Pick of the podcasts
Teacher’s Pet
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One of the longest-running cold-case murders in Australia came to a dramatic conclusion last week with the conviction of former high school teacher Chris Dawson.
He was convicted of the murder of his wife, Lynette, who disappeared in 1982; and her body has never been found.
Dawson maintains his innocence, saying his wife left him possibly to join a religious cult.
This will be familiar to podcast fans, of course.
The case was the subject of Teacher’s Pet, by journalist Hedley Thomas.The hit series shot to the top of the podcast charts around the world, having been downloaded a staggering 60 million times.
We’ve featured Teacher’s Pet before as it’s such a gripping listen. But if you’re new to the case, and even if you’re not, now’s the time to listen.
It’s a fantastic example of how some of these podcast series are doing the work police simply don’t have the resources to tackle.
Prosecutors in Australia may have suspected Dawson but had said there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue a conviction.
Yet they must have listened to Thomas’s investigation because they reopened the case.
Dawson last week appeared in front of a judge, rather than a jury, and she found him guilty of murder.
He was accused of becoming obsessed with his family’s babysitter, named JC for legal reasons, and wanted to be rid of his wife so he could start a new life.
Lynette apparently was a devoted wife, and all her belongings, even her contact lenses, were found at home. Following her disappearance no trace of her has been found.
The podcast became a media sensation and, following last week’s dramatic news, its reputation will only grow.