1. The Gladstone House FireA horrific blaze in Toolooa, Queensland, claimed three lives — Jordana Johnson, her son Jordan Norris, and his friend Chazz Mather. Contessa Leigh Marie Richardson has been charged with their murders and two counts of arson.2. The Wilson Suppression LiftedAccused rapist Michael Simon Wilson failed to block media coverage linking him to childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, who faces over 70 child sex charges. Wilson’s case, involving multiple rape and assault allegations, will proceed in 2026.3. Operation Athena: Guns Off the StreetsPolice across Australia and New Zealand seized more than 1,000 illegal and 3D-printed firearms in a major cross-border crackdown targeting black-market weapons and organised crime.4. Justice for Arthur HainesAfter 27 years, Gregory John Walker pleaded guilty to the 1998 firebombing that killed 13-year-old Arthur Haines in Waterloo, NSW — finally closing one of the state’s longest-running cold cases.5. Death in Custody: Phillip Walton InquestA Lismore inquest investigates the death of Phillip Mark Walton, who died after being tasered and restrained by police at Casino Station. The inquiry examines police and paramedic conduct during the arrest.6. The Miss Oceania ScandalFormer beauty pageant organiser William Wee Liat Tan faces 31 child abuse charges, accused of running online groups that promoted the sexual assault of children. He remains in custody as investigations widen.7. The Cheryl Grimmer ConfessionNSW MP Jeremy Buckingham reignited the 1970 Fairy Meadow Beach cold case by reading the 1971 confession of a 17-year-old who admitted abducting and killing three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer.8. The Easey Street MurdersAfter 47 years, Perry Kouroumblis is charged over the 1977 killings of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett in Collingwood. The case shocked Melbourne, with both women found stabbed to death in their home.9. The Murder of Thi Kim TranThree men have been charged with the abduction and murder of Sydney mother Thi Kim Tran, whose body was found in a burnt-out car. Police allege the killing was linked to organised crime revenge plots.10. Tragedy at Beenleigh Police StationA three-year-old boy died in the foyer of Beenleigh Police Station following a car crash in Ormeau, Queensland. The driver, linked to a domestic violence order, has been charged as investigations continue.11. The Cocaine Boat FiascoThree WA men — Mate Stipinovich, Aristides Avlonitis, and Karl Whitburn — were jailed after their cocaine-smuggling operation went wrong and their boat sank, losing 230 kilograms of drugs.12. The Broome Domestic KillingBruce Grant Kittimbill, 56, has been charged with the murder of a 58-year-old woman in Broome, WA, in what police describe as a domestic violence-related stabbing.13. Gym Ambush in Oakleigh EastA 29-year-old man was brutally attacked at Derrimut 24:7 Gym by five men armed with machetes or hammers. The victim sustained head injuries; police are searching for the attackers.14. The Balenciaga Bikie ArrestNotorious ex-Comanchero Tarek Zahed was arrested after a month on the run. Known as the “Balenciaga Bikie,” Zahed survived a 2022 hit that killed his brother and remains under heavy police scrutiny.15. The Murder of Hannah McGuireBallarat woman Hannah McGuire was murdered by her boyfriend, Lachlan Young, who staged her death to look like a suicide. He faces a potential life sentence after pleading guilty to her killing.