Podcast
•September 21, 2026
Out from the Cold: Searching for Elaine
A nine-part podcast on the 1980 disappearance of Elaine Johnson in southern Sydney
"Out from the Cold: Searching for Elaine" is a true crime podcast from Happy Tuesday Productions which, according to the series' own description, tells the story of the disappearance of Elaine Johnson from southern Sydney in early 1980.
The series follows Elaine's childhood in Kurnell and Cronulla, after her family moved from Britain to Australia as so-called "Ten Pound Poms". In the weeks before she vanished, she had left the family home following a disagreement over a house party, and she is believed to have been staying with her friend Kerry Anne Joel. Neither Elaine nor Kerry has been seen since February 1980, and Elaine's family has spent more than 40 years searching for answers about what happened.
The podcast opens with the episode "Introducing: Searching for Elaine", followed by instalments including "The Wildflower" and "Kerry" — titles that both point to the central figures in the case. The series runs to nine episodes in total, with the most recent update dated 18 November 2025.
"Out from the Cold: Searching for Elaine" is available on Apple Podcasts.
About the podcast
Original titleOut from the Cold: Searching for Elaine
PlatformHappy Tuesday Productions
Release year2025
Episodes9
Episodes
3
The Informant
An informant contacts Elaine Johnson's sister with a dying man's claim about what happened to the missing women in the NSW Southern Tablelands.
November 18, 2025
Lack of investigations
The episode covers how NSW Police first linked Elaine Johnson and Kerry-Ann Joel's disappearances in 2004, and flawed searches made between 2004 and 2006.
November 13, 2025
The Others
Episode 6 of Searching for Elaine, 'The Others', looks at other unsolved disappearances of young girls near Cronulla and what they reveal about failed investigations.
November 4, 2025
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