Sunday Night: May 15

On Sunday Night Mike Willesee looks into a breakthrough in a 1976 murder case, plus a marathon athlete overcoming formidable odds and a profile of US singer Meghan Trainor.

Killer Confession
For 47 long and painful years it’s been one of Australia’s greatest murder mysteries – who took the life of the beautiful, young beauty queen, Lucille Butterworth? In a long-running Sunday Night investigation, reporter Mike Willesee has uncovered a series of extraordinary mistakes during the original police investigation. Confessions were ignored, crucial leads missed, vital information dismissed. Now, a major breakthrough. Findings from a new police inquiry have been examined by a Tasmanian coroner who has taken the extraordinary step of identifying the murderer, Geoffrey Charles Hunt. That, as a former prisoner has come forward to explain for the first time on television how Hunt confessed to him in horrifying detail about the crime. Hunt is a man already well known to police. He was convicted of the brutal murder of another young woman in 1976. This Sunday Night, Mike Willesee speaks to the key players in a case that has finally been solved and goes in search of the man who murdered Lucille Butterworth.

Unstoppable
The Marathon des Sables is the toughest and most physically challenging ultra-marathon on earth. Seven days through some of the hottest and harshest lands in the world – the Sahara. For an able-bodied athlete it’s a massive challenge, but the challenges for Kate Sanderson are beyond comprehension. With scorching temperatures and sand dunes that stretch for kilometres, Kate has two distinct disadvantages – she only has one foot and burns to 60 per cent of her body. Five years ago, Kate and Turia Pitt were engulfed by a bushfire during a footrace in Western Australia. Both were badly injured, and amazingly, both have beaten the odds to race again. But for Kate Sanderson, the Sahara marathon might just be the biggest challenge of her life. Sunday Night’s Alex Cullen was there to see if she could make it.

All About That Meghan
She’s the international superstar determined to do it her way – just as she is. At first she was behind the scenes writing songs for other singers then Meghan Trainor broke through spectacularly, singing her own mega-hit All About That Bass, a celebration of her shape and stereotype-busting anthem for body image. This week she proved just how committed she is to being herself when she pulled the video for her latest release because producers had Photoshopped her slimmer. And as Sunday Night’s PJ Madam found out, this comes as no surprise. During a forthright and candid interview in London, Meghan speaks about the challenges of ‘not being like Britney Spears’ and the ‘awesome’ impact she’s had on women and girls around the world. On the set of that controversial video in Los Angeles, Meghan speaks about the constant challenges to her vision and her voice. She also invites us along to meet her biggest fan, her father, and tells us that family will always be far more important than fame.

Sunday at 8.45pm on Seven.