The Saints

In December 2018, police knocked on the door of a Brisbane home. A missing persons report had been filed for Priscilla Deanna Brooten.
Priscilla hadn’t been seen or heard from in more than six months, so why had it taken so long for her to be declared a missing person?
In episode one, Tara Cassidy retraces the first steps of Priscilla’s disappearance, speaking to her daughter on the other side of the world who couldn’t reach her mum, and Priscilla’s best friend who refused to stop searching for answers. As conflicting stories emerge about Priscilla’s whereabouts, Tara uncovers a series of missed opportunities, unanswered questions and a relationship that would soon become central to the investigation.
When police finally knock on Priscilla’s former partner’s door, his answers only raise their suspicions.
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Six months after she vanished, police finally came looking. But by then, was it already too late?
In July 2018, 46-year old Priscilla Brooten vanished in Brisbane, leaving behind an abandoned car and a trail of unanswered questions.
In Season 1 of Investigate, journalist Tara Cassidy unravels the case as it evolves from a missing persons investigation into something far more complex and sinister than anyone first imagined.
Through interviews with family and friends, some who’ve never spoken publicly, Tara pulls apart competing theories and uncovers disturbing new details. Across six episodes, this series examines what happened to Priscilla, the people involved - and why 8 years on she still hasn’t been found.
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The cult is now locked behind bars, but is anyone else to blame for Elizabeth’s death? In this episode, host Pippa Bradshaw is joined by legal experts to examine allegations of multiple failures by the Child Safety Department and the many lingering questions in this case. Why were warnings from medical experts ignored? Why was Elizabeth's case closed? And why was Elizabeth left in the care of two parents convicted over allowing her to almost die the first time, especially after her mother confessed that she would continue to withhold vital medication.
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Estranged loved ones of ‘The Saints’ share surreal and heartbreaking accounts of losing family to a cult. This episode reveals that The Saints isn't an outlier, but a textbook example of how cults take hold. Pippa Bradshaw is joined by forensic anthropologist and criminologist Dr. Xanthé Mallett to unpack the formation, impact and far-reaching consequences of fringe religious sects quietly embedding themselves in communities nationwide.
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The 14 cult members reject legal representation and let their police interviews do the talking in the Supreme Court of Australia. Court reporter Anna Rawlings takes us inside the unprecedented mass trial, where The Saints are confronted with testimony from medical experts, police officers and family members. After a nine-week trial, the Judge delivers a shocking verdict that will set legal precedent in Australia.
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