Australia Australia - Tegan Lane, 2 days old, Sydney, 14 Sept 1996 *K. Lane guilty*

[Bohemian]

EXPOSED: The Case of Keli Lane, airs across three Tuesday nights from 8.30pm 25 September on ABC and iview.

SEX. MURDER. SECRETS. LIES.

 

[Bohemian]

Keli Lane: Convicted baby killer speaks from jail to say she's innocent and her daughter is alive - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

‘Convicted baby killer Keli Lane has broken her 15-year silence, telling the ABC she believes her daughter Tegan is still alive and may now be old enough to come forward.’

‘In dozens of six-minute conversations — the maximum call time allowed by the jail — Lane said she believes she can clear her name.

"The biggest hope for me is that someone comes forward with my daughter," Lane said.

"She'd be an adult now. So she obviously has had a whole life perhaps not knowing she is my child.

"I don't want to interrupt her life, I don't necessarily even need to meet her, but obviously for my own family, for myself, I want to show that I did not harm her. And I certainly did not kill her."

The recorded phone conversations with Lane will form part of the upcoming Exposed series by award-winning ABC investigative journalists Caro Meldrum-Hanna and Elise Worthington.’

 

[Bohemian]

The Keli Lane tapes: From prison, a murderer breaks her silence - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

‘Investigative journalist Elise Worthington and I [Caro Meldrum-Hanna] decided to delve into this confounding case for the ABC’s new documentary series Exposed: The Case of Keli Lane, to test her claimed innocence, and to analyse the police investigation and the murder trial.

Over the course of several months, Keli Lane rang us to discuss her life and her case. We never called her, and Lane consented to her calls being recorded and published.

No topic was off limits.’

 

[Morrisa]

I'm watching....

 

[Bohemian]

I'm watching....

Yeah, me too. Pretty sad story. The one true thing she says is about the culture to do with elite sports. I used to row competitively about a decade before she played water polo and we played hard and partied hard too.

 

[JLZ]

Link for those who don't have TV:
Exposed: The Case Of Keli Lane

 

[JLZ]

I thought the episode was very damning of Keli's mother. It was cut to contrast her attitude with those of other people who expressed empathy and regret over what they didn't do.

 

[Bohemian]

I thought the episode was very damning of Keli's mother. It was cut to contrast her attitude with those of other people who expressed empathy and regret over what they didn't do.

I agree. Uncompromising. I can’t imagine being comfortable with my teenaged/young 20-something daughter dealing with 5 unplanned pregnancies ‘as she saw fit’. Or with not knowing she was pregnant — baggy clothes’ fashion or not.

 

[JLZ]

I agree. Uncompromising. I can’t imagine being comfortable with my teenaged/young 20-something daughter dealing with 5 unplanned pregnancies ‘as she saw fit’. Or with not knowing she was pregnant — baggy clothes’ fashion or not.

Sarcastic and dismissive. But she respected Keli's effort to spare her parents from the inconvenience of knowing her troubles.

I'm not altogether persuaded by Keli's line that she felt she had nobody she could go to. I mean the story could go, that she felt abandoned by her mother . . . and hence her particular need to be in a 'relationship' . . . and therefore abandoned her own children. She seemed to have had a few other supports though, which one would expect to mitigate the effect of an unnurturing mother.

 

[Bohemian]

Sarcastic and dismissive. But she respected Keli's effort to spare her parents from the inconvenience of knowing her troubles.

I'm not altogether persuaded by Keli's line that she felt she had nobody she could go to. I mean the story could go, that she felt abandoned by her mother . . . and hence her particular need to be in a 'relationship' . . . and therefore abandoned her own children. She seemed to have had a few other supports though, which one would expect to mitigate the effect of an unnurturing mother.

It seems to me that her other supports, bar her romantic relationships, were somehow predicated on her ability as an elite athlete; even so that of her and her mother’s relationship at one stage. When adults are busy living vicariously through the successes of children and young adults, they are dependent upon them to fulfil their desires, rather than seeing those same children and young adults as separate beings with needs of their own. I think this may have been a large part of the problem with the bulk of the adults surrounding Keli.

 

[Ms Cadfael]

I'm thinking she "buried her head in the sad." Probably in denial until the birth, then panicked as there was the wedding to attend.
Keli may have "left" the baby somewhere, so she could go home, attend the friends wedding and make out all was well, then when returning to the baby, found her deceased (exposure/starvation, etc)
In her mind, this wouldn't be murder, but to deal with the guilt, concocted "Andrew Norris."
Whatever happened, she needs to be where she is, until society know what happened to a child that was last seen in her care.
I wonder if the children she adopted out know who their birth mother is?

 

[keeponsearching]

I've just watched the first episode. I plan on reading back on posts. I am pretty sure I have never heard of this case.

What I thought was interesting. When the detective called her and asked if she had a baby on that day, and she said no. If someone would call me about of the blue and ask me a personal questions I doubt I would answer. And after the call, the man was like I got her. That doesn't sound right to me.

Anyways going to read up and see what other facts I am missing.

I think about Gabriel Johnson, these two cases seem similar.

 

[sunnybree]

I've just watched the first episode. I plan on reading back on posts. I am pretty sure I have never heard of this case.

What I thought was interesting. When the detective called her and asked if she had a baby on that day, and she said no. If someone would call me about of the blue and ask me a personal questions I doubt I would answer. And after the call, the man was like I got her. That doesn't sound right to me.

Anyways going to read up and see what other facts I am missing.

I think about Gabriel Johnson, these two cases seem similar.

John Borovnik was not a detective, he worked for DOCs (now FACs). The context is that Keli signed a adoption care agreement for her third baby. This meant that her baby was placed in foster care whilst Keli underwent pre-adoption counselling, paperwork was complete, and she participated in the selection of an adoptive family. Keli failed to keep up contact with the adoptions officer and the care agreement lapsed. Legally this meant baby #3 was abandoned so DOCs had to get involved. John Borovnik’s job was to try to make contact with Keli and inform her of what was happening for her child. So, he has called her, presumably he has explained Keli’s choices re the baby (ie get back in touch with adoptions or DOCs will have to take custody of the baby). Then he has attempted to establish the whereabouts of Tegan, the other child not adopted so presumably in Keli’s care. The got you might be some restrospective history. Although, Borovnik’s context is important as well. He worked with abusive, neglectful parents. He would have been made aware that Keli was making herself difficult to contact during the adoption process, and that she told a number of lies through that process, some of which were discovered by the adoptions officer during the process. Because adoption is a legal matter, involving statements filed in court, this was causing a lot of delay and complication, and then the care agreement lapsed. Borovnik as a DOCs worker has likely interpreted this as a mother not prepared to act in the best interest of her child above her own interest (which is probably a fair assessment given how things have turned out). Following this, Keli faxed her adoptions worker, and in this fax she provided information about Tegan’s whereabouts - except, Andrew Norris/Morris, or even a biological father, never rated a mention. Instead Keli said a couple from Perth had befriended her and were looking after Tegan. Much was made of Keli’s contradictory accounts (of which there were several) about Tegan’s whereabouts.

 

[sunnybree]

I've just watched the first episode. I plan on reading back on posts. I am pretty sure I have never heard of this case.

What I thought was interesting. When the detective called her and asked if she had a baby on that day, and she said no. If someone would call me about of the blue and ask me a personal questions I doubt I would answer. And after the call, the man was like I got her. That doesn't sound right to me.

Anyways going to read up and see what other facts I am missing.

I think about Gabriel Johnson, these two cases seem similar.

John Borovnik was not a detective, he worked for DOCs (now FACs). The context is that Keli signed a adoption care agreement for her third baby. This meant that her baby was placed in foster care whilst Keli underwent pre-adoption counselling, paperwork was complete, and she participated in the selection of an adoptive family. Keli failed to keep up contact with the adoptions officer and the care agreement lapsed. Legally this meant baby #3 was abandoned so DOCs had to get involved. John Borovnik’s job was to try to make contact with Keli and inform her of what was happening for her child. So, he has called her, presumably he has explained Keli’s choices re the baby (ie get back in touch with adoptions or DOCs will have to take custody of the baby). Then he has attempted to establish the whereabouts of Tegan, the other child not adopted so presumably in Keli’s care. The got you might be some restrospective history. Although, Borovnik’s context is important as well. He worked with abusive, neglectful parents. He would have been made aware that Keli was making herself difficult to contact during the adoption process, and that she told a number of lies through that process, some of which were discovered by the adoptions officer during the process. Because adoption is a legal matter, involving statements filed in court, this was causing a lot of delay and complication, and then the care agreement lapsed. Borovnik as a DOCs worker has likely interpreted this as a mother not prepared to act in the best interest of her child above her own interest (which is probably a fair assessment given how things have turned out). Following this, Keli faxed her adoptions worker, and in this fax she provided information about Tegan’s whereabouts - except, Andrew Norris/Morris, or even a biological father, never rated a mention. Instead Keli said a couple from Perth had befriended her and were looking after Tegan. Much was made of Keli’s contradictory accounts (of which there were several) about Tegan’s whereabouts.

 

[Banquo's Ghost]

Just watched the first episode. I wasn't sure I'd be interested because there's no real mystery here and I didn't just want to hear Lane's lies. But the look into the coaches and parents who should have known about the pregnancies is very good.

The mother seems like a very cold person. Praising her daughter for dealing with her own problems and not burdening them! It didn't really ring true to me when she told about finding out and saying "why didn't you tell us, we would have helped you". What do people think about her saying she "wasn't privy to all those details" regarding Lane taking a day pass from the maternity ward (baby AJ, if I remember correctly) to have cake at her parents' house on her birthday? Didn't she watch any of the trial or ask any questions?

Maybe I'm being overly influenced by her similarities to my friend's parents who had a "don't come crying to me about it" attitude about everything from skinned knees to not understanding homework. Lane certainly went to a lot of trouble to hide the truth from everyone, and although I guess her teammates could be bitchy and her boyfriends were unreliable, her dad seems like a pretty nice guy. But if you tell him then you've told mum too and I suspect that was just unthinkable for Lane.

 

[Banquo's Ghost]

Here's Part 1 of a 60 Minutes interview with the parents, from 2016. That page should have a link to part 2 as well.

 

[sunnybree]

Just watched the first episode. I wasn't sure I'd be interested because there's no real mystery here and I didn't just want to hear Lane's lies. But the look into the coaches and parents who should have known about the pregnancies is very good.

The mother seems like a very cold person. Praising her daughter for dealing with her own problems and not burdening them! It didn't really ring true to me when she told about finding out and saying "why didn't you tell us, we would have helped you". What do people think about her saying she "wasn't privy to all those details" regarding Lane taking a day pass from the maternity ward (baby AJ, if I remember correctly) to have cake at her parents' house on her birthday? Didn't she watch any of the trial or ask any questions?

Maybe I'm being overly influenced by her similarities to my friend's parents who had a "don't come crying to me about it" attitude about everything from skinned knees to not understanding homework. Lane certainly went to a lot of trouble to hide the truth from everyone, and although I guess her teammates could be bitchy and her boyfriends were unreliable, her dad seems like a pretty nice guy. But if you tell him then you've told mum too and I suspect that was just unthinkable for Lane.

I thought Mrs Lane’s body language was really interesting. Arms folded, body slightly turned away, shoulder shrugging. She seems over it, and very defensive over questions about how she could not have noticed Keli was pregnant. I do believe her when she says she didn’t know but I feel like there was an unconscious desire not to know, a really strange kind of self-involvement. Ditto for boyfriend at the time, DG. Her comment that she found it admirable in a way that Keli dealt with her own problems was really telling. While I think that Keli’s claim that she was worried her parents would abandon her is a self-serving exaggeration, I can see her Mum isn’t exactly a confiding kind of person. It’s also weird to me that clearly Keli’s parents knew she was having sex - boyfriend DG was sleeping in Keli’s bed under their roof. That’s cool, but accidental pregnancy (which ya know, is a kind of obvious possible outcome from sex) is not? Did Keli’s mum ever talk to her teenage daughter about contraception and how to use it properly, support her to explore the right options for her etc? On the show, Keli stated she wasn’t using the pill properly. From hearing Mrs Lane, it seems like she just saw those matters as Keli’ problems.

Another thing I’ve always found sort of annoying is the “truth is stranger than fiction” claim. I don’t think a father taking sole custody of his biological daughter is all that strange. It’s Keli’s story that is strange. Is his name Morris or Norris? Did they plan this arrangement before Keli went to hospital or after? Was Andrew accompanied by his Mum or his committed partner Mel (who btw was totally happy to be mother to the love child at a day’s notice)? Where did he live? Oh, no one named Morris/Norris ever livesd there, must be a false name. Why? Keli had some trouble keeping her story straight. Why not tell the adoptions officer Tegan was with her biological father instead of with a family in Perth? Why on earth wouldn’t the father register the birth? There’s no crime in being a single father.

My own theory is that Keli found the adoption process of the older baby to be really difficult and intrusive, by law the adoptions officer must do all possible to ascertain the father’s views and wishes, meaning Keli had to come up with various convoluted method to prevent the officer tracking down the reported birth father (and this came undone during baby#3, where the adoptions officer did succeed in tracking down the reported birth father, who actually wasnt the birth father, forcing Keli to invent a fictional father who bore a very strange resemble in appearance, age, and profession to Andrew Morris/Norris). So, Keli perhaps thought she would leave the baby somewhere and someone would find her and she would be adopted as an abandoned child. It’s amazing how many people believe adoption is that simple, or that this would work. If she had been found, the police at the time would have investigated, and the person who found her would not have been allowed to adopt her. It doesn’t work like that in Australia. Of course, no one did find her. Just my theory...

 

[JLZ]

It's really the responsibility of the prescribing doctor (rather than the girl's parents) to explain how to use the pill correctly. Unless there was a team doctor who just sort of handed the stuff out routinely, as a patient you actually have to have a conversation with the doctor about it, and then bring up the topic again and again every few months for a new prescription. So if by saying she had no one she could talk to, Keli means about contraception management, I'm not really understanding that story. Was she actually on the pill at all? Was she lying about the pill all the way back to her relationship with Aaron at seventeen?

 

[Banquo's Ghost]

Doctors are often give minimal instructions for medications, even though they're supposed to be the primary source of information. And after a few renewals of the script they just ask "any problems with it?" and give you the same again. Responsible parents should check for gaps in knowledge and fill in practical details, if they know them themselves.

Also a lot of people aren't aware that if you throw up, some pills will have ineffective or reduced protection for a day or two. It sounds like her team partied hard. She and her friends might not have realised the drinking was related to unintended pregnancies.

I'd like to know if she stopped drinking during the pregnancies too. If she was in denial, or thinking she'd get an abortion soon, she could well have been drinking heaps at that time to keep up the cover-up. In the 90s people weren't as strict about staying alcohol-free during pregnancy, although most people just had a glass of wine here and there, not massive nights out. The kids she adopted out might have had health complications from her cover-up.

 

[Ms Cadfael]

John Borovnik was not a detective, he worked for DOCs (now FACs). The context is that Keli signed a adoption care agreement for her third baby. This meant that her baby was placed in foster care whilst Keli underwent pre-adoption counselling, paperwork was complete, and she participated in the selection of an adoptive family. Keli failed to keep up contact with the adoptions officer and the care agreement lapsed. Legally this meant baby #3 was abandoned so DOCs had to get involved. John Borovnik’s job was to try to make contact with Keli and inform her of what was happening for her child. So, he has called her, presumably he has explained Keli’s choices re the baby (ie get back in touch with adoptions or DOCs will have to take custody of the baby). Then he has attempted to establish the whereabouts of Tegan, the other child not adopted so presumably in Keli’s care. The got you might be some restrospective history. Although, Borovnik’s context is important as well. He worked with abusive, neglectful parents. He would have been made aware that Keli was making herself difficult to contact during the adoption process, and that she told a number of lies through that process, some of which were discovered by the adoptions officer during the process. Because adoption is a legal matter, involving statements filed in court, this was causing a lot of delay and complication, and then the care agreement lapsed. Borovnik as a DOCs worker has likely interpreted this as a mother not prepared to act in the best interest of her child above her own interest (which is probably a fair assessment given how things have turned out). Following this, Keli faxed her adoptions worker, and in this fax she provided information about Tegan’s whereabouts - except, Andrew Norris/Morris, or even a biological father, never rated a mention. Instead Keli said a couple from Perth had befriended her and were looking after Tegan. Much was made of Keli’s contradictory accounts (of which there were several) about Tegan’s whereabouts.

OK. Just my opinion on the D.o.C.S (F.a.C.S) worker. But he did come off as being a bit of d*ck about it.
"Gotcha" WTF?