Did a dingo really take the Chamberlain baby? | Forensic Files

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[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website this episode describes acts of violence
against the child it won't be suitable for all listeners it was no secret that Lindy Chamberlain
longed for a daughter she and her husband Michael already had two sons six-year-old Aiden and four-year-old
Regan and Lindy hoped her third pregnancy would result in a girl at 9:16 on the morning of June 11 1980 she gave
birth to a healthy daughter weighing three kilograms with dark eyes black hair and olive skin Lindy and Michael
named her Azaria Chantel Lauren Chamberlain when Azaria was less than a day old she
opened her mouth into an O shape and blew a bubble earning her the nickname of bubbles she
was quiet Placid and easy to look after she rarely cried unless she was in pain or hungry and would typically wake up
without a stir guests would often ask where Azaria was only to realize she was already in the room silently observing
the world around her she spent her days babbling and giggling to herself in her bouncing net while watching her mother
work around the house or lying beside her older brothers as they played Regan was protective of his baby sister
helping tend to her needs and boasting to others about how wonderful she was during a trip to the supermarket when
Azaria was five weeks old she was resting in the baby seat of a shopping trolley with Regan clinging to the side
Regan leaned over to look at some scales and the shifting weight caused the trolley to flip sending Azaria onto the
concrete floor she was taken to the doctor who determined she hadn't sustained any injuries and was strong
and well-developed for her age by her six-week checkup the doctor was impressed with Azaria's progress
describing her as fit and healthy with a direct and a knowing smile Michael hadn't been able to spend much time with
his new daughter as he had to leave for a five-week mission right after her birth he worked two long hours as a
minister for the seventh-day Adventist Church a job that uprooted his family every couple of years and often sent him
on cross-country trips Lindy was a devoted member of the church and often accompanied Michael on his missions but
this time opted to stay home with the children she was looking forward to the upcoming school holidays when Michael
would return and the family could spend some quality time traveling together when Azaria was 9 weeks old the
Chamberlain's packed up their canary-yellow to run a hatchback and set out on an interstate road trip heading
160 kilometers east from their home in Northwest Queensland and in to the Northern Territory known as the red
centre the area is considered the Gateway to Australia's vast arid and sparsely populated outback the
Magnificent natural landmarks desert plains weathered mountain ranges and sacred sites presented plentiful
opportunities for Michael to indulge in his passion for photography their plan was to visit the main tourist
sites camping along the way before reaching Darwin on the north coast for a relaxing beachside conclusion where
Michael could fish for barramundi Lindy and Michael were seasoned campers and had traveled with Aiden and Regan when
they were babies and felt confident about taking Azaria on their latest outing their journey commenced on August
13 1980 Michael drove west across the border navigating the long highways into the northern territories desolate and
remote countryside stopping occasionally for fuel and rest breaks when they reached the town of Tennant Creek the
family wandered around to the local shopping district before heading 100 kilometres south to camp among the
ancient boulders of the devil's marbles Conservation Reserve the next morning they continued heading south until they
arrived in the town of Alice Springs around midday on Saturday August 16 the Chamberlain's hit the road again Michael
had been documenting the holiday with his camera and pulled over on the Stuart Highway to snap a picture of his family
Lindy stood to the left of the tirana with baby Azaria in her arms as Regan and Aiden posed together to her right
above them was a large road sign pointing to their next destination LaRue [Music]
[Music] bularoo lies in the UNESCO World Heritage listed uluru-kata tjuta national park a vast outback region
characterized by dusty red sand deserts and isolated mountain ranges the ancient
sandstone monolith which is believed to have started forming around 550 million years ago stands 348 metres high and is
surrounded by Springs water holes and rock caves some of which contain ancient aboriginal art it has immense spiritual
significance to the traditional land owners the owner knew people who have lived in the area for tens of thousands
of years the name uluru is a proper noun from the dialect of the owner new people
but in English it is also known as Ayers Rock as named by Australian explorer William gross who cited the landmark in
1873 the first vehicular track to the rock was constructed in 1948 paving the way for tour bus services and eventually
a camping ground motels and an airstrip who Leroux quickly established itself as
a popular tourist destination with the visitors often climbing up its rock base to observe the sprawling desert
landscape from its peak as more people arrived to participate in the steep track a chain handrail was installed to
help facilitate the climb in 1980 Ayers Rock campground was the only tourist camping area within close proximity of
uluru nighttime was already approaching by the time the Chamberlain's arrived there on Saturday August 16 they had
aimed to arrive sooner to give Michael the opportunity to take photos of the rock at dusk but had made in numerous
stops on the 450 kilometre drive from Alice Springs which ultimately slowed them down the Chamberlain's planned to
stay for three days and were told to search the designated area for an available spot given it was school
holidays the ground were relatively full already catering to hundreds of campus they drove towards
the back far enough away to ensure Azaria would not disturb either guests should she cry throughout the night and
pulled up next to a Santa Jean known as sunrise hill a popular vantage point at dawn on the eastern edge of the
campground they set up camp alongside a picnic table with the only source of the
light coming from a 100 watt portable floodlight tied to a wooden post in the communal barbecue area 25 metres east
they positioned to their yellow multi-person tent facing Lulu the family of five then settled in the tent
together to sleep Azaria was placed in a white wicker basket that rested at the feet of her
older brother Regan during breakfast the following morning of Sunday August 17 the Chamberlain's introduced themselves
to several other campers some of whom formed over baby Azaria in her carry basket afterwards the family bundled
into their tirana to go sightseeing Lindy had visited the North and territory during her teen years but her
photos the bularoo had since faded she wanted to replace them with new ones and Michael obliged taking many photos
including one of Lindy holding Azaria up against the rock face the Chamberlain's
returned to Ayers Rock campground that evening Lindy bathed to the children and to
dress the Zarya in a disposable nappy single at a white jumpsuit and a knitted matinee jacket with pale lemons
scalloped edging she also put on a pair of white booties underneath the jumpsuit so she didn't
have to remove them every time Azaria snappy required changing attired Regan was put to bed in the tent while his two
siblings remained up with their parents at around 6:30 p.m. the Chamberlain's joined some of the other campers at the
communal barbecue area Lindy and Michael chatted with another young couple Greg and Sally Lowe who took an immediate
liking to the family Sully noted that Lindy appeared cheerful and had a new mum glowed Azaria was
struggling to settle soul indiri wrapped the blankets around her and she eventually stopped fussing and dozed off
at 8 p.m. Lindy announced to the group it's time I put bubby down she carried Azaria down
the Warren track that led towards the camp with Aiden in tow the front of the Chamberlain's tent was visible from the
BBQ area and close enough to carry any sounds over in the quiet night it was partly obscured by a railing a low-lying
fence and shrubbery but Greg Lowe was able to glimpse Lindy kneeling as she entered the tent
Greg witnessed the Lindy emerge a short time later and to move towards the family's tirana which was parked against
the tense southern side Lindy returned to the group ten minutes later with Aiden as she prepared Aiden some baked
beans he heard something whimpering and remarked I think that is bubbie crying in reference to Azaria Sally Lowe had
also heard the noise and believed it was Azaria Lindy was certain Azaria was asleep but Michael insisted she go check
Lindy returned to the tent by herself and exclaimed a short time later my god my god a dingo has got my baby
dingoes were not an uncommon sight around the campground the cavernous native dog with typically red or tan fur
had a large presence in the red Center where they traveled in packs of up to ten lived in cave-like lairs
and hunted at night they had grown accustomed to people over time and were known to wander the campground and its
surroundings for scraps left behind by visitors and hikers signs in the camp toilets warned against feeding them and
the Chamberlain's had stored their food in their car to avoid attracting them Regan was still inside the Chamberlain
tent having slept through any goings on but as area's basket was empty Lindy was
asked which way the dingo had gone and she pointed in the opposite direction of uluru towards the sand dunes her husband
Michael and Greg glow started scouring the area but it was dark and difficult to see anything beyond the low
floodlight in the barbecue area several campers heard the commotion and came to the Chamberlain's aide Michael
was given a torch and he quickly returned to the Jun's to continue the search Lindy maintained
that a dingo had taken Azaria and when asked how she knew that she explained that she had seen one coming out of the
tent as she was walking towards it and her baby was now missing several campers peered into the Chamberlain's 10 and to
notice two drops of blood on the floor Marie Haby had been staying with his family in a van adjacent to the
Chamberlain's tan he joined to the search taking a torch and heading east of the Santa Tunes he
crossed the ridge of the Jun's and found what appeared to be track marks he followed them and came across an imprint
which looked as though an object had been placed down in the sand he summoned the park ranger in charge of the area
darica roth who arrived at the scene at 8:25 p.m. followed shortly after by seeing a constable Frank Morris Ranger
Roth believed that the imprint resembled the pattern of a knitted or woven garment according to Lindy she had
placed Azaria in the basket with six blankets and a rug at her feet as the temperature in the desert dropped
significantly at night she secured the blankets a centimeter from the crown of Azaria's head creating a warm cocoon
wherein only her face was visible by this point Azaria had been asleep for around half an hour
Aiden crawled into the tent and kissed his baby sister could not before tucking himself into his sleeping bag but when
he complained of still being hungry he agreed to return to the BBQ area so his mother could fix him some baked beans
Aiden crawled out of the tent and waited nearby as Lindy went to the tirana to fetch the baked beans and a can opener
the pair then headed back to the BBQ area together with Lindy leaving the tent flap open as she soon planned to go
to bed herself Lindy told constable Morris that as she went to check on Azaria she saw a dingo
emerging from the tan although she couldn't tell for certain through the darkness its head appeared to be tilted
slightly downwards and it looked as though it was carrying something in its mouth when it fled
Lindy checked inside the tent finding as Arrius blankets in disarray her dummy was amongst them still warm to the touch
Regan was asleep and unharmed tucked into his sleeping bag with his face buried in his pillow
Lindy bumped Azaria's basket which rolled over with ease confirming her baby was no longer inside constable
Morris shown a torch into the Chamberlain's 10 where the basket blankets and other items were strewn
about there were several spots of blood on the floor paw prints and drag marks were
also noticeable in the dirt surrounding the ten Lindy's story was supported by several
other campers who had sighted dingoes shortly before Azaria's disappearance earlier that day the Chamberlain's
visited a local site called fertility cave located at the base of uluru which featured aboriginal rock paintings of
sacred significance while there Lindy pointed out a dingo who was watching them from a rock above she noted its
behavior as creepy and to later remarked it's almost as if the dog had been casing the baby that evening at ayers
rock campground a dingo followed Sully lo as she disposed of food scraps in a rubbish bin and Michael had thrown a
crust of bread to one as he prepared dinner the hey be family had been eating dinner had around 8 o'clock when a dingo
approached their van sliding door they took photos of it before it's carried away into the night Bill and Judy West
were staying at the campsite closest to the Chamberlain's five minutes before Lindy cried out for her daughter they
thought they had heard at dingos low growl outside from the direction of the Chamberlain's ten three hundred
volunteers formed a human chain to search the rugged terrain to the north east and south of the tent
Aboriginal trackers with expertise in dingo tracking followed the paw prints and drag marks and to reached a road
where they mixed in with human footprints and were no longer distinguishable the depth of the paw
prints led the trackers to believe the animal had been carrying a load of some kind the Chamberlain's remained at the
campsite for the duration of this search Azaria had been recovering from a cold and given the icy nighttime temperature
they believed that if she hadn't died as a result of the dingo attack it wouldn't
take long before she succumbed to pneumonia or froze to death Michael remarked that Azaria was likely
dead and that whatever happened was God's will Aiden was distraught and told some of
the gathering campers that a dingo had taken his sister and she was now in the dog's tummy at one point an agitated a
Lindy told the search parties that they were not looking in the correct area and
they should be checking under nearby shrubs and bushes she said I will have to live with this the rest of my life
and I don't want to think that the baby could have been out there and simply because we didn't look in the right
place that would die Lindy and Michael headed to the area that she had singled out disappearing for roughly 15 to 20
minutes at 1:30 a.m. with no sign of Azaria uncovered the search was called off due to lack of visibility the
Chamberlain's were persuaded to spend the night in a motel the search for Zarya resumed at 5:30 the
following morning an examination of the Chamberlain's tent revealed several animal hairs on Azaria's basket and
blanket as well as bloodstains on various items including a sleeping bag a floral mattress a parka and a raincoat
there were also bloodstains on Azaria's blanket which had been torn in a way that indicated it had been bitten there
was no blood on the basket nor any trailing out from the tent but a small blood spray pattern was identified on
the exterior wall of the tent dingoes are strong predatory animals and given that Azaria weighed just four and a half
kilograms the police believed it was possible that one could have carried her in its jaws 25 dingos were known to
frequent Ayers Rock campground and some had previously entered tents searching for food there had become increasingly
aggressive and potentially dangerous in the two months leading up to Azaria's disappearance six people had been
treated for wild canine bites at all Aroo the day prior three children had been attacked in separate incidents but
none were seriously injured a dingo had snagged the clothing of a 14 year old girl and her 9 year old brother with its
teeth while another child had been bitten and pinned down in each of these incidents the animals exhibited a little
fear of humans and two were slow to retreat Ranger Derek Roth was aware of an incident that occurred less than two
months prior On June 23 in which a dingo sees the three-year-old girl around at the head and dragged her from a car
relenting only after the girl's father intervened the day before Azaria went missing a woman sleeping in the garden
adjoining Ranger Roth's house was approached by a dingo it removed the pillow from under
her head and then attempted to pull a sleeping bag away from her body Ranger Ralph had
become so concerned about the spate of attacks that he had recently sought permission from his park superiors to
begin shooting the wild animals if Azaria had been taken by a dingo as Lindy alleged the police held strong
doubts that her body would ever be found one officer remarked there a dingo lairs
everywhere if the baby has been taken into a cave the possibility of recovery is almost nil
both Lindy and Michael Chamberland were willing to front news crews to answer questions Michael told reporters thank
you all of you for the efforts you are making to find our baby although we cannot believe there is hope any longer
of finding her alive I am a man of God a minister of religion I know that nothing
happens in the world unless the good Lord wills it should be so I know our baby has passed from us into heaven my
wife and I must not be sad but jubilant that our little daughter is safe in the arms of Jesus he then described how they
knew from the sharp jagged marks in Azaria's blanket that she had been attacked too by a very powerful Beast
Lindy who donned a pair of dark sunglasses and held Regan in front of the cameras explained how she had
witnessed the dingo emerge from the tent shortly after putting Azaria to bed quote there wasn't time to go and tell
people I just yelled out the dingos got my baby from the moment the Chamberlain's
checked in at the motel they made no attempt to rejoin search efforts and did not inquire as to how the investigation
was progressing after two nights they resigned to their belief that there was no chance their daughter would be
recovered either dead or alive and decided to leave the Northern Territory they spent the morning of Tuesday August
19 praying in their room before commencing the drive home to Queensland in their Tirana they stopped the des
rock campground on the way so Michael could take some photos which he then sent to a newspaper their behavior was
under constant scrutiny with the Australian public and media viewing the couple's uncharacteristic composure and
blind acceptance of Azaria's fate as suspicious despite their initial acceptance that a
dingo had taken Azaria investigators were curious about what they perceived as inconsistencies in Lindy's statements
she reportedly gave conflicting details to multiple people including whether she
saw something in the dingos mouth or not journalists saw comments from authorities on dingo behaviour with some
saying it was highly unlikely that a dingo would take an infant although they wouldn't rule out the possibility the
Spade of dingo attacks in recent months gave credibility to Lindy's claims however there was no record of any other
child ever being killed by a dingo investigating Sergeant John Lincoln disputed that a dingo would have been
capable of carrying Azaria for any great distance to demonstrate his point he filled a bucket with sand and attempted
to lift it in his own mouth but was unable to hold it up for longer than a minute he then challenged his colleagues
to do the same after three days of widespread searching and no sign of the missing baby that was
publicly announced that there was no possibility of recovering Azaria alive meanwhile Park Rangers started shooting
dingoes and wild dogs around uluru then sent their remains for analysis in the hopes they would reveal something about
Azaria's fate at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday August 24 exactly one week after Azaria went missing a young interstate family
visiting all the roof set out on an afternoon walk to a gully near the rocks base 35 year old wali Goodwin was a keen
photographer and planned to capture some decent shots of wildflowers along the way he kept to a track that was
surrounded by dense foliage while his son and daughter followed behind and his wife Margo walked on higher ground to
keep an eye on the children the area they were hiking through was situated 400 meters from fertility cave and just
over five kilometers from Ayers Rock campground Wally and Margo sighted a baby's jumpsuit and a torn-up disposable
nappy on the ground near a boulder the jumpsuit was crumpled and a lying face up with blood visible around the
neckline it had a series of press studs down the front all of which appeared to be undone and inside there was a Singler
which was also covered in blood Wally had heard the news reports about Azaria Chamberlain and to knew this
could be a significant find wary of disturbing the items he made no attempt to look any closer and didn't take any
photographs instead he gathered his family and drove to the police station to notify the authorities
[Music] constable Frank Morris who had been a part of the Chamberlain case from the
outset was on duty when Wally arrived the men traveled to the side of the clothing together which was positioned
at Jason through a dingo lair constable Morris picked up the clothes and examines them thoroughly finding two
booties stuck inside the feet of the jumpsuit just like Lindy Chamberlain had described dressing Azaria he then
attempted to rearrange the items the way they were found but struggled to replicate their exact position unlike
Wally who believed all of the jumpsuits press studs were undone constable Morris
maintained - located at the crotch were fastened despite the significant amount of blood on the jumpsuit and singlet
there was very little damage to the clothing itself the jumpsuits left sleeve had a large rip and to the
neckline appeared to have been torn or cut but it was otherwise intact the singlet which was found inside out
within the jumpsuit had two small punctures through its back and to the nappy was also torn but contained no
blood stains there was no evidence of human tissue on any of the items sand soil and plant fragments were recovered
from both the outside and inside of the fabric as well as nine animal hairs the garments were also tested for canine
saliva but none was found it had rained at all the route 12 hours before the jumpsuit was discovered allowing for the
possibility that evidence had been washed away television networks were granted permission to broadcast images
of the garments which were showed - laid out side by side that led the public to
question how a dingo could remove an infant from its clothing while leaving everything relatively intact the
Chamberlain's learnt of the discovery through news reports and when Michael phoned Northern Territory police they
stated their belief that the clothing belonged to Azaria Lindy told a radio journalist that she wasn't surprised by
the state of her daughter's clothes as she had previously seen dingoes attack cattle and to knew what they were
capable of in a television interview she calmly explained that dingoes used their
paws like hands to peel back the skin of their prey quote like an orange some viewers were troubled by her
seemingly emotionless demeanor and ability to discuss her daughter's death in such a matter-of-fact manner two
weeks after Azaria's disappearance Detective Sergeant Graham char wood was appointed to lead the Chamberland
investigation taking over from inspector Michael Gilroy who prepared the cases first official report to pass on to his
successor in it he recorded a number of details that he'd uncovered when speaking to a doctor who had treated as
aria shortly before her disappearance writing it is reported that Lindy appeared not to have cared for the baby
and at one stage did not feed it for over eight hours when bringing the baby in for a checkup
she astounded the sisters by having the baby dressed completely in black a doctor who treated the baby said that
she did not react like a normal mother the same doctor said that he looked up the name Azaria in a dictionary of names
and meanings and found that a means sacrifice in the wilderness inspector Gilroy had attempted to find
this book at a library to confirm the doctor's claim but the library's copy had been misplaced
he also noted that he had watched a television interview with the Chamberlain's in which Lindy stated that
the blanket covering Azaria was thick and would be difficult to cut with a knife
in contrast inspector Gilroy believed the rips on the blanket looked more like they had been made by a sharp instrument
than canine teeth inspector Gilroy reported the police were unable to find any witnesses who
could confirm that they had seen Azaria at all the Roo but had spoken with individuals who saw Lindy holding a
white bundle against her chest which they assumed to be a baby this was an oversight by the police as they had
failed to take the names into contact details of the other campers who had met the Chamberlain's Adair's Rock
campground many of whom saw Azaria he also remarked that the proximity of Azaria's clothes to fertility cave was
noteworthy given that the family had hiked their hours before Azaria disappeared consequently he had asked
constable Morris to check the cave for any evidence of soft earth several days later on Tuesday September 2 diella
Springs Police announced that a coronal hearing would be held to ascertain the facts surrounding Azaria Chamberlain's
disappearance after taking over the investigation detective child Woods first action was to obtain registrations
for all cars that had been a DES Rock campground on the weekend the Zarya went missing the records listed 131 vehicles
belonging to people from all over Australia in order for all of these individuals to be interviewed a
questionnaire was compiled and forwarded to their local police stations police also seized a pair of Lindy
Chamberlain's tracksuit pants and a sleeping bag from a dry cleaner in her home city of Mau neither
a friend of the Chamberlain's had delivered the pants there after the family returned and had shown the
drycleaner a number of stains in a spatter pattern below one knee at a wildlife reserve in South Australia
three dingos were given me encased in disposable nappies to see whether they would be left in a similar manner to
Azaria's the nappies were torn to shreds and damaged far more significantly than
Azaria's had been a follow-up experiment was conducted at the Adelaide Zoo two weeks later in which a single dingo was
given a goat carcass dressed in baby clothes sent a disposable nappy in this case the nappy was left intact
receiving just a few perforations the dingo tore and chewed on the jumpsuit but managed to extract the meat without
unfastening it on October 1 1980 the Chamberlain's were formally interviewed by Detective char wood he requested that
Lindy be hypnotized to help recover memories but she refused on the basis of her religion as she viewed hypnotism as
a form of witchcraft regardless Lindy was able to recount the events leading up to Azaria's
disappearance in painstaking detail she described the dingo as being young likely still a puppy unlike some of the
other mangy dingo spotted around the campsite this one had a shiny gold coat and fluffy ears in beautiful condition
when she first saw it she was about halfway between the camp and to the barbecue area the dingo was still inside
the tent but its head was exposed and it appeared to have been struggling to hold
something out it began vigorously shaking its head until indeed thought it was carrying one
of Michael's shoes by a shoelace and to yield at the dingo to drop it and to get
out as Lindy turned away to alert her husband the realization dawned that Azaria may have been whimpering earlier
because she had been attacked by the dingo quote instinct told me that Azaria wasn't there the dog had her but my head
told me it wasn't possible dingos don't do such things and to this was just beyond the realms of reason I could see
from the door that she wasn't there but my mind wouldn't accept it I felt within myself that she was dead
because if she was alive I'd have heard a whimper or a cry or something unless by some miracle she was unconscious
and still alive Lindy said the dingo then walked toward the back of the Tirana and took off quote I couldn't tell you
whether it had anything in its mouth or not my mind refused to accept the thought that it had her in its mouth
although I knew that must be it she confirmed the only item of Azaria's clothing that hadn't yet been recovered
was her white matinee jacket with the pale lemon edging around the collar and calf's it had elastic on the sleeves and
three loose buttons on the yoke and could have easily come off separately to the rest of the clothing Lindy explains
the reason she and Michael had given up on the search was because the initial shock had worn off and was replaced by
the morbid reality of what they might find if Azaria was recovered the case attracted an abundance of
speculation with rumors suggesting that the Chamberlain's had decided to kill Azaria because she was unwell or had a
disability others theorized that one of the Chamberlain's sons had killed Azaria
and to their parents concealed the crime though this scenario was never taken seriously by police
with conjecture running rife the Chamberlain's were subjected to an increasing level of harassment during
everyday errands they encountered strangers debating their guilt or innocence people drove slowly past their
house at night honking their car horns tabloid magazines ran salacious headlines such as we didn't kill our
baby while the family's faith grew severe judgment Australians who were unfamiliar with seventh-day Adventism
incorrectly believed the church was tired to the People's Temple of the disciples of Christ two years earlier
people's temple leader Jim Jones ordered the mass murder of his followers at their Jonestown settlement in Guyana has
covered in episode 60 of case file this false connection led to speculation that
Azaria had been murdered as a human sacrifice and that Lindy dressed Azaria in black in recognition of her
sacrificial status Lindy was a qualified and talented seamstress she specialized
in making custom wedding dresses and also crafted many of her own outfits her bold colorful designs often drew
criticism from her fellow parishioners who felt it was inappropriate for a minister's wife to dress so dramatically
within weights of Azaria's birth Lindy had handcrafted or altered upwards of 30 dresses for her little girl
most of them pink she even made replicas of some for herself so they could dawn matching outfits Lindy had actually made
the notorious black dress for Regan when he was a baby and Azaria had simply inherited it
on the first day Azaria woried Lindy dressed in a matching black and red outfit with her daughter's dress
attracting lots of attention people seemed to have a strong reaction either loving or hating it the public's disdain
for Lindy Chamberlain was harsh and unrelenting she received death threats and people held at her on the street and
called her a witch on one occasion six-year-old Aiden was walking home from school when a woman approached him and
insisted he tell her the truth about what had happened to his sister Lindy spoke out about their mistreatment
in an interview remarking God has given us the strength to cope with Azaria's death but going down the street people
are talking about us shiri mentally refuted the rumors that her daughter's death was anything other
than a tragic accident the cranial inquest into the disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain
began in mid-december 1980 before former policeman turned coroner Dennis Barrett
media coverage was intense with sales of newspapers that covered proceedings increasing by roughly 40,000 per day the
Chamberlain's returned to Alice Springs to give evidence as did a number of other witnesses who had been a DES Rock
campsite on August 17 early on the coroner noticed the many discrepancies between first-hand accounts and initial
police reports while the letter stated that Lindy was a harsh and uncaring mother those who had witnessed her
interact with her children described the 32 year old as tender and attentive despite these claims public opinion of
Lindy remained at an all-time low bond threats were made to the motel weather Chamberlain's were staying and
one anonymous critic phoned to the court to declare I'm going to blow that [ __ ]
away the true meaning of Azaria was discussed in court with Lindy testifying that she and Michael had chosen the
unique name after months of consideration because it meant blessed by God a Hebrew studies
researcher also submitted a report to the court that dispelled the notion that Azaria meant sacrifice in the wilderness
a report submitted by biologist and dingo expert les harris confirmed that studies had shown dingos were capable of
carrying mammals weighing up to 9 kilograms over long distances observations showed that a solitary
dingo could consume a mammal of Azaria's weight in under 20 minutes or even faster have maded pairs or groups of
immature and dingos were involved Harris explained that dingos routinely consumed to their prey entirely making
it difficult to identify a location where the feed took place he therefore concluded that if Azaria had been taken
by a dingo that was highly unlikely any trace of her body would be found more than half an hour later dingoes
typically digest and excrete their food within 10 to 24 hours meaning nothing could have been learned by studying the
stomach contents of dingos that were shot and killed after 8:00 p.m. the day after Azaria's disappearance harris also
said that dingos have advanced manipulative skills and cognitive abilities quote the dingo is a natural
canid in fact a wolf not a dog which has to practice as hunting skills on a daily
basis and at a very high level of efficiency in order to survive in terms of strength speed agility and reasoning
power they compared more readily with the natural felines tigers leopards itaú it is easier to
underestimate the capabilities of dingos than to overestimate them he described the dingos around uluru as particularly
dangerous as they maintained to their hunting skills while also being fed by tourists resulting in a situation where
they were not tame yet not wild he dismissed any experiments conducted with dingos at zoos and wildlife
reserves as captive dingos exhibit different behaviors from wild ones Harris's report concluded that a dingo
could have taken a baby removed its clothing and consumed at home with these during the initial stages of the
investigation the Chamberlain's tent was sent to Darwin for forensic testing blood spatter had been observed on an
exterior wall but the examining officer failed to notice the stains and placed the tent into storage without any
further testing after the inquest was well underway the tent was finally subjected to comprehensive forensic
testing forensic scientist dr. Andrew Scott confirmed there was a small amount of blood on the right side of the tent
exterior consistent with arterial spray due to the delay in testing the sample he was unable to determine whether it
had come from an animal or human but was more inclined to believe it was animal blood the inquest concluded in late
February the following year in an Australian first coroner Barrett allowed television news crews to share a live
broadcast of his findings to quell the gossip surrounding the case he detailed the known facts proceeding as arias
disappearance on August 17 1980 before concluding that she had died after being attacked by a wild dingo quote in
attempting to remove this babe from the tent the dingo would have caused severe crushing to the base of the skull and
neck and two lacerations to the throat and neck such injuries would have resulted in Swift death
neither Lindy nor Michael Chamberlin were found responsible for their daughter's death in any way however the
coroner accepted the claims from police that the tears in azarius garments were likely caused by a sharp tool such as
scissors he put forth the possibility that a human could have interrupted the dingo as it preyed on the baby which
could explain why her clothing was relatively intact and lacked canine saliva Barrett suggested that this
unknown person may have come across as area while she was being attacked scared the dingo off and to then cut off her
clothing in an attempt to save her upon realizing she was deceased they then disposed of her body into the
clothing soil into vegetation were embedded in the garments fabric leading the coroner to suspect the items had
been buried at some point before being retrieved and left out for a passerby to find the coroner critiqued conservation
authorities at the uluru-kata tjuta national park for failing to take strong action after the previous dingo attacks
remarking this case clearly exercises that a choice has to be made between dingoes on one hand and to tourism on
the other tourists in national parks should be able to observe native fauna in its natural state but on maintain
only from a safe distance he recommended that potentially dangerous animals such as dingos and
snakes either being closed or cold from popular areas of the park he also criticized the Northern Territory Police
forensic Department for either not observing or not reporting the blood staining on the exterior of the
Chamberlain's tent which he felt certain was those areas he said this failure shifted the focus of the investigation
at great financial expense and caused the Chamberlain's further suffering addressing the family directly he stated
to you pastor and mrs. Chamberlain and through you to Aidan and Regan may I extend my deepest sympathy you have not
only suffered the loss of your beloved child in the most tragic circumstances but you have all been subjected to
months of innuendos suspicion and probably the most malicious gossip ever witnessed in this country I have taken
the unusual step of permitting these proceedings to be televised today in the hope that but direct and accurate
communication such innuendos suspicion and gossip may cease the Chamberlain's expressed that their relief at the
finding Southside Court they displayed a poster sized photograph of Azaria in Lindy's arms to journalists and stated
that were looking forward to starting new lives and focusing on their sons Michael remarked people who spread
rumors have not understood the facts of the case they will have to make peace with their God
in contrast Northern Territory authorities were displeased by the coroner's conclusions the chairman of
the Conservation Commission described his recommendations as quote impossible to implement as well as being highly
debatable as to its desirability police and prosecutors were also unhappy with the critique of their forensics unit
several days later a police spokesperson told the media that the case was still open but would not be investigated
further quote unless something comes up later that year British forensic scientist professor James Cameron of the
London Hospital Medical College submitted a new information in relation to the Chamberlain case professor
Cameron had previously worked as a senior forensic medicine consultant to the British Armed Forces and assisted in
many high-profile investigations he had been unavailable during the first inquest into Azaria's disappearance but
subsequently examined her recovered clothing and determined that there was an incision at the neck of her jumpsuit
which he believed was consistent with having been caused by scissors he also found what he believed to be a small
adult human hand print in the bloodstains professor Cameron claimed there was a distinct possibility that as arias
clothes had been buried and - then later dug up and placed in either walking track to be found he was of the opinion
that a dingo was not involved in the infant's disappearance on September 19 1981 a year and one
month after Azaria's disappearance it was announced that the investigation was being reopened when informed that this
development was due to Professor Cameron's findings Lindy Chamberlain responded coolly I didn't know there
were any dingo experts in London the media frenzy was reignited prompting Northern Territory's chief minister and
attorney General Paul Everingham to criticise members of the press who he believed acted like a bunch of vampires
in their coverage of the story the Chamberlain's tirana hatchback was seized by police for forensic testing
along with various other items that had been in the tents and car on the evening
of Azaria's disappearance a detective examined the tirana and found a sticky substance underneath the dashboard
forensic investigators concluded it was likely a sugary drink or something similar his blood would have dried
within two hours of being shed however they later discovered what appeared to be several bloodstains throughout other
areas of the vehicle including on and underneath the front passenger seat on the interior door handles the car's
console and a metal plate under the dashboard the spray pattern under the dashboard was deemed to be consistent
with fluid ejecting from a small orifice whilst under pressure such as blood spray from an artery wound several items
inside the vehicle including a towel Michael Chamberlain's camera bag and a pair of nail scissors also contained a
blood like substance [Music] during a search of the Chamberlain's home police also seized the small coffin
that Michael had used as a prop during an anti-smoking campaign at work although it was dismissed as having
nothing to do with the saria's case word of its existence got out and contributed
to the ferocious rumour mill on November 18 1981 it was announced that based on new evidence the findings of the
previous coronial inquest had been quashed and a new one was ordered in its place the second inquest into Azaria
Chamberlain's disappearance commenced almost a year after the first this time before coroner Jared Galvin barrister
des dirges acted as counsel and who was responsible for questioning witnesses he
had worked closely with the police over the previous three months and firmly believed in Lindy's guilt with the
central focus of his case being the evidence investigators had recently collated following the seizure of the
Chamberlain's possessions biologists enjoyed Kuehl who had examined the forensic evidence found in the tirana
testified that various stains had tested positive for human blood DNA testing had
not yet been developed so she had used the screening test to check the molecular content of the blood to
determine whether it belonged to an adult or an infant she was specifically looking for fetal
hemoglobin a protein that develops during the last seven months in utero and persists during the first six months
of life kyoool reported that she had found fetal hemoglobin in 22 places throughout the
Chamberlain's vehicle as well as on Michaels camera bag and a pair of nail scissors
the blood located inside the Chamberlain's tent which was initially presumed to have come from the dingo
attack was confirmed to belong to Azaria however with the implication that she might have actually been injured in the
car the presence of blood in the tent suggests that it could have been transferred there by someone else's
shoes or clothing as per standard procedure in the laboratory where she worked joy kill destroyed the resulting plates
and gels after her experiments were complete but presented a report of her findings as evidence when the
Chamberlain's first returned home following their trip to uluru a friend of Lindy's had taken some of their
clothing to a dry cleaner testimony was presented in court that the friend told the dry cleaner that there were several
bloodstains on a pair of Lindy's tracksuit pants the dry cleaner recalled there were approximately 36 spots on the
pants from the knee to the calf the pants had been seized by the police and taken for forensic testing but
scientists had been unable to detect any significant stains on them although Lindy was wearing a floral
dress at the time Azaria went missing that was put forward that she could have changed into the pants and taken her
baby into the passenger seat of the car where she proceeded to slit her throat using the pair of nail scissors forensic
expert said the bloodstains in the car were consistent with the child being held under the dashboard next to the
passenger's feet when such an injury occurred which would have matched the supposed the blood stains on Lindy's
tracksuit pants this theory was also used to explain why similar staining hadn't occurred inside the tent Lindy
once again testified before the court she claimed that she hadn't put the tracksuit pants on until 10:00 p.m. on
the night Azaria disappeared prior to that they had been lying inside the tent near its entry she denied that there was
any blood on them or ever telling her friend that they were stained with blood as for the blood in the vehicle Michael
said he was uncertain how it came to be there the Chamberlain's had purchased the car almost the brand-new in December
1977 and since taking ownership both of their sons had previously suffered nosebleeds in the car
on one occasion they had also picked up a hitchhiker who was bleeding following a traffic accident
the inquest was adjourned over the Christmas holiday period and when it resumed On February 1 1982 Barris the
death stars told the coroner that there was sufficient evidence to prove that Lindy Chamberlain had cut her daughter's
throat and that her husband had been an accessory to her crime the next day coroner Galvin told the court room that
while the evidence was largely circumstantial he believed to properly instructed jury could arrive at a
verdict he then formally charged Lindy Chamberlain with the murder of her 9 week old daughter
Michael Chamberlain was charged with being an accessory after the fact the couple remained silent and stoic as the
news was delivered to avoid prejudicing any future jury's coroner Galvin chose not to share his full findings with the
public later that month he sent a letter marked private and confidential to Crown
prosecutor Peter Tiffin in which he outlined to the evidence and stated his opinions he agreed that a dingo was not
responsible for Azaria's death excepting that blood staining on the infant's jumpsuit was indicative of her being
held by an adult as the act of killing was carried out he also believed Azaria had too likely been buried while still
wearing her clothing while he agreed that the smaller indentations in her clothing were consistent with animal
teeth marks he was convinced that the garments had been cut and torn by a person
and that the jumpsuit scholar had been cut after the blood staining had already occurred as the clothing wasn't strewn
about coroner Galvan found this was inconsistent with an animal being responsible for their positioning he
concluded I find Azaria Chamberlain came to her death that Ayers Rock on August 17 1980 cause of death was extensive and
fatal wound or wounds to the neck he dispelled the room is that one of Azaria siblings could have been responsible but
confirming that there was no evidence linking Aidan or Regan to her death in any way while acknowledging that there
was no apparent motive for the murder and that witnesses described a Lindy's relationship with Azaria positively
coroner Galvin stated quote the killing of a child by a mother is not an uncommon happening Lindy and Michael
Chamberlain pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released pending trial and a collective bail of ten thousand
dollars in the interim the Australian media took to broadcasting old controversial interviews with the couple
while openly debating their guilt one radio station concluded a segment by stating when the trial goes to court the
world might find out just why Lindy Chamberlain cut the throat of her tiny daughter
there's the des Sturges who was of the opinion that Lindy was guilty expressed his disappointment in the media's
conduct as it compromised the likelihood of finding an impartial jury for the high-profile case three months before
the trial commenced news broke that Lindy was pregnant friends of the Chamberlain's told the
press that the couple were delighted and were praying the baby would be a girl by
the time the Chamberlain's trial began in Darwin's Supreme Court on Monday September 13 1982 Lindy was seven months
pregnant it had been just over two years since Azaria went missing although the media seemed far more interested in
Lindy's unborn child with reports focusing on the wide range of maternity dresses she wore to court the trial was
presided over by justice James Muir head with 12 Northern Territory residents selected from a panel of 123 potential
jurors despite the Northern Territory having a higher population of indigenous residents all the jurors were Caucasian
Crown prosecutor Ian Barker told the court that the key evidence in the form of Azaria's jumpsuit and the fetal
hemoglobin stains found on the front seat of the car would prove that quote the dingo story was offensive all lie
calculated to conceal the truth which is that the child Azaria died by her mother's hand
the prosecution stance was that during the time Lindy said she was putting Azaria to bed she had actually taken her
into the front seat of the tirana and slit her throat using a pair of scissors she then stored the body in her
husband's camera case that was stashed below the front seat they alleged that Lindy concocted the story about the
dingo and while everyone was out searching for the animal she and Michael disposed of Azaria's body
Barker played on the popular opinion that dingoes didn't attack babies and highlighted that there had been no
official documented reports of one ever taking and killing a child various authorities were called to support the
prosecution's theory including several forensic and textile experts who gave evidence that the damage to Azaria's
jumpsuit was caused by cutting professor James Cameron who had submitted the report that resulted in the case being
reopened presented images of Azaria's clothing taken under ultraviolet light which he believed showed a pattern
consistent with a bloody right hand print of a small a tall london-based odontologist the Burnett Simms who had
investigated two dozen dog attacks on humans said the bloodstains on Azaria's clothing were not consistent with a
dingo attack as such an incident would cause far more copious bleeding he also said a baby's head was too big
to fit into a dingos jaws the prosecution's argument also relied heavily on their assertion that no dingo
hairs had been found in the Chamberlain's tent or Anna's areas recovered clothing the nine animal hairs
from one of Oz areas blankets which were initially believed to be dingo hairs were later identified as belonging to a
cat the blood evidence compiled by forensic biologist joy Kuehl was used by the prosecution to assert that Azaria
had been murdered inside the Chamberlain's tirana they argued that the blood appeared to flow in a pattern
consistent with someone bleeding while sitting in the front passenger seat which ruled out the possibility it had
been caused by the injured hitchhiker the Chamberlain's had previously picked up as he had been lying in the back seat
although the blood samples had since been destroyed fuels direct supervisor dr. Simon Baxter testified to seeing the
plates and gels used in her experiments and agreed with her findings other experts who had read over cures
laboratory reports also approved of the methods she used and the conclusions she
derived the defense argued that Azaria's death was nothing more than a tragic accident two professors of biology took
the stand to debunk the prosecution's blood findings arguing the cools testing methods could have produced false
positives for fetal hemoglobin and to the blood stains could have come from a number of sources over the years in
response to Bernhard Sims claim that a dingo couldn't carry a human infant defense lawyer andrew Kirkham presented
a photo of a dingo successfully holding a baby sized the doll by the crown of its head its canine teeth extending to
the dolls ears upon seeing the photo Sims conceded that his earlier statement might have been incorrect in favor of
the defense dr. HJ Aram's an expert in dental medicine and surgery from the University of Melbourne testified that
the damage to Azaria's jumpsuit was consistent with dingo teeth which have a scissor-like action the defense also
worked to discredit professor James Cameron by highlighting another high-profile criminal case he had been
involved in in 1972 he had testified against three men who were being tried for the London murder of 26 year-old
Maxwell conveyed in favor of the prosecution professor Cameron provided an estimated
time of death that was crucial to the case the defendants were convicted but were
later proven innocent with Professor Cameron's evidence dismissed is incorrect various eyewitnesses who were at Ayers
Rock campsite on the night of Azaria's disappearance were called to the stand including Sully Lowe who had been
chatting with the Chamberlain's at the BBQ area when Lindy raised the alarm Sallie testified that when Lindy put
Azaria to bed which was the time period the prosecution alleged she had been murdered she was absent for between six
and ten minutes when she returned Sully heard a baby's cry coming from the Chamberlain's tent which prompted the
Lindy to check on his area and interrupt the dingo Ranger darica ruff gave evidence of having seen dingo tracks
leading away from the Chamberlain's tent as well as what appeared to be the impression of a knitted material in the
nearby scene to June's consistent with the fabric of the matinee jacket Azaria had been wearing fellow camper Amie
Whitaker testified that when the initial search for Azaria was underway Lindy and
Michael walked off into the bush for between 15 and 20 minutes the prosecution used her testimony to argue
that the Chamberlain's had taken this time to bury Azaria Bedini stated she was the one who suggested that the
couple take the walk together while he Goodwin who had found Azaria's clothing also appeared before the court he
criticized the investigators handling of the garments stating that their photographs taken at the scene when
nothing like the way to clothing was found Lindy Chamberlain openly wept understand his images of her daughter's
blood-stained clothing were displayed the lawyer asked her to hold her hand against the alleged bloody handprint
that Professor Cameron claimed to have identified on the garment not only was Lindy's index finger too
long to match the print but it also appeared to show four phalanges bones while human fingers possess only three
during extensive cross-examination the prosecution challenged Lindy's statement that Azaria had been wearing a matinee
jacket on the night in question responding officer constable Frank Morris said he had no recollection of
Lindy mentioning the jacket when her baby was reported missing they focused on the blood evidence with Lindy
maintaining her previous explanations for how it may have come to be in the vehicle adding that michael often
stopped to help roadside traffic victims and may have trailed some of their blood into the car
on the stand Michael Chamberlain was quizzed about why he had described his daughter's
death as the will of God he said he couldn't recall making the comment but as a religious man he believed that
God's will is over all the trial became the most publicized core case in Australian history and it was dubbed the
trial of the century as it reached its conclusion prosecutor a.m. Barker appealed to the jury's identity as
Northern Territory ins telling them that they knew dingoes didn't kill human babies an ABC News article later
interpreted this statement by saying mr. Barker QC could have easily been sitting
around to Darwin barbecue with a beer in his hand talking to locals talking about
some crazy idea about dingoes that southerners people from out of town had dreamt up in summing up his case Barker
acknowledged that the prosecution had no motive for Lindy's alleged crime but stated it was simply their job to prove
that a murder had been committed quote and that I respectfully submit is what has been proved in his closing address
for the defense John Philips described the scenarios outlined by the prosecution as laughable
he stated that while prosecutors were not obligated to prove a motive the defense had shown that Lindy Chamberlain
was a doting mother who had not suffered from postnatal depression or any other disorder that would delete her to harm
her child before the jury retired to deliberate justice Muir had clarified that the defense was not challenging the
fact that blood was found in the Chamberlain's tirana but simply questioning whether the tests had
accurately proved that contained fetal hemoglobin he urged the jury to be mindful that the blood could have come
from a number of sources and it was not the Chamberlain's burden to prove how it
came to be there he also instructed the jury to remember that Sully Lowe had testified to hearing a baby's cry coming
from the Chamberlain's tent and if this was true it disproved the prosecution's claim that Azaria had already been
murdered by that time the jury deliberated for six and a half hours before delivering their verdict on
October 29 1982 both Lindy and Michael Chamberlin were found guilty a reporter from The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper
who had been following the proceedings left to his feet in shock and the old bastards Lindy showed no emotion as the
verdict was read while Michael appeared strained biting his lip just as Muir had
sentenced Michael to an 18-month suspended sentence with a good behavior bond he told Lindy who was now eight months
pregnant quote you have been found guilty of murder by verdict of a jury there is only one sentence I can pass on
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Lindy Chamberlain was sent to serve her life sentence at the maximum-security Burma prison in Darwin where she was one
of only six female inmates on November 17 1982 three weeks after her conviction Lindy gave birth to a baby girl to
prevent the media from speculating over the meaning behind their newborn daughter's name as they had done with
Azaria the Chamberlain's made up her name kaalia Lindy reportedly commented let them try
to make something out of that the Chamberlain's appealed their convictions on various grounds in two days after
Collier's birth Lindy was granted bail pending the results of her appeal she was permitted to live at the Avondale
College Center a seventh-day Adventist Church education facility on the New South Wales Central Coast where Michael
was residing with their sons it was a self-sufficient community in a secluded wooded area with approximately 60
teaching staff 40 ancillary employees and 530 students many of whom lived on site
Lindy's limited release the outraged members of the public in a letter to the editor published in The Sydney Morning
Herald one angry citizen wrote so much for a fair trial why waste all those thousands of taxpayers dollars for two
coronial inquests and one trial by judge and jury and to then allow mrs. Chamberlain bail pending appeal our pity
must surely go to the convicted persons still in our jails who do not have the support of a church or religious
institutions why should Lindy Chamberlain be given special privileges merely because she
has had a new baby one indignant citizen called Lindy an actress and questioned why she could escape a murder can't
while he couldn't get off a traffic fine another asked what sort of berry land are we living in meanwhile the Seventh
day Adventists were vilified for their association with the Chamberlain's one Church in Melbourne was splashed
with red paint and red paw prints were painted on the footpath leading to its door in Sydney a group of Adventist
teenagers were chased down the street by a woman who accused them of being child
killers on the New South Wales Central Coast a sign was placed at the front of one Adventist Church which read dingo
pups for sale apply within the hostility only worsened when Lindy told the press
that the church had agreed to be guarantor on loans she and Michael had taken out to pay their legal fees which
totaled three-quarters of a million dollars the Chamberlain's appeal to their convictions to the federal court
on 23 different grounds disputing that the trial judge misdirected the jury in multiple instances and shouldn't have
admitted evidence given by certain witnesses on April 29 1983 three appellate judges in Sydney unanimously
rejected the couple's appeal on all grounds stating that the jury had been entitled to draw its own conclusions
from the evidence presented Michel held back tears as Lindy kept her gaze to the
floor she was returned to bærum a prison in Darwin the federal court ruling was a
source of disappointment for those who supported or sympathized with the Chamberlain's they expressed that their
compassion and opinions in letters that were published in major publications prompting legal academics to request
that they be bent out of respect for the country's legal system at Barama Lindy was so inundated with mail from
supporters that the prison facility struggled to keep up with the influx to show her appreciation she started
writing a monthly bulletin that was sent out to hundreds of subscribers in November the Chamberlain's appealed
their convictions to the High Court of Australia three months later on February 22 1984 on a vote of three judges
against two their appeal was again dismissed and both Lindy and Michael's convictions upheld
shortly after Michael announced he was resigning as an ordained minister with the seventh-day Adventist Church later
telling the media God will come to my aid I'm just wondering why it's taking him so long
in one edition of her monthly bulletin Lindy wrote the total effect of the last four years on the lives of myself and my
family are permanent and far-reaching no one who has been touched by our tragedy
and the subsequent events can claim to have been unaffected I don't cry myself to sleep much anymore
I just grit my teeth determinedly although I felt broken at times with God's help I've risen armed for the
fight others haven't been so lucky Lindy occupied her time in custody with crafts
leather work and weaving she made belts for her son's winter outfits for Collier
into tapestry for Aidan's bedroom she composed a poem for Azaria which read not a day has ended with the fading of
the light that I have not remembered you Azaria good night when Azaria went missing all the route park ranger dara
kernof recalled an incident 8 weeks prior in which a dingo grabbed a three-year-old girl by the head and
dragged her from a car the Chamberlain's defense team had attempted to locate the
girl's family to provide evidence at trial but were unable to do so in early 1984 the family finally came forward
and confirmed the events as a result Ranger Roth penned a letter that was published in the National Times
newspaper calling for an inquiry into the evidence presented at the Chamberlain's trial it read since the
incident of Azaria's disappearance I have heard dingo experts stating that a dingo would not enter tents or attack
humans whether adult or juvenile having lived at Ayers Rock for 16 years I know that the dingos of this area are
conditioned to buyer and to the people consequently their behavior is not that of a true wild animal and not fully
understood by anyone I have no doubt that a dingo is capable of attacking children and to the possibility of a
dingo carrying away a baby is therefore quite feasible I do not think any of us should feel comfortable with the present
situation in response thirty-one scientists signed an open letter protesting the conclusions reached by
forensic biologist joy Q they challenged her assertions that fetal blood had been
found in the chamber lands of evil a public poll revealed 53 percent of Australians still believed the Lindy was
guilty but on May 3 a petition signed by 131 thousand individuals in favor of releasing her from prison was presented
to the Governor General the Chamberlain's lawyer Stuart tipple had been retained by Lindy and Michael after
the first the cranial inquest in 1981 and he had represented them in all legal proceedings since as one of their most
vocal supporters in June of 1985 Stuart supervised the media campaign which led to the creation of the chamber and
innocence committee the group featured many prominent members of society who called for the Northern Territory
government to launch a Royal Commission into the case they submitted a 40 page document tired
the Blue Book which contained new evidence gathered by Stuart's forensic team along with an application for a
full judicial inquiry into the case the Blue Book had debunked the prosecution's
claim that the cuts on Azaria's clothing had been made using scissors it detailed
the studies of an associate professor in textile sciences at Kansas State University who examined infant garments
that had been chewed on by a dingo they displayed neatly sliced cuts consistent with the ones on Azaria's clothing the
prosecution also claimed the nine animal hairs found on Azaria's clothing had come from a cat the Blue Book clarified
that research conducted at the Turnbull Institute in Melbourne concluded two of the hairs were human one was
inconclusive and two the remaining six were canine another report showed that one of the
stains in the Chamberlain's vehicle that the prosecution argued was blood spray from Azaria's neck wound was actually a
combination of a sticky beverage into soundproofing paint used during the manufacture of the vehicle during the
trial joy Kuehl had submitted reports explaining how she conducted examinations on the supposed bloodstains
and to reach her conclusions in particular she detailed that she had used a certain type of anti serum to
determine that the bloodstains contained fetal hemoglobin according to the Blue Book the German
manufacturer of the antiserum Kuehl used stated that the antiserum wasn't capable
of determining such results as it didn't respond exclusively to fetal hemoglobin
and could also react to the presence of other proteins on November 12 1985 the Northern Territory government rejected
the Chamberland innocence Committee's application stating this campaign has as its intended effect the building up of
antagonism toward the Northern Territory government which it seeks to portray as
hard cruel interlocking in compassion at stake his Lauryn daughter and faith in the drew processes of a legal system
recognized as the fairest in the world two weeks later the government also rejected a Lindy's application for early
release that same month a book was published featuring the first in-depth exploration into the possibility that
the Chamberlain's were wrongfully convicted titled evil angels the case of the Lindy Chamberlain it was written by
John Bryson a barrister who spent four years closely following the case attending court sessions and
interviewing those involved the book received critical acclaim selling out its first print run in just 10 days and
cast the new light on the infamous case in a revue of evil angels for the Aged newspaper
feigns a literary and cultural commentator Denis o hone wrote Bryson demonstrates fairly and conclusively
that Lindy Chamberlain is innocent but his book also probes our society and reveals the warts prejudice and
superstition lurking beneath our so-called twentieth-century sophistication two months later on Sunday January 26
1986 31 year old British traveller David Brett was exploring uluru-kata tjuta national park alone with the intention
to climb more LaRue it was too hot to do so during the day so he waited until 4:00 p.m.
hoping the afternoon Sun would subside and to give way to a cool evening breeze the facilities in the National Park had
changed significantly since Azaria Chamberlain's disappearance and as David set out on the climb a park ranger
warned him that camping on all the route was forbidden by the traditional owners
of the land David agreed to adhere to the local customs and continued on his journey at 7:40 p.m. two local
indigenous people witnessed him climbing in a forbidden area and reported him to
the park authorities Rangers set out to remove the British tourists from the rock but were unable to locate him and
assumed he must have left of his own accord a week later a tourist was hiking the base of all Aroo when they came
across David's body he had fallen 200 meters to his death during the climb and his remains had been scavenged by
animals On February 2 Park Rangers conducted a search of the area in an attempt to recover all of his bones the
site was only 150 metres from where Wally Goodwin had found Azaria's clothing years earlier and featured many
dingo lairs while the dogs had pillaged David's backpack and the Rangers located
several items of his clothing amongst the dry grass and shrubs one ranger spotted something buried in
the sand and bent over to inspect it although filthy the heat and dry sands of the desert had preserved the item and
to left it in decent condition it was a white knitted baby jacket with stiff sleeves and a button hanging from its
neck by a thread this was a significant breakthrough in the Chamberlin case Lindy had always maintained that Azaria
had been wearing a knitted matinee jacket on the night she was taken by a dingo but the prosecution dismissed her
claim as a fanciful lie the Chamberlain's lawyer Stewart tipple received a tip-off about the find from a
journalist he submitted an urgent request to the Northern Territory Police Commissioner for access to the jacket
for the purposes of identification the Chamberlain innocence committee urged that forensic examination be carefully
monitored with members from both the defense and prosecution present On February 5 the matinee jacket was shown
to Lindy who broke down in tears and positively identified it as belonging to her daughter during the murder trial the
prosecution's case had depended on there being no jacket its discovery not only disproved to their assertions that Lindy
was a liar but also provided an explanation for the lack of saliva on the jumpsuit as the jacket would have
been in direct contact with the dingos mouth and absorbed the majority of it the Chamberlain innocence committee
called for immediate police intervention Michael Chamberlain told reporters he and his wife intended to fight for an
inquiry into the investigation stating I would rather face the grave than give up
the fight to clear my name and to that of my wife 12 days after Azaria's jacket was
discovered a Royal Commission into the Chamberlain case was announced the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
directed a Lindy be immediately released from prison on remission allowing her unrestricted access to legal advisors in
preparation regardless of the outcome the Northern Territory attorney-general confirmed that Lindy would not be
returning to prison subject to the usual conditions of good behavior Michael was ecstatic telling The Sydney
Morning Herald I have been emotional for the last four or five years now I am out
of my mind we will be fighting tooth and a nail so we have cleared our names a police escort followed to Lindy from
Burma prison to New South Wales where she was reunited with her family at the Avondale College Center every tree along
the driveway had been tied with a yellow ribbon and a banner above the gates welcomed her home
kaalia who was now almost four years old was returned to her mother's care the media and public had a strong reaction
to Lindy's release many remained convinced of her guilt and were outraged while the number of her supporters also
grew some people complained of the ongoing legal costs taxpayers would have to front while others pointed out that
the case served as a reminder of the fal ability of the Australian justice system
and the potential dangers had capital punishment not already been abolished in a letter published in The Sydney Morning
Herald one reader stated it is not a question of whether Lindy Chamberlain has paid her debt to society but how
society can possibly pay its debt to Lindy the Royal Commission commenced the later that year and concluded 14 months
later just as Trevor Malling found that the prosecution's case relied heavily on
expert testimony that dingos were highly unlikely to enter a tent and attack a child but acknowledged they had not
taken into account that the uluru dingoes were unlike typical wild dingos found elsewhere he highlighted that
local park rangers believed it was not only possible that one of the native dingoes could take a baby from a tent
but had been concerned that an attack of such a nature might happen just the Smalling rejected assertions that Lindy
Chamberlain was a bad mother or might have been suffering from postnatal depression stating she was a loving and
responsible parent who had never manifested any symptoms to suggests she might be violent towards one of her
children they believed at the grave lyndie displayed following as Arya's death was
genuine and to that her inaction in assisting with the search for her daughter could be explained by her early
acceptance that Azaria was already deceased and her need to remain close to her two surviving children in regards to
the findings of infant blood under the dashboard in the Chamberlain's car just the Smalling accepted it was actually
soundproofing paint he also challenged the prosecution's timeline of events pointing out that
their case revolved around a five to ten minute window in which Lindy had to return to the tent ensuring Aiden didn't
follow her change into her tracksuit pants take Azaria to the car find a murder weapon cadiz Arya's throat allow
sufficient time for Azaria to die hide the body clean up at least some of the blood in
the car change out of her tracksuit pants obtain a can of baked beans for Aiden return to the tent and
deliberately leave blood spatter there collect Aiden and return to the barbecue area just this mauling declared that the
prosecution had provided no evidence of the Chamberlain's guilt and absolve Lindy and Michael of any responsibility
in their daughter's death he concluded it was reasonable to believe that a dingo had entered the tent and carried
Azaria away with the intention of consuming her in response the Northern Territory government offered the
Chamberlain's a pardon while this granted them clemency it didn't officially clear them of their
guilt Lindy told The Sydney Morning Herald I'm not interested in a pardon for something I haven't done a pardon
means absolutely nothing to me somebody up there must be confusing granting a pardon
with squashing the conviction and it's not even remotely the same the following year in September 1988 the
Northern Territory Court of Criminal Appeals agreed with the Justice morning's findings and quashed the
Chamberlain's convictions a film adaptation of John Bryson's book evil angels was released shortly after
starring Meryl Streep as Lindy and Sam Neill as Michael the film divided Australian audiences
Lindy maintained it was a 95% accurate depiction of the events Lindy and Michael sought restitution of four
million dollars from the Northern Territory government for the pain suffering and a loss of wages caused by
their wrongful conviction in 1992 the Attorney General announced that Lindy and Michael would receive compensation
of $900,000 and $400,000 respectively the amount was significantly lower than the Chamberlain's had requested when
explaining why a spokesperson for the Attorney General said the Northern Territory government had no legal
obligation to make the payment at all the Sydney Morning Herald was highly critical of both the amount and the time
it took for the Chamberlain's to be financially compensated with one editorial stating whatever was
eventually paid to the Chamberlain's was always going to be a token arbitrary amount since no money could truly
compensate them for what they have suffered the reprehensible attitude of the Northern Territory government
reflects what is still a significant sentiment against the Chamberlain's in the community
it is just one of the tragedies of the Chamberlain case that the Northern Territory government has shown itself
incapable of leading instead of being swayed by the mob and afraid of taking unpopular decisions when justice and
fairness required that with the Chamberlain's convictions overturned the second annual inquest into Azaria's
death in 1981 was deemed incomplete and a third less involved inquiry was ordered to take place in December 1995
Coroner John Lance shared his findings reiterating that neither Lindy nor Michael were involved with the saria's
disappearance in any way however he wasn't reasonably satisfied that her death could be proven to be the result
of a dingo attack and consequently recorded an open finding noting the cause of Azaria's death as unknown
coroner lands acknowledged this finding would undoubtedly lead to further speculation that the nine week olds
death was not accidental but clarified what is important however is that any such speculation inevitable as it is can
never disturb the unassailable fact that as a matter of public record the law of
the land holds mr. and mrs. Chamberlain to be innocent a decade later in 2004 the Azaria
Chamberlain case made headlines again 78 year old Melbourne resident Frank Cole said he had been at all the room on
August 17 1980 when he and his two companions encountered a dingo carrying a baby girl in its jaws the baby's face
and ear were badly mutilated and her head was covered in blood Frank claimed he shot the dingo into the three men
washed and cleaned the baby but it then occurred to them that they might be tampering with evidence
so that placed her body in a bag Frank returned home ahead of his group and to the other two men said they would take
the baby to the police he wasn't sure what happened to next as they made a pact to never speak of it again
he believed one of the men may have buried the baby in the backyard of their suburban Melbourne home
Frank explained that he didn't come forward earlier out of fear he would be charged for firing a gun in a national
park but after suffering a serious accident he felt he had to clear his conscience
Frank's two companions had since passed away meaning there was no one to validate his claims the home on the
alleged burial site had since undergone major extensions and its new owner told police they could only dig on his
property if they produced tangible evidence of what they expected to find an officer who was involved with the
original investigation told ABC News that although the story was feasible he held doubts about its authenticity
Lindy Chamberlain stated that if Frank's claims were true she wouldn't hold any grudges against him for not coming
forward sooner Michael Chamberlain concurred saying I do forgive the man if he is telling the
truth and I would be happy for him to not be prosecuted because he's carried a very big cross both the Northern
Territory and Victoria Police agreed to investigate Frank's claims but with nothing to substantiate his story it was
dismissed by the coroner and ultimately went nowhere the following year in 2005 a 25 year old woman came forward to the
Alice Springs police claiming to be Azaria Chamberlain errand horse burg had been raised in foster care but said she
became suspicious about her real identity after she started having flashbacks to being carried in the jaws
of a dingo at nine weeks of age she had long thought she bought physical similarities to Lindy a belief that was
further exacerbated when she gave birth to a son whom she thought was the spitting image of Azaria Erin told ABC
radio that she didn't have any other memories from infancy but explained I've got scars on my hands where dogs have
bitten me and my foster mother couldn't tell me why her claims were ultimately dismissed the Chamberlain's continued
campaigning to clear their names over the years although the third inquest had returned to their presumption of
innocence they sought full exoneration and wanted the official cause of Azaria's death changed from unknown to
dingo attack on August 17 2010 exactly 30 years after Azaria's disappearance Lindy published an open letter on her
website Lindy Chamberlain calm calling on the Northern Territory government to amend her daughter's death certificate
in response the Northern Territory Attorney General advised that the power to make this change late with the
coroner's office the following year Northern Territory deputy coroner Elizabeth Morris announced that new
revelations regarding dingo behavior had emerged and she would be opening a 4th inquest into Azaria's death there
commenced in February 2012 with local newspaper NT news running a large photograph of Lindy on its front page
beneath the headline she's back the proceedings centered around a series of dingo attacks that had occurred against
the children had Fraser Island a popular tourist destination off the coast of Queensland between 2001 and 2011 a
nine-year-old boy was killed by two dingoes on the island a four-year-old girl was severely bitten and a
three-year-old girl suffered puncture wounds to her leg a 2011 study of dingo scouts was also submitted which
confirmed to that contrary to popular belief dingos preyed on larger mammals such as Wallabies in June 2012 Coroner
Morris handed down her findings both Lindy and two Michael were present to hear the outcome along with their son
Aiden who was now in his late 30s Colonel Morrison esthe she was satisfied that Azaria had died as a result of
being attacked and taken by a dingo she apologized to the Chamberlain's for all they had endured stating I am so sorry
for your loss time does not remove the pain and sadness of the death of a child spectators applaud it in the
Chamberlain's wept before an amended death certificate firs Aria was made available for the family outside the
courthouse Lindy told reporters we are relieved and delighted to come to the end of this
saga Michael thanked the coroner for her finding remarking this has been a terrifying battle bidder at times but
now awesome healing and a chance to put our daughter's spirit to rest by the time Lindy and Michael were
legally vindicated the couple had separated and to both since remarried Lindy had released the Nord a biography
titled through my eyes later retitled the dingoes got my baby in which he explained the divorce was the result of
issues that existed within their marriage prior to the loss of their daughter the Azaria Chamberlain case captured the
Australian media's attention like no other in the country's history with the rampant publicity shaping the narrative
of the story in the early days of Azaria's disappearance the Press reported the incident as a dingo attack
without question and supported the Chamberlain's wholeheartedly but several weeks into the investigation
unsubstantiated rumors gained coverage and fuelled the public debate over the Chamberlain's guilt explaining why she
chose to write a book about her ordeal Lindy said someone has to have the courage to tell what happens to witness
and Australians who are being torn in shreds to feed the megalomaniac media machine for our daily news it's never
been real the way the media reported it it's never been true I'd read the newspapers and the reports would bear no
resemblance to what actually happened Lindy's book provided candid answers and personal insights into many
misinterpreted misleading and mistaken details about the case she discredited speculation by revealing venus and
explanations for many of the damning pieces of evidence used against her to account for why traces of blood were
found on the nail scissors in the glove box of the tirana Lindy recalled she had
used the scissors to cut a piece of Azaria stride and biblical cord when she was five and a half weeks old
afterwards she what the scissors clean and didn't think she had left any blood on them 30 years after the trial
ABC News reporter Tony wrote an article reflecting on his experience covering the case and the
power had held over the Australian media stating it was a circus the trial was a
tabloid editors dream there was Australia's mysterious Outback wild of dingoes a small camping ground in the
shadows of the giant monolith so central to Aboriginal dreaming and a pastor and
his young wife both members of a relatively unknown and certainly misunderstood religion Lindy was
particularly vilified with the focus shifting from her daughter to her demeanor her choice of outfits inter
attractiveness in November 2014 Lindy participated in a New York Times documentary on the case
telling the filmmakers if I smiled I was belittling my daughter's death if I cried I was acting the point is until
you go through something you have no idea how you yourself will react I had no idea how I'd react until it happened
to me the prosecution's dubious arguments at trial also had a profound impact on perceptions of valinda juror
Avon Kane empathized with the mother when she first saw her in court as her own son had been bitten by a dingo when
he was a baby but she was soon convinced by the prosecution's evidence and her opinion swayed towards Lindy's guilt
after the trial when Lindy was behind the bars Avon became convinced she had made a
huge mistake and was deeply troubled when Lindy was released the two women met in person and formed an ongoing
friendship a Vaughn told weekly news magazine Newsweek that she's still plagued with guilt and believes that all
Australians who condemned to Lindy should feel the same way quote because if the dingo is guilty then so is
Australia an article in The Age newspaper explored the gendered nature of the criticism that surrounded the
Lindy stating many of those who believe to Lindy Chamberlain guilty maintained that the baby had been killed in some
kind of obscure sacrificial ritual so it's deeply ironic that the trial itself turned out to be a sacrificial ritual on
a national scale those who claimed that the name is aria meant sacrifice in the wilderness spoke more truly than they
knew they simply mistook the identity of the victim to this day Lindy Chamberlain's commonly misquoted
Cryer that a dingo ate my baby his infamous around to the world in the United States the phrase has become
something of a pop culture phenomenon and has been employed as a punchline in many famous television shows including
The Simpsons Seinfeld Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Frasier experts have speculated that foreigners may not have
understood the seriousness of the event associated with the phrase and were amused by the word dingo due to their
unfamiliarity with australian aboriginal languages over the years there have been
numerous adoptions of the case for stage and screen including an opera a miniseries and a play inspired by the
twenty thousand letters Lindy received over the decades the National Museum of Australia in Canberra hosts more than
350 artifacts relating to the case including as area's infamous black dress souvenirs sold during the trial and
courtroom sketches Lindy helped curate the collection which led to further public criticism as some
accused her of exploiting her experiences in 2014 the museum purchased the family's yellow to run a hatchback
with the museum director explaining the collection would insure the Chamberlain's story was never forgotten
in a subsequent interview with ABC News Michel Chamberlain stated what I want them to note in a nutshell is that this
car has survived not only as a symbol of a gigantic forensics stuff up but ultimately as a symbol of a triumph of
Australian justice On January 9 2017 Michel Chamberlain passed away at the age of 72 after a year-long battle with
acute leukemia his memorial service was held at Avondale College where more than
650 mourners gathered to pay their respects Pastor Justin lawman president of the seventh-day Adventist Church in
northern New South Wales said Michael was a real advocate for the right of the local people he will be deeply missed
Oh LaRue has undergone significant changes since Azaria's disappearance in the early 1970s it was decided that all
accommodation within the national park be removed over time in order to minimize adverse environmental effects
and camping was gradually phased out in 1983 Ayers Rock campground where the Chamberlin stayed was permanently closed
climbing or LaRue was permitted for many years despite being against the culture and
the lore of its traditional loners deanna new people in october 2000 nineteen the climb was officially
abolished with thousands of people flocking to the area to scale the ancient site one final time before it
closed today Lindy lives in the Hunter Valley with her husband Rick she has written books
on grief and forgiveness and gives seminars and lectures and a variety of topics such as stress prison religion
and to the responsibilities of the media and the law reflecting on the case on her website
Lindy writes this is the story of a little girl who lived and breathed and too loved and was loved she was part of
me she grew within my body and when she died part of me died and nothing will ever alter that fact this is her story
and mine how could such a scandal occur in Australia a country that prides itself on its concept of the fair go
there appears to be no single reason that created the spark that started the inferno but once it was started there
were many who were happy to see the flames of bigotry and intolerance fanned surely there must be a useful lesson in
there somewhere in Linda's book the dingos got my baby she reflects on the birth of her long-awaited daughter and
the powerful impact Azaria made in the nine weeks they shared together she writes sometimes for hours at a time
I would sit up at night just holding Azaria in my arms and cuddling her how glad I am that I did I
have got that special time to look back on she knew she was wanted she loved her
family she responded to them all very happily and despite her tender age it was obvious that she knew she was loved
[Music] [Music] you [Music]

Case 136: Azaria Chamberlain

Lindy Chamberlain returned to the tent by herself and exclaimed a short time later: “My god, my god, a dingo has got my baby!”

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Writing – Elsha McGill and Erin Munro Research – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

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Brief Summary

The episode details the tragic case of Azaria Chamberlain, her disappearance, and the wrongful conviction of her parents amid public scrutiny.

Key points

The Disappearance of Azaria Chamberlain. A family's camping trip turns tragic when baby Azaria goes missing, sparking a frantic search.
Lindy's Desperate Search. Lindy Chamberlain insists on searching for her baby, fearing the worst.
Suspicion and Scrutiny. The Chamberlains face public scrutiny and suspicion regarding their composure after Azaria's disappearance.
Discovery of Clothing. A family finds clothing believed to belong to Azaria, leading to a police investigation.
Coroner's Findings. The coroner concludes that Azaria died after being attacked by a wild dingo.
Coroner's Findings. The coroner concluded that Azaria died from fatal wounds to the neck, dismissing dingo involvement.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

My God, my God, a dingo has got my baby.

Lindy's frantic realization after discovering Azaria is missing

13:25WatchFeb 15, 2020

Tension

80/ 100High tension

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