After the blood had dried the two top studs were undone prior to the clothing being buried whilst containing the body of the child. [5] She and Creighton live in Australia. For the first five years after their marriage they lived in Tasmania, after which they moved to Mount Isa in northern Queensland. Chamberlain opening the car where the body was allegedly hidden to give a dog the scent of Azaria from the clothes in the car was a daring act. This two-part event premieres … Lindy Tapes Unseen: More lost video and secret audio Credit: Supplied. IMAGES supplied. 15 However, the amount of blood was disputed. [11] A massive search was organised; Azaria was not found but the jumpsuit she had been wearing was discovered about a week later about 4km (2.5 miles) from the tent, bloodstained about the neck, indicating the probable death of the missing child. 9. 3. With the nation’s news tightly locked on to the investigation, it became an ongoing trial by media. This supports the view that the vegetation contamination was caused by human intervention. Scientist Dr. Andrew Scott agreed that the spray mark of blood was consistent with a dingo carrying a bleeding baby. She also must have somehow done it without her husband's knowledge or he was also incredibly daring given that he left his children in her care afterward and he told the police that he had given them the wrong camera case and then gave them the one that was allegedly used to conceal the body.[9][12][16]. A new 7NEWS Spotlight documentary is revealing the secret police tapes you were never meant to hear. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. [5][8] The Supreme Court quashed the findings of the initial inquest and ordered a second inquest in December 1981, with the taking of evidence concluded in February 1982. The evidence clearly establishes that the clothing has been cut and in places torn by a person or persons and in particular the cut on the collar was made after the bloodstaining had occurred, It was argued that one area of damage in the general area of the elbow may be consistent with an animal tearing, but the evidence is very strong that such a tearing by an animal would be inconsistent because of the lack of evidence of the presence of tissue staining which would inevitably be involved if an animal had caused the damage to the clothing. This two-part event premieres … Lindy Chamberlain spent more than three years in prison before being released in 1986. “The cops put her up, they leaked information to the press, and then these other small factors came into play. There is evidence provided by fluorescent examination to suggest the presence of a palm print of a small adult right hand and some evidence of the presence of a left hand caused by a person holding the child when that person’s hands were contaminated with wet blood. She and her husband Michael Chamberlain, co-accused, were officially pardoned in 1987,[1] and their convictions were quashed by the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in 1988. and ran into the tent to check on her children. “Forty years on, believe it or not, we have found witnesses who have never told the story. Articles About Credits. Camper Wallace Goodwin, who was the first to discover the jumpsuit, singlet and nappy, gave evidence that the whole of the jumpsuit was undone, that the clothes were lying on the ground naturally not artificially, and that he believed the singlet was beside the jumpsuit not inside it. [citation needed], The purpose of the royal commission was to enquire into and report on the correctness of the Chamberlain convictions. Specifically, he wrote, "After examining all the evidence I am unable to be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Azaria Chamberlain died at the hands of Alice Lynne Chamberlain. In the 1983 Australian television movie about the case, Who Killed Baby Azaria?, Chamberlain was played by Elaine Hudson; the movie aired on Network Ten. Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story Ep. Scissors were found in the Chamberlain’s car on which there was present human foetal blood staining on the cutting edge and on the hinge areas. Some evidence indicates human intervention between the time of discovery of Azaria's clothes and the time that the police photographed it. Five words that will forever divide a nation. He was led to believe they were following the trail of a dingo carrying a heavy object believed to be Azaria's body. She then later returned to the tent and immediately claimed that she saw a dingo taking her baby with evidence implicating a dingo being purely coincidental. It automatically follows that I am also unable to be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Michael Leigh Chamberlain had any involvement in the death. Network 10 has announced the screening of the documentary A Dingo’s Got My Baby: The Lindy Chamberlain Story.The announcement came during an interview with Lindy Chamberlain on The Sunday Project.. On 7 February 1986, after the discovery of new evidence, Chamberlain was released from prison on remission. Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story After 40 years, Lindy Chamberlain and her family tell their story about what happened to baby Azaria. 2. [9], A scientific witness located blood on the wall of the tent. Share. Hear the truth of what happened that fateful night and the devastation that followed the Chamberlain family for years to come. In the 1988 film Evil Angels (released as A Cry in the Dark outside Australia and New Zealand)[30] the role was played by Meryl Streep, whose performance received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 1989. There is no evidence on the clothing of dragging or catching nor the presence of saliva. Soil type of a PH found on the clothing is consistent with the PH of the soil at the camp and also with the consistency of the soil in clothing and at the site and is inconsistent with the type of soil and PH in the area in which the clothing was found. 14 She also counted on her son not noticing she had taken Azaria and returned without her and asking her publicly where she had taken Azaria. [25], Chamberlain published Through My Eyes: an autobiography in 1990. The jumpsuit was completely done up by studs to the neck which remained closed while the child was bleeding. Lindy Chamberlain's lawyer reveals how the authorities failed her, Amanda Knox reveals how true-crime journalism failed her, Lindy Tapes Unseen: More lost video and secret audio, Carole Baskin responds to Joe Exotic's outrageous request for a favour from President Trump, Gary Barlow talks 30 years of Take That, his rift with Robbie Williams and new solo album, Olympian Cate Campbell talks swimming, preparing for Tokyo and skin cancer scare, Weatherman Tim Bailey opens up about new job after being axed from high-profile TV gig, Expert cuts open children's bath toys and shares horrifying results. The Lindy Tapes: New documentary reveals the lingering bigotry against the Chamberlains. 5. [9], Les Harris, then President of the Dingo Foundation, gave evidence that his opinion based on years of studying dingoes is that a dingo could have enveloped the head of a baby in its mouth and carried the weight of a baby over long distances. A matinee jacket the child had been wearing was not found at the time. [1][16] In 1987, a Royal Commission began investigating the matter further. [13], The initial inquiry, held in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, by Alice Springs magistrate and coroner Dennis Barritt in December 1980 and January 1981, supported the Chamberlains' account of Azaria's disappearance, finding a dingo took the child. Her baby Azaria was taken from a campsite by a dingo - and Lindy was put on trial for murder and imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story Ep. An inference can be drawn that these scissors were used to cut the deceased’s clothing. 11. A vivid and profoundly moving picture emerges of the devastating impact that the case, and Lindy’s conviction for murder and incarceration, had on the family. On 20 December 1992, she married American publisher and fellow member of Seventh-day Adventist Church, Rick Creighton. [19][28] In 2012, the coroner's final report identified that a dingo was the cause of death.[29]. Australian composer Moya Henderson wrote the opera Lindy to a libretto by Judith Rodriguez. “These are the innermost workings of that detective team that worked on that case, and what it shows is that they fitted Lindy Chamberlain up for this crime. She had given no indication of being irritated with Azaria. Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story can be seen on Ten Play. Her second daughter and fourth child, Kahlia, was born in November 1982. The prosecution case was circumstantial and depended on forensic evidence. Almost 40 years since the tragic death of baby Azaria Chamberlain at Uluru, her mum Lindy Chamberlain is finally able to let go of the terrible past that’s haunted her for so long. Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton is now 71 years old.. Episodes. The clothes as found were not strewn around the area and this is inconsistent with an animal being responsible for their placement. 6, Camper Sally Lowe and Michael Chamberlain gave evidence that they heard a baby cry at a time when Chamberlain was with them at the barbecue area and Azaria was believed to be in the family tent.[10]:p. 7. “They were Seventh-day Adventist - not much was known about the church in those days. [10] Canine hairs were located in the tent and on Azaria's jumpsuit. Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story After 40 years, Lindy Chamberlain and her family tell their story about what happened to baby Azaria. 16, Police Detective Sergeant John Lincoln gave evidence that he took photographs of large paw prints a few centimetres from Azaria's cot and found what was probably blood outside the tent. Accused of killing her nine-week-old daughter, Azaria, while camping at Uluru in 1980, she maintained that she saw a dingo leave the tent where Azaria was sleeping. He collected samples but they were not tested.[10]:p. By an indictment presented to the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in September 1982, Chamberlain was charged with Azaria's murder. The documentary features interviews with the Chamberlain children, Aidan, Reagan and Kahlia, and with Lindy’s second husband, Rick Creighton. 9 week old baby Azaria Chamberlain disappeared on the night of 17 August 1980 on a camping trip at Uluru (Ayers Rock) in central Australia. He produced photographs of dingoes enveloping the head of a baby-sized doll in its jaws.[10]:p. [10], Tourist Max Whittacker gave evidence that he attended a search later on the night of the disappearance with people including the head ranger and an Aboriginal tracker. It was argued that the absence of saliva was not remarkable as a witness gave evidence of heavy rain in the area. Lindy Chamberlain appears in new Channel 10 documentary about her daughter’s disappearance, AzariaSource: Channel 10 . To do so would, in the words of Morling, involve a "fundamental error of reversing the onus of proof and requiring Mrs Chamberlain to prove her innocence" (at p. 339 of the report). Hear the truth of what happened that fateful night and the devastation that followed the Chamberlain family for years to come. In 1986, Ray Martin interviewed Lindy Chamberlain, who had been accused of killing her nine-week-old daughter, Azaria, while camping at Uluru in 1980. [11] Coroner Elizabeth Morris said that the new evidence in relation to dingo attacks on infants and young children had helped convince her to reopen the investigation. [citation needed], When Azaria was two months old, the family went on a camping trip to Uluru, arriving on 16 August 1980. “It’s not just the police and their investigation, but witnesses. Incredibly, crucial parts of this story remain untold. From this evidence it was concluded that both Chamberlains were implicated in covering their crime.[10]:p. 18, Chamberlain gave evidence that, in response to others hearing Azaria cry, she went to the tent. Alice Lynne "Lindy" Chamberlain-Creighton (née Murchison; born 4 March 1948) is a New Zealand-born woman who was wrongfully convicted in one of Australia's most publicised murder trials. However he did not believe that it was human blood. On the night of 17 August, Chamberlain reported that the child had been taken from their tent by a dingo. Miranda Otto played Chamberlain in the 2004 Australian television mini-series Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story, which aired on the Seven Network. "[10], Although expert opinion varied as to whether the clothes damage could have been caused by a dingo some took the view that it could have been. [14], In committing the Chamberlains for trial, the coroner who performed the second inquest and recorded findings as to the cause and manner of Azaria's death, stated that although the evidence was, to a large degree, circumstantial, a jury properly instructed could arrive at a verdict; with regard to the clothing evidence, he surmised that the Chamberlains knew dingoes were in the area, attempted to simulate a dingo attack, recovered Azaria's buried body, removed her clothing, damaged it by cutting, rubbed it in vegetation, and deposited the clothes for later recovery. Web Extras. [3], New evidence emerged on 2 February 1986 when Azaria's matinee jacket, which the police had maintained did not exist, was found partially buried adjacent to a dingo lair in an isolated location near Uluru. And Azaria’s grieving parents were put under the microscope for every comment and reaction. In the new two-part documentary Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story, premiering at 7.30pm Sunday on Network 10, Lindy Chamberlain and her family share their side of the story. Another witness who entered the tent that night, police Constable Frank Morris, gave evidence that there were only a few drops of blood on a couple of blankets and a sleeping bag in the tent. She gave no indication of being stressed when she took Azaria and indicated that she was putting her to bed. This page was last edited on 17 November 2020, at 21:57. She moved to Australia with her family in 1969. In the 1970s, the Chamberlains had two sons: Aidan (born 1973) and Reagan (born 1976). [27], In August 2010, on the 30th anniversary of the death of Azaria, Chamberlain appealed on her website to have the cause of death amended on Azaria's death record. Network 10 have announced they will screen the new documentary A Dingo’s Got My Baby: The Lindy Chamberlain Story.. The story of Lindy Chamberlain is without a doubt the most famous case in Australian legal history. There is evidence to support that when comparable scissors are used to cut through blood that blood would be deposited on the cutting edge. [23][24] Morris apologised to the Chamberlain family while an amended death certificate was immediately made available to them. In this harrowing preview clip, Lindy recounts a conversation she had with a key witness at the campground, Judy West, on the night Azaria went missing. In an exclusive new documentary, sit down with Lindy herself 40 years on, to discover the full, true story. The clothing was not subjected to heavy rain as there is evidence that such heavy rain would have adversely affected the bloodstaining on the clothing and this is not the case. “So she put on this neutral face - and it all ran together in the end and ended up with this huge miscarriage of justice.”. 30 secs Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story Lindy Chamberlain Has Critics Captivated. There have been many interviews commemorating the 40-year anniversary, including the documentary “Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story” that aired on Australian television. Her baby Azaria was taken from a campsite by a dingo - and Lindy was put on trial for murder and imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. In the second inquest, concerning the clothing evidence alone: 1. La découverte d'un morceau de vêtement du nourrisson en 1986 va relancer l'affaire, et entraîner la libération de la mère Lindy Chamberlain après quatre années d'incarcération. She and her family were members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and she married an Adventist pastor, the New Zealand-born Michael Chamberlain, on 18 November 1969. 12 However, forensic expert Professor James Cameron gave evidence that, based on studying plaster casts of dingo jaws, it was impossible for a dingo to open its jaws wide enough to encompass a child's head. The story of Lindy Chamberlain is without a doubt the most famous case in Australian legal history. The clothing of the deceased child had been buried prior to its finding and probably contained the body of the child when buried. Royal Commission of Inquiry into Chamberlain Convictions, Report, Not over: Chamberlain seeks justice from hearts of stone, Animal behaviour expert says recent dingo research probably strengthens case for showing a dingo took Azaria Chamberlain, "Dingo caused baby Azaria Chamberlain's death - coroner", "Dingo killed baby Azaria, says NT coroner", "Dingo to blame for Azaria's death: coroner", https://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Id-help-McCanns-Lindy-Chamberlain-says/2007/09/16/1189881340991.html, Change Azaria's death certificate to show a dingo was responsible, says Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, "Dingo took Azaria Chamberlain, coroner finds", "A Cry in the Dark (1988) - Release dates", Papers of Chamberlain support groups, 1982-1986, The Chamberlain collection at the National Museum of Australia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lindy_Chamberlain-Creighton&oldid=989247190, CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2019, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Imprisoned for three years after being convicted of the murder of her 9-week old daughter, Azaria (later exonerated). Chamberlain was convicted on 29 October 1982,[1] and her appeals to the Federal Court of Australia,[2] and High Court of Australia,[3] were dismissed. [16], The prosecution's theory was that, in a five- to ten-minute absence from the camp fire, Lindy returned to her tent, did whatever was necessary to stop her young son Aidan from following her, changed into tracksuit pants, took Azaria to her car, obtained and used scissors to cut Azaria's throat, waited for Azaria to die (options were carotid arteries or jugular – all experts said there was an absence of evidence of arterial bleeding on the jumpsuit blood stains and it would take up to 20 minutes if the death was from cutting the jugular), hid the body in a camera case in the car, cleaned up blood on everything including the outside of the camera case, removed the tracksuit pants, obtained baked beans for her son from the car, returned to the tent, did something to leave blood splashes there and brought her son Aidan back to the campfire without ever attracting the attention of other campers except for camper Greg Lowe who gave evidence that he observed her to go to the tent with Azaria and Aidan and then walk to the car with her left arm around Aidan and her right arm unimpeded.[10]:p. Lindy Chamberlain appears in the new two-part documentary Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story. "[17], The Chamberlains continued to push for a resolution to the investigation into the death of Azaria as being caused by one or more dingoes without human interference. “Lindy herself, she didn’t know how to react going into court, so she ended up putting on a solemn face when she walked in, because as she tells me, if she smiled then people would think she was taking it lightly. 8. When she was in the tent she observed a pool of blood in the tent about 15 cm by 10 cm (6 by 4 inches).[10]:p. Air Date: Thu 24 Sep 2020. "I now know that the Aboriginal's account of following these tracks west that night has been denied by rangers and the Aboriginal's account of this incident has not been accepted. [31] In 1990, the Rank Strangers' recording of their song "Uluru", which supported the Chamberlains and called for compensation to be paid to them, finished in the final five of the Australian Country Music Awards in Tamworth, New South Wales. No-one noticing alleged blood on Chamberlain's clothes in the hours after the disappearance was purely fortunate. [7] In 2007, Chamberlain spoke out in support of the parents of Madeleine McCann, and said she would be willing to talk to the McCanns. She cried "Michael, Michael, the dingo's got my baby!" Single holes or indentations which appear in the clothing could be consistent with teeth marks of an animal but the absence of tissue stains in conjunction with those holes make it inconsistent with an animal holding the body of the child. 17 August, 1980. "[18] He noted that, "Indeed, the evidence affords considerable support for the view that a dingo may have taken her. On 29 October 1982 the Chamberlains were both found guilty as charged. 7.30 Sunday and Monday, on 10. The court also noted that as DNA testing was not advanced in the early 1980s, the expert testimony given by the prosecution at trial and relied on by the jurors was reasonable evidence at the time, even though it was ultimately found to be faulty. In the documentary, Denham also interviews scientists about the evidence - and there were photos that were omitted from the trial completely. Watch the full story above According to the findings of the third inquest, the evidence for some aspects of Chamberlain's mothering was undisputed: She was described as being "an exemplary mother". In a rare interview for the fourth season of Anh’s Brush With Fame, Lindy describes giving birth to her fourth child in prison, just a month after she was wrongfully sentenced for the death of her baby Azaria. He stated that he picked up the clothes to check the inside for human remains and then returned it to the ground and photographed it. “If she frowned, people would think she was cold-hearted. [20] After 32 years of intense media interest and public excoriation, the Chamberlains stated they remained unsatisfied with bare acquittal and presumed innocence, and were keen to finally, and definitively, determine how their daughter died. Her view of its nose was obscured. A Dingo’s Got My Baby: The Lindy Chamberlain Story is the Chamberlain family’s story of love, loss and redemption, told exclusively by them. To examine the evidence to see whether it has been proved that a dingo took Azaria would be to make the fundamental error of reversing the onus of proof and requiring Mrs Chamberlain to prove her innocence. [10] However, police Morris, the first police officer to examine the clothes after Goodwin located them, gave evidence that only the top four buttons were undone and the singlet was inside it. “They thought she was guilty and they were hellbent on making their case stick - and in the end, they did. The Lindy Tapes is a documentary six-months in the making that uncovers stunning new evidence in the now infamous Chamberlain case. [16], After the Chamberlains were acquitted by the Supreme Court in September 1988 and their convictions overturned, a third inquest in 1995 took place, with the coroner's report stating that it was a "paper inquest" rather than a full inquest since there was little new evidence and the second inquest was never fully completed. In the documentary Lindy Chamberlain: The True Story, narrated by actor Sam Neill, the two-part series featured insights and exclusive interviews with family friends, high court judges, forensic experts, lawyers, high profile media, professors of history, novelists, filmmakers, and … Photo / Supplied. The Chamberlain story is one that captured Australia’s imagination like almost no other before or since. “You will understand how this miscarriage of justice happened,” said 7NEWS investigative journalist Denham Hitchcock. Azaria was missing. [8] An appeal to the Federal Court against conviction was subsequently dismissed. The tragic death of a baby girl in outback Australia that at one point in time became a T-Shirt slogan, a punchline. Early on in the case, the facts showed that for the two years before Azaria went missing, Uluru chief ranger Derek Roff had been writing to the government urging a dingo cull and warning of imminent human tragedy. [19] A new inquest began in February 2012[20][21] and new figures on dingo attacks on Fraser Island were collated by the Queensland Government's Department of Environment and Resource Management and provided as evidence at the Azaria Chamberlain inquest. 10. “This is a full forensic analysis of the police investigation,” Hitchcock said. Roff noted that dingoes in the area were becoming increasingly aggressive, approaching and sometimes biting people. Half way to the tent she thought she saw a dingo emerging from the tent having difficulty getting out of the tent and shaking its head vigorously. “Even some of the witnesses from the time, there are parts of their story that still remain untold. Shortly after her conviction, Chamberlain was escorted from Berrimah Prison under guard to give birth to her fourth child, Kahlia, on 17 November 1982, in Darwin Hospital, and was returned thereafter to prison. [8] Five days later, on 7 February 1986, with the discovery of Azaria's missing jacket supporting the Chamberlains' defence case, Chamberlain was released from prison, and her life sentence was remitted by the Northern Territory Government. The two-part documentary sheds new light on the tragedy and allows Lindy, her sons Aidan, 46, and Reagan, 44, and daughter Kahlia, 37 – who was born in 1982 in Royal Darwin Hospital after Lindy was found guilty of Azaria’s murder – to share their side of the story. Web Extras. Another appeal against her conviction was rejected by the High Court in February 1984. 17 Chamberlain's first daughter, Azaria, was born 11 June 1980. Chamberlain gave evidence that she always ensured that singlets were not inside out. [9] The coroner considered the Morling Royal Commission's report enquiring into the correctness of the convictions against Chamberlain along with submissions made on behalf of the Chamberlains, and returned an open verdict in Azaria's cause of death, or, insufficient evidence by the prosecution that failed to meet the required standard of proof for conviction. They don’t. The Chamberlains did not own a dog. [6] She was known as "Lindy" from a young age. 11, Lowe also gave evidence that she had brought Reagan out of the tent after the occurrence. Alice Lynne "Lindy" Chamberlain-Creighton (née Murchison; born 4 March 1948) is a New Zealand -born woman who was wrongfully convicted in one of Australia's most … 14, The prosecution's expert testimony for forensic evidence included that of James Cameron, a scientist who had also given crucial evidence in a case in England which was later overturned when his expert evidence was proved wrong. The Chamberlains divorced in 1991. [9] Azaria's clothing was found only 30 metres (98 feet) from a dingo's den, although no-one, including the chief ranger and his deputy, was aware of the den at the time.[9]. Her conviction was overwhelmingly based on forensic evidence, which is highly relevant to the issue of creation and evolution. [9][12] From the day Azaria went missing, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain maintained a dingo took their child. [9] The stain believed to have been blood that was found in the Chamberlains' car was later determined to be most likely a sound-deadening compound from a manufacturing overspray.