Hi Readers-
Although my Dear Celeste series isn’t strictly based on true crimes, many of the books draw partial inspiration from real cases. This is especially true for my latest release, Dread the Night. If you haven’t read it yet, you might want to do so before exploring the true crime that helped shape its story.
Of course, as always, the novel takes a very different path from the real-life events that inspired it. When I first started writing Celeste's story, I knew her own life would have been shaped by earlier dark experiences, many of which she was unaware of. I was happy to finally bring those things into the light in Dread the Night.
If you haven't read Dread the Night, it's available in eBook, on Kindle Unlimited and in paperback. Grab a copy here.
I originally came across this story a decade plus ago in a documentary and discovered a deep dive podcast on the case around four years ago. That podcast is called The Teachers Pet and was created by journalist Hedley Thomas for The Australian. Hedley played a major role in bringing this case back into the spotlight and eventually ensuring justice for the victim, Lynette Dawson. Scroll to the end of this page to find links to the podcast and other resources.
Lynette's case, as disturbing as it is, is not the only of its kind. I've read about countless women who, according to their husbands or boyfriends, simply walked away from their lives. As a mother, I find it shocking how readily police, decades ago, accepted these claims at face value. It’s a relief to see so many of these cases resurfacing, bringing long-overdue justice to the children who spent years believing they had been abandoned by their mothers.
The Disappearance of Lynette Dawson
Lynette Simms and Chris Dawson's love story began in 1965 when they met at a high school function, both just 16 years old. Their relationship blossomed, leading to their marriage in 1970 at St Jude's Church in Randwick, Sydney. The couple settled into family life, welcoming two daughters into their world. Chris, alongside his identical twin brother Paul, played professional rugby league for the Newtown Jets between 1972 and 1976. Following their sports careers, both brothers transitioned into roles as physical education teachers, with Chris securing a position at Cromer High School near Sydney.
A Troubled Marriage
As the years progressed, cracks appeared in the Dawsons' marriage. Primarily when Chris Dawson hired one of his students, sixteen-year-old Joanna Curtis, from Cromer High School to babysit Lyn and Chris’s children. Unbeknownst to Lynn, Chris and Joanna had already begun an affair. In 1981, Chris invited Joanne to move into the Dawson family home temporarily, due to her troubled home life, a decision that would foreshadow events to come.
Lynette's Disappearance
On January 8, 1982, Lyn spoke with her mother, planning to meet her at Northbridge Baths the following day. However, Lyn never arrived, and that conversation would be the last time her family heard from her. Chris claimed he dropped Lyn off at a bus stop to go shopping that morning.
Chris did not report his wife missing until six weeks later, claiming she had left due to marital issues stemming from her spending habits. He suggested that Lynette had joined a religious organization, an assertion that raised eyebrows among those who knew her. Just days after Lynette's disappearance, Joanne Curtis moved into the Dawson home permanently, and by 1984, Chris and Joanne were married.
Initial Investigations and Inquests
Sadly whether it was police neglect or simply a sign of the times, law enforcement did not look into Lyn’s disappearance and simply took Chris’s story at face value. Even Lyn’s family and friends accepted, for a time, that Lyn had left the family, likely hurt over Chris’s affair with the teenage student. However, a handful of Lyn's friends were deeply suspicious from the start, insisting that she would never have willingly left her two daughters—whom she had struggled for years to conceive and absolutely adored.
Later, when Lyn did not resurface and family and friends started to insist Chris had done something to Lyn, police began to take a closer look. This was amplified when the student, Joanna, who’d married Chris and had a child with him, left Dawson and told investigators she believed he’d killed his first wife. Two coronial inquests, held in 2001 and 2003, concluded that Lynette was deceased and had likely been murdered by someone she knew. Despite these findings, the Director of Public Prosecutions at the time determined there was insufficient evidence to charge Chris Dawson. This lack of action left Lynette's family in a painful limbo, yearning for answers and justice.
The Emergence of "The Teacher's Pet"
In 2018, investigative journalist Hedley Thomas of The Australian launched "The Teacher's Pet," a podcast that delved deep into Lynette's disappearance. The series meticulously examined the circumstances surrounding her vanishing, Chris's relationship with Joanne Curtis, and the potential shortcomings in the initial investigations. The podcast garnered immense attention, amassing close to 30 million downloads and topping charts in multiple countries. Its in-depth reporting and widespread reach reignited public interest in the case, applying pressure on authorities to re-examine the evidence.
Renewed Investigations and Legal Proceedings
Spurred by the renewed public interest, the New South Wales Police conducted further investigations. In December 2018, Chris Dawson was arrested in Queensland, extradited to New South Wales, and charged with Lynette's murder. He pleaded not guilty, and after a series of legal proceedings, a judge-alone trial commenced in May 2022. The prosecution presented a circumstantial case, highlighting Chris's motive to remove Lynette to pursue an unfettered relationship with Joanne Curtis. The defense argued that Lynette had left voluntarily, suggesting she might have started a new life elsewhere. On August 30, 2022, Justice Ian Harrison found Chris Dawson guilty of murdering his wife, citing a compelling body of evidence that contradicted the notion of her voluntary departure. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 18 years.
Conclusion
The journey to justice for Lynette Dawson was long and fraught with challenges. Her story underscores the importance of persistent investigative journalism and the power of public engagement in seeking truth. While the conviction of Chris Dawson cannot undo the tragedy of Lynette's loss, it serves as a testament to the enduring quest for justice and the hope that, even after decades, the truth can prevail.
Links
The Teacher's Pet Book by Hedley Thomas
Oxygen True Crime: What Happened to Lynette Dawson?
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