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Prompts Used

Prompt 1: Context Setup

You are an expert data extractor tasked with analyzing a podcast transcript. 
I will provide you with part 1 of 1 from a podcast transcript. 
I will then ask you to extract different types of information from this content in subsequent messages. Please confirm you have received and understood the transcript content.

Transcript section:
[00:00:03.280 --> 00:00:10.640] In the sweltering summer of 1966, the city of Adelaide was basking in the carefree warmth of the season.
[00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:20.880] Yet, a seemingly ordinary day would give rise to one of Australia's most haunting cold cases, one that remains unresolved to this day.
[00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:33.120] It also stands as the most prominent instance in Australian history of a so-called psychic detective being enlisted to aid an investigation despite ongoing police efforts.
[00:00:33.120 --> 00:00:44.800] Today, we delve into the disappearance of the Beaumont children, the involvement of a Dutch clairvoyant, and the far-reaching consequences that have lingered for decades.
[00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:55.680] Join us for an exclusive three-day exploration of historic Death Valley.
[00:00:55.680 --> 00:01:02.960] From October 21st to 24th, we'll take you from Las Vegas deep into the heart of this rugged, otherworldly landscape.
[00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:06.800] All transportation, lodging, and meals are included.
[00:01:06.800 --> 00:01:14.640] Your guides will be Skeptoid's Brian Dunning, hey, I know that guy, he's me, and Death Valley expert geologist Andrew Dunning.
[00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:23.440] Together, they'll lead you to world-famous sites like Badwater Basin and the Artist's Palette, plus hidden gems that you won't find in any guidebook.
[00:01:23.440 --> 00:01:27.920] This year's trip features all new destinations with minimal overlap from last year.
[00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:33.120] And here's a bonus: Skepticamp Las Vegas begins the same evening we return to Las Vegas.
[00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:38.320] Make it a two-for-one trip and stick around to hear me talk about my visit to Area 51.
[00:01:38.320 --> 00:01:41.840] Details at skeptoid.com/slash events.
[00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:43.680] Spots are very limited.
[00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:45.120] Secure yours today.
[00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:53.200] Email help at skeptoid.com with questions and join the conversation with fellow adventurers at skeptoid.com/slash discord.
[00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.200] Death Valley is calling.
[00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:57.840] Are you ready to answer?
[00:02:01.880 --> 00:02:03.720] You're listening to Skeptoid.
[00:02:03.720 --> 00:02:09.560] I'm Richard Saunders, guest hosting for Brian Dunning from skeptoid.com.
[00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:27.560] The Case of the Missing Beaumont Children Welcome to the show that separates fact from fiction, science from pseudoscience, real history from fake history, and helps us all make better life decisions by knowing what's real and what's not.
[00:02:27.880 --> 00:02:35.720] Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia and is known for its beauty, being labeled the city of churches.
[00:02:35.720 --> 00:02:44.120] But the events of early 1966 have left an indelible mark on this city and indeed all of Australia.
[00:02:44.760 --> 00:02:46.040] Around 10 a.m.
[00:02:46.040 --> 00:03:05.960] on January the 26th, the three Beaumont siblings, Jane, nine years old, Ana, seven, and Grant, four, set off from their family home on Harding Street in the suburb of Subberton Park to spend some time at nearby Glenelg Beach, just a five-minute bus ride away.
[00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:13.960] Their mother, Nancy, had given them some coins for lunch and expected them to return on their own a couple of hours later.
[00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:19.960] This was not the first time the children had made the trip, so there was no particular cause for concern.
[00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:27.080] It was 1966, after all, and Australian society reflected a more innocent time.
[00:03:28.040 --> 00:03:40.280] Witnesses reported seeing the children playing near the beach at noon, and oddly they used a one-pound note, pounds still being the currency in Australia in early 1966, to buy food.
[00:03:40.280 --> 00:03:44.120] Remember, their mother had only given them coins.
[00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:50.560] This fact alone has led to theories as to who they may have met on the day.
[00:03:44.920 --> 00:03:55.360] By 2 p.m., the children had not returned home, and by 7 p.m.
[00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:59.040] Nancy had contacted the police to report them missing.
[00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:07.360] The search for the children that began that very night was to captivate the city of Adelaide and made news around Australia.
[00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:20.480] To have children disappear like this was almost unheard of, and hundreds of citizens gave up their time to join the police to search around the beach and the nearby suburbs in the days and weeks that followed.
[00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:31.520] The story was front-page news in the local newspaper, The Advertiser, for over a week, as well as being prominently reported throughout Australia and internationally.
[00:04:31.520 --> 00:04:38.880] As we'll see, and was appropriate, a great deal of police time and resources were committed to the case.
[00:04:39.520 --> 00:04:53.360] On February 3rd, with the police suspecting that the children had been murdered and their bodies disposed of, the local boat haven was drained, an extraordinary measure that reflected the seriousness of the situation.
[00:04:53.360 --> 00:05:00.720] Some thirty-five police searched the muddy, knee-deep water, with over a thousand people looking on from the shore.
[00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:04.160] Nothing of interest to the case was found.
[00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:10.240] Police broadened their search to more suburbs and interviewed witnesses and people of interest.
[00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:13.840] Sketches were made of possible suspects and distributed.
[00:05:13.840 --> 00:05:25.360] Again, countless hours of police time and effort were poured into the case, with officers following the tried and true crime investigation methodology of the day.
[00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:45.800] Despite a reward from the government, with contributions from concerned citizens reaching $10,100, about $167,000 in today's money, and many lines of inquiry being pursued, no trace of the children had been found by mid-1966.
[00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:58.360] Although the police continued to follow numerous leads from the public, mostly concerning people seen near the children on the day of their disappearance, the story eventually faded from the newspapers.
[00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:08.840] It is now August 3rd, 1966, and the first reports that would make this case of particular interest to skeptics begin to emerge.
[00:06:08.840 --> 00:06:23.880] As reported in the advertiser, a TV newscaster contacted 58-year-old Gerard Coissette in the Netherlands via radio phone, and their conversation was broadcast on that evening's television news.
[00:06:24.840 --> 00:06:36.040] Croissette had gained a reputation for locating missing persons through clairvoyance and was also known as a mystic healer of both animals and humans.
[00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:51.800] He had initially been approached by a Dutch resident of Adelaide, Jan van Ski, who had sent Croissette details of the disappearance along with photographs of the children and Glenelg Beach, hoping he might use his mystical insights.
[00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:59.800] In the months that followed, Coisette would frequently be referred to as a seer in media reports.
[00:07:00.760 --> 00:07:12.840] Coisette claimed to have experienced visions and concluded that the children were in fact dead, their bodies laying in an underground cave among the rocks near the beach.
[00:07:12.840 --> 00:07:17.920] According to him, there was no foul play, just a tragic accident.
[00:07:18.880 --> 00:07:28.480] This revelation resulted in a considerable amount of new correspondence being received by the police from the public, all of which had to be dealt with.
[00:07:29.440 --> 00:07:36.720] Croisette then sent a vague map of the area indicating where he thought the children were buried.
[00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:47.120] This resulted in hundreds of people, men, women, and children, descending on the beach to search and dig according to interpretations of the map.
[00:07:47.120 --> 00:08:01.920] Although nothing was found, more searches were undertaken based on the psychic visions, including that of stormwater drains with borrowed equipment from the local fire department, resulting in more time and effort being put in by police.
[00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:10.800] By early September, and with more media outlets picking up on the paranormal aspects of the story, two Adelaide businessmen, Mr.
[00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:12.240] Barry Blackwall and Mr.
[00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:25.760] Con Polites, agreed to pay the cost of flying Coisette from the Netherlands to Adelaide in the hopes that him visiting the location would give him the extra insights he needed to solve the case.
[00:08:26.400 --> 00:08:40.560] Croisette finally arrived in Adelaide on the night of Tuesday, November 8, 1966, and was greeted at the airport by hundreds of people together with media crews from TV, radio, and the newspapers.
[00:08:40.560 --> 00:08:47.680] It was front-page news in the advertiser the next morning, which reported the event as being frantic.
[00:08:47.680 --> 00:08:54.320] Other reports compare Croissette's arrival in Adelaide to that of the Beatles only two years before.
[00:08:54.640 --> 00:08:58.720] Police were also in attendance.
[00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:14.600] Although public interest in the case hit a new level owing to the media coverage of the paranormal aspect, the South Australian police remained skeptical that this seer could succeed where nine months of police investigation had failed.
[00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:19.160] Detective Sergeant Ron Blight is quoted as saying, We will give Mr.
[00:09:19.160 --> 00:09:25.560] Croissette all the help we can, but we are not getting tangled up in his activities in Adelaide.
[00:09:25.560 --> 00:09:34.200] Naturally, we hope that he finds the children, and we're prepared to appeal to the public to give him a fair go, but we aren't particularly hopeful.
[00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:39.160] If Croissette finds the Beaumont children, it will be sheer luck.
[00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:45.560] Croissette announced that he would only spend two days on the search.
[00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:59.720] The next morning, Wednesday, November 9th, Croissette, followed by 12 media cars and scores of private cars, started his quest near the beach, the last known location of the children.
[00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:11.960] From there, he walked around and then was driven around for many kilometers along the foreshore and local streets, spurred on by his visions and taking photographs and making sketches and notes.
[00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:17.400] Occasionally, he would stop to talk, via an interpreter, to people along the way.
[00:10:17.400 --> 00:10:30.680] Finally, at 5:30 p.m., he ended up at Minda Home, an institute for what we would now call children with special needs, and declared the Beaumont children were buried within the grounds.
[00:10:30.680 --> 00:10:35.000] However, he finally rejected this site the next morning.
[00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.480] So, yet another dead end.
[00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:44.520] One of the many reporters tagging along described the day as a farce.
[00:10:44.520 --> 00:11:06.800] Thursday, November 10th, saw more seemingly random rovings of the seer with media in tow, but it only lasted until 3:30 p.m., as Croisette, tired and dejected, gave up his search and is quoted as saying, I am not nearly as confident of finding the bodies now as I was when I first arrived.
[00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:15.280] However, in a surprise move, he travelled that evening to the home of a woman who also claimed to have psychic visions of the children.
[00:11:15.280 --> 00:11:18.160] Nothing of consequence came of this meeting.
[00:11:18.160 --> 00:11:20.800] Another false lead.
[00:11:21.760 --> 00:11:30.400] It's now Friday, November 11th, and a dramatic and, as we'll see, far-reaching event took place at 2 p.m.
[00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:44.080] Croisette, escorted by detectives, went to a newly built warehouse in Subenton Park, about one kilometre from the Beaumont's home, stood on a slab of concrete, and declared, This is the place.
[00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:47.040] I get my strongest emotion here.
[00:11:47.680 --> 00:11:54.480] He maintained his belief that the children were not murdered, but died from an accident while looking for shelter.
[00:11:54.480 --> 00:12:02.000] Crowds of people flocked to the site following radio broadcasts of the announcement, with police having to control the traffic.
[00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:09.680] Four hours later, Coiset was gone, having boarded a flight to Sydney and then to the USA.
[00:12:09.680 --> 00:12:13.840] Before he left, however, he paid a visit to the Beaumont parents.
[00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:22.000] Nancy Beaumont, at least, refused to believe her children were dead, despite Croisette's visions.
[00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:28.800] Fall is here and Skeptoid has you covered.
[00:12:28.800 --> 00:12:37.560] Literally, our back to school sale is happening all September long, with 20% off everything in the Skeptoid store.
[00:12:37.560 --> 00:12:47.720] Grab a cozy hoodie for those chilly mornings, sip your favorite roast from a Skeptoid coffee mug, or sport one of our shirts that proudly promotes critical thinking.
[00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:54.280] Just use the code Skeptoid20 at checkout and save 20% on your entire order.
[00:12:54.280 --> 00:12:57.480] Don't wait, this sale ends September 30th.
[00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:03.080] Head to skeptoid.com/slash store and get your gear today.
[00:13:06.920 --> 00:13:13.160] On Saturday, November 12th, the front page of the advertiser read, Coisette picks spot.
[00:13:13.160 --> 00:13:15.160] Decision awaited.
[00:13:15.160 --> 00:13:22.360] Yet more people headed to the site out of curiosity or in anticipation of something dramatic being discovered.
[00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:33.960] Over the coming days, talks were held by the South Australian Premier, Frank Walsh, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jeffrey Lean, to consider what should be done.
[00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:46.840] In the view of the police, who had spent time and effort investigating the feasibility of this claim, there was no reason and no real possibility the children could be buried under the warehouse.
[00:13:47.480 --> 00:14:01.640] On November 15th, the State Cabinet of South Australia decided not to authorize excavations, with Premier Walsh saying, Excavations of this area would be a waste of time, money, and effort.
[00:14:02.280 --> 00:14:11.720] This news came as a great disappointment to Con Polites and the thousands who had followed the exploits of Coisette via media reports.
[00:14:12.040 --> 00:14:20.560] Despite every psychic lead proving to be false, people still had faith in the Dutch seer.
[00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.400] But the story was far from over.
[00:14:24.400 --> 00:14:41.200] By early May 1967, a group calling itself the Citizens Action Committee had raised around $40,000, about $640,000 in today's money, to fund a private excavation of the warehouse.
[00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:50.240] Days of digging to a depth of up to four and a half meters at the spot chosen by Quisette followed, but with no result.
[00:14:50.560 --> 00:14:56.240] Once again, time and effort was wasted on a paranormal promise.
[00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:18.080] We now travel to 1996, the 30th anniversary of the disappearance, and once again the warehouse was the subject of a search funded by Con Polites, who, after decades, was still clinging onto the belief that Coisette, who had died in 1980, was the real deal.
[00:15:18.400 --> 00:15:20.880] Nothing was found.
[00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:33.760] In January 2018, even though over 50 years had passed, there was still the need for many to somehow prove that Quisette was right after all.
[00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:42.880] Police received information of a possible burial site in another warehouse some five kilometers away from the one in Somerton Park.
[00:15:42.880 --> 00:16:01.800] In the days leading up to the new dig, this time conducted by police, the New Daily Online ran the story with the angle that if the children were to be found in this new location, Quisette, dismissed by sceptics as a fraud at the time, might at least be partially vindicated.
[00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:07.640] Sadly, once again, no trace of the children was found.
[00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:25.800] Jim and Nancy Beaumont lived into their 90s, only dying within the last few years, and left this earth without ever seeing their children again or knowing what happened to them on that fateful day in January 1966.
[00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:42.600] As with other infamous cases, such as the search for Jack the Ripper, the case of the Beaumont children has become a rabbit hole of suspects, motives, and, as we've seen, possible final locations of those poor children.
[00:16:42.600 --> 00:17:03.880] Over the decades, books, TV documentaries, and now true crime podcasts have taken on the case from every angle, and it is still an ongoing investigation by the South Australian police, who, to this day, are spending time and effort dealing with yet more psychic leads.
[00:17:04.840 --> 00:17:11.880] Would the police have found vital clues if the time and effort wasted on Coisette had been better used?
[00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:15.160] It's possible, but we may never know.
[00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:22.520] It does, however, remind us that it's not mystical insights that solve cold cases.
[00:17:22.520 --> 00:17:28.920] It's hard work by dedicated officers and scientific police investigations.
[00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:38.760] We continue with more about some other false psychic trails in Australian criminal history in the ad-free and extended premium feed.
[00:17:38.760 --> 00:17:46.720] To access it, become a supporter at skeptoid.com slash go premium.
[00:17:51.520 --> 00:17:54.480] This has been guest host Richard Saunders.
[00:17:54.480 --> 00:18:04.320] You can find me and my team of reporters over at the Skeptic Zone podcast, now in its 17th year, at skepticzone.tv.
[00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:15.440] A great big skeptoid shout out to our premium supporters, including FSI Crocker from Aberdizzle, Deborah Wade and the four Wadlings.
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[00:19:58.600 --> 00:20:00.520] From PRX.

Prompt 2: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 3: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 4: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Full Transcript

[00:00:03.280 --> 00:00:10.640] In the sweltering summer of 1966, the city of Adelaide was basking in the carefree warmth of the season.
[00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:20.880] Yet, a seemingly ordinary day would give rise to one of Australia's most haunting cold cases, one that remains unresolved to this day.
[00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:33.120] It also stands as the most prominent instance in Australian history of a so-called psychic detective being enlisted to aid an investigation despite ongoing police efforts.
[00:00:33.120 --> 00:00:44.800] Today, we delve into the disappearance of the Beaumont children, the involvement of a Dutch clairvoyant, and the far-reaching consequences that have lingered for decades.
[00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:55.680] Join us for an exclusive three-day exploration of historic Death Valley.
[00:00:55.680 --> 00:01:02.960] From October 21st to 24th, we'll take you from Las Vegas deep into the heart of this rugged, otherworldly landscape.
[00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:06.800] All transportation, lodging, and meals are included.
[00:01:06.800 --> 00:01:14.640] Your guides will be Skeptoid's Brian Dunning, hey, I know that guy, he's me, and Death Valley expert geologist Andrew Dunning.
[00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:23.440] Together, they'll lead you to world-famous sites like Badwater Basin and the Artist's Palette, plus hidden gems that you won't find in any guidebook.
[00:01:23.440 --> 00:01:27.920] This year's trip features all new destinations with minimal overlap from last year.
[00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:33.120] And here's a bonus: Skepticamp Las Vegas begins the same evening we return to Las Vegas.
[00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:38.320] Make it a two-for-one trip and stick around to hear me talk about my visit to Area 51.
[00:01:38.320 --> 00:01:41.840] Details at skeptoid.com/slash events.
[00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:43.680] Spots are very limited.
[00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:45.120] Secure yours today.
[00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:53.200] Email help at skeptoid.com with questions and join the conversation with fellow adventurers at skeptoid.com/slash discord.
[00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.200] Death Valley is calling.
[00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:57.840] Are you ready to answer?
[00:02:01.880 --> 00:02:03.720] You're listening to Skeptoid.
[00:02:03.720 --> 00:02:09.560] I'm Richard Saunders, guest hosting for Brian Dunning from skeptoid.com.
[00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:27.560] The Case of the Missing Beaumont Children Welcome to the show that separates fact from fiction, science from pseudoscience, real history from fake history, and helps us all make better life decisions by knowing what's real and what's not.
[00:02:27.880 --> 00:02:35.720] Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia and is known for its beauty, being labeled the city of churches.
[00:02:35.720 --> 00:02:44.120] But the events of early 1966 have left an indelible mark on this city and indeed all of Australia.
[00:02:44.760 --> 00:02:46.040] Around 10 a.m.
[00:02:46.040 --> 00:03:05.960] on January the 26th, the three Beaumont siblings, Jane, nine years old, Ana, seven, and Grant, four, set off from their family home on Harding Street in the suburb of Subberton Park to spend some time at nearby Glenelg Beach, just a five-minute bus ride away.
[00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:13.960] Their mother, Nancy, had given them some coins for lunch and expected them to return on their own a couple of hours later.
[00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:19.960] This was not the first time the children had made the trip, so there was no particular cause for concern.
[00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:27.080] It was 1966, after all, and Australian society reflected a more innocent time.
[00:03:28.040 --> 00:03:40.280] Witnesses reported seeing the children playing near the beach at noon, and oddly they used a one-pound note, pounds still being the currency in Australia in early 1966, to buy food.
[00:03:40.280 --> 00:03:44.120] Remember, their mother had only given them coins.
[00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:50.560] This fact alone has led to theories as to who they may have met on the day.
[00:03:44.920 --> 00:03:55.360] By 2 p.m., the children had not returned home, and by 7 p.m.
[00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:59.040] Nancy had contacted the police to report them missing.
[00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:07.360] The search for the children that began that very night was to captivate the city of Adelaide and made news around Australia.
[00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:20.480] To have children disappear like this was almost unheard of, and hundreds of citizens gave up their time to join the police to search around the beach and the nearby suburbs in the days and weeks that followed.
[00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:31.520] The story was front-page news in the local newspaper, The Advertiser, for over a week, as well as being prominently reported throughout Australia and internationally.
[00:04:31.520 --> 00:04:38.880] As we'll see, and was appropriate, a great deal of police time and resources were committed to the case.
[00:04:39.520 --> 00:04:53.360] On February 3rd, with the police suspecting that the children had been murdered and their bodies disposed of, the local boat haven was drained, an extraordinary measure that reflected the seriousness of the situation.
[00:04:53.360 --> 00:05:00.720] Some thirty-five police searched the muddy, knee-deep water, with over a thousand people looking on from the shore.
[00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:04.160] Nothing of interest to the case was found.
[00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:10.240] Police broadened their search to more suburbs and interviewed witnesses and people of interest.
[00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:13.840] Sketches were made of possible suspects and distributed.
[00:05:13.840 --> 00:05:25.360] Again, countless hours of police time and effort were poured into the case, with officers following the tried and true crime investigation methodology of the day.
[00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:45.800] Despite a reward from the government, with contributions from concerned citizens reaching $10,100, about $167,000 in today's money, and many lines of inquiry being pursued, no trace of the children had been found by mid-1966.
[00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:58.360] Although the police continued to follow numerous leads from the public, mostly concerning people seen near the children on the day of their disappearance, the story eventually faded from the newspapers.
[00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:08.840] It is now August 3rd, 1966, and the first reports that would make this case of particular interest to skeptics begin to emerge.
[00:06:08.840 --> 00:06:23.880] As reported in the advertiser, a TV newscaster contacted 58-year-old Gerard Coissette in the Netherlands via radio phone, and their conversation was broadcast on that evening's television news.
[00:06:24.840 --> 00:06:36.040] Croissette had gained a reputation for locating missing persons through clairvoyance and was also known as a mystic healer of both animals and humans.
[00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:51.800] He had initially been approached by a Dutch resident of Adelaide, Jan van Ski, who had sent Croissette details of the disappearance along with photographs of the children and Glenelg Beach, hoping he might use his mystical insights.
[00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:59.800] In the months that followed, Coisette would frequently be referred to as a seer in media reports.
[00:07:00.760 --> 00:07:12.840] Coisette claimed to have experienced visions and concluded that the children were in fact dead, their bodies laying in an underground cave among the rocks near the beach.
[00:07:12.840 --> 00:07:17.920] According to him, there was no foul play, just a tragic accident.
[00:07:18.880 --> 00:07:28.480] This revelation resulted in a considerable amount of new correspondence being received by the police from the public, all of which had to be dealt with.
[00:07:29.440 --> 00:07:36.720] Croisette then sent a vague map of the area indicating where he thought the children were buried.
[00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:47.120] This resulted in hundreds of people, men, women, and children, descending on the beach to search and dig according to interpretations of the map.
[00:07:47.120 --> 00:08:01.920] Although nothing was found, more searches were undertaken based on the psychic visions, including that of stormwater drains with borrowed equipment from the local fire department, resulting in more time and effort being put in by police.
[00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:10.800] By early September, and with more media outlets picking up on the paranormal aspects of the story, two Adelaide businessmen, Mr.
[00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:12.240] Barry Blackwall and Mr.
[00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:25.760] Con Polites, agreed to pay the cost of flying Coisette from the Netherlands to Adelaide in the hopes that him visiting the location would give him the extra insights he needed to solve the case.
[00:08:26.400 --> 00:08:40.560] Croisette finally arrived in Adelaide on the night of Tuesday, November 8, 1966, and was greeted at the airport by hundreds of people together with media crews from TV, radio, and the newspapers.
[00:08:40.560 --> 00:08:47.680] It was front-page news in the advertiser the next morning, which reported the event as being frantic.
[00:08:47.680 --> 00:08:54.320] Other reports compare Croissette's arrival in Adelaide to that of the Beatles only two years before.
[00:08:54.640 --> 00:08:58.720] Police were also in attendance.
[00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:14.600] Although public interest in the case hit a new level owing to the media coverage of the paranormal aspect, the South Australian police remained skeptical that this seer could succeed where nine months of police investigation had failed.
[00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:19.160] Detective Sergeant Ron Blight is quoted as saying, We will give Mr.
[00:09:19.160 --> 00:09:25.560] Croissette all the help we can, but we are not getting tangled up in his activities in Adelaide.
[00:09:25.560 --> 00:09:34.200] Naturally, we hope that he finds the children, and we're prepared to appeal to the public to give him a fair go, but we aren't particularly hopeful.
[00:09:34.200 --> 00:09:39.160] If Croissette finds the Beaumont children, it will be sheer luck.
[00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:45.560] Croissette announced that he would only spend two days on the search.
[00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:59.720] The next morning, Wednesday, November 9th, Croissette, followed by 12 media cars and scores of private cars, started his quest near the beach, the last known location of the children.
[00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:11.960] From there, he walked around and then was driven around for many kilometers along the foreshore and local streets, spurred on by his visions and taking photographs and making sketches and notes.
[00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:17.400] Occasionally, he would stop to talk, via an interpreter, to people along the way.
[00:10:17.400 --> 00:10:30.680] Finally, at 5:30 p.m., he ended up at Minda Home, an institute for what we would now call children with special needs, and declared the Beaumont children were buried within the grounds.
[00:10:30.680 --> 00:10:35.000] However, he finally rejected this site the next morning.
[00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.480] So, yet another dead end.
[00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:44.520] One of the many reporters tagging along described the day as a farce.
[00:10:44.520 --> 00:11:06.800] Thursday, November 10th, saw more seemingly random rovings of the seer with media in tow, but it only lasted until 3:30 p.m., as Croisette, tired and dejected, gave up his search and is quoted as saying, I am not nearly as confident of finding the bodies now as I was when I first arrived.
[00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:15.280] However, in a surprise move, he travelled that evening to the home of a woman who also claimed to have psychic visions of the children.
[00:11:15.280 --> 00:11:18.160] Nothing of consequence came of this meeting.
[00:11:18.160 --> 00:11:20.800] Another false lead.
[00:11:21.760 --> 00:11:30.400] It's now Friday, November 11th, and a dramatic and, as we'll see, far-reaching event took place at 2 p.m.
[00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:44.080] Croisette, escorted by detectives, went to a newly built warehouse in Subenton Park, about one kilometre from the Beaumont's home, stood on a slab of concrete, and declared, This is the place.
[00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:47.040] I get my strongest emotion here.
[00:11:47.680 --> 00:11:54.480] He maintained his belief that the children were not murdered, but died from an accident while looking for shelter.
[00:11:54.480 --> 00:12:02.000] Crowds of people flocked to the site following radio broadcasts of the announcement, with police having to control the traffic.
[00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:09.680] Four hours later, Coiset was gone, having boarded a flight to Sydney and then to the USA.
[00:12:09.680 --> 00:12:13.840] Before he left, however, he paid a visit to the Beaumont parents.
[00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:22.000] Nancy Beaumont, at least, refused to believe her children were dead, despite Croisette's visions.
[00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:28.800] Fall is here and Skeptoid has you covered.
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[00:13:06.920 --> 00:13:13.160] On Saturday, November 12th, the front page of the advertiser read, Coisette picks spot.
[00:13:13.160 --> 00:13:15.160] Decision awaited.
[00:13:15.160 --> 00:13:22.360] Yet more people headed to the site out of curiosity or in anticipation of something dramatic being discovered.
[00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:33.960] Over the coming days, talks were held by the South Australian Premier, Frank Walsh, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jeffrey Lean, to consider what should be done.
[00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:46.840] In the view of the police, who had spent time and effort investigating the feasibility of this claim, there was no reason and no real possibility the children could be buried under the warehouse.
[00:13:47.480 --> 00:14:01.640] On November 15th, the State Cabinet of South Australia decided not to authorize excavations, with Premier Walsh saying, Excavations of this area would be a waste of time, money, and effort.
[00:14:02.280 --> 00:14:11.720] This news came as a great disappointment to Con Polites and the thousands who had followed the exploits of Coisette via media reports.
[00:14:12.040 --> 00:14:20.560] Despite every psychic lead proving to be false, people still had faith in the Dutch seer.
[00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.400] But the story was far from over.
[00:14:24.400 --> 00:14:41.200] By early May 1967, a group calling itself the Citizens Action Committee had raised around $40,000, about $640,000 in today's money, to fund a private excavation of the warehouse.
[00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:50.240] Days of digging to a depth of up to four and a half meters at the spot chosen by Quisette followed, but with no result.
[00:14:50.560 --> 00:14:56.240] Once again, time and effort was wasted on a paranormal promise.
[00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:18.080] We now travel to 1996, the 30th anniversary of the disappearance, and once again the warehouse was the subject of a search funded by Con Polites, who, after decades, was still clinging onto the belief that Coisette, who had died in 1980, was the real deal.
[00:15:18.400 --> 00:15:20.880] Nothing was found.
[00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:33.760] In January 2018, even though over 50 years had passed, there was still the need for many to somehow prove that Quisette was right after all.
[00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:42.880] Police received information of a possible burial site in another warehouse some five kilometers away from the one in Somerton Park.
[00:15:42.880 --> 00:16:01.800] In the days leading up to the new dig, this time conducted by police, the New Daily Online ran the story with the angle that if the children were to be found in this new location, Quisette, dismissed by sceptics as a fraud at the time, might at least be partially vindicated.
[00:16:02.120 --> 00:16:07.640] Sadly, once again, no trace of the children was found.
[00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:25.800] Jim and Nancy Beaumont lived into their 90s, only dying within the last few years, and left this earth without ever seeing their children again or knowing what happened to them on that fateful day in January 1966.
[00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:42.600] As with other infamous cases, such as the search for Jack the Ripper, the case of the Beaumont children has become a rabbit hole of suspects, motives, and, as we've seen, possible final locations of those poor children.
[00:16:42.600 --> 00:17:03.880] Over the decades, books, TV documentaries, and now true crime podcasts have taken on the case from every angle, and it is still an ongoing investigation by the South Australian police, who, to this day, are spending time and effort dealing with yet more psychic leads.
[00:17:04.840 --> 00:17:11.880] Would the police have found vital clues if the time and effort wasted on Coisette had been better used?
[00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:15.160] It's possible, but we may never know.
[00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:22.520] It does, however, remind us that it's not mystical insights that solve cold cases.
[00:17:22.520 --> 00:17:28.920] It's hard work by dedicated officers and scientific police investigations.
[00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:38.760] We continue with more about some other false psychic trails in Australian criminal history in the ad-free and extended premium feed.
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[00:17:51.520 --> 00:17:54.480] This has been guest host Richard Saunders.
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