True Crime · The Australian

The Poisoned Wife

by The Australian

Who killed Rosslyn McQueen? The Australian’s Hedley Thomas and Karina Berger investigate the unsolved 1986 murder of a 30-year-old pregnant mother, poisoned with strychnine in her own home in country Victoria, as her toddler played nearby. Rosslyn’s husband, Ray McQueen, told police and ambulance officers she had terminal cancer. But Ros didn’t have cancer and nobody believed she would have taken her own life. This podcast, from the creator of The Teacher’s Pet, Bronwyn and Shandee’s Story, also features Rex Bakes, a relentless, retired private investigator who once worked for Ray McQueen’s defence team. Now, Rex is determined to help get justice for Ros. Subscribers to The Australian hear new episodes first on Apple Podcasts, on The Australian’s app and thepoisonedwife.com, where you’ll find photos, videos, timelines, stories and more.

Chart trend

Position in the True Crime chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#95#188AugSep

#94

all-time peak

days in the top 100 since Aug 2026

Latest episodes

Showing 4 · updated from the feed

Episode 3: Contradictions

Homicide squad detectives rush from Melbourne to Bendigo. They hit the ground running, questioning Donna and Ray within days of one another. Detectives identify contradic

Sep 10
56 min

Episode 2: False Trail

Documents from the brief of evidence reveal that when police ask Ray McQueen whether he has any idea why his wife died at the kitchen table, he tells them “Yes, she’s had

Sep 3
49 min

Episode 1: The Suitcase

A cold case murder by strychnine poisoning of a pregnant mother of one is revived when a suitcase filled with documents is sent to the newsroom by a retired private inves

Aug 20
51 min

Introducing The Poisoned Wife

Who killed Rosslyn McQueen? Join Hedley Thomas, Karina Berger and retired private eye Rex Bakes as they mine dark secrets in Victoria’s gold-rush country. The mysterio

Aug 20
1 min