The Veil

On a Monday night in March 1992, Susan Burdett came home from bowling to her unit on Pah Road in Papatoetoe. About twenty minutes later, her neighbour heard the thuds. A year later to the day, a seventeen year old car thief from Otara was charged with her rape and murder, on the strength of his own confession.
In Part One of The Boy in the Chair, our new feature series, we follow the investigation into Susan's death, the family members who pointed police toward Teina Pora, the reward that hung over a police interview room in Otahuhu, and the arrest, three years later, of a serial rapist who said he'd never met him.

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A NOTE ON SOURCING
This series draws on the Privy Council's 2015 judgment, the 2016 reports of Hon Rodney Hansen QC to the Minister of Justice, later court decisions, contemporaneous reporting, and Michael Bennett's book In Dark Places. Where the official record and other accounts differ, we have followed the official record.

THE BOOK
In Dark Places: The Confessions of Teina Pora and an Ex Cop's Fight for Justice, by Michael Bennett (Paul Little Books, 2016). Winner of the 2017 Ngaio Marsh Award for best non fiction.
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DUTFV38

SOURCES
Pora v The Queen [2015] UKPC 9: https://jcpc.uk/uploads/jcpc_2013_0081_judgment_2c64906342.pdf
Hon Rodney Hansen QC, Report on the compensation claim by Teina Anthony Pora (innocence report, 23 March 2016) and quantum report (31 May 2016), Ministry of Justice
R v Rewa [2019] NZHC 577 (sentencing notes, Venning J): https://www.justice.govt.nz/jdo_documents/workspace___SpacesStore_6f7d3da5_bbf3_4056_abba_eff950e2bf7e.pdf
Rewa v R [2024] NZSC 28: https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/cases/2024/2024-NZSC-28.pdf
Independent Police Conduct Authority, report on Police handling of investigations into Malcolm Rewa (July 2014)
RNZ, "Burdett's son denies lawyer's accusation he killed his mother", 12 February 2019: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/382312/burdett-s-son-denies-lawyer-s-accusation-he-killed-his-mother
RNZ, "How justice for Susan Burdett took 27 years", 22 February 2019: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/383186/how-justice-for-susan-burdett-took-27-years
NZ Herald (Phil Taylor), "Susan Burdett: Did the police bungle this murder case?": https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/susan-burdett-did-the-police-bungle-this-murder-case/7NHBZOBDCIPHFUZEC7ENEIS2KA/

SUPPORT
If this episode has raised anything for you, support is available in New Zealand:
Safe to Talk (sexual harm helpline): 0800 044 334, text 4334
Need to talk? Call or text 1737
Women's Refuge: 0800 REFUGE (0800 733 843)
Family Violence Information Line: 0800 456 450
In an emergency, call 111.
If you have information about a crime, contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or Police on 105.

The Veil is a Brevity Studios production. theguiltpodcast.com | brevityplus.com
While some dramatic license is taken during the retelling of these stories, but you can be sure that these true crime stories are all based 100% on real events and facts.

If you would like to suggest a case, you can message us via our website at www.brevityplus.com
Subscribers get ad free listening to The Veil and all of our podcasts. Please consider subscribing to support our work.
This podcast is researched, and written by the Brevity Studios team using AI tools, and is narrated in its entirety by - Ryan Wolf.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 9 August 2011, in a room at the Hyatt in Perth, the boss of the gang Brett Cowan had worked for all winter asked him a simple question. After nearly eight years of denials, Cowan answered it. Days later he led his new friends to the places where it had happened, police were waiting, and the search for Daniel Morcombe finally had somewhere to look. This final part follows the arrest, the search through the bushland and creek at Glass House Mountains, the trial that asked whether a confession made to undercover police could be trusted, and the family who never gave up until they brought their son home.
This is the final part of a three part series. If you’re on the free feed, Parts One and Two are available now.

SUBSCRIBE

One Brevity Studios subscription unlocks every part of every series on the day it launches, plus all of Guilt: https://guilt.supportingcast.fm/

FURTHER READING

Kate Kyriacou, The Sting: The Undercover Operation That Caught Daniel Morcombe’s Killer (Echo Publishing). Many of the words you heard from inside the operation come from this book, which was built on the operation’s own recordings and the people who ran it. Highly recommended: https://booktopia.com.au/the-sting-kate-kyriacou/book/9781760681036.html

THE DANIEL MORCOMBE FOUNDATION
Bruce and Denise Morcombe founded the Daniel Morcombe Foundation in 2005 to teach children how to keep themselves safe. Every year on the last Friday in October, schools across Australia wear red for Day for Daniel. Learn more about their work: https://danielmorcombe.com.au
Support the foundation: https://danielmorcombe.com.au/get-involved/

A NOTE ON SOURCING
Brett Peter Cowan was convicted in March 2014 of the murder of Daniel Morcombe, indecent treatment of a child under sixteen and interfering with a corpse. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of twenty years. His appeal, and the Attorney-General’s appeal against sentence, were dismissed by the Queensland Court of Appeal in May 2015, and the High Court refused special leave in March 2016. The State Coroner delivered findings in April 2019. The undercover officers are referred to only by their cover names. The confession and the account of Daniel’s death are given as recorded in the Court of Appeal judgment. The defence case is described as it was put at trial; no alternative suspect is named. Cowan’s relatives, former partners and the couple connected to his alibi are not named. Dialogue from inside the operation is drawn from covert recordings as quoted in the court judgments and in Kate Kyriacou’s The Sting. As of late October 2026, no one else has been charged in connection with Daniel’s death.

This episode contains strong language from recorded conversations.

SOURCES
R v Cowan [2013] QSC 337, 12 Dec 2013
R v Cowan; R v Cowan; Ex parte Attorney-General (Qld) [2015] QCA 87, 21 May 2015
Cowan v The Queen [2016] HCATrans 57, 11 Mar 2016
Coroners Court of Queensland, findings of inquest into the death of Daniel James Morcombe, State Coroner Terry Ryan, 5 Apr 2019
Queensland Government ministerial statement on Day for Daniel, 29 Oct 2025
Kate Kyriacou, The Sting (Echo Publishing, 2015)
ABC News and AAP, coverage of the arrest, search, committal, trial, verdict and funeral, 2011 to 2014
ABC News, Daniel’s Law public register, 2025
Newcastle Herald, 2023 (interview with Bruce Morcombe)

SUPPORT
This series deals with the abduction and murder of a child. If it raises anything for you: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Australia), Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (Australia), 1737 (New Zealand).

COMING NEXT
The next feature series on The Veil heads home to South Auckland in 1992, to the murder of Susan Burdett, and the teenager who confessed to a crime he didn’t commit.

Written and hosted by Ryan Wolf. Researched with AI assistance and fact-checked against the court judgments and coronial findings. A Brevity Studios production. https://theguiltpodcast.com | https://brevityplus.com
While some dramatic license is taken during the retelling of these stories, but you can be sure that these true crime stories are all based 100% on real events and facts.

If you would like to suggest a case, you can message us via our website at www.brevityplus.com
Subscribers get ad free listening to The Veil and all of our podcasts. Please consider subscribing to support our work.
This podcast is researched, and written by the Brevity Studios team using AI tools, and is narrated in its entirety by - Ryan Wolf.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1: The Incredible True Story of How Australian Police Trapped Daniel Morcombe’s Killer, Part Two of Three
In April 2011, days after giving evidence at the inquest into Daniel Morcombe’s disappearance, Brett Cowan flew home to Perth and made a new friend on the plane. Within weeks he was out of work, out of a home and running jobs for what he believed was a powerful criminal organisation: debt collections, gun deliveries, brothel takings and a bag of diamonds worth close to a million dollars. The gang paid him, praised him and told him there was nothing in the world it couldn’t fix. He called it the first family he’d ever had. Every member of it was a police officer, and every word he said was being recorded. Then a notice arrived from the Coroners Court in Brisbane, and the man at the top of the gang asked to see him.
This is Part Two of a three part series. Subscribers have all three parts now. On the free feed, Part Three, The Confession, is out Friday.
SUBSCRIBE
One Brevity Studios subscription unlocks every part of every series on the day it launches, plus all of Guilt: https://guilt.supportingcast.fm/
FURTHER READING
Kate Kyriacou, The Sting: The Undercover Operation That Caught Daniel Morcombe’s Killer (Echo Publishing). This series relies heavily on Kate’s reporting, and her book is highly recommended: https://booktopia.com.au/the-sting-kate-kyriacou/book/9781760681036.html
THE DANIEL MORCOMBE FOUNDATION
Bruce and Denise Morcombe founded the Daniel Morcombe Foundation in 2005 to teach children how to keep themselves safe. Learn more about their work: https://danielmorcombe.com.au
Support the foundation: https://danielmorcombe.com.au/get-involved/
A NOTE ON SOURCING
Brett Peter Cowan was convicted in 2014 of the murder of Daniel Morcombe. His appeal was dismissed by the Queensland Court of Appeal in 2015 and the High Court refused special leave in 2016. The undercover officers in this episode are referred to only by their cover names. Every crime Cowan took part in during the operation was staged, and every debtor, sex worker and official he met was a police officer; no real offences were committed. Dialogue from the operation is drawn from covert recordings as quoted in the court judgments and in Kate Kyriacou’s The Sting. Where those accounts differ, the court record is followed. Cowan’s own claims and stories recorded during the operation are presented as his words, and none of the evidence connects them to anyone else. The Coroners Court notice to attend was genuine; the trial judge found it was not a ploy. Private individuals, including Cowan’s former partners and girlfriend, are not named.
This episode contains strong language from recorded conversations.
SOURCES
R v Cowan [2013] QSC 337, 12 Dec 2013
R v Cowan; R v Cowan; Ex parte Attorney-General (Qld) [2015] QCA 87, 21 May 2015
Coroners Court of Queensland, findings of inquest into the death of Daniel James Morcombe, State Coroner Terry Ryan, 5 Apr 2019
Cowan v The Queen [2016] HCATrans 57, 11 Mar 2016
Kate Kyriacou, The Sting (Echo Publishing, 2015)
SBS News / AAP, trial coverage, 2014
SUPPORT
This series deals with the abduction and murder of a child. If it raises anything for you: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Australia), Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (Australia), 1737 (New Zealand).
Written and hosted by Ryan Wolf. Researched with AI assistance and fact-checked against the court judgments and coronial findings.
A Brevity Studios production. https://theguiltpodcast.com | https://brevityplus.com
While some dramatic license is taken during the retelling of these stories, but you can be sure that these true crime stories are all based 100% on real events and facts.

If you would like to suggest a case, you can message us via our website at www.brevityplus.com
Subscribers get ad free listening to The Veil and all of our podcasts. Please consider subscribing to support our work.
This podcast is researched, and written by the Brevity Studios team using AI tools, and is narrated in its entirety by - Ryan Wolf.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1: The Incredible True Story of How Australian Police Trapped Daniel Morcombe’s Killer, Part One of Three

On Sunday 7 December 2003, thirteen year old Daniel Morcombe walked from his family’s farm at Palmwoods to wait for a bus under the Kiel Mountain Road overpass on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He was going to Sunshine Plaza to buy Christmas presents for his family. The bus was running late, and when it finally came it drove straight past him. Minutes later, the next bus found nobody there. What followed became the largest investigation in Queensland’s history: thousands of interviews, a hunt for a blue car, a million dollar reward and a family who never stopped pushing. Seven years on, a coronial inquest put a man in the witness box for two days, and he gave nothing away. But on the flight home, someone sat down beside him.

This is Part One of a three part series. Subscribers get all three parts today. On the free feed, Part Two, The Gang, is out Wednesday and Part Three follows on Friday.

SUBSCRIBE

One Brevity Studios subscription unlocks every part of every series on the day it launches, plus all of Guilt: https://guilt.supportingcast.fm/

FURTHER READING

Kate Kyriacou, The Sting: The Undercover Operation That Caught Daniel Morcombe’s Killer (Echo Publishing). This series relies heavily on Kate’s reporting, and her book is highly recommended: https://booktopia.com.au/the-sting-kate-kyriacou/book/9781760681036.html

THE DANIEL MORCOMBE FOUNDATION

Bruce and Denise Morcombe founded the Daniel Morcombe Foundation in 2005 to teach children how to keep themselves safe. Learn more about their work: https://danielmorcombe.com.au

Support the foundation: https://danielmorcombe.com.au/get-involved/

A NOTE ON SOURCING

Brett Peter Cowan was convicted in 2014 of the murder of Daniel Morcombe. His appeal was dismissed by the Queensland Court of Appeal in 2015 and the High Court refused special leave in 2016. His earlier offending is described only as recorded by the coroner and the Court of Appeal. Every other person of interest in the investigation is unnamed, and none has been charged with any offence relating to Daniel. Persons of interest at the inquest were identified by code under suppression orders. The account of the bus and roadside witnesses follows the 2019 coronial findings, which note that some accounts conflict. Details of Daniel’s life and family come from Kate Kyriacou’s The Sting and from published interviews with the Morcombe family, and are attributed on air.

SOURCES

Coroners Court of Queensland, findings of inquest into the death of Daniel James Morcombe, State Coroner Terry Ryan, 5 Apr 2019

R v Cowan [2013] QSC 337, 12 Dec 2013

R v Cowan; R v Cowan; Ex parte Attorney-General (Qld) [2015] QCA 87, 21 May 2015

Cowan v The Queen [2016] HCATrans 57, 11 Mar 2016

Kate Kyriacou, The Sting (Echo Publishing, 2015)

ABC News, coverage of the inquest, 1 and 6 Apr 2011

ABC News, 2009 (reward appeal) and 3 Dec 2012 (committal)

ABC 7.30, interview with former detective Kenneth King

Stephanie Wood, Brisbane Times / Sydney Morning Herald, 2014 (trial coverage)

Brisbane Times, 2015 (Daniel Morcombe Foundation)

Newcastle Herald, 2023 (interview with Bruce Morcombe)

SUPPORT

This episode deals with the abduction of a child. If it raises anything for you: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Australia), Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (Australia), 1737 (New Zealand).

Written and Researched with AI assistance and fact-checked against the coronial findings and court judgments.

A Brevity Studios production. https://theguiltpodcast.com | https://brevityplus.com
While some dramatic license is taken during the retelling of these stories, but you can be sure that these true crime stories are all based 100% on real events and facts.

If you would like to suggest a case, you can message us via our website at www.brevityplus.com
Subscribers get ad free listening to The Veil and all of our podcasts. Please consider subscribing to support our work.
This podcast is researched, and written by the Brevity Studios team using AI tools, and is narrated in its entirety by - Ryan Wolf.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe to The Veil get ad free listening, bonus episodes and early release and listen on any platform via Supporting Cast here:
https://guilt.supportingcast.fm/

On Wednesday 6 October 1993, seventeen year old Allison Newstead went into Cessnock, a coal town in the NSW Hunter Valley, and never came home. Her car was found the next morning in the ex-servicemen's club carpark. A week later two men walking a bush track near the disused Pelton colliery found her body under two sheets of corrugated iron. She had no wounds and no fractures, toxicology ruled out an overdose, and the cause of her death has never been established. Her clothes turned up a year later in a plastic bag in other bushland. A man charged with concealing her body was acquitted in 1997. Police now say several people may have been there when Allison died. Who were they, and why has nobody spoken?
Thanks to listener Caroline for suggesting this case.
IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING
The NSW Government reward of $750,000 for information into Allison's death still stands. The case is with the State Crime Command's Unsolved Homicide Unit, Strike Force Bain. Police especially want to hear from people who knew Allison in 1993 and have never spoken to them, including anyone who may have been present when she died or who knows the circumstances of her death.
Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. Please do not report information via NSW Police social media pages.
The NSW Legislative Council inquiry into unsolved murders and long-term missing persons cases (1965 to 2010) is taking submissions until 30 October 2026: parliament.nsw.gov.au (search "unsolved murders inquiry").
A NOTE ON SOURCING
No one has ever been convicted in connection with Allison's death. The 1994 inquest was terminated and referred to the DPP, so no coronial finding exists. A man charged with concealing her body and perverting the course of justice was acquitted by a jury in 1997; he is not guilty in law and is not named. A second man, per 2013 reporting, pleaded guilty to supplying amphetamines; no court has linked that offence to her death. The account of three people denying they saw Allison that night is her mother's, given to the Daily Telegraph in 2013; police have made no finding against anyone. The 1993 timeline comes from AAP reports in the Canberra Times. The purse detail is from 2018 reporting only. Police say evidence including her clothing is being re-examined; no result has been published. The working theory in Part Three is the host's reading of the public record, not a finding of any court or coroner. As of 26 October 2026 nobody has been charged over how Allison died.
SOURCES
NSW Police, $750,000 reward, Death of Allison Newstead: police.nsw.gov.au/can_you_help_us/rewards
NSW Government Gazette No. 11, 3 Feb 1995, p700 (reward notice, 9 Dec 1994), via Trove
Canberra Times (AAP), 10, 11, 15, 16 and 17 Oct 1993, via Trove
Janet Fife-Yeomans, Daily Telegraph, 7 Oct 2013
Belinda-Jane Davis, Maitland Mercury / Newcastle Herald, Oct 2013
Matt Carr and Nick Bielby, Newcastle Herald, 5 and 6 Oct 2018
Krystal Sellars, Cessnock Advertiser, 29 Jun 2022; Gabriel Fowler, Newcastle Herald, 23 Jun 2022 (Operation Veritas)
Carly Cook, ABC News, 22 Oct 2022
Simon McCarthy and Sam Rigney, Newcastle Herald, 22 and 23 Oct 2022
NSW LC Portfolio Committee No. 1, inquiry into unsolved murders and long-term missing persons cases, hearing transcript 11 Jun 2026 and terms of reference
Cessnock Advertiser, Pelton colliery history, 2016
SUPPORT
This episode discusses the death of a teenager and its effect on her family. If it raises anything for you: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Australia), 1737 (New Zealand).
While some dramatic license is taken during the retelling of these stories, but you can be sure that these true crime stories are all based 100% on real events and facts.

If you would like to suggest a case, you can message us via our website at www.brevityplus.com
Subscribers get ad free listening to The Veil and all of our podcasts. Please consider subscribing to support our work.
This podcast is researched, and written by the Brevity Studios team using AI tools, and is narrated in its entirety by - Ryan Wolf.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.