Deceased/Not Found Australia - Lynette Dawson, 34, Sydney, Jan 1982 *husband guilty* #5

[jjleroche]

Nice to hear some outrage above of the obsene promptness of Chris' legal removal of Lyn from his life, while at the same time acquiring everything she ever owned. Including what her patents had contributed.

In his book, Hedley describes Shanelle as 'living hand to mouth' and being 'as poor as a church mouse.' Sad when you consider how different it could and should have been.

Yes, this aspect of the corruption which followed Lynette's "disappearance" is - well words fail me to come up with an apt description.

I would really like to see some sort of public government scrutiny of this - I had no idea until I read Trooper's post yesterday of the speed of the "divorce finalisation" - seven months - how that could not have drawn scrutiny at the time is puzzling. As to your post mentioning that by the time Damian Loone
was handed the case there was just a single piece of paper on the file (!!!) - well the level of corruption which must have occurred - worthy of some far-flung country with seedy admin processes and an unpronounceable name (not attempting to be racist here - Australia can do MUCH better than this).

Any enquiry into such a process (if given the publicity it deserved) would have an important "compliance" aspect to it - anyone thinking of participating in similar dodgy stuff in the future would hopefully decide that it's definitely NOT a good idea. IMO

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Yes, this aspect of the corruption which followed Lynette's "disappearance" is - well words fail me to come up with an apt description.

I would really like to see some sort of public government scrutiny of this - I had no idea until I read Trooper's post yesterday of the speed of the "divorce finalisation" - seven months - how that could not have drawn scrutiny at the time is puzzling. As to your post mentioning that by the time Damian Loone
was handed the case there was just a single piece of paper on the file (!!!) - well the level of corruption which must have occurred - worthy of some far-flung country with seedy admin processes and an unpronounceable name (not attempting to be racist here - Australia can do MUCH better than this).

Any enquiry into such a process (if given the publicity it deserved) would have an important "compliance" aspect to it - anyone thinking of participating in similar dodgy stuff in the future would hopefully decide that it's definitely NOT a good idea. IMO

If you are going to commit a murder, having friends of high ranking in the police force cannot be overrated. The additional content of Lyn Dawson's police file didn't just jump out of the filing cabinet and walk out out the door. The names of Chris Dawson's police mates aren't even a secret. It just comes down to someone actually wanting to follow up on it but l suspect the powers that be are more comfortable leaving it buried 'safely' in the past.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

It is ironic that the solicitor who acted for Chris Dawson in his divorce, Jeff Linden, is also the guy who found out from the new owners of the Dawson house, that Chris had been mysteriously returning to the property. Linden had previously been a football team mate of the Dawsons as well as a friend of Lyn and Chris returning to the house and asking the new owners where they had been digging rang alarm bells for Linden.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

With Chris Dawson behind bars for the rest of his life - where he belongs - the agonising question remains about what he did with Lyn's body.

The local dump Is still my best guess. Both Paul and Chris worked there for a time, knew the layout and the run of the place, and are even believed to have had keys. It would have provided the perfect location to ensure Lyn's body would never ever be found.

That last point may work against Dawson as the 'no body, no parole' conditions he is serving under obviously require him to provide a body, not just a location.

 

[jjleroche]

I kind of feel like Chris and Paul were in some kind of relationship.

Different to a brother relationship, something else.

IMO

It’s not normal to have a secret bank account with someone who’s not your spouse, is it?

Jmo

Hmmm. How interesting - maybe an account specifically set up for nefarious purposes (of one kind or another)...

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Have to wonder if Lyn's father knew about the 'Twinsie's account' - as it was refered to - when he extended them the loan? Money which, owing to Chris murdering Lyn and inheriting everything she owned, he would never see again.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I still think that the body was closer to the family home.
Chris Dawson seemed pretty interested in what areas of the property they were going to dig.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

I still think that the body was closer to the family home.
Chris Dawson seemed pretty interested in what areas of the property they were going to dig.

That Dawson kept returning to the property gives that impression but it sounds like the soil there was rock hard....except for what JC kept referring to as the 'soft soil.' That soil was outside the window of the children's bedroom and it was soft due to a drainage issue. Years later that same spot was concreted over and was probably never dug up in search of Lyn.

Perhaps Lyn is located in what was the soft soil, underneath that concrete? Or perhaps Lyn was temporarily buried there and then moved to another location - such as the rubbish dump - and Dawson is concerned that there might still be a detectable trace of Lyn having been there?

 

[EssieMarie83]

Any one have any insight into the appeal? I think I read it’s this year (perhaps May?)

I wonder what the grounds for appeal are

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Any one have any insight into the appeal? I think I read it’s this year (perhaps May?)

I wonder what the grounds for appeal are

May 13th this year and expected to last 3 days.

I think the 'strongest' ground for appeal in Chris Dawson's mind is he doesn't like prison. Last heard people in there were calling him names. How horrendous for a murderer to have to endure that.

 

[Trooper]

May 13th this year and expected to last 3 days.

I think the 'strongest' ground for appeal in Chris Dawson's mind is he doesn't like prison. Last heard people in there were calling him names. How horrendous for a murderer to have to endure that.

oh dear, tsk, tsk. People can be so mean. I wonder just how long Dawson can last before he blabs , because he will not want to die in there. No one does, but he is used to the comfy life, and it's harder on him . Which is ok with me.

He will want some sort of parole, if only for medical reasons. But the statute is quite clear. No body, no parole. Which , again, only my opinion, must make some people very nervous, because, I just don't believe he did all this himself. ..

Also, I think Lynn's body is close to home. Murderers have only as many hours in their day as we do in ours, and he only had about 6 hours to kill, cover up, keep the kids quiet, have a place ready to bury the body, and turn up at the pool on the Saturday morning. In geophysical terms, he could not run the risk of a long car journey out, and back,.. a quick journey, perhaps, certainly very quick , is how I see it.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

oh dear, tsk, tsk. People can be so mean. I wonder just how long Dawson can last before he blabs , because he will not want to die in there. No one does, but he is used to the comfy life, and it's harder on him . Which is ok with me.

He will want some sort of parole, if only for medical reasons. But the statute is quite clear. No body, no parole. Which , again, only my opinion, must make some people very nervous, because, I just don't believe he did all this himself. ..

Also, I think Lynn's body is close to home. Murderers have only as many hours in their day as we do in ours, and he only had about 6 hours to kill, cover up, keep the kids quiet, have a place ready to bury the body, and turn up at the pool on the Saturday morning. In geophysical terms, he could not run the risk of a long car journey out, and back,.. a quick journey, perhaps, certainly very quick , is how I see it.

Agree with all of that but don't forget that when Dawson left the baths the morning after, it was without his two daughters.

He had carefully manipulated things such that his friend (Phil?) dropped Lyn's mum off at her home, with the two girls. I believe the girls stayed there at least overnight and this provided Dawson with the 'window of opportunity' - as l think the judge referred to it - to dispose of Lyn's body.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Last heard people in there were calling him names. How horrendous for a murderer to have to endure that.

Oh poor diddums

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Chris told various people differing accounts of where Lyn had gone and often in some detail. Lies are always harder to remember than truth and police - when they are actually making an effort - often rely on that bringing the guilty undone.

At the time of Lyn's disappearance Paul was involved with a school girl named Shelley Oates-Wilding. Shelley was the girl who '60 Minutes' interviewed a while back. According to Shelley, just after Lyn went missing, Paul told her 'something terrible has happened.'

Most of us have suspected Paul knew all along what happened to Lyn and what Shelley had to say is consistent with that viewpoint.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

He will want some sort of parole, if only for medical reasons. But the statute is quite clear. No body, no parole. Which , again, only my opinion, must make some people very nervous, because, I just don't believe he did all this himself. ..

Paul, from memory, claimed to police, with the support of wife Marilyn, that they were out of town at the time Lyn disappeared.

However, there have been numerous inconsistencies between the accounts of so many and Paul's unconvincing denials and whether he and his family were really away at the time of Lyn's disappearance is at best questionable.

If the police hadn't made such a disasterous mess of Lyn's murder from day one, who knows how many people might have been serving at the pleasure of Her Madgesty??

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Strike Force Southland, the police operation set up to investigate the unlawful teacher-student relationships that took place at Cromer High and other schools in the region doesn't seem to have borne much fruit.

Yes, they nailed Chris Dawson but it is common knowledge that back then at least 6 teachers at Cromer High were preying on teenage students and that is just one of the schools.

At least 3 teenage students have gone public about Paul Dawson and at least 2 of those (JC and Shelley) have made statements to the police. Even Paul Dawson's own wife knew he was engaging in paedophilia.

So where are the charges? Are there so many cases and so many witnesses the police are flat out assembling these cases? I hope that's what it is because it would be a bloody disgrace if there aren't any more charges!

 

[silvercrown]

Paul, from memory, claimed to police, with the support of wife Marilyn, that they were out of town at the time Lyn disappeared.

However, there have been numerous inconsistencies between the accounts of so many and Paul's unconvincing denials and whether he and his family were really away at the time of Lyn's disappearance is at best questionable.

If the police hadn't made such a disasterous mess of Lyn's murder from day one, who knows how many people might have been serving at the pleasure of Her Madgesty??

I enjoyed how J Harrison put it: that Paul and Marilyn Dawson were on their ‘one and only holiday in Aunt Audrey’s caravan’ at the time.

Conveniently from the Wednesday before to the Wednesday after Lyn disappeared!

 

[Cliff Hardy]

I enjoyed how J Harrison put it: that Paul and Marilyn Dawson were on their ‘one and only holiday in Aunt Audrey’s caravan’ at the time.

Conveniently from the Wednesday before to the Wednesday after Lyn disappeared!

That amazing 'coincidence' plainly wasn't lost on Justice Harrison.

If only the police had been on the job a couple of decades earlier they could have kept Paul and Marilyn honest on that one.

 

[silvercrown]

It was perfectly phrased. Nothing was lost on Justice Harrison.

I totally agree, this would have been one of the easiest aspects for the police to unpick, and would have been very significant.

Sadly and frustratingly, there are so many if onlys of which this was just one.

I've recently finished listening to Shanelle Dawson, Hedley Thomas and Rebecca Hazel’s books, and I know much has been discussed about the ‘Twinnies’ relationship, but after listening to the books there was nothing normal about them as brothers or even twins. Just disgusting. Their family dynamic must be totally skewed for the support they maintain.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

From Marilyn Dawson's 1999 interview with police :

'I wanted Lyn to fight for Chris and her marriage and her children and she didn't, she just kept making opportunities for him and JC to be together.'

'I would fight, l would have fought, and in a way l did fight for my marriage because my husband was his twin, and you know, whatever Chris was doing my husband may have been doing too.'

This from Lyn's sister in law, who helped facilitate Chris' affair with a schoolgirl by hiding JC in their home on numerous occasions. With relatives like that, who needs enemies? What a hypocrite!

From her statement, Marilyn clearly knew her husband was a paedofile just as much as her brother in law was.

I wish Marilyn had elaborated on how she 'fought for her marriage' because it didn't slow her paedofile husband down with his unlawful exramarital activities.