Redhanded

On 19 May 2024, Ebrahim Raisi – “The Butcher of Tehran” and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran – died in a helicopter crash. Immediately, theories of who had killed him and why, swept the worlds’ media.But while his passing inspired this episode, we’re also going to look at his many thousands of victims – and in particular how his actions led to the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. It was a single death which sparked protests that challenged the mullahs of Iran like never before.Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The world’s most infamous nuclear disaster officially killed just thirty-one people, but in reality it’s death toll is incalculable. Raining radioactive debris over a city, and melting the skin off the on-site workers, the explosion and subsequent meltdown at Chernobyl reactor 4 is one of the most devastating man-made accidents in history. This is the story of how fear, bureaucracy, and lies first brought down a nuclear power station, which then brought down a nation.Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Imagine finding out that your partner of six years – the love of your life, the father of your children – had never existed. That during all of your most intimate moments, they’d been spying on you, taking notes to report back to their superiors. That’s what happened to dozens of innocent British women in 2011, when they uncovered the SDS – a super-secretive unit of London’s Met Police.To infiltrate groups of (mostly harmless) left-wing activists, these officers went undercover, routinely starting long-term sexual relationships with female members, for years at a time. They groomed these women, sometimes even fathering children, only to eventually disappear without a trace. H&S plunge into the gross, ethically murky waters of undercover relationships.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kidnapping might seem like an odd solution to low levels of education, but for The Democratic People's Republic of Korea it seemed like a perfect plan. Whisk away international intelligentsia to your hermit kingdom and reprogram them to become perfect North Korean citizens, capable of pushing forward your scientific endeavours – or more importantly, directing a cult classic knock-off Godzilla movie. Unfortunately, it is a plan that hasn’t gone down overly well with the rest of the world. So how did it happen? And is it still going on today?Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Christine Mackinday and her boyfriend were interrupted in bed by her ex-fiancé – a 200-pound ex-MMA fighter who had legally changed his name to War Machine – she had every reason to fear for her life.This is the wild true story of Jonathan Koppenhaver: self-proclaimed “Alpha Male”, failed UFC fighter, wannabe pornstar and reality-show embarrassment – and his inevitable, tragic, violent revenge.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get your tour tickets at redhandedpodcast.com!In 2001 on a remote stretch of highway in Australia’s Northern Territory, British backpacker Peter Falconio vanished. His girlfriend, Joanne Lees, told police that they had been attacked by a strange man. The subsequent investigation saw local drug runner Bradley Murdoch jailed for life - but questions still linger, especially around the truthfulness of the story that Joanne told...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The state of Pamela Werner’s body alone would have been enough to send 1930s Peking into a frenzy. She’d been frantically stabbed, her chest cut wide open, and four of her internal organs had been precisely removed...But Pamela was the daughter of a high-ranking British diplomat. And the death of a white girl in the ancient Chinese capital, in 1939 – when anti-foreigner revolts were bubbling and the entire country was under threat of invasion by Japan – rocked the city, in the last days of old China.Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Between September 1992 and November 1993 the remains of seven backpackers were found dotted around Australia’s Belanglo State Forest. The long-putrefied bodies had all been shot multiple times by the same .22 calibre rifle. Some had snapped spines; others had been used as target practice. Despite all signs pointing to the Milat family, the real challenge for police was finding which of the ten Milat brothers to point the finger at...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shot dead in broad daylight outside her house in West London – the killing of Jill Dando is one of Britain’s most high-profile murders. As one of the BBC’s best-known TV presenters through the 90s, Jill was in the living rooms of the British public every night, presenting the news, travel shows, and most famously, Crimewatch – in which she publicly campaigned to bring real criminals to justice. Yet despite enormous publicity and one of the UK’s most extensive police investigations to date, the identity of her killer is still mired in controversy.Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To celebrate and get everyone in the mood for our soon to be iconic Antipodean Tour, we are digging up some of the craziest cases from down under that we've ever covered! Patrons can access tour tickets on Monday the 13th (TODAY!) via their Patreon feed, and general release is Wednesday the 15th, links below!NZ: https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=REDHAND24AUS: https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=REDHAND24In this week’s episode the girls delve into the aftermath of John Borovnik's discovery, the police investigation that followed, and the subsequent trial that saw Keli Lane charged with murder - more than 13 years after her baby vanished.But even after all this, major questions around what drove Keli's behaviour, and of course what happened to baby Tegan, still remain...Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redha

When a 13-year-old boy, out shopping for Christmas presents, disappeared from a bus stop in Australia’s Sunshine Coast, police were initially slow to suspect foul play. They had no idea what this investigation would become.The revelations that would come over the next decade would spark one of the country’s largest ever police operations. And in its dramatic climax, it ended in one of the most controversial investigative techniques we’ve ever covered – the very ethically murky “Mr Big”.Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you thought Part 1 was bad – just you wait. Last week we talked about the origins of one of the world’s biggest cults. And this time, we look at how that influence and control bedded down – and seduced so many of the most famous people in the world.We’re talking about sex magic, incest, chid abuse, demonic possession, and Fleetwood Mac. It’s time to close the book on the Children of God.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Communes, propaganda and child abuse are not uncommon in the world of cults. But what made David Berg and his “Children of God” so unique was the effectiveness of their implementation.In this first of two episodes on one of the biggest and darkest cases we’ve ever covered, we talk about the rise of arguably the world's most “successful” cult, and what made the man who made the monster.Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Note: The video version of this podcast can be watched in full on our YouTube channel! Available from the 18th of April.Join RedHanded and Help I Sexted My Boss for an extra-special crossover, where true crime meets modern-day dilemmas, all over a glass of Gin & Dubonnet at the Sexted studio!First, Hannah and Suruthi regale William and Jordan about all things cults, before diving into the increasingly bonkers world of the Twin Flames Universe. And then, the tables are turned, as H&S help the boys solve their listeners’ unique problems – from how to leave a party, to whether or not to discuss your herculean sexual exploits with your mum.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Social media is swarming with fresh takes on the Jennifer Pan story, after a new documentary became the third-most watched show on Netflix this weekend. So we wanted to re-release this classic RedHanded episode from summer 2022 – let us know your thoughts on our socials!--When three masked men entered the Pan family home, it seemed like an opportunistic home break-in. But on closer inspection, things just didn't add up. Why would the would-be robbers shoot Hann and Bich Pan in cold blood, but leave their 24-year-old daughter Jennifer relatively unharmed? Why didn’t they drive off in the expensive Lexus that was parked in the drive? And why would Hann Pan run from the house, leaving his daughter tied to a bannister?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rob Parkes is not a paedophilic, drug-dealing, gang-leading tyrant. But that’s exactly what his pathologically controlling, abusive ex-wife tried to lead everyone to believe. It’s also why, she said, he had to die.In a very special episode of RedHanded, we hear directly from a man who found out there was a price on his head – and that over the years, six separate people had been approached to kill him. In interviews conducted in our studio, Rob remembers the years of coercive control; a heart-stopping arson attack at his family home in the dead of night; and the moment he learnt that his life had a price tag.Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ten years ago, two young women entered the Panamanian cloud forest, accompanied by a dog named Blue. Blue was the only one to ever return. The events that transpired on Panama’s El Pianista trail that day have remained a chilling mystery for a decade now – and possibly will forever. Join us as we delve into the perplexing case of Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers, where speculation abounds and answers remain elusive. Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus ContentFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comYouTubeRedHandedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Found dead and with severe internal injuries in the swimming pool of the UK’s biggest TV star, Stuart Lubbock’s tragic demise became an instant tabloid sensation.Michael Barrymore’s handling of the tragedy left a lot to be desired – as did the conduct of the British press. But what really happened the night Lubbock died, and who was responsible?Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus ContentFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comYouTubeRedHandedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Found drifting on the open ocean on the brink of death, Terry Jo Duperrault’s survival was nothing short of a miracle.She’d been at sea for over 3 days, enduring harsh heat, bitter cold, and the tormenting bites of the parrot fish. Terry Jo was the survivor of an apparent yacht accident – yet when the boat’s captain was told the incredible news, he went to a motel, and took his own life.This is the gut-wrenching story of the sinking of The Bluebell, and the deaths of 4 members of the Duperrault familyExclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus ContentFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comYouTubeRedHandedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Three weeks after going missing, Californian ‘supermom’ Sherri Papini was found running down a highway with a chain tied to her waist and the word "exodus" burned into her back.Her story defied belief. Kidnapped outside of her home, by a pair of Latina women and driven hundreds of miles with nothing but mariachi music for company, it seemed almost too strange to be true.The police investigation that followed was one of the biggest in recent memory - yet it took over four years before the truth finally came out.And what detectives found, turned out to be even stranger than Sherri's bizarre story...Exclusive bonus content:Wondery - Ad-free & ShortHandPatreon - Ad-free & Bonus ContentFollow us on social media:YouTubeTikTokInstagramXVisit our website:WebsiteSources available on redhandedpodcast.comYouTubeRedHandedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.