Latest news with #PyjamaGirl
Sydney Morning Herald
08-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
What is it with true crime, and why do so many women love it?
Thousands of people queued to catch a glimpse of the unidentified body of the murder victim known only as the Pyjama Girl. She had been put on display in a bath filled with formalin at the University of Sydney in the hope her preserved body would be identified by a member of the public. It was the 1930s and the Pyjama Girl mystery was the biggest story in Australia. Everyone wanted to know: who was she and who killed her? We like to think our obsession with true crime is a modern-day phenomenon, one buoyed by the relentless flow of podcasts, newspaper headlines, television documentaries and true crime special events. But experts say all that has changed is the way in which we consume dark tales of murder and mayhem. The Mushroom trial – in which Victorian mother Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three family members and attempting to murder a fourth – is the latest grisly tale and the public, both in Australia and overseas, can't get enough. Patterson pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. During the 10-week trial, there has been not one, but four, podcasts delivering daily updates of the courtroom drama taking place in Morwell, Victoria; media outlets streamed online updates all day long and television news programs led with the key moments morning, noon and night – all for the voracious appetite of the consuming public. Loading 'The mechanisms for giving us access (to true crime stories) have changed,' says forensic criminologist Xanthe Mallett. 'But if you look at Jack the Ripper, for example, you had those penny dreadfuls, or stories published in weekly parts, that were the precursors to the true crime documentaries and podcasts. 'They've always existed.'
The Age
08-07-2025
- The Age
What is it with true crime, and why do so many women love it?
Thousands of people queued to catch a glimpse of the unidentified body of the murder victim known only as the Pyjama Girl. She had been put on display in a bath filled with formalin at the University of Sydney in the hope her preserved body would be identified by a member of the public. It was the 1930s and the Pyjama Girl mystery was the biggest story in Australia. Everyone wanted to know: who was she and who killed her? We like to think our obsession with true crime is a modern-day phenomenon, one buoyed by the relentless flow of podcasts, newspaper headlines, television documentaries and true crime special events. But experts say all that has changed is the way in which we consume dark tales of murder and mayhem. The Mushroom trial – in which Victorian mother Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three family members and attempting to murder a fourth – is the latest grisly tale and the public, both in Australia and overseas, can't get enough. Patterson pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. During the 10-week trial, there has been not one, but four, podcasts delivering daily updates of the courtroom drama taking place in Morwell, Victoria; media outlets streamed online updates all day long and television news programs led with the key moments morning, noon and night – all for the voracious appetite of the consuming public. Loading 'The mechanisms for giving us access (to true crime stories) have changed,' says forensic criminologist Xanthe Mallett. 'But if you look at Jack the Ripper, for example, you had those penny dreadfuls, or stories published in weekly parts, that were the precursors to the true crime documentaries and podcasts. 'They've always existed.'
The Age
08-07-2025
- The Age
The fascination with true crime, and why so many women love it
Thousands of people queued to catch a glimpse of the unidentified body of the murder victim known only as the Pyjama Girl. She had been put on display in a bath filled with formalin at the University of Sydney in the hope her preserved body would be identified by a member of the public. It was the 1930s and the Pyjama Girl mystery was the biggest story in Australia. Everyone wanted to know: who was she and who killed her? We like to think our obsession with true crime is a modern-day phenomenon, one buoyed by the relentless flow of podcasts, newspaper headlines, television documentaries and true crime special events. But experts say all that has changed is the way in which we consume dark tales of murder and mayhem. The Mushroom trial – in which Victorian mother Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three family members and attempting to murder a fourth – is the latest grisly tale and the public, both in Australia and overseas, can't get enough. Patterson pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. During the 10-week trial, there has been not one, but four, podcasts delivering daily updates of the courtroom drama taking place in Morwell, Victoria; media outlets streamed online updates all day long and television news programs led with the key moments morning, noon and night – all for the voracious appetite of the consuming public. Loading 'The mechanisms for giving us access (to true crime stories) have changed,' says forensic criminologist Xanthe Mallett. 'But if you look at Jack the Ripper, for example, you had those penny dreadfuls, or stories published in weekly parts, that were the precursors to the true crime documentaries and podcasts. 'They've always existed.'
Sydney Morning Herald
08-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The fascination with true crime, and why so many women love it
Thousands of people queued to catch a glimpse of the unidentified body of the murder victim known only as the Pyjama Girl. She had been put on display in a bath filled with formalin at the University of Sydney in the hope her preserved body would be identified by a member of the public. It was the 1930s and the Pyjama Girl mystery was the biggest story in Australia. Everyone wanted to know: who was she and who killed her? We like to think our obsession with true crime is a modern-day phenomenon, one buoyed by the relentless flow of podcasts, newspaper headlines, television documentaries and true crime special events. But experts say all that has changed is the way in which we consume dark tales of murder and mayhem. The Mushroom trial – in which Victorian mother Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three family members and attempting to murder a fourth – is the latest grisly tale and the public, both in Australia and overseas, can't get enough. Patterson pleaded not guilty to all charges and has always maintained her innocence. During the 10-week trial, there has been not one, but four, podcasts delivering daily updates of the courtroom drama taking place in Morwell, Victoria; media outlets streamed online updates all day long and television news programs led with the key moments morning, noon and night – all for the voracious appetite of the consuming public. Loading 'The mechanisms for giving us access (to true crime stories) have changed,' says forensic criminologist Xanthe Mallett. 'But if you look at Jack the Ripper, for example, you had those penny dreadfuls, or stories published in weekly parts, that were the precursors to the true crime documentaries and podcasts. 'They've always existed.'
