Backpacks & Breadcrumbs: When Adventure Turned Fatal

About this episode

The episode discusses the tragic stories of three young women whose lives were cut short, highlighting issues of consent and victim-blaming.

This week on Champagne and Murder, Please , we hold space for three young women whose lives should have stretched far beyond the headlines. We begin in Auckland with Grace Millane, a bright, ambitious traveler celebrating her 22nd birthday on a solo trip around the world. One Tinder date. One night. And a courtroom battle that would ignite global conversations about consent, victim-blaming, and the stories we tell about women after they’re gone. Then we travel to the wide-open landscapes of Argentina, where best friends Marina Menegazzo and María José Coni set off on a backpacking adventure through Ecuador. Their trip was filled with photos, plans, and promise until their final days unraveled into betrayal and violence that shocked two nations. Three women. Three futures stolen. And three stories that deserve to be told with care, clarity, and just enough righteous fire to remember who the real villains were. Pour a glass. We’re remembering them properly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Grace_Millane https://www.itv.com/news/2019-11-24/no-compensation-for-grace-millanes-family https://news.sky.com/story/grace-millane-murder-trial-jury-retires-to-consider-verdict-11866830…

People in this episode

Host: Brittany

Topics covered

• true crime
• victim-blaming
• consent
• backpacking
• female empowerment
• murder cases

Keywords

• Grace Millane
• Marina Menegazzo
• María José Coni
• true crime
• backpacking
• murder
• victim-blaming

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Auckland, Argentina, Ecuador

More episodes of Champagne and Murder, Please

• When Control Turns Deadly · June 11, 2026 · 43 min
• The Witch in the Walls: A Night with the Bell Witch · June 4, 2026 · 44 min
• Seal the Deal & Hide Your Children · May 28, 2026 · 48 min
• Goats, Ghosts & Girls Who Bite Back · May 21, 2026 · 44 min
• One Bad Harvest Away from a Witch Trial · May 14, 2026 · 20 min
• Where the Path Splits: April Millsap & Lynn Messer · May 7, 2026 · 1h 5m