Shot In The Dark

11/07/2024

Well done for exposing DV cowards. Such a massive issue in Australia but so many victims fly under the radar as listeners of this podcast and can attest

08/07/2024

You are invited to the unveiling of Gwen's Bench at the park on Lake St Cairns, near where the body of Gwen Grover was discovered more than 40 years ago.

A small ceremony will be held as a reminder to families of victims and survivors of Domestic Violence to never give up the fight for justice and to remember there is a strong support network out there to support them.

The bench will be erected in front of the tree Cairns Regional Council planted for her last year.

Gwen's sister Sue Cole says she is deeply grateful to those who have organised this, particularly Luke Jackson, Cairns Mayor Amy Eden, Deirdre Ford of the Red Rose Foundation, and MP Yolonde Ensch.

"These red benches stand as a poignant reminder of a silent epidemic plaguing our nation — domestic violence," Sue said.

"Research indicates that domestic violence causes more deaths than any other health epidemic.

"I hope that anyone passing through Lake Street will take a moment to pause, sit on this bench, and reflect on the courage of women such as Gwen, who bravely fought to protect their children

"It is imperative that we end 'victim shaming and victim blaming' and that lawmakers, policymakers, and the judiciary take a firm stance.

"In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., 'To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."

Send a message to learn more

28/06/2024

Today is Gwen Grover's birthday - she would have turned 73.

This is a photo of the tree planted for her by Cairns Regional Council after our podcast was published.

Later this year, a red bench will go in and one day, Gwen's Tree will shelter and protect the people on that bench, the same way she tried to shelter and protect her boys.

Like so many other women across Australia, Gwen's death was a Hidden Homicide.

The creators of her podcast are dedicated to exposing stories such as Gwen's whose deaths were mishandled by authorities.

Gwen's sister, Sue Cole, has this message:

"To all our friends, family and loyal supporters, your unwavering support has given me the strength and courage to keep going even when things get tough. I want you all to know how much it means to me and I will continue with our fight to get justice for Gwen."

We are still awaiting a date for the District Court where Gwen's case will be resumed.

19/10/2023

The pursuit for justice a long and arduous one but if you’re committed and resilient, you can get there. Listen to this new episode for latest in Sue Coles’ journey to uncover the truth about her sister’s death.

16/10/2023

In case you missed it. New episode out soon!

It's been 40 years since she was found dead in a car in Cairns and police determined the mother-of-two took her own life. Now, after a botched investigation ...

14/10/2023

Thank you to everyone who turned out to Gwen Grover’s memorial in Cairns today. Thinking of the family especially her brave and relentless sister Sue Cole. A 6pm news story and podcast episode aren’t far away.

10/10/2023

On behalf of Gwen Grover's sister Sue Cole, you are invited to a memorial for the 40th anniversary of her death to be held on Saturday, 10am, at the Hockey Fields on Lake St in Cairns. This is the location Gwen Grover's body was on 14 October, 1983. Shortly after, a new episode of the podcast will be released revealing the significant progress that's been made in getting justice for Gwen four decades later. Stay tuned.

18/09/2023

Imagine being the family of Breeana Robinson who were today told by prosecutors, less than two months before the murder trial was scheduled to begin, that charges against her alleged killer were now being dropped. This is two years after her boyfriend was charged with her murder and 10 year’s after Breanna’s death, which was initially treated as a su***de. Thinking of Elaine, Janine and Matthew today 🩷 Alison

The family of Breeana Robinson says the development is their ‘worst nightmare’.

19/07/2023

For those of you who missed it, here's a link to Gwen Grover's sister, Sue Cole, on Episode 22 of SBS's Insight in the second of a two-parter about the plight for justice for families of victims. Great work Sue - Gwen would be so proud! X

Walkley award-winning Australian current affairs program focusing on local news and issues and featuring a debate forum.

18/07/2023

Good to see recognition of the injustice of the case of Gwen Grover is growing. Well done Sue! 👏

The sister of a woman found with a gunshot wound to the head in a car in Lake St almost 40 years ago is pushing for the findings of a 2021 inquest that ruled it a su***de to be set aside because of “fresh evidence”.

27/06/2023

Today Gwen Grover would have turned 72 years-old. The death of the caring, loving mother of two was never taken seriously by authorities and we’ve since learned, the Coroner who ruled her death a su***de has been relocated from North Queensland and is no longer working as a Coroner. Gwen’s sister Sue is still working hard behind the scenes to find the truth & is making progress. The battle for justice continues. Watch this space.
RIP Gwen ❤️

23/05/2023

Personal plug - So this is happening https://events.humanitix.com/making-headlines-a-conversation-with-the-journalists-behind-queensland-s-biggest-stories I'm so honoured to be part of such an impressive panel. If you're in Brisbane or can come to Brisbane at this time, please join us!

What or who makes headlines? Across sport, politics, business, and lifestyle – behind all big splashes and breaking news crosses – is a journalist or a team of them. This June, the Kennedy Foundation, in partnership with Telum Media, will host an exclusive event with some of the most exciting na...

22/05/2023

Out now - Woman’s Day has published an article about Gwen’s story. More developments are underway. Stay tuned! ❤️

21/05/2023

Sometimes people do wonderful things unexpectedly.

The Cairns Regional Council parks and natural areas planner wrote to Sue recently advising a tree, ‘Gwen’s Tree’, has been planted at the place her body was found.

This is what he said:

“Please see attached images of the tree planted in honour of Gwen. As the tree has only just gone in, it looks the way it does because its young. Council will make sure it is watered for the first 3 months (as we do with all new trees), so we ensure it survives the first few months where trees can fail without watering.
The species is Pterocarpus indicus (it has many common names and lives throughout northern Australia and Asia, its most commonly called Red Sandalwood) – when it grows more it will look like the image below.
They are beautiful and green and have a lovely canopy, provide lots of shade and the wildlife love them. One day when it grows more, you can come and visit and sit under Gwen’s tree.”

Thank you Cairns Regional Council - what a beautiful gesture!

17/05/2023

You may recall in episode 8 we featured the story of Amy Wensley which was ruled a su***de. Yesterday, for the first time since Amy died almost a decade ago, WA Police acknowledged it was actually a Homicide and offered a $1 million reward for information. Here’s the statement from Amy’s aunt, Anna Davey.

17/04/2023

A climactic final episode as a new witness comes forward. While it’s the end of our series, it’s also just the beginning in our pursuit to get justice for Gwen along with the many other victims whose deaths were mishandled by authorities. We will continue to keep our loyal listeners informed on new developments. This investigation is taking place 40 years after the fact, but if it had been handled properly in the first place, this wouldn't have been necessary. And as listeners have heard in episode 8, there are many others who have faced the same issues including the families of Lainie Coldwell, Julie-Anne Leahy and Vicki Arnold. When you lose a loved one in the most tragic way, you expect all avenues to be investigated. It can take decades to turn these things around. That's why The Lady Vanishes podcast about Marion Barter's disappearance is still going after four years. Police didn't even think Marion was missing after 20 years. Marion's daughter Sally was a lone voice begging them to listen. She knew Marion. Police did not. Likewise, Sue knew Gwen better than anyone else. They deserve a voice and that's what we give them.

10/04/2023

Most of us are aware that domestic violence deaths are a massive problem in Australia but many don’t realise how many are passed off as accidents or su***de. If you haven’t listened yet, tune in to Episode 9 of Shot In The Dark.

02/04/2023

The way authorities treated Sue Cole and Sally Leydon is not isolated. In episode 8: Searchlight - we talk to many more families of victims who have suffered the same treatment. We also ask listeners to please rate and review both Shot In The Dark and The Lady Vanishes wherever you listen to your podcasts. It helps raise awareness and hopefully leads to more information about Gwen Grover and Marion Barter. Thank you for your support.

29/03/2023

Qld Attorney-General has agreed to meet with Gwen Grover’s sister Sue Cole regarding her plight for justice.

27/03/2023

Police Minister Mark Ryan has referred the QPS Cold Case investigation surrounding the death of Gwen Grover to the Crime and Corruption Commission among claims it was biased.

Queensland police have been accused of showing 'heartbreaking disregard' for the family of a cold case victim. A new 7NEWS podcast 'Shot in the Dark' has bee...

26/03/2023

Episode 7: The Injustice System is available now - and don’t miss the reaction from Police Minister tonight on at 6pm. If you’re in QLD, please tune in to support us in our ongoing plight to get justice for victims and their families. We couldn’t do it without you! Alison x
Ps. A lot of people have been asking me if I’m ok after that interview with the retired police officer. Rest assured that by the time you get this far in a journalism career, you’ve become very accustomed to hostile behaviour. I had excellent training from when I was City Hall reporter and Campbell Newman was Lord Mayor! https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/brisbane-brawlers/9975166

26/03/2023

Episode 7: The Injustice System will drop tonight at midnight. It contains some shocking internal correspondence by Queensland Police about Gwen's case, prompting a major announcement from the Police Minister which will air tomorrow night at 6pm on 7News Queensland. One not to miss! (Sorry about multiple postings, had some technical difficulties!)

19/03/2023

Episode 6 of Shot in the Dark is available now! Key witnesses give evidence in part 2 of the inquest into the death of Gwen Grover.. including the man who her family believe killed her.

13/03/2023

In Episode 5, out now, we speak to the man who supposedly owned the lost gun which killed Gwen. He was never called to testify at the inquest despite being a key witness and raises serious questions over the evidence that was relied upon by the Coroner.

05/03/2023

From Writer/Producer Bryan Seymour:
Well, it's happened again.
When we started our investigation into the death of Gwen Grover, just like when we began investigating the disappearance of Marion Barter, we were not sure we would find the evidence to force authorities to re-examine the case.
In Episode 4 of Shot in the Dark, available now, you will hear stunning new evidence from a woman that casts a completely new light on what happened to Gwen.
And now, another person has come forward for the first time with first-hand knowledge that shows Sue Cole was right... her sister Gwen most likely was the victim of foul play.
Please listen and share... we want to keep finding the information that will trigger a new Coronial Inquiry and finally deliver justice for Gwen and her family.

05/03/2023

Tomorrow we release two very powerful episodes of two very different podcasts. Despite the differences, there are also strong similarities, most notably, they feature extremely strong women. Both episodes, which will be available from midnight (Brisbane time) tonight, contain the rawest, most heartbreaking, yet inspiring interviews, I've ever undertaken. Hearing the strength and courage of these women has moved me and I truly feel blessed that they have entrusted us with their stories. Be prepared, the subject matter may cause distress to some. Also for TLV listeners, it's a very long episode, but there's a lot to share with you. As always, please be mindful of your comments for legal reasons and thank you once again for your support. Alison

26/02/2023

What went wrong? Episode 3 of Shot in the Dark out now. 7 News australia

20/02/2023

There are so many stories of injustice. Hopefully shining a light on them will prevent others from going through the same thing. Here's our latest website story on the case of Gwen Grover.

‘I will do anything, anything I can to see the truth come out and to try and get justice for Gwen.’

19/02/2023

We speak to the man who found Gwen’s body. It was almost 40 years later before police spoke to him about it. Episode 2 is now available.

17/02/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=757090875845223&id=100046329523281&mibextid=qC1gEa

Already number 1 - we are overwhelmed and so grateful for your support and feedback. It’s always so stressful before a launch. Lots of sleepless nights. Thank you one and all.
www.shotinthedark.com.au
Alison x