Inside The Minds Of Australia’s Worst Female Killers

About this episode

Dr Xanthe Weston joins to discuss the motives behind Australia's worst female killers and how they differ from male perpetrators.

Katherine Knight, Sarah Makin, Caroline Grills, Catherine Birnie, Helen Moore, and Rachel Pfitzner are among the most notorious female killers in Australian history. But what compels a woman to take a life, whether it’s someone close to her or, more rarely, a stranger? Dr Xanthe Weston, a criminal psychologist, has long been driven by this very question. Drawing on years of research into cases like these, she joins us today to explore what she’s discovered - why women’s motives for killing often differ from men’s, and whether some perpetrators are inherently predisposed to violence, or shaped by circumstance. LINKS Listen to the Method & Motive podcast here .  If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 . GET IN TOUCH Follow us on Instagram and TikTok  @truecrimeconversations Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at  truecrime@mamamia.com.au  or send us a voice note. Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes.  CREDITS  Guest: Dr Xanthe…

People in this episode

Host: Gemma Bath

Guest: Dr Xanthe Weston

Topics covered

• female killers
• criminal psychology
• motive for murder
• Australian crime
• notorious criminals
• gender differences in crime

Keywords

• female killers
• Australia
• criminal psychology
• murder motives
• Katherine Knight
• Sarah Makin
• notorious criminals
• gender differences

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lifeline, Beyond Blue, Mamamia

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