Episode Details

WANDA BEACH: PART TWO - LINGERING QUESTIONS The bodies of Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sharrock were found on 12 January 1965. By April 1966, approximately 7,000 people had been interviewed in what was then the largest criminal investigation in Australian history. By 1981, that figure had risen to more than 16,000. The case file exceeded 10,000 pages.

Three suspects have emerged across the decades. Derek Percy, Australia's longest-serving prisoner, whose grandmother lived on the same street as both victims. Christopher Wilder, who was living on the Northern Beaches at the time of the murders and had a 1963 conviction for another serious offence at a Sydney beach. Alan Bassett gave a painting to detective Cec Johnson in 1975 that Johnson beieved depicted details of the Wanda Beach crime scene.

In part two, we examine sixty years of unanswered questions and try to solve this heartbreaking mystery. Sources

• Whiticker, Alan J. Wanda: The Untold Story of the Wanda Beach Murders. New Holland Publishers, 2003.
• Illawarra Mercury. "Australian serial killer Christopher Wilder linked to the Wanda Beach murders," 14 June 2018. https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5461703
• St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. "Australian serial killer linked to nation's most infamous cold case," 11 June 2018. https://www.theleader.com.au/story/5458975
• Forgotten Illawarra. "The Last Dance" (Carolyn Orphin / Alan Bassett), January 2017. https://forgottenillawarra.wordpress.com/2017/01/19/the-last-dance/
• Forgotten Illawarra. "The Piccadilly Murder" (Wilhelmina Kruger), June 2013. https://forgottenillawarra.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/the-piccadilly-murder/
• Australian Missing Persons Register. "Carolyn Orphin." https://australianmissingpersonsregister.com/ampr/CarolynOrphin.htm
• Sunday Night, Channel Seven, broadcast 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQDW9pr_KzA

Title Music: by Jesse Frank from Pixabay

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