This is the story of a mass-murder that divided a nation - a story that began in a rickety old home on a cold June morning in 1994, where five members of a seemingly ordinary New Zealand family were gunned down. There were two suspects. One lay dead from a single bullet to the head. The other was the only survivor: David Bain. Since then the country has asked: who killed the Bain family? David or his father Robin? In this podcast, Martin van Beynen explores the case from start to finish, picking through evidence, the mysteries and motives, and interviewing never-before-spoken-to witnesses. He seeks to finally answer the question: Who was the killer?
Podcasts like this one take a lot of time and resources to create. To help cover some of that cost, you will hear some ads during this episode. For an ad-free experience go to listen.stuff.co.nz/truecrime to get access to this and three other Stuff True Crime podcasts ad-free, for about the price of a cup of coffee… and you’ll be helping us make more great podcasts, like this one.
A lethal virus. A drastic lockdown. A nation turned upside down.
From the makers of acclaimed podcasts The Commune, Gone Fishing, The District and True Story, this eight-part narrative series revisits the Covid-19 pandemic with the benefit of hindsight and powerful interviews. Adam Dudding and Eugene Bingham delve into what really happened – and what it taught us about ourselves.
Subscribe to "Quarantine Nation" wherever you get your podcasts, or follow the links here: Quarantine Nation Player Links,
Made with the support of NZ on Air for Stuff by Te Pūrongo Productions.
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2 Aug 2024
Introducing: The Trial - Philip Polkinghorne
On Easter Monday 2021, police were called to the home of a successful professional couple in the affluent Auckland suburb of Remuera. They found the body of Pauline Hanna.
In his emergency call, her husband, Philip Polkinghorne, said she killed herself. Sixteen months later he was charged with her murder. As this podcast is released, he's currently on trial at the High Court in Auckland.
Stuff's groundbreaking series returns to take you inside the Polkinghorne trial: Hear the witnesses, follow the evidence, wait for the verdict.
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21 May 2024
Introducing: The Lost Boy - The disappearance of Mike Zhao-Beckenridge
One ordinary day almost a decade ago, John Beckenridge abducted his stepson, Mike, from school and vanished. From New Zealand’s leader in true crime podcasts, this is the story of a calculating man with a dark past, the 11-year-old boy he controlled and the distraught mother left behind. Click here to get the next episode of The Lost Boy.
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17 Jul 2023
BONUS: Newsable Interview with Martin van Beynen, Host of Black Hands
In this special bonus episode Imogen Wells and Emile Donovan take a peek behind the scenes of Black Hands in their conversation with host, Martin van Beynen. This interview originally appeared in Newsable, Stuff's daily news podcast.
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13 Jul 2017
11. The Journalist And The Judge
In 2012 Canadian judge Justice Binnie said David Bain was innocent on the balance of probabilities. Why? Hear what Binnie says and what Martin van Beynen makes of his arguments. And why does Binnie compare van Beynen to Inspector Javert, a fictitious fanatical police inspector?
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12 Jul 2017
10. Who Did It?
The equation is simple: It had to be either Robin or David.
Now it's time to make a decision.
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11 Jul 2017
9. Recovered Memories
Despite giving evidence in court only once, David Bain has said a lot about the shootings in various contexts.
He has steadfastly maintained his innocence but the details of his story have changed. How plausible is it?
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10 Jul 2017
8. The Suicide Puzzle
If Robin murdered his wife and children, his final task would be to shoot himself. But how likely is it that a right-handed man would shoot himself in the left temple? Is it even possible?
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9 Jul 2017
7. The Case Against Robin
Could Robin have murdered his children and then taken his own life? Robin had blood and bruising on his hands. His foot size was more likely to fit bloody footprints in the house. Was a mysterious note left on the family computer Robin's final words?
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8 Jul 2017
6. Bloodied Fingerprints, Broken Glasses
Although police initially regarded the shootings as a murder/suicide, evidence began to mount against David Bain.
His fingerprints were on the rifle, he had blood on his T-shirt, a lens from glasses in his bedroom were found in his dead brother's room and he had injuries that were consistent with a fight.
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7 Jul 2017
5. Incest, Blackmail, Murder
Motive has always been the most puzzling aspect of the Bain shootings.
Neither Robin nor David seemed like mass killers. But both had reasons to kill.
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6 Jul 2017
4. "The Bastard Killed His Family"
The shootings appalled the country and deeply shocked the community and wider Bain family.
Yet sole survivor David Bain's unusual reaction surprised many. Loyalties were tested. Suspicions were raised. And then an arrest is made.
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5 Jul 2017
3. A Family's Final Days
From the outside, the Bain family seemed to have settled into a new life in Dunedin.
Eldest son David was on a new path, while sister Laniet appeared to have given up prostitution and Arawa was thriving as a budding teacher.
But in the six months before the shootings, cracks began to emerge.
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4 Jul 2017
2. Mrs Bain, The Diary And The Devil
By any standard, this family was unusual, even bizarre.
Mother Margaret Bain's complicated spiritual life and beliefs meant the family was constantly encouraged to put Satan behind them.
She practised self hypnosis, meditation and channelling. Their life in Papua New Guinea helped to concentrate the family's oddness. How did it influence the slaughter?
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3 Jul 2017
1. House Of Horrors
It's June 20, 1994. Police are called to a rundown home in Dunedin, New Zealand. They're not sure what to expect after a panicked phone call.
But inside were five dead bodies, a chaotic scene and and several clues pointing to the killer.
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2 Jul 2017
Black Hands - Trailer
A groundbreaking new podcast series on the most controversial murders in New Zealand history - the killing of five members of the Bain family in 1994.
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Inside a recent episode
Trailer: Quarantine Nation
Published 3 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And yeah, it's got a pretty cool theme tune. Across eight episodes, we hear from the people who shaped the country's COVID response. I can recall pacing around the room, thinking we've just got to move quickly, we've got to move quickly. And those who were in the room when the big decisions were being made. […]
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