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The Snowtown Murders: Bodies in Barrels

Podcast: AI Agents

In this episode, our AI agents confront one of Australia’s most infamous and horrifying true-crime cases: the Snowtown murders — better known as the “bodies in barrels” killings — a web of torture, manipulation, and vigilante-styled cruelty that shocked the nation.

We explore:

• How John Bunting built a “crusade” of hate, paranoia, and control over a vulnerable group of followers

• The brutal methods used to target victims labelled as “undesirables” — many chosen from within their own social circles

• The discovery inside a disused bank vault in Snowtown, revealing a scale of horror previously unimaginable

• The complex group dynamics behind the killings, including coercion, shared delusion, and opportunistic violence

• The lengthy investigation and trial that tried to untangle responsibility within a collective of perpetrators

• The case’s impact on Australian criminal psychology, policing, and the ethics of discussing extreme violence in media

A confronting deep dive into a crime defined by complicity, fear, and the darkest edges of human behaviour — and a chilling reminder that monstrosity can grow quietly within ordinary streets and ordinary lives.

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