The mystery surrounding Lynette Dawson’s death has reached fever-pitch as authorities scramble to find her body on the property where she was last seen more than three decades ago.
Tucked quietly in a leafy street above Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the home once shared by Lynette and her husband Chris has now become a crime scene – and a spectacle for hordes of rubbernecks.
Honing in on four key sites at the multi-million dollar home, investigators are aiming to quash the widely-held belief its grounds were where Chris buried his wife’s body after she went missing 36 years ago.
The mystery surrounding Lynette Dawson’s death has reached fever-pitch as authorities scramble to find her body on the property where she was last seen more than three decades ago
Tucked quietly in a leafy street above Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the home once shared by Lynette and her husband Chris has now become a crime scene – and a spectacle for hordes of rubbernecks
Following the release of the widely-lauded Teacher’s Pet podcast, investigators are aiming to quash the widely-held belief its grounds were where Chris buried his wife’s body after she went missing 36 years ago
But as authorities clamber to solve the 36-year-old mystery, the suburban street at its centre has become a hub of often-shameless activity.
Pictured among police cars and dog squad vehicles on Tuesday were carloads of true crime fans, keen to get a glimpse of now-infamous property.
Also spotted were groups of onlookers among the television crews, who have now spent days camped in the leafy street waiting for news to strike.
The case’s return to Australia’s national psyche follows the release of the Teacher’s Pet podcast, which has already been downloaded more than 17 million times.
For several months listeners around the world have been transfixed by the podcast, produced by The Australian newspaper, which revisits the disappearance of Mrs Dawson and strongly suggests her husband murdered the 33-year-old.
The podcast examines the Dawsons’ marriage and Chris Dawson’s affair with his student. It also looks at the footballer’s intensely close relationship with his twin brother, a fellow teacher and Newtown Jets player.
It has exposed a network of teachers having sex with students at northern beaches high schools in the 1970s and 1980s, revealed initially flawed police processes and raised questions of why a mother would abandon two daughters she clearly loved.
But mostly it has left its audience wondering how Chris Dawson, now 70, has until recently been able to live peacefully with his third wife in Queensland despite two coroners having recommended he be prosecuted for murder.
Pictured among police cars and dog squad vehicles on Tuesday were car loads of true crime fans, keen to get a glimpse of now-infamous property
The whole saga centres on – and perhaps will be concluded – on the parcel of land Chris and Lyn Dawson bought at Bayview, about 30km north of Sydney’s central business district, in 1976.
For some years the Dawsons’ lives must have seemed idyllic to outsiders but by the time Joanne Curtis was dragged into their world things were going seriously wrong.
Chris Dawson became a physical education teacher at Cromer High School in 1979 when Joanne was a student in Year 10. The following year he became her teacher and confidant.
The case’s return to Australia’s national psyche follows the release of the Teacher’s Pet podcast, which has already been downloaded more than 17 million times
For some years the Dawsons’ lives must have seemed idyllic to outsiders but by the time Joanne Curtis was dragged into their world things were going seriously wrong
Chris Dawson was 32 when he began having sex with 16-year-old Joanne (pictured), who moved in days after Lynette’s disappearance
Joanne soon became babysitter to the Dawsons’ two daughters, Shanelle and Sherryn, often staying the night in their home.
Chris Dawson was 32 when he began having sex with the 16-year-old, who moved in days after Lynette’s disappearance.
On Wednesday, New South Wales homicide squad director Scott Cook said police were committed to a thorough scour and partial excavation of the site in the northern beaches.
It is expected to take five days.
‘We’ll go until we hit rock,’ Mr Cook said at a press conference as the search began on Wednesday.
He also revealed his ‘absolute’ confidence that charges will be laid – even if no remains are found at the property.
The whole saga centres on – and perhaps will be concluded – on the parcel of land Chris and Lyn Dawson (pictured on their wedding day) bought at Bayview, about 30km north of Sydney’s central business district, in 1976