Do you recall the promise of a ‘very new form of an old narrative’ being announced in December? Well, if you have been following the ‘Man in the HOLE’ Book of Faces group, or WA Police media releases, you will already know that WAPol are producing their own podcast series nowadays. Brave new world, huh? Here is their description:
They're the crimes that continue to haunt grieving family members and the wider community - cold case murders.
Cold Case Western Australia is the official podcast of WA Police Force which examines unsolved murders.
The series includes in-depth interviews with detectives investigating the cases, and with family members of the victims. Cold Case Western Australia is hosted by Neil Poh - a veteran crime reporter and a former media advisor for WA Police Force.
The series has been commissioned as part of new efforts to obtain information from the public about this confronting, unsolved murders.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or the WA Police Force website: https://www.police.wa.gov.au/About-Us/News/WA-Police-Cold-Case-Podcast
If the rest of this post is tl,dr, the shortcut is that Ray and Jennie’s case will feature in a 3-part episode early in the new year — January 2024 — please look out for it and share. We hope that it will generate much needed information.
The podcast is wholly different to all other productions we’ve been involved with (not just for the obvious reasoning — Po-Poh produced). It is essentially a chronological re-telling of the inquest findings interspersed with sound bites from our interviews and interviews with the Po. There is no sensationalism, no speculation, no induced tears. I’ll go out on a limb and say it was refreshing. Although, when we were first approached to participate we were very wary to say the least. Subsequent to the DPP decision of last year, and certain encounters I’ve had due to my own “activism” since, we had gotten to the point where dealing with anything emanating from the big blue building felt like playing 4D chess with a flock of drunk seagulls.
Someone who shall remain anonymous summed up these feelings distinctly with their own reply at the time: “In the interest of honesty, and not wasting your time, I should let you know from the beginning that I’m only willing to take part if I can be honest about how the family and I feel the police handled (or mishandled) this case. We were ignored, condescended to, pushed to silence, used as media pawns, and frankly gaslit by the force. I’ve no interest in further public humiliation and performative grief if the sole purpose is furthering the agenda of sanitising major crime’s reputation. With no charges, no conviction, and no justice, I’ve little interest in playing ball, so to speak.”
Anyhow, like good compliant citizens, we all still obeyed. Results will speak for themselves when Ray and Jennie’s ‘outback mystery’ airs next year. Please stay tuned.
Episode one of the Cold Case Western Australia series was released last Monday: the murder of Felicia Wilson, a 19yr old young woman brutally murdered near Kwinana, 1979.
After listening to that case, I needed a whiskey and a decade long nap. The grief and pain is still as raw and horrific in Felicia’s family’s suffering today as it was nearly half a century ago. If only all police were inoculated with that feeling during basic training, they might understand how important their job is, and complacency may be prevented. (That’s just my humble, activist opinion…)
There’s 7 episodes all up in this first series, including 3 on Ray & Jennie. Episodes will be published weekly (Mondays) until Dec 18, then break for the festive season, resuming on Jan 8. Ray’s and Jennie’s will air in the new year. The Po-Poh will be starting on a 2nd series in early 2024.
All cases are as important as the others, and hopefully this new avenue employed by police will assist providing resolution for all families seeking justice. Hopefully this revised cold case squad can achieve long overdue, much needed answers for us all.
Unless something mind blowing happens in the coming weeks, this will be my last post for the year. It has been a roller coaster of a year, this being just one more piece of madness to finish off 2023. Surely 2024 will be a much easier year, right? Right??
Please have a safe and prosperous Christmas and New Year — from my family to yours. Cheers.
Hope you and your family can have a nice Xmas god bless
How can I get intouch please