Casefile Archives 1: The Wanda Beach Murders

Casefile Archives 1: The Wanda Beach Murders

Author: Casefile Presents January 9, 2026 Duration: 1:17:00

*** Content Warning: child victims, child sexual assault ***

On January 11, 1965, 15-year-old Christine Sharrock and Marianne Schmidt spent the day at Cronulla Beach with Marianne's four younger siblings. After lunch, the two teenagers went for a walk into the nearby sandhills at Wanda Beach, but never returned.


The following day, their bodies were found in the sand dunes. The murders shocked the nation, triggering one of the largest homicide investigations in Australian history. Despite an exhaustive inquiry, police were unable to identify the killer. Decades on, the mystery remains.


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Casefile Archives is a series of special bonus releases revisiting the earliest years of the show. The re-run episodes have been completely edited, polished, re-recorded and freshly produced from start to finish to match our current production standards. They are not complete rewrites - our goal wasn’t to alter the cases or reshape the writing, but to preserve the original storytelling while giving the production the refinement it didn’t have when we started the show back in 2016. 


Where appropriate, updates have been added, but the core structure and storytelling remain faithful to the originals. Because of this, these re-releases may sound a little different to our recent episodes, but they allow us to bring some of the earliest episodes up to the technical quality listeners expect today.


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Narration – Anonymous Host

Research & writing – Anonymous Host

Production & music – Mike Migas

Audio editing – Anthony Telfer


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The stark reality of criminal investigations often proves more unsettling than any crafted story. Casefile True Crime meticulously explores this territory, presenting deeply researched narratives of solved and unsolved cases from around the globe. Each episode is a comprehensive audio documentary, structured with a deliberate and respectful tone that focuses on the facts, the timeline of events, and the human impact at the core of every story. This approach creates an immersive experience, allowing the details to unfold without sensationalism. The podcast, presented by Casefile Presents, delves into a wide spectrum of incidents, from historical mysteries that have shaped forensic science to contemporary investigations that challenge legal systems. Listeners will hear a thorough examination of police procedures, courtroom dynamics, and the often-overlooked perspectives of those affected. The narration is clear and focused, prioritizing factual accuracy and narrative cohesion to build a complete picture of each case. It’s a show for those who appreciate detail-oriented storytelling within the true crime genre, where the priority is understanding the sequence and significance of events rather than speculative commentary. The result is a consistently engaging and sobering look at the complexities of crime and its lasting repercussions on society and culture. For supporters seeking an ad-free experience and additional content like bonus Q&A sessions and the exclusive ‘Behind the Files’ series, a premium subscription is available.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Casefile True Crime
Podcast Episodes
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*** Content warnings: Child sexual abuse, sexual assault, self-harm ***When renowned teacher Malka Leifer joined the staff at Adass Israel School in the Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick, she was welcomed by the entire com…
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In November 1999, Bruce Miller, a scrapyard owner in Michigan, was found murdered in what looked like a robbery gone wrong. After three months with no solid leads, investigators feared the case would go cold. But hundred…
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Duration: 1:20:43
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Case 330: David Birkett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:32
*** Content warnings: Animal cruelty ***After respected dermatologist Dr David Birkett was found bludgeoned to death in his Middlesbrough home, police struggled to uncover a motive or identify a suspect for what appeared…
Case 329: Roseanne Beckett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:01
*** Content warnings: Domestic violence, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, animal cruelty***In mid-1989, in the small New South Wales Town of Taree, local residents and law enforcement alike began investigating a woman…
Case 328: Kirsty Jones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:13
*** Content warnings: Sexual assault ***23-year-old Welsh backpacker Kirsty Jones had her whole life ahead of her when she set out for a two-year trip across Asia, Australia and South America. Tragically, that trip was c…
Case 327: Rodrigo Rosenberg Marzano [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:02
*** Content warnings: Gun violence ***Early on the morning of Sunday, May 10 2009, corporate attorney Rodrigo Rosenberg Marzano left home to take a bike ride around his neighbourhood in Guatemala City. Within minutes, he…
Case 326: Cooper Harris [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:58
*** Content warnings: Child victim ***When doting mother Leanna Harris arrived to pick up her 22-month-old son Cooper Harris from daycare in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 18 2014, she was shocked to find that Cooper wasn’t t…
Case 325: The Gilham Family [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:13
23-year-old Jeff Gilham showed up on his neighbours’ doorstep in the early morning hours of August 28 1993, with a shocking claim. His older brother Christopher Gilham had just killed their parents, Stephen and Helen, an…