The Teacher's Pet

In the days and months following Lyn's disappearance, Chris Dawson put forth a range of suggestions as to her possible whereabouts. Perhaps she had gone north to think about their marriage. Maybe she'd joined a cult, or a religious group. But whatever he said, he clearly believed she was never going to return, as he promptly moved Joanne back into the family home where she became the new mother to his two children.  The Teacher’s Pet is currently not available to listen to in Australia due to the ongoing court case. Hedley Thomas' latest podcast The Night Driver is available now, search for The Night Driver wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In January 1982, as most Australians enjoyed a carefree holiday season, Lyn Dawson was trying to pick up the tattered threads of her marriage. Joanne Curtis was taking tentative steps to extricate herself from her affair with Lyn's husband. And Chris Dawson was desperately seeking solutions. In this episode, a damning piece of evidence - once thought lost - is recovered, and it is something that should be vitally important to the Director of Public Prosecutions.  The Teacher’s Pet is currently not available to listen to in Australia due to the ongoing court case. Hedley Thomas' latest podcast The Night Driver is available now, search for The Night Driver wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humiliated and broken by her husband's affair, Lyn finally asked Joanne to leave the Bayview home. The teenager walked out, and into the home of Chris's twin brother, Paul, a few hundred metres down the same street. Tensions continued to rise. And then suddenly, Lyn vanished. Years later, Joanne suggested Lyn's remains were buried at Bayview, in the 'soft soil' - outside what were her daughters' bedroom windows. In this episode, a surprise new witness speaks publicly for the first time about something he was told in 1987, indicating the possible whereabouts of a body.  The Teacher’s Pet is currently not available to listen to in Australia due to the ongoing court case. Hedley Thomas' latest podcast The Night Driver is available now, search for The Night Driver wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Chris brazenly moved his teenage lover into the family home, Lyn saw the cracks in her marriage widen. It was crumbling all around her. Unable to believe the worst of her husband, she responded with denial, but to her family and friends Lyn's suffering was clear. And the toll was not just emotional. In this episode, a former babysitter for the Dawsons speaks for the first time about the violence she witnessed in the home.  The Teacher’s Pet is currently not available to listen to in Australia due to the ongoing court case. Hedley Thomas' latest podcast The Night Driver is available now, search for The Night Driver wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cromer High School's pin-up sports teacher Chris Dawson pursued year 11 student Joanne Curtis with the sort of relentless determination he showed as a star of rugby league. Chris had model good looks, an easy charm, and students looked up to him. Other teachers followed his lead, seducing vulnerable school girls as those in charge looked away.  The Teacher’s Pet is currently not available to listen to in Australia due to the ongoing court case. Hedley Thomas' latest podcast The Night Driver is available now, search for The Night Driver wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lyn was a devoted wife and mother. She adored her husband, but he betrayed and humiliated her in the most callous way. Now she's gone - missing, a likely victim of murder.  The Teacher’s Pet is currently not available to listen to in Australia due to the ongoing court case. Hedley Thomas' latest podcast The Night Driver is available now, search for The Night Driver wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.