Maternal Filicide Black Label episodes are typically exclusive to Patreon supporters, but here you go! This is Season 2 Episode 2 on Black Label. The maternal instinct of a mother is an all-encompassing level of emotion. To love, nurture, and protect their child is biologically embedded, a bond that can never be broken. That is how it should be. But life is a complex matrix of relationships, emotions, and decision-making, and the human psyche is a powerful fighting force.  Maternal filicide, the murder of a child by their mother, is a murky understudied arena where those natural instincts are replaced with an entirely different kind of drive. A drive that takes away the very life they previously gave so lovingly. Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.comCheckout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.comSupport the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertisi

Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.com Checkout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.com Support the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.com Checkout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.com Support the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast (Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Neutral Bay’s commercial centre is Military Road. One of the busiest arterial roads on the lower north shore, it’s the main gateway to Sydney’s picturesque and world renowned northern beaches. The most popular and historic commercial establishment in Neutral Bay is The Oaks Hotel which opened in 1885. As the social hub of the suburb, The Oaks is an institution where lower north shore residents relax, celebrate, or enjoy a quiet drink. It’s certainly not a place locals go, expecting to not make it home. Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.com Checkout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.com Support the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In Adelaide and around the southern coastline, residents and tourists alike flock to the pristine beaches that offer some respite from the sweltering heat. But if you drive north of the city, the landscape is a different story. Leaving the outskirts of the city, the historic bluestone buildings give way to suburban and industrial sprawl. Aside from the wheat fields, the terrain further inland quickly becomes desolate and harsh. The grass - where there is any - is brown, not green.As you travel along the straight, flat road, the distance between towns becomes greater, and in between there is no sign of human life as far as the eye can see. If you’re unfamiliar with the area, the remoteness of this part of the state seems like the middle of nowhere, and it’s easy to feel completely cut off from civilisation. And while red dirt and flat plains stretch for miles all the way to the horizon, whether in the pitch black of night or the blazing heat of a mid-summers day, there is nowhere to run if you need to make a h

Typically Black Label monthly episodes are restricted to Patreon supporters, decided to make an exception. This is Season 2 Episode 9 on Black Label! Listener, the case you are about to hear is the darkest I’ve covered this season. The acts carried out behind closed doors in this case are among the most heinous that can be imaged. In 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee, a loving family had their world ripped apart. Evil entered their lives in the days after Thanksgiving in that year. They could never have known it was coming. There were no warning signs. There’s a saying that’s often banded around. That it’s the quiet ones we have to watch and look out for. This case is an example of why sometimes that statement is absolutely true.Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.comCheckout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.comSupport the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://

Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.com Checkout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.com Support the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast (Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hope you enjoy this blast from the past! Visit us online at ObscuraCrimePodcast.comCheckout our other podcasts at itsArcLightMedia.comSupport the Obscura podcast and access the exclusive Black Label episodes by becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast(Sources can be found on our website)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy