10 True Crime Documentaries That Got Cases Reopened
9. The Teacher's Pet
The Teacher’s Pet is an Australian podcast from 2018, hosted by journalist Hedley Thomas. The podcast covered the 1982 disappearance of an Australian homemaker and mother named Lynette Dawson. Lynette’s whereabouts have never been discovered and there is therefore no physical confirmation as to whether she is alive or dead.
The podcast focussed a lot of attention on Lynette’s husband, Chris Dawson. Chris was a former Rugby League player and teacher. Thomas covers not just the disappearance in his 17-episode documentary, but also an affair that Chris has with a sixteen-year-old girl, and further allegations of sexual misconduct that took place in the school where Chris worked.
Most importantly, Thomas suggests that there were flaws in the initial police investigation and goes on to uncover new evidence and potential sources for enquiry. The information provided in The Teacher’s Pet resulted in Chris Dawson being arrested in 2020 and charged with the murder of Lynette.
Chris is currently on bail with his trial scheduled to take place on the 9th of May 2022. It is expected for the trial to last for eight days, although it’s possible this could be extended for longer, given the complexities involved in prosecuting a murder without a body or confirmation of death.