By Hedley Thomas
If you thought you knew the story of The Teacher’s Pet, get ready to be
shocked.
Hedley Thomas takes you behind the scenes with a blow-by-blow
account of one of the most intriguing and enduring murder mysteries of
our time – the crime, the podcast investigation, the sexual exploitation
of teenage students, the courtroom drama – and how justice was finally
delivered.
Lynette Simms disappeared from Sydney’s idyllic northern beaches in
1982 and was never seen again.
Lyn was a caring nurse, loving mother and devoted wife. Her husband
Chris Dawson was a rugby league star, a popular teacher and
exceptionally close to his identical twin brother, Paul.
But this facade of domestic bliss shattered as Chris became infatuated
with the family’s babysitter – his 16-year-old student – a girl he moved
into Lyn’s home and bed just two days after her disappearance.
Thirty-six years later, investigative journalist Hedley Thomas revisited
the story in a record-breaking podcast series that captured the
unconditional support of Lyn’s friends, colleagues, neighbours and
family, and an international audience.
With fresh leads and old evidence resulting in a public groundswell for authorities to take action, Chris was arrested
in late 2018 and after a dramatic trial was found guilty of murder in August 2022.
About the Author
Hedley Thomas is The Australian’s national chief correspondent,
specialising in investigative reporting with an interest in legal issues, the
judiciary, corruption and politics. He has won eight Walkley awards
including two Gold Walkleys; the first in 2007 for his investigations into
the fiasco surrounding the Australian Federal Police investigations of Dr
Mohamed Haneef, and the second in 2018 for his podcast, The Teacher’s
Pet, investigating the 1982 murder of Sydney mother Lynette Dawson.
