The Poisoned Wife

About The Poisoned Wife

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 (http://thepoisonedwife.com/), where you’ll find photos, videos, timelines, stories and more.

Publisher

The Australian

Category

society & culture · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

20 Aug 2026

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

9 of 9 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 8: Rex and Wendy

   Host Hedley Thomas interviews Wendy, Rosslyn's best friend, and Rex, who investigated her suspected poisoning, uncovering new details about the case and Rex's persistent efforts.

2. 

   8 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 7: Donna

   Donna shares with Hedley Thomas and Karina a secret letter from Ray and her regrets, while Rex expresses his anger over an inscription on Rosslyn's grave in this interview.

3. 

   1 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 6: Fearful

   Former detective Ron Blackshaw shares insights into the Ros murder case, revealing new details about the investigation and challenging long-held assumptions.

4. 

   24 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 5: The Charge

   Host Hedley Thomas investigates as Donna's police interview reveals Ray's suspicious proposal and subsequent murder charge, uncovering the truth behind Rosslyn's death.

5. 

   17 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 4: Volatility

   Jeanette McQueen reveals the violent end of her marriage to Ray McQueen as Beryl McQueen discusses the farm's use of strychnine in this interview episode.

6. 

   10 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 3: Contradictions

   Host Hedley Thomas interviews detectives as they uncover contradictions in witness accounts surrounding Ros's death, exploring potential suspects and motives in this true crime investigation.

7. 

   3 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 2: False Trail

   Investigative journalists Hedley Thomas and Karina Berger interview Dr. Rex Bakes about the strychnine poisoning of Rosslyn McQueen, uncovering a false trail in the initial investigation.

8. 

   20 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 1: The Suitcase

   Investigative journalist Hedley Thomas revives a cold case of strychnine poisoning by uncovering secrets from a retired private investigator's suitcase.

9. 

   20 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Introducing The Poisoned Wife

   Hedley Thomas and Karina Berger investigate the 1986 poisoning death of Rosslyn McQueen with retired private eye Rex Bakes, uncovering dark secrets in Victoria's gold-rush country.

Inside a recent episode

Episode 8: Rex and Wendy

Published 15 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] We're talking about death here. Not someone who's just cut their finger while they're slicing up the cabbage. Rex's point about the ambulance begs a question, and we are going to address this in the upcoming episode about strychnine. When Roz first began feeling the unusual effects of strychnine poisoning, the first wave or two before it becomes very intense, would she have been physically capable of calling triple zero? If someone suffering an early onset of poisoning from strychnine can still talk and can still use their fingers to make an emergency call, why didn't she do this? As a dedicated listener wrote to Karina and me, if you were a pregnant mother and experiencing such pain, Wouldn't you ring 000 or a friend for help when the early symptoms are relatively mild before they worsen into violent convulsions? […]

Who has been a guest on The Poisoned Wife

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Wendy
• Rex
• Donna
• Ron Blackshaw

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.3 / 5

28 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

117 ratings

Questions about The Poisoned Wife