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Secrets We Keep - Lone Actor

On March 15 2019 a gunman opened fire on two mosques in Christchurch, killing 51 people. Officially, he acted alone. But what if that wasn’t the full story? In Secrets We Keep: Lone Actor, journalist Joey Watson digs into the digital underworld that shaped Brenton Tarrant — a 28-year-old Australian radicalised online and armed with a global ideology. Joey retraces the steps of the terrorist and asks: Was he really acting alone? The series journeys from the darkest corners of the internet to the other side of the world, exposing the murky forces behind the deadliest terror attack ever committed by an Australian.

30 min•

Monday

Lone Actor | Investigating the Christchurch terrorist

There are new developments in the case of the Christchurch terrorist — the Australian man who murdered 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand in 2019 — who is now seeking to overturn his guilty plea and appeal his sentence. The Christchurch massacre remains the deadliest act of extremist violence committed by an Australian. In Secrets We Keep: Lone Actor, journalist Joey Watson retraces the terrorist's trajectory in the years leading up to the attack, revealing the networks, influences, and failures that shaped one of the most devastating crimes in our region. Joey speaks with survivors, researchers, and those who crossed the attacker's path, as he begins to uncover a far more complex story. What, or who, led him to violence? Lone Actor | Ep 2 | Shitposting Lone Actor | Ep 3 | In the scene Lone Actor | Ep 4 | The Balkans Lone Actor | Ep 5 | The defence of Europe Lone Actor | Ep 6 | Skull Mask Network Got any tips? Email us at secretswekeep@sca.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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36 min•

9 Jul 25

Lone Actor - Episode 2 - Shitposting

The terrorist posted a manifesto and a live stream link on an obscure image board just minutes before the attack, urging users to "do their part by spreading my message." Journalist Joey Watson investigates the online community of 4chan, and finds how a once-creative part of the internet was taken over by far-right extremists, desensitizing each other towards violence. Joey sifts through newly unearthed posts made anonymously by the terrorist, finding a crucial shift in his radicalisation journey. Further reading: The Role of Ideology in Motivating Lone Actor Terrorism: An Analysis of the Online Record of the Christchurch Terrorist See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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36 min•

16 Jul 25

Lone Actor - Episode 3 - In the scene

On the afternoon of the attack, a member of a private Facebook group for Australian extremists comments that the terrorist had been "in the scene for a while". Digging through an archive of Facebook posts, Joey Watson uncovers just how deep those connections ran. Joey finds the terrorist had been in contact with Australian extremists for years – including signalling the violence that he would go on to commit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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39 min•

23 Jul 25

Lone Actor - Episode 4 - The Balkans

Two trips to the Balkans, in South-Eastern Europe might hold the key to the terrorist's mindset in the years before the attack. This is a region steeped in nationalist history and revered by the far-right, and the details of his time here are murky. Joey follows the terrorist to the other side of the world, searching for more clues about his radicalisation, trying to find out if anyone in Europe knew what was coming. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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32 min•

30 Jul 25

Lone Actor - Episode 5 - The defence of Europe

After the attack, authorities in Austria learnt that the terrorist had been linked to a high-profile extremist in their country – Martin Sellner. The terrorist had given Sellner a sizeable donation, and had visited Austria four months before the attack. So, the question was asked – did Sellner and the terrorist have contact? However, the Austrian investigation into the links between the pair was compromised. Joey travels to Vienna to find out what happened. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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38 min•

6 Aug 25

Lone Actor - Episode 6 - Skull Mask Network

Having spent years tracing the terrorist, Joey is still left with unanswered questions. Parts of the manifesto don't match the online worlds Joey has investigated — references to revolution, societal collapse, and a call for chaos. Joey's search leads to a shadowy neo-Nazi terror network that emerged in the years before the attack. Could this be the missing link in the terrorist's radicalisation to violence? If you have a question for Joey, email secretswekeep@sca.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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26 min•

13 Aug 25

Bonus - Antoinette Lattouf interviews Joey Watson

Journalist and host of the Weekend Briefing Antointette Lattouf sits down with Joey Watson to go beyond the investigation. Find out how Joey came to the story, and how his family history influences his work. Have a question for Joey? Email secretswekeep@sca.com.au. You can hear more from Antointette every Saturday on the Weekend Briefing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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26 min•

20 Aug 25

Bonus - Joey answers your questions

Why did Joey decide to use the terrorist's name? Where are far-right extremist communities gathering now? In this bonus Q&A episode, Joey answers your questions about making the Lone Actor podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Secrets We Keep - Lone Actor

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Lone Actor | Investigating the Christchurch terrorist

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Lone Actor - Episode 2 - Shitposting

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Lone Actor - Episode 3 - In the scene

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Lone Actor - Episode 4 - The Balkans

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Lone Actor - Episode 5 - The defence of Europe

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Lone Actor - Episode 6 - Skull Mask Network

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Bonus - Antoinette Lattouf interviews Joey Watson

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Bonus - Joey answers your questions

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