Episode 547: The mysterious disappearance of Marion Barter
19 April 2024 - 41 minsWhen news editor Alison Sandy began investigating the sinister disappearance of Marion Barter for a podcast series she did not know where the story would take her.
The mother of two sold her home, quit her job and made plans to move to Europe, but when her family stopped hearing from her it was soon discovered that she had changed her name.
Working with the missing woman’s daughter Sally Leydon and journalist Bryan Seymour, the hit Australian podcast ‘The Lady Vanishes’ led to the mysterious case unravelling in real-time, as a listener found a key piece of information that would blow the case right open.
Clodagh Meaney speaks to Alison Sandy about the podcast and how the team managed to h...
Series Episodes
The Science of Fear - Borrowed Time (Episode 7)
As Bomber waits in the shadows of his English mansion, a single forgotten logistics document from an Irish raid allows the National Crime Agency to bridge the gap between his legitimate front and his billion-euro drug empire. Meticulous digital forensics begin to peel back the layers of his encrypted secrecy, exposing “The Gaffer” as the cold CEO of a transnational narcotics machine that law enforcement is finally ready to dismantle. The Science of Fear: The Bloody Reign of Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was originally released as a subscriber-only series in January 2026 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
44 mins
9 July Finished
The Science of Fear - The Net Tightens (Episode 6)
Bomber’s empire begins to unravel, as an innocuous scrap of paper found in a raid of a weapons-filled industrial unit in Dublin gives international law enforcement a thread to follow in their investigations. Meanwhile, a lavish marriage ceremony in Dubai attracts a lot of attention. The Science of Fear: The Bloody Reign of Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was originally released as a subscriber-only series in January 2026 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
31 mins
8 July Finished
The Science of Fear - Blood and War (Episode 5)
The criminal underworld is shattered when gunmen armed with AK-47s storm a Dublin hotel weigh-in, leaving Bomber’s brother-in-law dead and igniting a “psychotic” revenge feud that turns the city into a war zone. Forced out of the shadows, Bomber stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Daniel Kinahan at a military-style funeral, a public show of defiance that finally earns him and the gang the undivided attention of international law enforcement. The Science of Fear: The Bloody Reign of Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was originally released as a subscriber-only series in January 2026 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
34 mins
8 July Finished
The Science of Fear - Bomber’s Boom Years (Episode 4)
In the “champagne years” of the international drug trade, Bomber emerges as a global power-broker, helping Daniel Kinahan forge a lethal “Super Cartel” alliance with Dutch and Italian kingpins to dominate the European cocaine market. Amidst a backdrop of first-class flights and fortified mansions, he earns the nickname “Santa” for his flash displays of wealth, even as murder and violence underpin his reign. The Science of Fear: The Bloody Reign of Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was originally released as a subscriber-only series in January 2026 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
34 mins
7 July Finished
The Science of Fear - Hidden Empire (Episode 3)
In the quiet Staffordshire town of Tamworth, Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh established a deceptive front as a car dealer and built a sophisticated, international logistics hub for the Kinahan organisation. Utilising “Trojan horse” concealments in industrial machinery to smuggle millions in narcotics, he maintained absolute control through a cold “science of fear” that terrorised subordinates and ensured his status as a global underworld tycoon. The Science of Fear: The Bloody Reign of Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was originally released as a subscriber-only series in January 2026 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 mins
7 July Finished
The Science of Fear - Modern Irish Gangster (Episode 2)
Rising through the ranks of a drug-fuelled Dublin in the 1990s, Kavanagh weaponised fear and forged a deadly alliance with the notorious Byrne crime dynasty to dominate the city’s exploding cocaine market. As he became the historic first target of the Criminal Assets Bureau, a campaign of savage witness intimidation and extreme violence eventually forced Bomber to flee Ireland and expand his operations across the Irish sea. The Science of Fear: The Bloody Reign of Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was originally released as a subscriber-only series in January 2026 on crimeworld.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
25 mins
6 July Finished
