New info uncovered in ‘The Teacher’s Pet’ led to an arrest and conviction in the case of Lynette Dawson
Mother-of-two, Lynette Dawson, vanished in 1982, and the case ran cold for years. Chris Dawson, Lynette’s husband, was arrested in 2018 as the podcast “The Teacher’s Pet” drew attention to the case and unearthed astounding new evidence. In August 2022, Chris, a football player and high school teacher, was convicted of murdering his wife.
The couple’s relationship appeared “perfect” as the two met in high school and lived near Sydney’s northern beaches. Lyn’s body was never found, resulting in a lengthy investigation and uncovering many dark secrets. The podcast dug into a story of twin brothers, teenage student lovers, and the crime. Chris claimed Lyn abandoned her family and denied any foul play for over 36 years.
Stream “The Teacher’s Pet’s” 16 episodes from the beginning to hear the complete investigation hosted by The Australian’s Hedley Thomas. The series is highly bingeable with all episodes running less than 2 hours each.
Several days after Lyn went missing, Chris asked the family’s 16-year-old babysitter (and Chris’ student) to move into their home. People speculated that Chris murdered his wife to pursue a relationship with the 16-year-old, as explored in the series. On the podcast, Hedley found discrepancies in Chris’ statements, interviewed Chris’ friends, family, neighbors, law enforcement that worked the case, and more.
Two milestones in the case occurred in 2001 and 2003, stating that a “known” person was responsible for Lyn’s death and that Chris should be charged. Due to insubstantial evidence, Chris was not prosecuted. In 2015, new evidence was found leading to another investigation. Officials combed through the Dawsons’ house in 2018 but did not find Lyn’s body.
Chris’ trial was delayed until 2019 after he was arrested in 2018, and the Australian government removed the podcast from streaming services in the interim for a fair trial.
“My Teacher’s Pet” joins the ranks of investigative podcasts like “Bear Brook,” “Serial,” and “In the Dark” that helped find new leads for unsolved cases. For more podcasts like “My Teacher’s Pet,” be sure to check out our round-up of true crime podcasts that helped break cases.
All episodes of “My Teacher’s Pet” are now streaming wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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