Carmen Thomas. Photo / Supplied
In 2010 Auckland woman Carmen Thomas was reported missing by her ex-partner Brad Callaghan.
He told police she had failed to pick up their little boy as per their shared custody arrangement and he was worried.
Police launched an investigation but there was no sign of Carmen.
Three months later Callaghan was arrested and the brutal and macabre details of Carmen’s murder and his attempts to avoid being caught came to light.
The case is one of New Zealand’s most high-profile murder investigations and in this episode of A Moment In Crime senior journalist Anna Leask goes back through the timeline of tragedy.
This episode includes short extracts from the television show Forensics - a prime-time documentary ‘crime’ series that aired in New Zealand in 2017. The show was produced by South Pacific Pictures.
Warning - this episode contains graphic descriptions of murder and the disposal of a body and is suitable for a mature audience only.
If there is a case you want to hear about on A Moment In Crime, please email host and producer Anna Leask on anna.leask@nzme.co.nz
A Moment In Crime is written and hosted by senior journalist Anna Leask - who has been covering crime and justice for NZME since 2005.
Some of Leask’s more notable work includes coverage of the murder of British tourist Grace Millane, the killing of Auckland teenager Christie Marceau and countless high profile stories in her specialist areas of family violence, child abuse and crimes against women.
Leask has also reported on most of the major incidents and events in New Zealand during that period including the Christchurch quakes, Pike River mine disaster, March 15 terror attack and the White Island eruption.
“Each month I’ll take you inside some of our most infamous incidents, notorious offenders and behind the scenes of high-profile trials and events to show you what’s really happening in your backyard,” she said.
“Heroes and villains battle for justice to be done, and it seems no matter how horrifying the story, we always want to know more.”
A Moment In Crime is produced by Leask, iHeartRadio podcast producer Adam Pomana, and NZ Herald podcast production manager Ethan Sills.
Episodes of a Moment In Crime are usually released monthly on nzherald.co.nz, iHeartRadio and all your usual podcast apps.
And if you love this podcast, you might enjoy Leask’s first podcast Chasing Ghosts - a six-part series delving into the eerie and unsolved disappearance of Southland toddler Amber-Lee Cruickshank.
His ratings have probably improved since the CCO reforms, says the mayor.