There are some days in the newsroom that stay with you, and December 12, 2022, was one of those days.
As the phones began ringing late that afternoon and the early details reached our desks of what was unfolding on the Western Downs, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
I’ve spent the past 16 years delivering the news to Queenslanders but very few stories have left a mark on me as profoundly as this one.
It would be declared by authorities as “Australia’s first Christian terror attack”; a cold-blooded execution of two young police officers and an innocent neighbour.
It left an indelible mark on Queensland and shook the nation.
It was just two weeks before Christmas when four constables were ambushed as they walked down a driveway on a routine missing persons callout in the small outback town of Wieambilla, west of Brisbane.
Two young officers were murdered, and an innocent neighbour was also gunned down.
The property turned into a battleground, with an hours-long gunfight ending in the deaths of the three killers.
https://omny.fm/shows/the-ultimate-sacrifice/the-ambush/embed?style=cover
The incident was shocking, and so too were the details that unravelled over the following weeks and months; a twisted tale of conspiracy theories, religious extremism, and teachers-turned-cop-killers.
This led police to the other side of the world, where the case crossed the desks of FBI agents and ended in an arrest in the United States.
The first two episodes of our new podcast, The Ultimate Sacrifice, are out today, with two more coming next week.
These first four episodes meticulously examine the events of December 12, 2022, and the investigation that followed.
In the first episode, we drive out to the crime scene and try to get a sense of the carnage that unfolded. These four young officers didn’t know it, but they were walking into a trap. Two would never return home, but two managed to escape injured but alive.
Amongst the tragedy of that day are stories of bravery and heroism.
In episode two, we hear from someone whose life was shattered when gunshots and explosions broke the silence.
Kerry Dare is the wife of Alan Dare, the neighbour who went to investigate the chaos only to be shot dead by a gunman lying in wait. Now a grieving widow, Kerry has more questions than she does answers.
https://omny.fm/shows/the-ultimate-sacrifice/the-neighbour/embed?style=cover
A year and a half on, the haunting question remains: how did a routine callout lead to Australia’s deadliest police shooting?
Starting July 29, the Coronial Inquest will set out to answer that question.
Along with my podcast partner and producer, Jess Lodge, we will take listeners inside the coroner’s court as the inquest unfolds, sharing new details and previously unheard testimony in The Ultimate Sacrifice.
We are about to hear from dozens of witnesses, including police officers, experts, psychologists and family.
Evidence will be presented that has never been heard before; police recordings, 000 calls and crucial testimonies revealing the heroism and camaraderie displayed on that tragic day.
This podcast is our heartfelt exploration into the events of that unforgettable day and an earnest pursuit of answers. And as we uncover new evidence during the upcoming inquest, we hold the highest regard for Constable Rachel McCrow and Constable Matthew Arnold, those two young officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
The Ultimate Sacrifice is available now wherever you get your podcasts (Spotify, Apple Podcasts). It is produced in a partnership between 9News and 9Podcasts.
The first two episodes are out now. The Ultimate Sacrifice is available now wherever you get your podcasts. It is produced in a partnership between 9News and 9Podcasts.
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