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Australian True Crime

Forgotten Australia: The Cairns Grenade Murders Part 3

Australian True Crime

Bravecasting

True Crime

4.51K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2022

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We're taking a little break over Summer and using this time to spotlight some of our favourite true-crime podcasts.


This week we're showcasing Michael Adam's Forgotten Australia, with his three part Cairns Grenade Murders series.


Part 3: With the accused murderer of Holly Murphy and Kathleen Brown set to go to trial in April 1946, there's a series of shocking secret developments, including a bombshell letter that makes disturbing claims against Queensland's boys in blue. Via the original police murder file - and from information from a descendant of one of the men involved - we explore what might've really happened.


To read an extract and get 26% off Michael's book Hanging Ned Kelly, you can visit this link here: https://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/hanging-ned-kelly/


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

We're bringing Australian True Crime live to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne this July,

0:04.3

and I have to tell you that Brisbane sold out already.

0:07.4

Good for you, Brisbane, so we've quickly added a second show.

0:10.3

Now we can't keep adding more shows, so please make sure you get your tickets. Our special guests,

0:15.2

our forensic criminologist Santee Mallet in Brisbane and Sydney and the one and only Charlie Bazzina in

0:19.9

Melbourne. There'll be a Q&A of course so you can ask your own burning questions on the night but you have to book quickly.

0:26.0

Forgotten Australia is written and produced in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales on land traditionally owned by the Darug and Gandhangara people.

0:33.0

I pay my respects to elders past and present.

0:39.0

It's 10 in the morning, Wednesday, the 30th of January, 1946 and flanked by a strong guard of detectives

0:45.8

and uniform police, 29-year-old William Leslie Fitzgerald is ushered into cans

0:50.8

court of Petty Sessions.

0:52.9

Billy's charged with the grenade attack on the 14th of January that mortally wounded Holly Murphy

0:58.0

and Kathleen Brown and left witness Bob Davis with serious injuries.

1:03.1

Sub-inspecter Martin Alfred of Kans CIB, who has charge of the investigation,

1:08.6

presents the Crown's case.

1:10.5

Detective Sergeant Albert Heard, who led inquiries, gives details of yesterday's apprehension and arrest.

1:17.0

Bob Davis, Survivor, has made a positive identification of his former mate Billy as being the double murderer.

1:24.0

Billy's claimed alibi that he was in Pulos's club at the time of the blast

1:28.0

hasn't been corroborated by anyone.

1:31.0

The magistrate, Mr. Nois, asked the accused if he's got anything to say.

1:36.5

Billy responds, all I wish to say is, I never threw that bomb.

1:41.2

The magistrate reminds Billy to the can's Watch House until the 7th of February when the

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