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In Eight Minutes Of Footage Jessica Zrinski Doesn’t Get Out Of The Car Once

In Eight Minutes Of Footage Jessica Zrinski Doesn’t Get Out Of The Car Once

Author: Mamamia Podcasts August 19, 2026 Duration: 43:49
True Crime Conversations
True Crime

At 8:49am on a Tuesday morning in November 2022, 30-year-old Jessica Zrinski was captured on CCTV in the passenger seat of a blue Holden Commodore pulling into a service station in Mount Victoria. Trailing from her passenger door was a massive tree branch, and driving the car was Paul Jones, a man she had met outside a Western Sydney pub just hours earlier.

Those eight minutes and 40 seconds of footage would be the last time Jessica was ever seen alive. Soon after, Jones vanished off the grid for nearly three years, eventually located by police living in a camouflaged cave in dense bushland before being subpoenaed to give evidence at her coronial inquest.

In this episode of True Crime Conversations, NewsCorp investigative journalist Ashlea Hansen joins Gemma Bath to unpack the bizarre timeline, the extensive searches through the Blue Mountains bushland, and what Jessica’s family hopes to finally learn as the inquest resumes.

LINKS

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Contact Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578, 7 days, 24 hours.

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CREDITS

Guest: Ashlea Hansen

Host & Executive Producer: Gemma Bath

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Producer: Ella Maitland

Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy 

Video Editor: Julian Rosario

Audio Designer: Tegan Salder

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Gemma Bath hosts True Crime Conversations, a podcast from Mamamia Podcasts that delves into infamous criminal cases from Australia and around the world. Rather than just recounting facts, each episode is built around a direct conversation with someone who has a unique, often personal connection to the story. You might hear from a detective who worked the case, a journalist who covered the trial, a family member seeking answers, or a forensic expert who examined the evidence. This approach brings a tangible, human dimension to stories that can sometimes feel distant or sensationalised. The tone is engaging and thoughtful, focusing on the nuances and the people affected, rather than just the shock value. It’s for anyone who appreciates a deeper, more conversational entry into the true crime genre, where the emphasis is on understanding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from those who were actually there. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of a serious, yet accessible, discussion about some of the most compelling and complex crimes in recent history.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 50

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