7NEWS Spotlight - Episode Guide

He can run, but what does Australian track star, Peter Bol have to hide? After being sensationally suspended for a positive drug test earlier this year, it's the question the 800m champion finally answers on 7NEWS Spotlight. 

Back in January, the headlines screamed his guilt the world over, while Athletics Australia reluctantly forced their pin-up boy to quit all competition and training after receiving the anti-doping agency, Sports Integrity Australia, result.

His crime? Unusually high levels of synthetic erythropoietin, or EPO, in a urine sample.

The drug? The same banned blood booster used by disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong and a string of track and field stars whose reputations now lie in ruins.

Defiant in his denials, and determined to prove his innocence, Bol won a reprieve of sorts, when his B-sample testing was revealed this month – an ATF, atypical finding, neither positive or negative.

And so, the question lingers – is our national hero a drug cheat?

Now, in an explosive and exclusive interview with 7NEWS Spotlight host Michael Usher, the 29-year-old gets his chance to fight back; while his furious family unleash on the authorities who leaked Bol's original and damaging drug test result.

Brian Houston turned religion into rock and roll with his global megachruch, Hillsong. Now, the explosive secrets are coming out.

As the world prepares for the crowning of a king, the royal family's American in-laws - the Markles - unite for the first time to share their truth about their sister and daughter, Meghan Markle.

Spotlight reveals Daniel Morcombe's depraved killer should have been caught within two week of his abduction but a bungled police investigation. Also Jim Jefferies is taking the world by storm.

In the most explosive investigation of the year, Spotlight infiltrates and brings down the sophisticated British scam syndicate fleecing everyday Australians of $4 million a week.

One of the nation's greatest storytellers, Charles Wooley, presents his personal battle to save Australia's lost Amazon (Tasmania's Tarkine rainforest) from the foreign-owned mining company threatening its destruction.

Ross Coulthart exposes the impact vaping is having on our youth and what manufactures don't want you to know about the poison our kids are breathing in.

It is the most controversial legal saga that has rocked the foundations of the Federal Government in Canberra. Through it all, the man accused of a shocking sexual assault remained silent. Until now.

Spotlight uncovers the hidden secrets of notorious conman Ric Blum, who has long been in the frame for Marion Barter's disappearance. Plus Kathleen Folbigg's first taste of freedom after 20 years jail.

It's judgement day Brian Houston and Stunning revelations as the daughter of Australia's notorious Casanova con-man, Ric Blum, finally breaks her silence.

Spotlight uncovers a religious cult recruiting, brainwashing and grooming young Australian girls at shopping centres, before shipping them overseas to be sexually assaulted by its sex-crazed leader.

On 7News Spotlight Liam Bartlett delves into the latest twist in the unsolved disappearance of William Tyrell, hearing from his biological mother.

"Sadly, this is a case that, for too long, has captivated the Australian public in the worst way. Either in the hope of finding little William - or find the person or people responsible for his disappearance," Bartlett said.

"Hopefully this time the new development is not another false start - and we can be part of a discussion that may lead to a genuine solution."

The three-year-old sparked one of the biggest manhunts in living memory when he vanished outside his foster family's residence in Kendall on the state's north coast in September 2014.

The investigation that followed uncovered shocking revelations, exposed paedophile rings, flaws in the foster care system, and led to the demise of Australia's most senior homicide detective.

In the seven years since, NSW Police have publicly identified numerous persons of interest only to ultimately rule them out.

In the past fortnight, on what would have been William's 12th birthday, detectives claimed to have finally cracked the case, urging the state prosecutors to charge William's foster mother for allegedly covering up his accidental death. William's foster mother has denied any wrongdoing.

This Sunday, Liam Bartlett will be joined by a panel of leading criminal experts, including Mark Morri, News Corp's most senior crime reporter who bought to light the investigation into the foster mother, one of the country's most effective homicide detectives, Charlie Bezzina; and, investigative author Caroline Overington as they navigate through the labyrinth of twists and turns in the ongoing police investigation surrounding the baffling case.

This explosive event will examine critical new evidence, key allegations, and introduce startling revelations that could reshape the narrative surrounding William's disappearance.

And, in emotional and never-before-seen interview with William's biological mother, candid revelations will challenge long-held assumptions – including her concerns about William's foster family.

Largely banished from operating theatres at home, Spotlight follows Dr Charlie Teo as the controversial neurosurgeon treats desperate Australian patients in hospitals on the far side of the globe.

Charles Wooley returns to 7NEWS Spotlight to showcase the breathtaking landscapes, untouched beauty and hidden paradise of Australia's Top End.

Newly discovered archive video tapes lost for decades will reveal hidden moments of John Farnham's career, from phenomenal performances to interviews lost in time.

Spotlight uncovers explosive new revelations that strike at the heart of Brittany Higgins' rape allegations against Bruce Lehrmann as key witnesses break their silence.

What turned a pretty, young nurse into one of the worst serial killers in history? Spotlight investigates the love obsession behind her motive for murder.

The most controversial story of the year as Spotlight uncovers the irreparable damage being visited on a generation of confused kids wrongly diagnosed as transgender.

Football greats John Platten and Robbie O'Davis open up about the irreparable damage caused by their on-field concussions and the incomparable strength they've found in the women who stand by them. Plus Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Voyages.

The most explosive Spotlight of the year as the Yes and No campaigns deliver their final arguments ahead of the Voice referendum. Which side will win out and sway a live audience of undecided voters?

Folbigg did 20 years behind bars for crimes she has always denied. Then in 2023 she was dramatically released after new scientific evidence uncovered a possible alternative explanation for the deaths.

The body of a 12-year-old was found in bushland 8km from her home, but the murderer's conviction was quashed in 2009. We can finally reveal what really happened to little Leanne Holland

Special guest Ajay Rochester and a team of experts break down the myths surrounding the weight loss wonder drug Ozempic.

Anne Hegerty from The Chase reveals childhood secrets that will shock plus Charles Wooley's amazing adventure on the Murray River.

Australian teens are being caught up in a Nigerian scam where they are tricked into sending revealing photos. Then the blackmail starts. A must see story for every parent.

They use celebrity faces to scam over 600,000 Australians every year, but now one of those scammers is turning on his bosses to help us bring them down. A special investigation by our entire team.

Screen addiction is shrinking young brains, but how can parents beat this growing problem? We look at the different methods that are getting results and can be used at home right now.

A worldwide investigation into the ‘Kidney Cult' operating in Australian suburbs. Did they play a part in a ‘Jonestown' style tragedy that claimed the lives of 429 people?

David Koch and a panel of experts reveal the secrets to making your dollar go further in this special event with tips and tricks that REALLY work.

Liam Bartlett takes you inside the prison that's been called a 'living hell'. It's a place gangs fear and is helping to reducing crime, but is it violating human rights?

7News Spotlight this week tackles the issues of youth crime and looks for solutions.

Sarah Greenhalgh said: "Every person we've spoken to agrees that a tough, law-and-order-only approach to youth crime will never fix it. Prevention really is better than cure and there needs to be a national approach to this.

"Kids who break the law and commit horrific crimes should absolutely face consequences, but it needs to be a model with proven results."

The alarming reality of young offenders will be under the microscope as 7NEWS Spotlight's Sarah Greenhalgh rides along with police and meets victims of these crimes, the kids running wild in the streets and the families trying to make some sense of it all.

In a confronting, not-to-be-missed interview, Greenhalgh sits down with a teen who shares a graphic first-hand account of his life of crime.

Police, victims, experts and frustrated parents will come together to share their personal experiences and insights, along with the frontline workers who say they have the answers to save young lives and to help rebuild communities where people are living in fear.

The program also takes a close look at an overseas youth detention and rehabilitation model that some believe could significantly reduce youth crime rates here.

Did someone get away with killing Amy Wensley? You won't believe the new evidence we uncover in one of Australia's most intriguing cold cases.

A special investigation into what we got right and wrong in our response to the pandemic with former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

Why did a 14 year old girl kill a gorgeous little 10 year old and why have the victim's parents been stopped from sharing their story?

Live special edition of 7NEWS Spotlight featuring in-depth analysis, commentary and all the fallout, including the latest news on the killed gunman and eye-witness accounts.

It's the controversial, modern alternative to the Olympics. a new competition where elite athletes push themselves to the limit with drugs to enhance their performance.

It was 60 Minutes which broke a recent story on the CFMEU but it will be 7NEWS Spotlight which hears from the man at the centre, when John Setka breaks his silence to reporter Sharnelle Vella.

John Setka is one of the most talked about people in Australia.

For over a decade, he ran the powerful and disgraced Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union or the CFMEU.

Last month the controversial boss suddenly quit amid headlines that bikies and criminals has infiltrated the union, and serious allegations of corruption, bribery and bullying within its construction arm.

The controversial former union boss sits down with 7NEWS Melbourne's Sharnelle Vella to tell his side of the story. Nothing is off limits as Setka is forced to confront the shocking allegations, including the extent of bikie infiltration of the union, kickbacks, accusations of domestic violence and his interactions with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

7NEWS Spotlight will also reveal a secret deal Setka says was made between the union and the Federal Government. It's a deal that ultimately blew up in his face, leaving Setka without a job and putting the construction division of the CFMEU under administration.

Also on 7NEWS Spotlight, the rise and rise of true crime podcasts and how they are exposing appalling police failings and helping solve cold cases.

More than 2,500 Australians are classed as "long-term missing persons" and in the case of Bronwyn Whitfield, it's been three long decades. Now, a podcast has shed new light on the case, revealing new evidence which could finally lead to answers for her family.

7NEWS Spotlight's Sarah Greenhalgh has tracked down the man at the centre of the investigation.

After two identical, brand-new Boeing 737 Max jets crashed within five months of each other, Liam Bartlett presents damning evidence that shows Boeing knew of a serious fault in its 737 Max aircrafts.

Billionaire James Packer and British pop star Robbie Williams open up to reporter Liam Bartlett in a deeply honest and powerful conversation for a 7NEWS Spotlight special on mental health.

Former Australian special forces commando Heston Russell knows the meaning of conflict.

 With a proud lineage of military relatives, he enlisted in the army at 17 and rose through the ranks to become a highly decorated officer with more than 10,000 hours of leadership in combat operations, including four combat deployments to Afghanistan and a fifth to Iraq to fight against ISIS.

He proved fearless in battle, iron-willed in his personal convictions and prepared to put it all on the line.

As a soldier, Russell led our troops into countless battles and when he retired, he kept fighting. He campaigned for the royal commission into veteran suicide, built charities for soldiers and even ran for a seat in the Queensland senate.

But his toughest fight came several years after his discharge, when Russell became the target of a relentless attack launched by the investigations unit of the ABC alleging that he was the worst kind of soldier – leaving a trail of destruction in Afghanistan and involved in fraudulent behaviour back home.

Russell's battleground this time: the Australian Federal Court, where he spent almost three years fending off the ABC's allegations of war crimes.

So, is he a war hero or war criminal?

Award-wining journalist Liam Bartlett presents this 7NEWS Spotlightspecial investigation.

The epidemic of drug abuse in Australia is showing no signs of slowing, with two million Australians battling addictions and the number of fatal overdoses almost doubling in two decades.

Shalom House is the fastest-growing rehab centre in the country.

Its controversial founder, Peter Lyndon-James, is an ex-con and rehabilitated addict who claims he has the answer to Australia's worsening drug crisis and the cure for all kinds of addicts.  

He says his tough-love, labour-based unconventional service is helping men, women and – increasingly – children to rebuild their lives. And Shalom House is overflowing. By any measure, there are just too many residents.

But not everyone is a fan of his methods. Some say Shalom House, which has earned the reputation as Australia's toughest rehab centre, is like a cult and that residents are really inmates in a religious prison.

Now, in a 7NEWS Spotlightexclusive, Peter Lyndon-James and Shalom House have granted access-all-areas to Seven's crime reporter Ben Harvey.

Also on the show, after the Albanese Government's $243 million crackdown on vapes, has it actually worked? Eight months into the national ban on all illegal vape imports, 7NEWS Spotlighttakes to the streets to discover we are still far from busting the underworld hold on this crooked industry.

And don't miss a very special exclusive interview with UK boy band royalty, Take That, as they prepare to tour Down Under.

Gangland criminals once eliminated their drug rivals quietly, preferring to draw as little attention as possible. However, in recent years, everything has changed dramatically. 

With the shocking transformation of organised crime, shifting from discreet eliminations to technically sophisticated and audacious public attacks, headlines of drive-by shootings and kidnappings have become the new norm.

The crime syndicates exploit cutting-edge technology to evade law enforcement, highlighted by the recent dismantling of an encrypted communications network known as Ghost.

In an eye-opening investigation, this Sunday at 8.50pm on Channel 7 and 7plus, 7NEWS Spotlightreveals the alarming rise of violence happening in plain sight among Australia's drug gangs.

This specialinvestigation features insights from AFP Assistant Commissioner Kirsty Schofield, Victoria Police's former Homicide Detective Charlie Bezzina, NSW Police's former Detective Superintendent Deborah Wallace, former NSW Detective Michael Kennedy and The Daily Telegraph's Senior Crime Reporter Josh Hanrahan.

As the stakes soar into the billions, 7NEWS Spotlightexamines how gangs have become increasingly brazen, endangering innocent lives in their quest for dominance, featuring a harrowing incident from late 2021 when a public shooting occurred outside a childcare centre.

And don't miss a very special exclusive interview with the legendary Aussie actor Jack Thompson.

Jack sits down with 7NEWS Spotlight's Michael Usher for his most revealing interview yet, reflecting on his health battle and that iconic Cleo nude centrefold that shocked Australia. The interview also features appearances by Ita Buttrose and Bryan Brown.

In just a few weeks, King Charles and Queen Camilla will be down under for their Royal visit. But as Australians celebrate the man who waited decades to be monarch, spare a thought for his grandson, 11-year-old Prince George.

The prince has already had to grow up fast among much controversy in the Royal Family, mourning the loss of his great grandmother Queen Elizabeth, and his mother, Prince Kate, recovering from cancer.

Who is the boy who will be King one very distant day from now? And how does one learn to take on the most exclusive job in the world?

In this special documentary airing at 8.50pm on Channel 7 and 7plus, 7NEWS Spotlightuncovers the secrets of Prince George's royal upbringing, including his education, the Royal rituals he must learn and how his modern upbringing is steering the Royal Family into a new era.

With exclusive access to those close to him, 7NEWS Spotlight's Sarah Greenhalgh is in London to chart Prince George's journey to the throne – from meeting Barack Obama in his dressing gown to becoming the youngest future King to have an official role in a coronation.

While Prince George's reign may still be decades away, it is evident that the monarchy he will inherit is evolving.

Tune in to 7NEWS Spotlightto witness a King in the making.

Fifteen years ago, 7NEWS Spotlight reporter Liam Bartlett met former special commando Damien Mander when he had just returned from the Iraq War with a dream of fighting a different battle: combating endemic poachers.

This Sunday at 9.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus, Liam goes deep into the African wilderness to reunite with the Aussie veteran who is saving the continent's critically endangered wildlife with an all-female army of rangers.

Damien sold up everything he owned to establish the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, and his unconventional journey has led him to recruit a ground-breaking all-female unit of rangers known as Akashinga, meaning "The Brave Ones" in Zimbabwe's Shona dialect.

The heavily armed local women, often mothers, patrol areas the size of small countries to catch the poachers and stop illegal operations. Not only do these women protect wildlife, they also change the trajectory of their communities by passing on 90% of their earnings to their families.

Damien, who is eliminating the community's reliance on money from trophy hunting and illegal poaching with the support of his rangers, said: "When we started [the Foundation], we thought if it actually works, let's create opportunities for those who need it the most. Many of them were survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, single mothers and abandoned wives.

"What we didn't realise is that we were getting the toughest in society. Anything we threw at them was nothing compared to what they came from or most importantly stood to go back to."

Also, this week, 7NEWS Spotlight reveals why parts of San Francisco have become a no-go zone. The iconic city is overrun by homeless people and violent crime, fuelled by a deadly drug addiction.

On assignment for 7NEWS Spotlight, 7NEWSUS Bureau Chief David Woiwod meets the unlikely Australians in the middle of the turmoil who say what they are witnessing should serve as a dire warning for us all back home.

In a 7NEWS Spotlight exclusive this Sunday at 8.50pm on Channel 7 and 7plus, the father-of-three opens up to 7NEWS Political Editor Mark Riley in a very candid interview.

The Treasurer reveals his personal struggles, admitting to a past of excessive drinking and sharing a major health battle that changed his life forever. "I remembered Laura saying to me, you look really unwell. My face was kind of white... I was really unwell."

Mr Chalmers also offers some much-needed good news about cost-of-living crisis, saying the worst days are behind us. "We are confident that having been through a very difficult time together, better days are ahead."

Also, this week on 7NEWS Spotlight, Michael Usher explores the investigation into the disappearance of William Tyrrell.

Ten years since the three-year-old went missing and we are still no closer to knowing what happened to the little boy.

Ahead of the long-stalled coronial inquest reopening, Usher speaks with former NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing, former Homicide Detective Gary Jubelin and News Corp journalist Dan Box, asking why there are still no answers.

Jubelin, who oversaw the initial investigation, says he rigorously examined William's foster mother, who has been a person of interest to NSW Police for the past four years.

"There was no evidence that was suggestive of the foster mother having knowledge or involvement in William's disappearance. At the time I was taken off the investigation, there were other legitimate persons of interest that required further exploration."

With no forensic evidence or clear leads, what went wrong with the investigation?

And don't miss a special exclusive interview with iconic singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper. Cyndi sits down with7NEWS US Bureau Chief David Woiwod for her only Australian TV interview ahead of her "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" Farewell World Tour.  

The 1974 disappearance of teenagers Raelene Eaton and Yvonne Waters remains one of Australia's most perplexing mysteries.

This Sunday at 9.00pm on Channel Seven and 7plus, a special episode of 7NEWS Spotlight presents The West Australian's Vanishing Cousins, uncovering shocking new clues and fresh witnesses in the case of the vanishing cousins.

Raelene, 16, and Yvonne, 17, were last seen enjoying a Sunday session at Scarborough's White Sands Tavern, and their fate has puzzled investigators for decades.

In this special investigation, a "person of interest" speaks out for the first time in nearly 50 years, while friends share unsettling accounts of a family tragedy shortly after the cousins vanished.

New witnesses express concerns about a house Raelene and Yvonne visited before heading to the hotel where they were last seen.

The last known witness to see the cousins alive comes forward, revealing a critical moment that has remained undisclosed for decades.

Additionally, social commentator Jane Caro examines the 1970s Australian beach culture and the dark underbelly behind the blue skies – an era when young women had to be vigilant against predatory behaviour and prevailing attitudes. This culture led police to assume the missing teenagers had intentionally taken off for a "good time".

Former President Donald Trump vs. Vice President Kamala Harris - who will win? Join Michael Usher & an all-star lineup for unrivalled analysis in this special edition of Spotlight.

The man who killed the Lindt Cafe terrorist can now be identified, 10 yrs on.

Western Sydney mother-of-two Kirandeep Saggar met her boyfriend on TikTok. Then he killed her father.

It all began with a seemingly innocent exchange on the social media app in 2023, when Kirandeep responded to a message from Indian-Canadian rapper Ranjit Bath.

The pair quickly began dating, but their relationship soon became one of obsession. Ranjit began to stalk Kirandeep and when she refused to marry him, things turned deadly.

This Sunday at 7.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus, 7NEWS Spotlightpresents an exclusive global investigation into a killer on the run – and exposes a major flaw in the communication between global law enforcement agencies.

7NEWSreporter Natasha Squarey travels to British Columbia, Canada, to track down the fugitive killer who continues to terrorise Kirandeep.

The 7NEWS Spotlightcrew also heads to India to question authorities on how they have let Ranjit Bath get away with it.

The program features former West Vancouver Police Chief Kash Heed, who warns that the ongoing failure of police in India and Canada in arresting Ranjit is putting Kirandeep's life at risk.

Kirandeep tells Natasha that Ranjit threatens her daily, saying he will kill her and her family next.

"He killed my father. My biggest fear now is he can come and kill me anytime because he's free," she says.

"I feel hopeless because I have proof, I have all the records which show he did that but still the police are not doing anything."

Bruce McAvaney will sit down with champion teen sprinter Gout Gout ahead of his Maurie Plant Meet.

McAvaney is joined by Olympians Matt Shirvington, Raelene Boyle, and Cathy Freeman.

"[Gout] is just something else," Freeman tells McAvaney. "Watching him race, it's like he's been shot out of a cannon or something. He's quite extraordinary.

"He's probably smarter than I was at that age. He's quicker. But he's certainly got the world at his feet."

McAvaney added: "To think Gout was a cross-country official at what might turn out to be an Olympic Stadium says much about his ambition to compete at home in 2032. It's distant, yet so close."

He's the fastest man in Australia… on track to become the fastest man alive.

In case anyone missed it, in December last year the teenage sprinting phenomenon blasted onto the world stage when he broke the Australian 200m sprint record set by Peter Norman 56 years ago – at just a month shy of 17

The greatest-ever didn't run this fast, at his age. But Usain Bolt went on to set records still to be broken and was unbeaten across three Olympic Games – hence all the fuss about Gout Gout.

Going into the Aussie record books was incredible enough, but it was being faster than Bolt at just 16 that launched Gout into the athletics universe.

The comparisons are obvious. It's not just the times, there's also the technique and the way he wins, coming from the back of the field like a hurricane.

Gout's team have no doubt he's on the trajectory of greatness. His take-no-prisoners coach, Di Shepperd, says that it isn't a question of "might" but "when". Manager James Templeton echoes that sentiment, declaring there is no doubt that doubt Gout will be an Olympic finalist.

In a world-exclusive investigation, Liam Bartlett uncovers the dirty truth behind so-called clean, green electric vehicles & how China is getting away with causing a deadly environmental catastrophe.

Award-winning broadcast journalist Liz Hayes sits down with Lauren Zonfrillo, the widow of beloved TV chef and MasterChef Australia judge, Jock Zonfrillo.

Airing on Seven and 7plus this Sunday at 8:00pm, it is the first time the mother of two has spoken publicly since her husband was found dead in a Melbourne hotel room in May 2023. His cause of death has never been released.

A comprehensive analysis of the key issues from the Leaders' Debate. Hosted by Michael Usher.

In Sunday's 7News Spotlight Liam Bartlett meets Australia's ‘Iced Coffee Killer' - Jessica Wongso, released on parole in Indonesia last year after serving for 8 years in detention.

Almost a decade ago, Australian resident and former NSW Ambulance worker Jessica Wongso was convicted of brazenly and fatally poisoning her former best friend's iced coffee with cyanide in a busy Jakarta café.

It was January 6, 2016, and Wongso was catching up with Mirna Salihin at one of the city's classiest cafes for the first time in four years.

She'd taken the liberty of pre-ordering Salihin a drink. But seconds after she took her first sip, she began convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Just over an hour later, Salihin was dead.

Described as the most compelling murder mystery in Indonesian history, the case shocked Australia and sparked international headlines.

Now out of prison and granted a Judicial Review in the Indonesian Supreme Court having served only eight of a 20-year sentence, Wongso has bizarrely become a successful social influencer and is desperate to rewrite history.

In this major 7NEWS Spotlight exclusive, Wongso – who has always maintained her innocence – comes face-to-face with award-winning correspondent Liam Bartlett in her first ever tell-all interview.

Bartlett presses Wongso in the confronting sit-down on every aspect of the case, including accusations she was motivated by jealousy, her suspicious behaviour in the hours before the murder, her bizarre tendency to smile throughout the trial, and her thoughts on likelihood of acquittal.

"They still can't prove anything," Wongso tells 7NEWS Spotlight in the at times uncomfortable interview.

We also hear for the first time from the Australian woman who helped seal Wongso's fate. Former boss Kristie Carter sits down exclusively with Bartlett to reveal for the first and last time the ‘erratic' behaviours she witnessed in the lead up to the killing, and the trauma she and others endured from Wongso.

Liam Bartlett said: "There's something you just can't pin down about convicted murderer Jessica Wongso. Is she innocent as half the Indonesian population seem to think? Or is she – as those who are convinced of her guilt like to put it – completely mad?

"Either I'm sitting in front of a cold, calculated killer who murdered her best friend on the basis of simple jealousy, or a young woman who is a terrible victim of circumstance.

"It's a plot worthy of a soap opera. But now, nearly a decade on, a family still grieves the incomprehensible killing of a beautiful young woman by her one-time best friend, who continues to protest her innocence."

Denham Hitchcock returns to 7News Spotlight this Sunday, joining Michael Usher and Mylee Hogan in a story on Australian "Love Mules" - women lured into the crime of smuggling drugs across international borders.

One case includes Donna Nelson, recently profiled on Australian Story, sentenced to six years in prison in Japan.

It starts with a message. A charming stranger. A promise of love. And it ends in a foreign prison cell.

This Sunday 7NEWS Spotlight exposes the heartbreaking crime wave targeting some of Australia's most vulnerable – women looking for love, who are being manipulated into smuggling drugs across international borders.

In a global investigation spanning Brazil, Japan and Hong Kong, 7NEWS Spotlight's team of reporters Michael Usher, Mylee Hogan and Denham Hitchcock expose the cruel deception behind the so-called "Love Mules", women like Veronica Watson and Donna Nelson who were lured into romance scams so convincing they risked everything.

Grandmother of nine Veronica was arrested in December, with 1.5 kilograms of cocaine in her luggage, leaving Sao Paulo Airport. She's always maintained she was scammed by a man posing as a love interest.

"I trusted him," Veronica said through tears. "He said he loved me. I thought we were going to get married."

Donna's story is just as devastating. A mother of five and former federal political candidate, she believed she was flying to Japan to meet her fiancé. Instead, she was arrested with two kilograms of methamphetamine in her suitcase and sentenced to six years in a Japanese prison.

These women aren't just criminals. They're victims of a sophisticated and deeply manipulative scam, one that plays out over years, with thousands of messages, video calls, and even detailed wedding plans.

In this exclusive investigation, 7NEWS Spotlight tracks down the scammers behind the heartbreak. Going undercover, Denham Hitchcock follows the trail of the man known only as "Kelly" through the backstreets of Hong Kong, uncovering the bars he frequents and speaking to those who've seen him.

Denham Hitchcock said: "These online relationships were real, in both cases they went on for two and a half years. Messages and video calls. This is a new type of scam, insidious, evil and cruel.

"We're not just telling these women's stories; we're attempting to track down the people who destroyed their lives and show how it can happen to anyone."

In a global investigation, Spotlight exposes a killer on the run – an Indian rapper accused of murdering the father of a western Sydney woman after he met her on TikTok.

Inside El Salvador's mega-prison at the centre of Trump's immigration crackdown. Plus, new witnesses come forward in the tragic death of Amy Wensley.

Spotlight investigates how artificial intelligence is really created, meeting hidden workers who say they're exploited by big tech, and exposing a major Australian company with questions to answer.

Spotlight profiles Brenda Blethyn who plays TV detective Vera Stanhope and investigates the biggest currency heist in history with a former Australian fighter pilot in the middle of it.

In 2015, a married couple and their friend ventured into the remote goldfields of Western Australia. Only one of them came back.

Ray and Jennie Kehlet were a couple in love, chasing a dream of striking gold in Sandstone, WA. But their trip of a lifetime ended in tragedy. In one of Australia's most baffling cold cases, Ray was found dead at the bottom of a mineshaft, while Jennie vanished without a trace.

Their friend and colleague, Graham Milne, was the only survivor.

7NEWS Spotlight delivers the most in-depth analysis yet of a mystery that has haunted Australia for a decade. Reporter Liam Bartlett reveals shocking discrepancies in Graham Milne's story and uncovers new forensic evidence that police seemingly ignored.

7NEWS Spotlight also exposes a bombshell revelation from Milne's estranged daughter. In an exclusive interview, Sarah Hopkins alleges a violent past, painting a dark portrait of the man who walked out of the desert alive.

"Do I believe he knows more than he's saying? A hundred percent I do," says Sarah Hopkins.

Meanwhile, former ADF soldier and search volunteer Rick Heaton reveals he found critical evidence police missed, including a bullet casing and Ray's shirt buried in the mineshaft.

And be watching Sunday to see what 7NEWS Spotlight uncovers after commissioning its own independent testing by forensic expert Dr Dennis McNevin to analyse the evidence.

Liam Bartlett said: "This is a case that should have been solved years ago. The evidence was there. The questions were there. But the answers were ignored.

"We've spoken to the people closest to Ray and Jennie, and the one person who knew Milne better than anyone, his own daughter. What she reveals is nothing short of explosive."
 

New twists in the Lucy Letby case - secret hospital files and shocking claims spark fresh doubts. Could Britain's most notorious baby killer be innocent?

On Sunday, 7News Spotlight addresses the key question following the Erin Patterson guilty verdict: what drove her to commit meticulously planned murders?

Host Michael Usher said: "Erin Patterson's story is one of deception, manipulation and, ultimately, murder.

"Now she's been found guilty, we will be using the full weight of our expert panel to investigate how this unassuming mother became one of this country's worst murderers."

The people who knew Erin Patterson best finally speak out, as some of the country's most qualified crime experts break down her motive, her planning and her lies.

Experts joining the live panel include:

· Geoffrey Watson SC, one of the country's top criminal barristers
· Peter Ashkar, forensic psychologist
· Damian Marrett, former detective
· Tita Smith, the 7NEWS reporter who's been following the story since it broke

Plus, the detective behind the world's only other known mushroom murder case shares his insights into the rare and sinister method of poisoning.

Don't miss this remarkable 7NEWS Spotlight special, a forensic deep dive into the mind of a killer, the evidence that sealed her fate, and the haunting question that still lingers: why?

The inside story of a stunt pilot's miraculous survival after crashing into the ground at 300km/h during the Avalon Airshow. Plus, the dark side of dating apps exposed in a global investigation.

In a global investigation spanning India, the US, UK and Australia, reporterAshlee Mullany pieces together the final moments of Flight 171 using cockpit recordings, black box data and a world-first simulator recreation. 

Aviation expert Alastair Rosenschein told 7NEWS Spotlight: "Shutting down the engines at that point of the flight is going to only have one outcome." 

One of India's most respected aviation experts, Captain Mohan Ranganathan, said: "From some of the information that had been mentioned to me by pilots in India…they did say that the captain had been going through periods of depression, and he had taken medical leave." 

The crash could join a grim roll call. Ten years ago, Germanwings 9525 was deliberately flown into the French Alps by its co-pilot, killing all 149 on board, including Australian mother Carol Friday and her son Greig. 

Speaking exclusively to 7NEWS Spotlight, Carol's daughter Alex Friday said: "He mass murdered 149 people… including my brother and my mum.He ran them into a mountain. He took a machine and ran them into a mountain." 

Ashlee Mullany said "Pilot mental health is an uncomfortable but important conversation, particularly considering recent aviation tragedies. While the odds of a deliberate crash are still so low, the consequences are catastrophic. 

"In the case of the Germanwings crash, that pilot turned out to be one of the worst mass murderers in modern history and his actions are still felt acutely by the Friday family to this day."

A father who lost his three children. And the man who killed them.Samuel Davidson was three times over the legal alcohol limit, drug-affected and out of control when the ute he was driving mounted a footpath and mowed down seven children in the 2020 Oatlands tragedy that shocked the nation. 

Abdallah siblings Antony (13), Angelina (12), and Sienna (8), along with their cousin Veronique Sakr (11), were all killed instantly. Three other children were injured. 

Davidson was sentenced on appeal to 20 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 15 years. 

At the time, many Australians couldn't comprehend how parents Danny and Leila Abdallah publicly forgave him. But now, in an extraordinary act, Danny Abdallah's forgiveness reaches even deeper. 

Five years on from the tragedy, 7NEWS Spotlight has been granted rare access inside one of the country's harshest prisons to capture the raw and emotional encounter between a grieving father and the man who destroyed his world. It is an extraordinary television interview that challenges everything we think we know about restorative justice, remorse and forgiveness. 

For the first time, Australians will also hear from Davidson about that horrific day, including new revelations about the reasons behind his actions and the devastating consequences that followed. 

7NEWS Spotlight'sMichael Usher, who has followed the Abdallahs' story since the beginning, said: "For the past eight months, 7NEWS Spotlight has worked closely with Corrective Services NSW, lawyers and psychologists to make this possible. 

"We spent a week inside one of Australia's hardest prisons where TV cameras are rarely allowed to speak with a high-risk, high-security inmate serving one of the longest sentences for his crime. 

"Danny's journey to forgiveness has been long, complicated, and deeply emotional," he said. "What I witnessed inside those walls is something I never expected to see, and certainly never thought we'd be able to share with the Australian public." 

Where does justice end and mercy begin? And can forgiveness ever truly heal?

This Sunday 7News Spotlight speaks exclusively to an Aussie mum accused of the unthinkable.

Did Lisa Cunningham kill her seven-year-old stepdaughter Sanaa, or was her death a medical tragedy?

In her first on-camera interview, Cunningham speaks candidly from inside a maximum-security prison in Arizona about the devastation of losing her family and the impact of eight years' incarceration without trial.

Lisa said, "It's always been such a mystery to us why it is easier to believe that we tried to slowly kill her with this bizarre, delayed death torture story than it is to simply accept the fact that she entered into the early onset period of serious mental illness."

The alleged killer details the final 10 months of her stepdaughter's life, a time in which prosecutors claim she and her husband, Germayne, subjected Sanaa to abuse that ultimately caused her death.

The exclusive story also features never-before-seen family videos and text messages that prosecutors claim prove their case, texts that Lisa says don't tell the full story.

"If you look at our lives from a distance and you go through our messages and the way we communicated with each other, you are going to form your own opinions," Lisa said.

Reporter Ashlee Mullany said: "The story of Lisa Cunningham is confronting whichever way you look at it. This is either a case of an Australian mother accused of an unthinkable crime, or a woman unjustly stripped of her freedom, family and voice for eight years.

"I covered Lisa's first court appearance after her arrest in Arizona almost a decade ago and what should have been her temporary holding cell has become her home for all these years, without conviction. The wheels of justice turn slowly, but this has been an agonisingly long wait for answers.

"Lisa is adamant she has nothing to hide and wants to share her story with Australia."

7News Spotlight uncovers the inside story of Australia's largest-ever superannuation disaster – the collapse of the First Guardian and Shield Master Funds.

More than 12,000 Australians' super balances wiped, and their futures stolen, with losses totalling over $1 billion and a government regulator that may have been asleep on the job.

Michael Usher speaks to several victims left without a cent to retire on, and an insider who allegedly helped sell them the dream.

Financial adviser Ferras Merhi, who has been banned from travelling and has had his assets frozen by ASIC, told 7News Spotlight: "I don't [sleep], it's hard. It kills me every day that in one shape or form, I've been involved either directly or indirectly in support of this particular product."

Michael Usher said: "Thousands of Aussie investors were conned by these very sophisticated schemes. They did their own research, but they were duped, because at every level, these schemes appeared to be checked and verified by reputable advisers and regulators, who we're meant to trust with our future.

"Australia should be outraged at this billion-dollar theft, which needs to be investigated at the highest levels. To lose every cent of your hard-earned retirement savings is beyond heartbreaking – it has ruined the lives of hard-working Australians."

Also this Sunday, guest reporter Sonia Kruger sits down with Melanie C, in London.

The former Spice Girl and The Voice coach opens up on the comment that nearly broke her and how she almost missed out on the gig of a lifetime.

She also shares how her daughter helped her reconnect with music, and the global movement that made her a household name.

7News Spotlight on Sunday investigates how critical defence infrastructure is alarmingly exposed.

What happens around a warship docked at a major tourist hotspot will shock viewers and raise urgent questions about our national security.

The investigation spans key military sites including Pine Gap, Williamtown RAAF Base, Amberley RAAF Base and Garden Island Naval Base, where billions of dollars in defence assets are housed.

What's exposed are weaknesses in the protection of critical weapons systems: F-35A stealth fighters stored under shade cloth and naval ships and our most important air bases subject to easy intrusion.

Liam Bartlett said: "We found billion-dollar fighter jets stored under shade cloth, warships exposed to drones, and critical bases protected by little more than cyclone fencing. These are critical gaps in our defence capability at a time when our adversaries and neighbours are investing like never before."

Speaking to 7NEWS Spotlight, former Chief of Army Peter Leahy, alongside key military experts and industry insiders, warn that Australia's defence policy may be woefully inadequate for the real-world threats we face.

Lieutenant General (ret) Peter Leahy told Liam Bartlett: "This peace is fast coming to a close, so we better be ready for war. And I don't think we're ready."

Bartlett also travels to the Philippines, to witness how other nations are standing up to China's military aggression now, while Australia's defence plan will not see us combat ready until at least 2030.

Liam Bartlett said: "Our investigation shows that while the threats are evolving rapidly, Australia's response is stuck in slow motion. We're investing in submarines we won't see for a decade, while our current defences are exposed and under-equipped."

In the Philippines, Bartlett catches up with Defence Minister Richard Marles, who has been dodging 7NEW Spotlight's questions for months, to discuss a policy experts say is all words and no action.

"You don't want to be known as minister for show bags," Bartlett said. "There has to be substance to it."

Hundreds of known child predators are right now roaming free across Australia, despite police having proof they have communicated with and transferred money to one of the world's most prolific child traffickers. 

Why are these known offenders still walking our streets, and what's being done to address Australia's worsening child sex offender crisis? 

In a special investigation airing this Sunday at 9.00pm on Seven and 7plus, 7NEWS Spotlight exposes a list of 395 Australians suspected of participating in a disturbing new trend: directing the abuse of children overseas from their homes in Australia.   

7NEWS Spotlight's Liam Bartlett goes undercover with an extraordinary group called Destiny Rescue who track down and expose child sex traffickers. 

Made up of former detectives and special forces operatives, the group's goal is to rescue children sold into sex trafficking. They gave 7NEWS Spotlight's cameras exclusive access as they orchestrate raids with local enforcement agencies. 

Destiny Rescue operative and former homicide detective Matt Valentine said: "I've seen more Australians involved in crimes against children than I have of any other nationality. 

"It's in our Australian backyard. We need to be very, very concerned." 

Back home, 7NEWS Spotlight tracks down one of the 395 men on the client list – a grandad and businessman living in regional Australia – who is free and will never spend a day in prison, even after he directed the abuse of a little girl. 

Psychologist Peter Ashkar tells 7NEWS Spotlight that offenders who use the internet to commit their crimes overseas are posing a real risk to Australian kids: "That type of offender will almost certainly use whatever opportunity that they have to commit a similar type of sexual offense against a similar type of victim in person, if they have the opportunity to do so." 

Liam Bartlett said: "Australian men are fuelling a global trade in child sexual abuse, and they're doing it from the comfort of their own homes in suburbs around the country. The experts tell us one in every two will eventually want to have physical contact with a child in their local community and that is truly disturbing. 

"Destiny Rescue has done the hard work: identifying offenders, rescuing children, handing over names. But good police work means nothing if it doesn't lead to jail time. Letting these men walk free sends a chilling message: that child abuse, even directed from afar, is somehow forgivable. It's not."

One in 20 Australians now live with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder , and more than half are on medication -including hundreds of thousands of school-aged children.

On Sunday 7News Spotlight examines the fast-growing disorder with leading experts, families, and educators to unpack the surge in diagnoses, and speaks to doctors and sceptics who are sounding the alarm over prescription rates.

Professor Jon Jureidini, a psychiatrist and outspoken critic of the ADHD diagnosis, told 7News Spotlight: "ADHD is put forward as a simple explanation for a complex set of problems.

"It's very easy to become a diagnoser of ADHD, and it's also very lucrative. So, we have to be a little bit sceptical about the motivations of people who set up specialist practices to diagnose ADHD."

Ashlee Mullany also takes an exclusive look inside a school unlike any other in Australia, where almost 40% of students have ADHD.

"ADHD doesn't mean you're a Martian or anything. You're still a person," said one student.

Professor David Coghill, a leading world expert in ADHD, told 7News Spotlight: "Most of the time the information about ADHD on social media isn't accurate. Only around 30% of the posts were actually based on facts."

Ashlee Mullany said: "Among the billions of posts about ADHD on social media, we take a closer look at one psychiatrist who has become an influencer, partnering with a drug manufacturer for paid posts about ADHD."

Also this Sunday Michael Usher goes inside the Maclean brothers' record-breaking row across the Pacific Ocean - with exclusive video diaries from their time on board.

For nearly 140 days, Scottish siblings Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan filmed the highs and lows of their 14,000-kilometre journey from Peru to Cairns. From giant waves to sleep deprivation and a few near disasters, cameras caught almost every thrilling moment as they set a new world record for the fastest human powered crossing of the Pacific.

Now back in Sydney, the brothers' look back on their incredible journey, a raw and unforgettable adventure.

"It's incredible what your body can do when you put the work in," said Jamie Maclean.

In a special joint investigation with The Nightly, 7News Spotlight goes inside the crash that claimed Chris "Willow" Wilson's life, revealing the extraordinary lengths to which Outback Wrangler Matt Wright went to hide the truth.

Michael Usher said: "He's been celebrated as an outback hero, but who's the real Matt Wright?

"What happened in court was only part of the story. In partnership with The Nightly, we've obtained new evidence and allegations about Matt Wright's conduct – details the public has never heard."

7News Spotlight reveals exclusive new details about how Northern Territory Police brought down this croc cowboy and how they exposed the full extent of Wright's alleged attempts to obstruct investigations by moving interstate, trying to avoid surveillance and attempting to manipulate the destroyed chopper's flight records.

Speaking exclusively to 7News Spotlight, Northern Territory Police Detective Senior Sergeant, Corey Borton, said: "Mr Wright has his online persona and then there's the way he acts when he thinks no one else is looking."

7NEWS Spotlight also exposes an allegation that Wright tried to bribe tourists and reveals exclusive images that appear to show the TV star killing a protected species.

The Nightly's investigative reporter Kristin Shorten, who has been covering this case since the start, said: "For the first time, we can reveal the extraordinary story of how Darwin detectives uncovered the criminal conduct of Matt Wright and his associates after the fatal crash that killed one mate and left another paraplegic.

"Following Matt Wright's guilty verdicts, Northern Territory Police granted us unprecedented access to key investigators and evidence, allowing us to reveal – for the first time – how their covert operation unfolded and the ‘red flags' that brought the ‘Outback Wrangler' unstuck."