Episode Details

In this episode of You Can't Unhear, we examine the heartbreaking true crime case of Tia Lee Palmer, a 12-year-old girl from Queensland, Australia, whose repeated attempts to run away became warning signs that nobody fully understood until it was too late. After surviving domestic violence during her early childhood and moving through multiple foster placements, Tia believed she had finally found a permanent family. Instead, investigators would later uncover abuse, manipulation, and a devastating cover-up inside the very home that was supposed to protect her.

This episode follows the complete timeline of Tia's final year, from her repeated disappearances and the concerns raised by those closest to her, to the police investigation that exposed what had really happened inside the Thorburn household. It remains one of Australia's most heartbreaking child murder cases and continues to spark conversations about foster care, child protection, abuse reporting, and the importance of listening when vulnerable children repeatedly ask for help.