This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-46449836
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Chris Dawson: Arrest in podcast-highlighted Australian mystery | Chris Dawson: Arrest in podcast-highlighted Australian mystery |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Australian police have arrested the husband of a Sydney woman whose disappearance in 1982 has been the subject of a popular crime podcast. | Australian police have arrested the husband of a Sydney woman whose disappearance in 1982 has been the subject of a popular crime podcast. |
Chris Dawson, 70, is to be charged with murdering Lynette Dawson, New South Wales (NSW) authorities said. | Chris Dawson, 70, is to be charged with murdering Lynette Dawson, New South Wales (NSW) authorities said. |
Mr Dawson has denied killing Mrs Dawson, with whom he has two children. He has said that she abandoned the family for a religious group. | Mr Dawson has denied killing Mrs Dawson, with whom he has two children. He has said that she abandoned the family for a religious group. |
A podcast, The Teacher's Pet, brought global attention to the case this year. | A podcast, The Teacher's Pet, brought global attention to the case this year. |
Police arrested Mr Dawson in Queensland and said he would be extradited to NSW. | Police arrested Mr Dawson in Queensland and said he would be extradited to NSW. |
Mrs Dawson's brother, Greg Simms, said he was "ecstatic" about the development. | |
"We've always been determined to find the truth and that's the reason why we've fought to keep Lyn's name alive," he told Nine News. | |
Two separate inquests have recommended for murder charges to be laid against a "known person". | Two separate inquests have recommended for murder charges to be laid against a "known person". |
However, prosecutors have previously said there was insufficient evidence to lay charges. No trace of Mrs Dawson has ever been found. | However, prosecutors have previously said there was insufficient evidence to lay charges. No trace of Mrs Dawson has ever been found. |
Police 'confident' | Police 'confident' |
A search of the family's former home in Sydney earlier this year failed to turn up new evidence. | A search of the family's former home in Sydney earlier this year failed to turn up new evidence. |
However, police said the arrest followed three years of renewed investigations. | |
"We are confident with the case," Supt Scott Cook told reporters on Wednesday. | |
"We won't give up on trying to identify the whereabouts of Lynette Dawson, but, from our perspective, it is not crucial to finalising the matter." | "We won't give up on trying to identify the whereabouts of Lynette Dawson, but, from our perspective, it is not crucial to finalising the matter." |
An inquest in 2003 found that Mr Dawson, a former high school teacher and rugby league star, had engaged in sexual relationships with teenage students during his marriage. | An inquest in 2003 found that Mr Dawson, a former high school teacher and rugby league star, had engaged in sexual relationships with teenage students during his marriage. |
One 16-year-old girl moved in to the family home within days of Mrs Dawson's disappearance. The pair later married, but have since separated. | One 16-year-old girl moved in to the family home within days of Mrs Dawson's disappearance. The pair later married, but have since separated. |
Since May, more than 27 million people have listened The Teacher's Pet podcast, which is produced by The Australian newspaper. | Since May, more than 27 million people have listened The Teacher's Pet podcast, which is produced by The Australian newspaper. |
It has highlighted the bungled handling of Mrs Dawson's case by police in the early years after her disappearance, prompting a recent apology from the state's police commissioner. | It has highlighted the bungled handling of Mrs Dawson's case by police in the early years after her disappearance, prompting a recent apology from the state's police commissioner. |