Listeners, Parcast has been celebrating Earth Day all month long,

with a network-wide special diving deep into Earth's darkest crimes and conspiracies.

This week, to commemorate this special, we're highlighting two serial killers episodes you may have missed.

Enjoy part one of The Backpacker Murders Today, and join us later in the week for part two.

Due to the graphic nature of this episode,

listener discretion is advised.

This episode contains discussions of murder and sexual assault

that some listeners may find disturbing.

Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13.

Music Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13. On the afternoon of January 25, 1990, Joanne Barry and her sister were driving along the Hume Highway.

It was a mini road trip from the town of Midagong to Canberra. In the back of the van were the sisters' five children.

Joanne listened to the kids chattering away, but kept her eyes firmly on the road.

It's a good thing she did, because up ahead, Joanne noticed the other cars slowing down.

Perhaps there was an accident the drivers wanted a better look at.

But just as she crested a small rise in the highway, Joanne saw what had caught everyone's attention.

Two figures were on the side of the road, a short distance away from an abandoned jeep.

Its doors wide open. Before Joanne had enough time to even wonder what was going on, one of the figures, a young

blonde man sprinted into the speeding traffic and planted himself right in front of her car.

Joanne had no choice but to slam on the brakes. She brought her van to a screeching halt in front of the young man,

who sprinted to the car's sliding door and pulled it open.

He threw himself in the back with the kids, and in a heavy British accent, said,

Help me, he's got a gun.

...