Dear Rachelle

“My beautiful sister, Rachelle Childs, was violently taken from us when I was just 18. My big sister was vivacious, hilarious and kind. She was my mentor, my protector, my best friend. I looked up to her so much. Now I know she's looking down on me. Willing me to find the person who killed her.”  Kristy Childs’s sister Rachelle was murdered. No one has ever been charged with the crime. The 23-year-old’s body was discovered, burning and partially undressed, on a remote Australian coastal road in June 2001. For more than two decades, her family and friends have fought for answers. Did Rachelle know her killer? Who was she supposed to be meeting at the Bargo Hotel the night she died?  Now an unstoppable cold case team has unearthed damning new evidence. Dear Rachelle is hosted and investigated by journalist Ashlea Hansen, who teams up with retired detective and renowned cold case specialist Damian Loone. There are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW! You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and extras. Episodes will drop into this podcast app weekly from Friday 4th April.  Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A killer is on the loose in an Australian country town. Excited for the June long weekend, bubbly 23-year old Rachelle Childs leaves work, phones her sister, and is dead within hours. Her burning, partially naked body is found nine hours later in bushland on a lonely coastal road. It’s another two days before her family is told the devastating news. Since Rachelle’s brutal murder and suspected rape in 2001, her younger sister Kristy has been hunting her killer. Now, with an unstoppable cold case team reinvestigating and uncovering damning new evidence, could this finally be the break the family need? Dear Rachelle is hosted and investigated by journalist Ashlea Hansen, who teams up with retired detective and renowned cold case specialist Damian Loone. There are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW! You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and extras. Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rachelle Childs has been dead for a week and police have no clear suspects. While detectives race to piece together her final movements, everyone grapples with shock and grief, and the small town rumour mill goes into overdrive. Was Rachelle killed by bikies over a drug debt? Rachelle’s sister Kristy hopes a former bikie boss will share vital information about the rumours. Dear Rachelle is hosted and investigated by journalist Ashlea Hansen, who teams up with retired detective and renowned cold case specialist Damian Loone. There are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW! You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and case files. Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this first update episode of Dear Rachelle, get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the unfolding investigation. Ashlea Hansen sits down with Kristy, Rachelle’s sister, and her best friend, Mindy, to reflect on the overwhelming response to the series and what inspired them to share Rachelle’s story. Plus, just hours after launch, a major development - NSW Police provide a promising update on Rachelle’s case. Hear Kristy and her mum Anne’s emotional reactions as Ashlea breaks the news. New FULL episodes of 'Dear Rachelle' drop every Friday. Head to dearrachelle.com.au now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fear intensifies around the usually quiet towns of Bargo and Gerroa, as word spreads a serial killer could be responsible for two murders. Police establish Rachelle Childs’ burned, half naked body was discovered just metres away from that of another murdered woman, young mum Jodie Fesus. Ash and Damian go back to Crooked River Road and uncover crucial physical evidence, mapping out the crime scene and the timeline against chilling witness statements from the night Rachelle was murdered. Kristy wonders if restoring Rachelle’s beloved blue 1978 Holden will help her hold onto her sister’s memory - even if it’s possible the killer was the last person to drive it. Dear Rachelle is hosted and investigated by journalist Ashlea Hansen, who teams up with retired detective and renowned cold case specialist Damian Loone.  There are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW! You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and case files.   Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As mourners gather to farewell the girl next door who just happened to love fast cars, detectives keep a close eye on the guest list. Was Rachelle’s murderer there among them? Investigating the men in Rachelle’s orbit, Ash and Damian uncover a common thread that brings them closer to the truth. What did Rachelle stumble upon that could have put her in danger? Dear Rachelle is hosted and investigated by journalist Ashlea Hansen, who teams up with retired detective and renowned cold case specialist Damian Loone. There are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW! You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and case files. Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New forensic leads emerge in this second update episode of Dear Rachelle. Police enhance CCTV from the night Rachelle was murdered and send a new item for forensic testing, plus more people ink the "Team Chelle" cause on their skin. Ashlea Hansen sits down with Kristy, Anne and retired detective Damian Loone to unpack the latest breakthroughs in the unfolding investigation. New FULL episodes of Dear Rachelle drop every Friday, and there are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW!  You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and extras. Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“What happened and why did it happen? Those two things will tell you about the person who did it.” FBI-trained criminal profiler and former NSW police Detective Sergeant Kris Illingsworth takes Ash through the trail of evidence and the killer’s likely state of mind. Her report has never been shared with the Childs family nor the public, until now. Can hypnotherapy help a friend remember who Rachelle was planning to meet at the Bargo Hotel? Meanwhile, Damian and Ash examine startling revelations about a person of interest. There are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW! You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and case files. Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WARNING: This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault, which may be distressing to some listeners. Two sexually motivated attacks.  Two women preyed upon in their own homes. Two acquittals.  A familiar alibi. Two women silenced for decades, who are now speaking out for Rachelle. There are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW! You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and extras. Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First it's the thrill of singles mingles nights, champagne, prawns and flowers. Then, in an instant, the switch is flicked. The pleading turns nasty. The menacing phone calls start.  Sometimes fixation turns into threats of outright violence. A Person Of Interest’s previous partners come forward with allegations about his patterns of behaviour. Why was that same POI telling people about forensic evidence likely known only to police and those who’d conducted Rachelle Childs' autopsy? Dear Rachelle is hosted and investigated by journalist Ashlea Hansen, who teams up with retired detective and renowned cold case specialist Damian Loone, and Rachelle's sister Kristy. Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia. There are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW! You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and case files.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A key witness comes forward with a disturbing discovery, in this third update episode of Dear Rachelle. Host Ashlea Hansen is joined by Rachelle’s sister Kristy, her mum Anne, close friend Mindy and retired detective Damian Loone to unpack the latest developments.  The owner of the unit once rented by Kevin Correll has come forward with a strange find from under the carpet. The discovery comes just days before what would have been Rachelle’s 47th birthday.  NSW Police have confirmed they’ve applied to increase the $200,000 reward, with a renewed call for anyone with information to come forward. As Kristy puts it, this could all end if someone simply tells the truth. New FULL episodes of Dear Rachelle drop every Friday, and there are more episodes of Dear Rachelle out RIGHT NOW!  You can enjoy early access to the latest podcast episodes with an eligible digital News Corp Australia subscription by visiting dearrachelle.com.au and subscribing today. It also grants you exclusive access to videos, interactive evidence, behind the scenes and extras. Dear Rachelle is a podcast by True Crime Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.