YEARS LATER
Chris and Susan Dawson own the house next door to Ms Facto’s home, which is currently a rental property.
When the Gold Coast Bulletin attempted to speak to Mrs Facto at her home, she yelled through the door that she would call the police if we did not leave.
A festive Christmas wreath hung on the door of the Facto household and seconds before Ms Facto responded to knocks, a curious little boy poked his head through the curtains.
Mrs Facto also has a sixmonth-old baby with husband Omen.
Not long after the interaction, a black Mercedes sedan with a distinctive one-word number plate, pulled into the driveway, with an older woman stepping out and into the house. JANUARY 1984
Dawson and Joanne marry, and later move to the Gold Coast. Dawson has Lyn’s rings reset for his new bride.
1990
Joanne leaves Dawson after years she described as living with a controlling husband. Police search the Dawson’s Bayview home but nothing is found.
1991
Police fly to Queensland to interview Dawson; he denies any foul play.
The woman was not Susan Dawson.
A third address linked to the family in the Biggera Waters area belongs to Katie and Stewart Casey.
Katie is Chris’ niece, the daughter of his twin brother Paul Dawson.
Both Chris and Paul have been seen entering the house in recent months, with their cars parked in the driveway. 2000
Police dig again in Bayview and find a woman’s pink cardigan with apparent slash marks. But forensic
Dawson’s VW van was parked outside the Facto household at the time of his arrest. It once infamously bore a number plate that read “2 TWIN”, while his older twin’s number plate read “1 TWIN”.
A neighbour said the van was often there.
Later in the day Mrs Facto drove away in Dawson’s van.
It appeared clean and in good condition with no signs testing does not match it to Lyn.
2001
NSW Coroner Jan Stevenson concludes Lyn was killed by a “known person” and recommends charges be laid. The DPP does not lay charges, citing a lack of evidence.
2003
Coroner Carl Milovanovich recommends Chris Dawson face murder charges. The DPP again declines to prosecute. to suggest it had been sitting stationary for any long period of time.
In June after Dawson’s daughter Sherryn Terepo (nee Dawson) defended her father’s innocence, calling the case a “witch hunt”, Mrs Facto told the Bulletin she agreed.
Mrs Facto denied any coronial inquests had even taken place and claimed he never slept with any of his students. 2015
NSW Unsolved Homicide Unit begins reinvestigating the suspected murder. THE award-winning News Corp podcast that broke open the cold case suspected murder of Lyn Dawson almost fell at the first hurdle on a technicality.
The Australian journalist, Hedley Thomas, who used to work at the Gold Coast Bulletin, produced The Teacher’s Pet, said his first interview for the project almost didn’t happen – because he couldn’t work out how to use the recording device he had just bought.
And it was actually his interview subject who gave him the technical help to get started. “She reformatted it for me, and away we went,” said Thomas (right).
Countless hours later of more interviews, research, recording, editing and writing 220,000 words, Thomas’ 14part series was done.
It has captured the imagination of millions via 19 million downloads, has had Hollywood producers sniffing around and yesterday contributed to the arrest of Lyn Dawson’s ex-husband Chris on suspicion of her murder.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said yesterday the intense media interest in Lyn’s disappearance spurred by The Teacher’s Pet resulted in two additional statements being provided to investigators as evidence.
Last month, the podcast also delivered Thomas and his colleague Slade Gibson the Gold Walkley, arguably Australia’s most prestigious journalism award.
In his acceptance speech, Thomas relayed the anecdote of the shaky start to his first interview and described the project as an “accidental success story” that took on a life of it’s own as interest in the story grew.
He paid tribute to Lyn’s family for their co-operation, and to his wife, who “tolerated a year in which she probably thought we might get divorced, such was the level of obsession”.
APRIL 2018
Police give the DPP a new brief of evidence on the case.
SEPTEMBER 2018
Police conduct a new forensic search of the Bayview house but find nothing of relevance.
DECEMBER 5, 2018
Dawson is arrested at Biggera Waters on the Gold Coast and faces court over the alleged murder of his former wife Lyn.