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

[JLZ]

There's a different timeline here Timeline of the disappearance of Lynette Dawson , with divorce finalisation in 1983 and marriage to JC in January 1984. Still, I thought a divorce took two years--one year for decree nisi and then another for decree absolute. But the decrees are supposed to be served upon the partner. As a child I knew a woman whose husband ran off and couldn't be found to receive service, so she had to wait seven years for presumption of death.

 

[Tweet57]

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.

What a cow!

 

[DRT]

There's a different timeline here Timeline of the disappearance of Lynette Dawson , with divorce finalisation in 1983 and marriage to JC in January 1984. Still, I thought a divorce took two years--one year for decree nisi and then another for decree absolute. But the decrees are supposed to be served upon the partner. As a child I knew a woman whose husband ran off and couldn't be found to receive service, so she had to wait seven years for presumption of death.

I have a note on my timeline that he filed for divorce in 1982. That must be where the 7 months come in.

 

[JLZ]

I have a note on my timeline that he filed for divorce in 1982. That must be where the 7 months come in.

I wonder if the time before decree nisi starts counting from the date of separation--regardless of when legal proceedings began. He might have testified that he and Lyn were already separated before she disappeared. I think there was something at the trial where he wanted to block evidence from the divorce proceedings.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Getting towards the end of Hedley's book and there was mention that during the second excavation at the former Dawson home the police did dig the soft soil outside the bedroom windows and the comment was that it was only soft to something like a metre and then rock hard like pretty well all the rest of the soil surrounding the house.

I think that account contradicts what l have read and heard up until now? I had the impression they missed the soft soil in the first excavation and that prior to the second excavation, the new owners had concreted over the soft soil and the police had chosen not to break that concrete up?

 

[Cliff Hardy]

I wonder if any of those paedofile teachers, wondering each time there is a knock at the door or their phone rings if it will be Strike Force Southwood, have considered doing a runner overseas?

Most would be around mid 70s by now and as much as they deserve it, a few years in jail would probably be best avoided by any means possible.

 

[silvercrown]

Getting towards the end of Hedley's book and there was mention that during the second excavation at the former Dawson home the police did dig the soft soil outside the bedroom windows and the comment was that it was only soft to something like a metre and then rock hard like pretty well all the rest of the soil surrounding the house.

I think that account contradicts what l have read and heard up until now? I had the impression they missed the soft soil in the first excavation and that prior to the second excavation, the new owners had concreted over the soft soil and the police had chosen not to break that concrete up?

You’re right. It’s at 4:57 in Chapter 36 ‘Digging’ for those listening to the audiobook like I did.

(I seem to recall in Rebecca Hazel’s book that it’s mentioned the soft soil had been concreted over and a chance to excavate the area is now lost due to the concrete slab now sitting on it.)

Chapter 36 again mentions the pink cardigan that was found in the first dig, with stab/knife marks all over the fabric. This chapter doesn’t specifically say, but it was discussed earlier in the book that nobody could produce any photographs of Lynette wearing the cardigan. Still, it’s an item of importance and people did believe that it was Lyn’s and indicative of the way she was murdered. (Also of note is that they also found a juice box with an expiry date of 1982 sometime).

Anyway, my own opinion of course, I’d always speculated that CD had drugged Lyn -given her Mum diarised that she sounded half sozzled on the phone on the night of 8 Jan- and suffocated her. In my mind he is too cowardly to have attacked her with a knife and stabbed her. I’m also thinking about leaving such a mess if his plans of the kids not coming home after the Northbridge baths had fallen through for any reason.

Interested to hear everyone else’s opinions on the cardigan.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

You’re right. It’s at 4:57 in Chapter 36 ‘Digging’ for those listening to the audiobook like I did.

(I seem to recall in Rebecca Hazel’s book that it’s mentioned the soft soil had been concreted over and a chance to excavate the area is now lost due to the concrete slab now sitting on it.)

Chapter 36 again mentions the pink cardigan that was found in the first dig, with stab/knife marks all over the fabric. This chapter doesn’t specifically say, but it was discussed earlier in the book that nobody could produce any photographs of Lynette wearing the cardigan. Still, it’s an item of importance and people did believe that it was Lyn’s and indicative of the way she was murdered. (Also of note is that they also found a juice box with an expiry date of 1982 sometime).

Anyway, my own opinion of course, I’d always speculated that CD had drugged Lyn -given her Mum diarised that she sounded half sozzled on the phone on the night of 8 Jan- and suffocated her. In my mind he is too cowardly to have attacked her with a knife and stabbed her. I’m also thinking about leaving such a mess if his plans of the kids not coming home after the Northbridge baths had fallen through for any reason.

Interested to hear everyone else’s opinions on the cardigan.

One of them has it wrong about the soft soil.

I seem to remember JC also lamenting that they hadn't dug where the soft soil is. I believe she was present for the first dig and reading Hedley say 'but she didn't mention the soft soil while she was there.'

As for the cardigan. I remember hearing they found the drink container with it and were actually still able to read the use-by date on it - amazing! Hard to know exactly what the shredded cardigan means though? It seems to have been all but dismissed as far as its relevance.

 

[JLZ]

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?

If the soft soil was soft because of a drainage issue, and the rock-hard soil was indeed soil and not rock, then I expect the hard soil could be made soft enough to dig by suitable pre-treatment with water. Stop the water treatment after burial, the ground should eventually dry up hard again.

 

[silvercrown]

One of them has it wrong about the soft soil.

I seem to remember JC also lamenting that they hadn't dug where the soft soil is. I believe she was present for the first dig and reading Hedley say 'but she didn't mention the soft soil while she was there.'

As for the cardigan. I remember hearing they found the drink container with it and were actually still able to read the use-by date on it - amazing! Hard to know exactly what the shredded cardigan means though? It seems to have been all but dismissed as far as its relevance.

Yes I wonder which. Like you, I’d always been under the impression the soft soil had been built on and therefore a dig there wasn’t possible.

Imo the cardigan would have brought more ambiguity than answers, and the circumstantial evidence the Crown had was enough to present a strong case without needing to bring into question ‘how’ Lyn had been murdered. Just that she had been.

Imo the relevance of the cardigan existing at all was that CD and Lyn had built at Bayview when it was all undeveloped bushland that required clearing, so the therefore very extremely improbable it had belonged to anybody other than a family member or even more unlikely a guest to the home. And yes, it was incredible the juice box found in the same dig had a use-by date that was still readable.

The book did specifically call them ‘stab’ marks though, thus my speculation as to the cause of death.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

If the soft soil was soft because of a drainage issue, and the rock-hard soil was indeed soil and not rock, then I expect the hard soil could be made soft enough to dig by suitable pre-treatment with water. Stop the water treatment after burial, the ground should eventually dry up hard again.

From Hedley's book :

'The soft soil outside the bedroom windows turned out to be soft only close to the surface.There was too much rock beneath it for a grave.'

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Yes I wonder which. Like you, I’d always been under the impression the soft soil had been built on and therefore a dig there wasn’t possible.

Imo the cardigan would have brought more ambiguity than answers, and the circumstantial evidence the Crown had was enough to present a strong case without needing to bring into question ‘how’ Lyn had been murdered. Just that she had been.

Imo the relevance of the cardigan existing at all was that CD and Lyn had built at Bayview when it was all undeveloped bushland that required clearing, so the therefore very extremely improbable it had belonged to anybody other than a family member or even more unlikely a guest to the home. And yes, it was incredible the juice box found in the same dig had a use-by date that was still readable.

The book did specifically call them ‘stab’ marks though, thus my speculation as to the cause of death.

Interesting that you mention the 'cause of death.'

I anticipated the onus would have been on the prosecution to nominate the cause of death and be able to support their theory beyond a reasonable doubt. As it was, it didn't seem to matter.

 

[silvercrown]

Interesting that you mention the 'cause of death.'

I anticipated the onus would have been on the prosecution to nominate the cause of death and be able to support their theory beyond a reasonable doubt. As it was, it didn't seem to matter.

It makes it a bit hard to prove when there’s no body! All they had to prove was that he killed her, which thankfully they managed to do with a massive stack of circumstantial evidence.

 

[Ellery84]

Interesting that you mention the 'cause of death.'

I anticipated the onus would have been on the prosecution to nominate the cause of death and be able to support their theory beyond a reasonable doubt. As it was, it didn't seem to matter.

I don’t want to come across as being overly macabre, but I’m actually quite curious. How do you think he killed her, @Cliff Hardy ? Or is this Sub Judice because of appeal and it can’t be discussed?

TIA

Ellery

 

[JLZ]

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.

It always made me think of Rebecca. "I would fight for Maxim. I would lie and perjure and swear, I would blaspheme and pray. Rebecca had not won. Rebecca had lost."

 

[Witness 28]

I don’t want to come across as being overly macabre, but I’m actually quite curious. How do you think he killed her, @Cliff Hardy ? Or is this Sub Judice because of appeal and it can’t be discussed?

TIA

Ellery

Everyone is forgetting that the whole Pacific Highway in 1982 from Sydney to the Central Coast was a windy road going up and down mountain at some places you could only do 40 to 60 kilometers an hour, wasn't a Freeway Chris Dawson did not have enough time to murder and then get rid of the body and dump it somewhere on the Central Coast.

 

[silvercrown]

Hey @Witness 28 were you ever approached by or did you ever approach the podcast at the time it was being released?
I’ve not always followed the threads here but have had a Quick Look through the posts and see your claims about a hitman.

 

[Witness 28]

Hey @Witness 28 were you ever approached by or did you ever approach the podcast at the time it was being released?
I’ve not always followed the threads here but have had a Quick Look through the posts and see your claims about a hitman.

SilverCrown, I don't want to drop any names but yes, what made me in 2018 ring the police at Taree Police Station, and state I needed to speak to a homicide Detective i phoned and left a message in Brisbane to someone who has a podcast not mentioning any names he rang me maybe a month later within a month when I told him my story he didn't believe I said Lynette Dawson didn't drink he said she did not affirm my said no she didn't drink, at first I sent him an email of everything I said ,then out of the blue he rang and said I had to go to the police ,I told him and stated before that I already gone to Crime Stoppers in 2014 and he insisted I have to go to the police ,so yes I rang Taree police station for an appointment with a homicide Detective for the next day about lunch time so at the resort I was working I asked my a boss if it was was okay with him he said all good, early morning about 9 or 10 o'clock Sydney homicide Detective Scott cook turned up with blue Commodore to interview me he stated he came down from Sydney because there was a homicide on the mid north coast and the forest so I told him my story which hasn't changed I keep telling everyone I meet so if I disappear or get murdered it Point somewhere

 

[Witness 28]

Hey @Witness 28 were you ever approached by or did you ever approach the podcast at the time it was being released?
I’ve not always followed the threads here but have had a Quick Look through the posts and see your claims about a hitman.

Chris and Paul Dawson would have to known the driver that night on the 8th January 1982 because Lynette Dawson didn't drive ,so Chris or Paul or both arranged for their friend to drive Lynette to the newtown Leagues Club at 8.30 ...9 o'clock I've been asked before why she was there ,now I'm going to say , we spoke, Lynette Dawson told me that she was there to meet someone ,she didn't elaborate
on who she was meeting, but she was definitely not at home having a lovely drink because Lynette Dawson did not drink just lie Chris Dawson's and Paul Dawson's said to protect an alibi ,to protect Chris, every lie has been a lie to protect Chris and to give an alibi

 

[Ellery84]

SilverCrown, I don't want to drop any names but yes, what made me in 2018 ring the police at Taree Police Station, and state I needed to speak to a homicide Detective i phoned and left a message in Brisbane to someone who has a podcast not mentioning any names he rang me maybe a month later within a month when I told him my story he didn't believe I said Lynette Dawson didn't drink he said she did not affirm my said no she didn't drink, at first I sent him an email of everything I said ,then out of the blue he rang and said I had to go to the police ,I told him and stated before that I already gone to Crime Stoppers in 2014 and he insisted I have to go to the police ,so yes I rang Taree police station for an appointment with a homicide Detective for the next day about lunch time so at the resort I was working I asked my a boss if it was was okay with him he said all good, early morning about 9 or 10 o'clock Sydney homicide Detective Scott cook turned up with blue Commodore to interview me he stated he came down from Sydney because there was a homicide on the mid north coast and the forest so I told him my story which hasn't changed I keep telling everyone I meet so if I disappear or get murdered it Point somewhere

Det Scott Cook is running the William Tyrrell homicide investigation; he went missing from the mid North Coast. Scott Cook is head of homicide.