Shandee's Story
SHE WAS just 23
1989
2017
A TRUE CRIME PODCAST BY HEDLEY THOMAS
Shandee Blackburn was left to die after a frenzied knife attack as she walked home.
A mystery figure running hard towards the popular young woman in the seconds before she was savagely cut down near her mother’s house was captured briefly by security cameras.
Detectives went after Shandee's former boyfriend, a champion amateur boxer with jealousy and trust issues. He denied wrongdoing and pointed an accusing finger at a man with a violent record and a shaky alibi.
Video trailer
Shandee Blackburn was a bright and fun-loving 23-year-old woman with a lilting laugh and a cheeky smile. Her death after a ferocious knife attack in 2013 has appalled the community of Mackay for eight years. Shandee's family want answers. They want her killer brought to justice.
Subscribers to The Australian have exclusive first access to episodes of Shandee's Story via The Australian app. Subscribe to The Australian here.
Shandee Renee Blackburn is born in Brisbane. She grows up in the sugar and mining town of Mackay with her mother Vicki and sister Shannah.
2011
Shandee meets John Peros, a talented amateur boxer, at the Envy Nightclub in Mackay. They start dating.
John Peros is acquitted of murder by a jury in a 12-day Supreme Court trial in less than two hours. William Daniel is a witness.
2019
Coroner David O'Connell holds an inquest into Shandee's death. The inquest hears evidence not presented at John's murder trial.
2012
Shandee Blackburn and John Peros break up. Shandee moves to the Gold Coast in March. John sees a psychologist and two psychiatrists. Shandee returns to Mackay in October. She starts dating Arron Macklin.
2013
Shandee is murdered. Police investigate her ex-boyfriend John Peros. In April, police discover a new lead - a local man with a criminal history named William Daniel.
2020
The Coroner names John Peros as Shandee's killer.
2014
John Peros is arrested and charged with murdering Shandee.
Shandee's Story is investigated and written by Hedley Thomas.
Audio and music production by Blacksmith & Co.
Additional reporting by David Murray and Isaac Irons.
Additional research by Isaac Irons.
Video trailer by Gwyn Dixon, 3P Studio.
Editorial Director, Claire Harvey.
Digital execution by Isabel Trujillo and Kellie Southan.
Marketing by Alice Bradbury, Dean Roffe and Jarrah Petzold.
Audio compiling, Lia Tsamoglou and Nicholas Adams-Dzierzba.
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2017
John Peros is acquitted of murder by a jury in a 12-day Supreme Court trial in less than two hours. William Daniel is a witness.
Anyone with information about the murder of Shandee Blackburn can contact Hedley Thomas confidentially here
To share what you know with Crime Stoppers, call 1800 333 000.
Sugar Town
EPISODE 1
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EPISODE 2
Sweating Bullets
EPISODE 3
Toxic Love
• ‘It was really creepy … I think it’s him’ ›
SUGAR TOWN
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EPISODE 4
STEALTH MODE
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SUGAR TOWN
EPISODE 1
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Sweating Bullets
EPISODE 2
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Toxic Love
EPISODE 3
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Stealth Mode
EPISODE 4
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• ‘It was really creepy … I think it’s him’ ›
• Key people in Episode 5 ›
Willy D
EPISODE 5
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SUGAR TOWN
EPISODE 1
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EPISODE 5
Willy D
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EPISODE 6
Losing It
Episode 6 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
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• ‘It was really creepy … I think it’s him’ ›
• Key people in Episode 5 ›
• Magnets, wall cavities: Murder suspect’s concealment strategy ›
• Police raised pressure on Peros ›
• Friend tells John Peros: ‘You’ve lost it’ ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
An increasingly paranoid John Peros cuts ties with former friends and records his conversations – a close friend tells police that John is “losing it” under the pressure of the intensifying investigation. John is served with a forensic procedure order and told he must comply. At the police station John is friendly with detectives who take his DNA samples and fingerprints. They photograph and video him. Detectives go to Peros’s flat with an order to revoke his weapons licence and seize his Glock pistol - there’s a brief standoff before John reveals an intricate security system leading to a hidden safe key. Pressure on John mounts as detectives release CCTV images of a vehicle of interest to the media. Some people in Mackay observe that the vehicle looks very similar to John’s.
Losing It
EPISODE 6
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Explore related stories ›
• ‘It was really creepy … I think it’s him’ ›
• Key people in Episode 5 ›
Losing It
EPISODE 6
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Episode 7 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
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• ‘It was really creepy … I think it’s him’ ›
• Key people in Episode 5 ›
• Magnets, wall cavities: Murder suspect’s concealment strategy ›
• Police raised pressure on Peros ›
• Shut lab down: DNA fiasco in Shandee Blackburn murder case ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
Extraordinary forensics failures in a government-run laboratory have seriously compromised the police investigation into Shandee’s murder, according to one of Australia’s most respected DNA experts. After months examining hundreds of pages of relevant documents from the case, forensic biologist Dr Kirsty Wright is convinced critical problems distorted the Queensland lab’s testing, thwarting the ability to generate DNA profiles from crime scenes - and potentially allowing a killer to get away with murder. Dr Wright says the issues cast doubt over all the forensic evidence, revealing the lab failed to detect DNA in a sample marked as being taken from a “pool of blood” where Shandee was cut down. John Peros’s DNA should have carpeted the inside of his dirty old Toyota HiLux - but the lab failed to find any of his trace DNA on surfaces in the car he regularly touched. The lab’s only matches in the car to John were to a water bottle and cigarette butt. Presumptive testing in John’s car returned a positive indication for blood but the lab reported: “No DNA detected”. Dr Wright says all the results in Shandee’s case need to be retested by an independent laboratory, and that doing so could uncover the killer’s DNA.
Bad Science
EPISODE 7
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Bad Science
EPISODE 7
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Charge
EPISODE 8
Charge
EPISODE 8
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EPISODE 9
Fast Hands
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EPISODE 8
Charge
Sugar Town
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Episode 9 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe to The Australian here.
• ‘It was really creepy … I think it’s him’ ›
• Wounds show victim ‘knew her killer’ ›
• Vital evidence ‘not fully DNA tested’ ›
• ‘What I’ve found is unbelievable’: Queensland murder lab mess ›
• ‘Biggest forensic disaster in the country’s history’ ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
A committal hearing prior to John Peros’s murder trial is held, and homicide detectives face tough questions from John’s legal team about the circumstantial police case. William Daniel and Levii Blackman are witnesses – and Levii denies that William told him “I did it” on the night of the murder. Weeks after the hearing, John’s car and another that is being held in a police yard are targeted in a mystery break-in. Frustrated detectives sought answers for the lack of forensic evidence in Shandee’s case. Detectives noted the lab’s reply: that bacteria may have an effect on the ability to obtain a DNA profile – an explanation which forensic biologist Dr Kirsty Wright says is “ludicrous” and an “impossibility”. Problems with the government-run forensic lab have made the news before, and Dr Wright and other scientists have been concerned about the culture and processing in the lab for years. Dr Wright is confident major changes to the lab’s equipment and software introduced just weeks before Shandee’s murder hindered its ability to obtain DNA profiles. Vicki and Shannah Blackburn stand with Dr Kirsty Wright at a media briefing just before the release of this episode. They call for an independent public inquiry into the forensics lab as well as retesting by another lab of all forensic samples in Shandee’s case as a matter of urgency. A cane farmer finds a knife in the paddock of his family’s farm about six months after Shandee’s slaying. He believes the blade is stained with blood and presumptive testing returns a positive result – but the forensic lab found: “No DNA detected.”
Fast Hands
EPISODE 9
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Fast Hands
EPISODE 9
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• At long last, another shot at justice ›
• ‘Test again for blood in suspect’s car’ ›
• Key witnesses notably absent at trial ›
• Accused’s abusive letter to murder victim ›
Sugar Town
Blood
EPISODE 10
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Blood
EPISODE 10
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Episode 13 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
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Explore related stories ›
Lollies
EPISODE 11
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• Accused’s abusive letter to murder victim ›
• Key witnesses notably absent at trial ›
• ‘Test again for blood in suspect’s car’ ›
• At long last, another shot at justice ›
Lollies
EPISODE 11
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EPISODE 7
Bad Science
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EPISODE 10
BLOOD
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EPISODE 12
Herring and Shark
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Herring and Shark
EPISODE 12
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Episode 12 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
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• Accused’s abusive letter to murder victim ›
• Key witnesses notably absent at trial ›
Herring and Shark
EPISODE 12
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Sugar Town
Unheard Evidence
EPISODE 13
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Unheard Evidence
EPISODE 13
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Renewed Hope
EPISODE 14
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EPISODE 13
UNHEARD EVIDENCE
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EPISODE 14
Renewed Hope
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EPISODE 11
LOLLIES
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• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
Renewed Hope
EPISODE 14
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Episode 15 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
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• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
Spin Cycles
EPISODE 15
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Episode 15 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
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• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
Spin Cycles
EPISODE 15
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• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
Running
EPISODE 16
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• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
Running
EPISODE 16
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Episode 17 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
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• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• Memory failures marred suspect’s inquest evidence ›
Through The Cracks
EPISODE 17
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Through The Cracks
EPISODE 17
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Running
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EPISODE 16
EPISODE 15
Spin Cycles
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Episode 18 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe to The Australian here.
• Memory failures marred murder suspect’s inquest evidence ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
Running
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EPISODE 16
Through The Cracks
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EPISODE 17
Episode 18 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe to The Australian here.
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• Memory failures marred suspect’s inquest evidence ›
• Cab driver saw suspect look-alike with bandaged hand ›
• Shandee's Story: the people in the podcast ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
Will Shandee Blackburn ever get justice? Will systemic flaws in Queensland’s forensic lab be independently investigated by the authorities? In this episode of the podcast series – which is pausing until new leads arise – Dr Kirsty Wright reveals the letter she confidentially wrote to Queensland’s corruption-fighting agency about the broken lab and her concerns that its problems are more serious than they first appeared. John and Shandee's former friend Jarrod Hau describes as untrue a claim John made to detectives and friends after the murder. Police investigate whether a taxi driver picked up John when he had a bandaged right hand in the days after Shandee’s murder. Vicki and Shannah’s tireless search for justice continues and more developments will come as DNA in Shandee’s case and other leads are reinvestigated by the coroner.
Fair Go
EPISODE 18
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Episode 18 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe to The Australian here.
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• Memory failures marred murder suspect’s inquest evidence ›
• Cab driver saw suspect look-alike with bandaged hand ›
• Shandee's Story: the people in the podcast ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
Will Shandee Blackburn ever get justice? Will systemic flaws in Queensland’s forensic lab be independently investigated by the authorities? In this episode of the podcast series – which is pausing until new leads arise – Dr Kirsty Wright reveals the letter she confidentially wrote to Queensland’s corruption-fighting agency about the broken lab and her concerns that its problems are more serious than they first appeared. John and Shandee's former friend Jarrod Hau describes as untrue a claim John made to detectives and friends after the murder. Police investigate whether a taxi driver picked up John when he had a bandaged right hand in the days after Shandee’s murder. Vicki and Shannah’s tireless search for justice continues and more developments will come as DNA in Shandee’s case and other leads are reinvestigated by the coroner.
Fair Go
EPISODE 18
Explore related stories ›
Episode 19 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe to The Australian here.
• First police officer on scene says DNA ‘a top priority in murder probe’ ›
• Shandee Blackburn's legacy will be enduring, and positive ›
• Memory failures marred murder suspect’s inquest evidence ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
Finally, seven months after the first disclosures in episode 7 of the podcast by Dr Kirsty Wright about grave concerns over the testing of DNA in Shandee's case and in hundreds of others, a remarkable breakthrough. The Premier of Queensland announces a far-reaching public inquiry to be led by one of Queensland's most respected legal figures and he'll be armed with vast powers and a team of lawyers and investigators to get to the truth in the DNA laboratory. Vicki and Shannah Blackburn were briefed by the premier and the health minister who said they wanted to ensure public confidence in the criminal justice system. A public inquiry became unavoidable after police went public with alarming details about what they were discovering in the lab's handling of evidence and DNA in hundreds of sexual assault cases, triggering a review of rapes going back four years. Major changes are tipped to come from the inquiry which is forecast to run for six months. Vicki says Shandee would be exclaiming 'yes!'
EPISODE 19
Shandee's Legacy
Fair Go
Listen to the episode and explore related stories ›
EPISODE 18
Episode 19 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe to The Australian here.
• First police officer on scene says DNA ‘a top priority in murder probe’ ›
• Shandee Blackburn's legacy will be enduring, and positive ›
• Memory failures marred murder suspect’s inquest evidence ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
DNA scientist Dr Kirsty Wright is shown how public servants and DNA laboratory managers behind closed doors have been minimising the serious concerns raised in the podcast series. A raft of internal documents responding to Kirsty's revelations become available and these show the immediate refusal of the managers of the laboratory to start a proper audit or acknowledge anything has gone awry. Many documents are heavily redacted but are likely to be flushed out as the new Commission of Inquiry gathers momentum. Kirsty's other efforts to ensure scrutiny of the lab are revealed along with interviews of key witnesses who hadn't spoken to the podcast before. The episode is expected to be the last in Season 1 of Shandee's Story. A new season, Shandee's Legacy, is likely to start during the public inquiry run by retired Supreme Court Justice Walter Sofronoff QC.
EPISODE 20
ShOOT THE MESSENGERS
Episode 19 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe to The Australian here.
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• Memory failures marred murder suspect’s inquest evidence ›
• Shandee Blackburn's legacy will be enduring, and positive ›
• First police officer on scene says DNA ‘a top priority in murder probe’ ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
Finally, seven months after the first disclosures in episode 7 of the podcast by Dr Kirsty Wright about grave concerns over the testing of DNA in Shandee's case and in hundreds of others, a remarkable breakthrough. The Premier of Queensland announces a far-reaching public inquiry to be led by one of Queensland's most respected legal figures and he'll be armed with vast powers and a team of lawyers and investigators to get to the truth in the DNA laboratory. Vicki and Shannah Blackburn were briefed by the premier and the health minister who said they wanted to ensure public confidence in the criminal justice system. A public inquiry became unavoidable after police went public with alarming details about what they were discovering in the lab's handling of evidence and DNA in hundreds of sexual assault cases, triggering a review of rapes going back four years. Major changes are tipped to come from the inquiry which is forecast to run for six months. Vicki says Shandee would be exclaiming 'yes!'
Shandee's Legacy
EPISODE 19
Listen to the episode and explore related stories ›
Episode 19 is available now exclusively to subscribers to
The Australian via the podcast player in The Australian app.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe to The Australian here.
• ‘Give my ute back,’ murder suspect demands of coroner ›
• New clue could link chief suspect’s car to murder ›
• Suspect’s vehicle ‘matches’ CCTV car ›
• Memory failures marred suspect’s inquest evidence ›
• Shandee’s legacy will be enduring, and positive ›
• Officer on scene: DNA ‘top priority in murder probe’ ›
STORIES FROM THIS EPISODE
Finally, seven months after the first disclosures in episode 7 of the podcast by Dr Kirsty Wright about grave concerns over the testing of DNA in Shandee's case and in hundreds of others, a remarkable breakthrough. The Premier of Queensland announces a far-reaching public inquiry to be led by one of Queensland's most respected legal figures and he'll be armed with vast powers and a team of lawyers and investigators to get to the truth in the DNA laboratory. Vicki and Shannah Blackburn were briefed by the premier and the health minister who said they wanted to ensure public confidence in the criminal justice system. A public inquiry became unavoidable after police went public with alarming details about what they were discovering in the lab's handling of evidence and DNA in hundreds of sexual assault cases, triggering a review of rapes going back four years. Major changes are tipped to come from the inquiry which is forecast to run for six months. Vicki says Shandee would be exclaiming 'yes!'
Shandee's Legacy
EPISODE 19
Listen to the episode and explore related stories ›
Subscribe to Shandee's Story in your podcast app to be notified when new episodes are released.
The Australian's podcast, Shandee's Story, exposed shocking failures at Queensland’s state-run DNA laboratory and prompted a major public inquiry.
Now, the team that brought you The Teacher’s Trial – Hedley Thomas, Claire Harvey, David Murray, and Matthew Condon – are back to cover the bombshell evidence heard in the inquiry’s public hearings.
Season 2 of Shandee’s Story, called Shandee’s Legacy, will be published for the duration of the inquiry.
Subscribe to Shandee's Story in your podcast app to be notified when new episodes are released.
The Australian's podcast, Shandee's Story, exposed shocking failures at Queensland’s state-run DNA laboratory and prompted a major public inquiry.
Now, the team that brought you The Teacher’s Trial – Hedley Thomas, Claire Harvey, David Murray, and Matthew Condon – are back to cover the bombshell evidence heard in the inquiry’s public hearings.
Season 2 of Shandee’s Story, called
Shandee’s Legacy, will be published for the duration of the inquiry.