A Cry In The Night Part 1 Of 3

BY Fiona Steel
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Taken
"A Dingo Took My Baby!"

They were the words that Lindy Chamberlain had screamed out into the blackness of the cold night in
a camping ground close to Ayers Rock, Central Australia, on the night of August 17, when she
discovered that her nearly ten-week-old baby, Azaria had been taken by a dingo.

Campgrounds with Chamberlain car

and tent

Lindy had returned to the family tent where she had left her sleeping 4-year-old son, Reagan, and
Azaria only moments before. Her husband Michael was sure that he had heard Azaria cry out. Sally
Lowe, a fellow camper who had been at the barbecue with husband Greg and their 18-month-old
daughter, also heard the cry.

As she approached, closely followed by their 6-year-old son Aidan, Lindy saw with horror a large
dingo coming out of their tent. It seemed to be shaking its head like it was trying to drag something out
of the tent. She couldnt see what it was. She knew she hadnt left any food in the tent, but there were
shoes just inside the door. She called to it to shoo, go away, and increased her speed toward it. The
dingo fled around to the back of the tent. As Lindy reached the opening of the tent a sense of panic had
begun to well inside her. The children!

The light from the nearby barbecue area from which she had just come cast enough light into the tent,
as she crawled inside, for her to see Reagan lying unmoving on his bed. She reached out to touch him
and knew the relief that only a parent can understand when she felt him breathing easily. Soundly and
safely asleep.

Just beyond Reagan, was baby Azarias bassinette. It was tipped over slightly, the bedding askew. Lindy
frantically reached into the babys bed to find it empty. She tore at the covers, hoping to find that little
Azaria had slipped down beneath the blankets. She did that sometimes, wriggled her way down under
the covers till she was completely hidden. She wasnt there.

Lindy began tearing at the blankets shes so little she would be easy to miss amongst all these blankets.
The floor, maybe shes on the floor? The dingo must have knocked her out of the bassinette. Thats why
she cried out. Lindy desperately searched in amongst the blankets that had fallen to the ground, she
might be hurt. God where is she? Shes not here!

Lindy ran from the tent moments later, although it seemed like an eternity, to see a dingo running off to
the right, around the front of the car, and away into the scrub. Calling out "A dingo has my baby," she
ran into the blackness in what she thought was the direction in which her precious baby had been
whisked away.

Michael ran to her side and attempted to follow in the direction Lindy had indicated. He was soon
thwarted by the blackness of the night. In despair they called to their fellow campers for torches so
they could find their baby.

They both knew that with every second that passed the chances of finding their baby girl alive
diminished. She was so little and it was so cold. She could be lying somewhere bleeding and how
could they possibly find her? It was so dark and there was no way of telling where she was. Why didnt
she make any noise, if only they could hear her?

The Search

Within moments, the campsite was teeming with people. Torch beams broke through the darkness.
Someone suggested that the police should be notified, it was Judy West who had the adjoining tent.
A woman, Amy Whittaker, put her arms around Lindy, offering her comfort and the warmth of a
blanket, as she was still dressed in her cotton day dress.

Sally Lowe tended to young Aidan as best she could while his mother and father searched for
Azaria. The poor child was in shock. He had left his parka in the tent and hadnt even noticed the
cold. Sally took him into the tent hoping that he would be able to sleep. As he pointed out to her
where his bed was, she noticed a pool of blood on the floor, still wet.

Sally & Greg Lowe

At that moment Sally had the dreadful realization that the baby probably died right there in the tent.
She attempted to divert Aidans attention away from the blood but it was too late. The child began to
tremble. "Reagans dead, the dogs killed him too," he cried.
Sally quickly shook the sleeping Reagan until he stirred. Reassured, Aidan climbed into his bed and
lay down. As she left the tent, Sally noticed more spots of blood on a sleeping bag, and on clothing
that was lying on the floor. One of Azarias blankets was torn and bloodied.

The head ranger, Derek Roff, soon arrived. After being shown the morbid scene inside the tent, he
held little hope for the child. Even if the dingo had dropped the baby somewhere, the chances of it
surviving more than twenty or thirty minutes were very slim.

He quickly instructed Lindy to not touch anything in the tent until the police had examined it and
then began to organize the growing crowd of volunteers in searching the area thoroughly.

The police did not come for half an hour. When Constable Frank Morris arrived, he briefly
questioned Lindy about the incident. Lindy explained that she had not been able to see whether or
not the dingo had anything in its mouth as it ran away from the camping ground. As he hurried
away, Lindy told him that Azaria was wearing a white jumpsuit and matinee jacket, so that he
would know what he was looking for. At no time did Morris, or any other police officers, take any
statements from the Chamberlains or any of the witnesses at the scene.

During the search, two dogs had been brought to the scene by volunteer searchers, in the hope that
they might be able to follow the babys scent. Lindy collected the clothes that Azaria had worn
earlier that day and allowed the dogs to sniff them. The first dog had stood near the car with the
front passenger door open. The second dog sniffed the clothes while Lindy sat in the front seat. This
fact would prove an embarrassment to the prosecution later.

As the night wore on, the cold finally broke through to Lindy and Michael. Michael pulled a pair of
trousers up over his shorts while Lindy took a pair of tracksuit pants from the tent and wore them
under her dress.

The need to do something compelled Michael to rejoin the search. As Lindy stood at the fence
feeling so terribly alone, the crest of Sunrise Hill lit up as the beams from the torches of the
searchers swept over the top, and down toward her in a sweeping arc. She knew then that she was
not alone. Every one of those people out searching cared about her little baby girl and was doing
everything they could to find her.

Soon Michael was back. Holding each other as they looked out into the night, they both knew that
there was no hope of finding Azaria alive. It had been too long.

Time seemed to stand still for the people back at the campsite. The searchers had spread far afield
by now and there still had been no word. At nine-thirty, a police vehicle arrived, momentarily
sparking a ray of hope to their heavy hearts. It was quickly dispelled when the police officer,
Constable Noble, informed them that he had no news. He had brought with him the district nurse,
Bobbie Downs, to check on Mrs Chamberlain.

After talking with both Lindy and Michael for more than half an hour, Bobbie suggested that they
spend the night in a motel. Lindy was beginning to show signs of distress typical in such a situation.
Bobbies experience told her that the best thing for these people was to be away from the scene. She
knew that there was little they could do for Azaria. It was time to look after the bereaved parents.
Lindy declined as they could not afford the cost, and besides they needed to be here, just in case.

Greg Lowe returned to the campsite, tired and despairing. He and Sally knew they could do no
more. They packed up their things and moved to a motel for the night. The thought of remaining in
such close proximity to the tragedy was too much for them. Before they departed, they promised
the Chamberlains that they would return in the morning to continue the search. None of them knew
then that they would not speak again until the inquest. At no time on that night or even the next day,
were either Sally or Greg questioned by police. Nor were their names or contact details taken.

From the outset of the search, Murray Haby, a tourist, had chosen to remain separate from the main
group of searchers. Heading off in the direction Lindy had indicated, instead of following a direct
line, he attempted to cover as much ground as possible by taking a zigzag path.

The number of tracks was astounding. He had to narrow down his choices. The dingo they were
looking for would be purposeful, so any prints which seemed aimless or meandering should be
ignored. It would be carrying a heavy weight, so any prints that were light could be dismissed. The
dingo would also be moving quickly so he would need to choose prints that showed sand had been
kicked up.

He was to reach the foot of the sand hills without finding any prints which fitted these criteria.
Flashing the beam of his torch in all directions brought no positive results. Haby recalled that there
was a ridge at the top of the dune over which the dingo would have to pass if it were to maintain its
original direction. The incline would make it close to impossible for the dingo to carry its burden
without dragging it.
After travelling almost the full length of the ridge, Habys torch beam revealed the sign he had been
looking for. The prints were deep, obviously from a large animal. As he inspected them more
closely, he could see a furrow. It was dragging something. Haby followed the trail carefully. The
tracks led him higher. Haby found a depression confirming his belief that the animal had been
carrying something that it had laid down briefly.

The prints led to the top of the ridge, then over. The sand was much firmer here and the tracks more
faint. Within thirty paces he had lost them. If not for his torch he would have been unable to see
anything, not even his own feet. He walked in an ever widening circle, shining the torch before
him, hoping to pick up the trail again, but nothing. The sand here was firm, he could barely see the
impression from his own footsteps.

Haby shone the torchlight further out and discovered he was now standing in the centre of an empty
car park. He searched unsuccessfully for the dingos exit point from the car park but to no avail.

Resigning himself to the fact that he could not follow the dingo any further, Murray Haby decided
to retrace the tracks he had found and to follow them back to the beginning. When he reached the
depression, he knelt down to inspect it more thoroughly. It was the shape of something soft and
oval, about the length of his hand. There was a moist spot next to it. It didnt seem to be dark enough
to be blood. Possibly saliva. The pattern of the imprint caught his attention. It reminded him of
knitted fabric.

Haby was able to easily follow the tracks downhill, back toward the campsite. The closer he came
to the camping ground, the easier they were to follow. They led him back to the roadway. Across
the road, to his right, he could see the Chamberlains' yellow Torana car parked close to the tent.
Lindy and Michael were standing at the railing.

Aboriginal Trackers
As soon as Derek Roff learned of Habys discovery, he brought Nuwe Minyintiri, an Aboriginal
tracker with him to the first sign of the tracks found by Haby. Minyintiri swiftly and confidently
followed the tracks and soon came upon the depression found earlier by Haby. He then retraced his
steps to be sure that he hadnt missed anything earlier. Back at the depression again, he shone his
torch all over the area and soon found two more depressions.
Roff noticed too the imprint of the bundle. The pattern was distinct and reminded him of crepe or
knitted weave. He asked the old Aborigine if it was the baby. "Maybe, maybe. Something like."
Then as he traced his finger around the periphery of the indentation, he said sadly "Not move
anymore."

Minyintiri continued to follow the dingos tracks further but he, too, lost them. Roff realized that
there was nothing more they could do that night. They would have to wait for first light. Incredibly,
the area was not cordoned off or protected in any way from public interference, nor was it
photographed.

When they returned to the camping ground at around eleven oclock, the Chamberlains were not
informed of their find. Instead the Chamberlains were told that there was still no news. Bobbie
Downs felt this was a good time to mention the motel again, assuring Lindy that it would be
inexpensive, and the best thing for her and the children. She reluctantly agreed.

A Sleepless Night
Bobbie found Frank Morris who sent his subordinate, Constable Noble, to help them move, a decision
that contravened normal police procedure in such a situation. When he arrived at the camping ground
in the police four-wheel drive Toyota, everyone pitched in to transfer all of the Chamberlains' things
from the tent into the back of the truck. Anything remaining was piled into the family car.

The two boys, wrapped in their sleeping bags, were placed in the front of the police truck with Lindy.
Michael offered Bobbie Downs a lift to the motel in his car. During this trip, Bobbie noticed Michaels
camera bag on the floor near Michaels feet. When she offered to put it somewhere else, he refused,
explaining that he always kept it there. This seemingly insignificant incident would provide a great
deal of leverage in the Crowns case against the Chamberlains.

Azaria help by her brother

When they arrived at the motel, they were informed that there would be no charge, and that they were
welcome to stay as long as they needed. Lindy and Constable Noble carried the boys into the room and
tucked them into bed. The contents of the truck were quickly placed in the corner of the room,
including the empty bassinette. The sight of it lying there empty was too stark a reminder for Lindy, so
she covered it with the sleeping bags and blankets in the hope of blocking out the reality of the nights
events.

Michael and Bobbie arrived and prepared to empty the contents of the car, but Lindy said they had
everything they needed for now. The car was left with doors and hatch wide open as Lindy and
Michael were introduced to the motel staff who had prepared them sandwiches and hot drinks.

There was little anyone could say, so one by one they left. Finally, Lindy and Michael were alone.
They locked up the car and closed the door on the night, but not on the memories. Laying in the
darkness, Lindy played things out in her mind. If only she had zippered the tent. She was only away
for a couple of minutes. How could she have known of the danger? Why werent they warned that
dingoes could be dangerous? Over and over she wondered at what had happened.

Lindy and Michael slept little that night and were up and dressed by dawn. They had organised to call
their parents first thing in the morning. The thought of them learning of their granddaughter's death via
a media report distressed them. As Michael shaved, Reagan awoke. Sleepy and disoriented by the
change of location, his first question was "Where is bubby?"

How does a mother tell her child of four that his little baby sister, whom he had adored, was dead?
Lindy tried as best she could to gently explain the reality of the situation to Reagan, but his young
mind was unable to grasp that Azaria wouldnt be coming back.
Constable Morris came to the Chamberlains' room. Before Lindy had an opportunity to ask, he
informed her that there was still no news. He told the Chamberlains that they would need to sign a
"form of release" for the Coroners Court, explaining that there would have to be an inquest. He would
drop by later.

Morris returned as Lindy and Michael were telephoning their parents. A call came in from an Adelaide
newspaper reporter wanting to interview the parents. Michael and Lindy were not sure what to do so
they asked the opinion of Frank Morris, who suggested that they might as well get it out of the way.
Michael agreed to take the call, answering the reporters questions as best he could. Throughout the
interview, he felt it important for the reporter to stress the need to warn people of the dangers presented
by dingos in the area.

As they left the motel office, Morris joined them. He requested to go through their belongings for any
evidence that would be needed for the Coroners inquest.

Inside the motel room, the contents of the tent were piled in the corner as they had left them the night
before. Both Lindy and Michael had avoided the grisly task of sorting through the morbid reminders of
their tragedy.

Constable Morris inspected the sleeping bags and blankets as Lindy and Michael pointed out to him
the bloodstains they found, keeping anything he felt relevant. Aidan pointed out to his mother a
bloodstain on the cuff of his parka. Lindy asked Morris if he would need to have this, as it was the only
warm jacket he had. As Morris felt that they had more than enough material for the purpose of the
inquest, he told her to keep it. While Lindy and Michael signed the release forms, Morris informed
them that Inspector Gilroy, from Alice Springs, was flying in later that day and would need to
interview them.

By Light of Day
Inspector Gilroy arrived at Ayers Rock with Sergeant Lincoln. They immediately drove with Constable
Morris to the camping ground. Along the way, Morris explained the series of events of the previous
night. It was a long and complicated story made harder to communicate by the fact that Morris had not
taken notes at the time.

Morris walked Inspector Gilroy around the camping ground, pointing out the barbecue area where the
Chamberlains had eaten. Outside the yellow and green tent, Morris showed Gilmore the track of dingo
prints, which ran along the length of the tent. Something else took Gilmores eye. On the sidewall was a
stain no more than a hand span from the ground. On closer inspection, he saw the shape of a spray, the
colour of blood. Again no photos were taken.

The Aboriginal trackers, who had resumed their search at dawn, returned to the camping ground. Their
leader, Winmatti, an elderly man from the Pitjantjatjara tribe, described the days events to Gilroy.
Squatting down, he smoothed out the sand with a rough hand, drawing a simple map of the area as he
talked.

He described how he and the other trackers, Barbara, Daisy Walkabout, Kitty Collins and Nuwe
Minyintiri met at dawn there at the campsite. They began tracking the dingo at the ridge where the
depression, probably made by the baby's arm or leg, was found the night before. As the trail climbed, it
was lost and found again many times on the way up. It wasnt until they reached the very top, around
some water tanks where the ground was much clearer, that they realised they had mistaken the tracks
of the original beast for those of another.
They returned to the campsite to reinspect the tracks of the first dingo. Looking more closely they saw
that this dingo was large. One front paw didnt touch the ground as heavily as the other, suggesting an
old injury. They traced its tracks through many changes of direction, which shows its cunning spirit. It
took them up the dune, beyond the marks of the baby, along the ridge and down again. From there, it
traveled over the plain in a wide sweep, so it could easily see if anyone was following, toward the area
known as Maggie Spring. He had moved out onto the roadway fast. Occasionally, he moved from the
road and back into the scrub, probably to avoid passing cars. Soon his tracks were lost, blown away by
the wind created by passing traffic.

Inspector Gilroy and Sergeant Lincoln knocked on the door of the Chamberlains' motel unit. Lindy
answered the door and let them in. As Lincoln prepared the tape recorder, Gilroy introduced himself
and explained that he needed her to run through the previous night's events. Lindy told him what
happened. Like Morris, Inspector Gilroy found it difficult to understand whether or not there was
anything in the dingo's mouth at the time. Lindy explained that she was unable to see whether there
was anything in its mouth because its head was in shadow, so she couldnt say that it did or didnt.

Lincoln, too, was perplexed by this and wanted to know more details of the babys size and weight.
Lindy said that Azaria had been weighed nearly two weeks before they had left Mt. Iza, at just under
10 pounds. She would easily have been ten pounds by then, plus the weight of the clothes she was
wearing a jumpsuit, disposable nappy, singlet, booties and matinee jacket. Michael soon returned to the
room and was included in the questioning, as he had not actually seen the dingo at the tent, he was
unable to help clarify the details. Unfortunately, neither of the Chamberlains mentioned the Lowes or
other witnesses to the event, a fact that would seriously cloud police perception of the case.

With no more questions, Gilroy and Lincoln left the Chamberlains. As they walked back to their
vehicle, Lincoln expressed grave doubts about the dingo story. He suspected foul play from the start.
Gilroy did not agree with his strong beliefs, putting them down to Lincolns past experience as a city
crime investigator on a number of unusual cases.

Lincoln expressed his theories more vehemently later that night at the local hotel where he discussed
the case with Gilmore, Morris and De Luca, a reporter from Adelaide who had flown up that morning
to interview the Chamberlains. Lincoln went so far as to fill a bucket with sand and attempted to carry
it with his teeth. When he and the rest of the party were unable to do so for more than a minute, he felt
himself and his theories to be justified.

This would be the first of many similar scenes around Australia as people argued the merits of the case.
As news of the tragedy spread, so too did the rumours and innuendo. Many police involved in the case,
most reporters and a growing segment of the Australian public could not believe that such a dreadful
thing could have occurred. Dingoes just didnt do that sort of thing. There was something not quite right
about this story. Most suspected foul play, and inventions as to the real story behind Azarias
disappearance were prolific and imaginative, rarely based on facts.

The Mystery Deepens

Exactly a week after Azarias disappearance, on Sunday 24 August, a tourist from Victoria found
her clothing. The first the Chamberlains heard of the discovery was from a friend who had heard
the report on the radio.

The Chamberlains rang the police in Alice Springs to confirm the story. The police informed them
that the police at Ayers Rock had just told them of the find, and that they wanted their permission
for a media crew to film the clothes. As there was no other way for the Chamberlains to see
whether the clothes found had belonged to their daughter, they agreed.
Rock where Azaria's clothes found
(L.N. Smith)
When the footage of the clothes was telecast, the Chamberlains watched in surprise as a
policeman picked up the clothing in his bare hands. With total disregard for, what was obviously
important evidence, the police officer turned the clothing towards the cameras to show the blood
stains around the neckline of the jumpsuit and singlet that Azaria had been wearing on that tragic
night. Surely, that was not the normal procedure for dealing with evidence needed for an
upcoming inquest?
Over and over again, the reporter stated that the clothes had been found "neatly folded" at the
base of Ayers Rock, near Maggie Springs, 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the campsite where
Azaria was taken. It was not until much later that the Chamberlains would learn the true facts of
the matter when they met Wally Goodwin, who had found the clothes.

Azaria's jumpsuit
(K. Chapman)
Wally, a tourist from Victoria in southern Australia, was a keen bird photographer who had gone
with his family to Ayers Rock to take some photos. They had pulled up at the side of the road and
walked toward the base of the Rock. His daughter, who was ahead of them, suddenly screamed.
When Wally reached her, he immediately recognized what had frightened her was a babys
jumpsuit.
Margo, Wallys wife, took the children back to the car as Wally investigated the clothing further.
The reason his daughter had been startled by the clothing was because the jumpsuit was sitting up
on its back, slightly concertinaed, with the feet rounded, pointing upwards as if the lower part of
the babys legs were still inside. All but the top three press studs were still done up. As Wally
looked around the area, he could not see any signs of human footprints apart from his, but did
note that the vegetation surrounding the area looked as if it had been rolled on. Wally considered
taking a photograph of the garment, but concern that his film would be confiscated caused him to
think twice.

Constable Morris was summoned to the scene. He noted that there was a dingo lair close by with
dingo tracks clearly visible. Wally quickly regretted not taking those photos when Morris picked
up the jumpsuit, undid the press studs and reached inside to check whether the booties were
inside, as Lindy had reported they would be. Wally and his family left the scene without making
an official statement. Once again, the area was not cordoned off, but left unprotected until late the
next morning, when Winmatti and other Aboriginal trackers were brought in.

Perhaps if the evidence had been handled correctly, this find would have helped to solve the
mystery of Azarias disappearance. Instead, with the help of sensationalised media coverage,
which omitted many of the facts, it served only to further fuel the controversy that had surrounded
the case from the start.

The division between those who believed the Chamberlains' story and those who did not, grew
stronger. Not a day went by without some discussion of Azarias disappearance in the media.
Emotions ran hot as people argued the case for or against the defence.

The "Azaria Chamberlain case" was big news. Journalists from every TV network, newspaper and
magazine vied to be the first with the next scoop in the case, to create the next big headline before
the others. The Australian public wanted blood and the media was more than happy to supply it.

The Chamberlains' phone rang ceaselessly with reporters wanting interviews. Photographers and
camera crews kept vigil outside their front door. They could not leave their house without being
bombarded by news crews and reporters, often being forced to run through neighbours backyards
in order to carry out their daily business, or take refuge in the homes of friends until the media
gave up for the day.

Police received an anonymous tip from a man, claiming to be Azarias doctor in Mt. Isa, that the
name Azaria meant sacrifice in the desert. The caller declined to give his name. Soon the fact that
the Chamberlains were Seventh Day Adventists, and Michael was a minister, became the basis of
media reports that they were members of a strange cult who had killed their baby as part of a
bizarre religious ceremony.

Another paper claimed that Azaria had been injured in an accident a couple of weeks before her
disappearance and suffered brain damage. Lindy and Michael had then killed her at Ayers Rock
because she was imperfect. Along similar lines was the story that Azaria had been born a "Downs
Syndrome" baby, so her parents murdered her.

Initially, Lindy and Michael attempted to defend themselves against the rumours and accusations,
but quickly learned that few journalists could be trusted to record their interviews with accuracy.
Every media appearance they made seemed to fuel the rumours even more, especially when they
spoke openly about their faith and their beliefs as Seventh Day Adventists. Lindy was considered
to be strange, too hard, too unmotherly. Why didnt she cry?

Nightmare Relived Daily

Lindy and Michael Chamberlain arrived back in Mt. Isa on the evening of 21st August 1980. The
township of twenty seven thousand is the home of Mt. Isa Mines Limited where silver, lead, zinc and
copper are mined prodigiously. The mine provides the city's most obvious landmark a cloud of grey
smoke billowing, two hundred and seventy metres high, from a concrete staff, which can be seen from
anywhere in town.

Michaels work as a minister meant that they moved around frequently, and had not lived a long time in
their small home adjoining the Seventh Day Adventist Church allotment.

As they climbed the stairs of their high-set home, they found a large parcel of groceries and a note. It
was from Lindys closest friend, Jenny Richards. She had heard of poor Azarias disappearance but had
not known how to face Lindy directly, feeling helpless in the face of the pain she knew that her friend
would be enduring.

The next day, Lindys parents, Cliff and Avis Murchison, arrived along with her brother Alex, his wife
Felicity and their two children. Jenny Richards had picked them up from the airport as Lindy and
Michael had been asked by a major womans magazine for an interview, ostensibly to enable the
Chamberlains to warn people of the dangers of dingoes. It was to be the last time that they would
welcome journalists into their home as people just doing their job, as the magazine shamefully
misrepresented them.

Michaels mother flew over from New Zealand for the memorial service at the Adventist church the
following Wednesday. It was a simple service conducted by Pastor Kennaway, who had also conducted
Azarias dedication only a few weeks before, and Pastor Harker, the President of the local district. As
there was no coffin, Lindy had asked the local florist to make up a heart shaped cushion, adorned with
delicate pink flowers and maidenhair fern, something she could keep to remind her of her baby
daughter. Curiously, even though they had hounded the Chamberlains mercilessly, the media did not
cover the event.

Over the next two weeks, Lindy was to constantly find reminders of the reality of Azarias death. Avis
volunteered to hand wash all of Azarias baby clothes in an attempt to make the existence of the little
granddaughter that she had never met or held, seem more real. Jenny placed the tracksuit pants that
Lindy had worn after Azaria had disappeared in the pile for the dry-cleaners. As they were new and
made of wool, Lindy had not wanted to risk washing them. The reality of Azarias grizzly end was
brought home to them all more fully when the boys' parkas, which had been hastily hung in the
wardrobe on the night they arrived home, were taken out. Apart from the bloodstain on the cuff of
Aidans parka, there were splashes of blood right across the inside lining. Reagans parka had splashes
of blood across the back and on the sleeve.

Knowing that this was important evidence for the inquest, Lindy called the Alice Springs police to
inform them of their find. She was told that she should hold onto Reagans jacket until the police came
to pick it up, but she could have Aidans cleaned as it had already been looked at.

One morning, as Lindy was preparing to go for a jog with some friends, she suddenly burst into tears
as she saw smudges of blood on her joggers. Her mother quickly took away the offending shoes,
replacing them with another pair. By the time Lindy had returned, Avis had them cleaned and hanging
on the line to dry.

One evening, as the family was preparing to watch the telecast of Lindy and Michaels interview on the
program "This Day Tonight," Lindy and sister-in-law Felicity checked the sleeping bags as they
brought them out for the children to use in front of the television. The boys' bags were fine, but they
found that Lindys bag had splashes of blood on it that hadnt been seen before. They decided to check
the "space blanket," which had covered the sleeping Reagan in the tent. As they unfolded it, Lindy
noticed that there were some puckers in the metallic surface. Avis and Felicity held one end each so
that it could be inspected more closely. It was then that Lindy noticed a line of rip marks across the
blanket, and Avis found two definite canine paw prints. The prints looked as if the dingo had stood in
wet dirt and then stepped onto the blanket, leaving a thinly caked impression. Lindy touched the edge
of one of the prints, finding that it was not dusty and would have to be sponged with a wet cloth to be
able to remove it.

Lindy rang the Alice Springs police immediately and told them of the sleeping bag and the blanket.
She was told that someone from Mt. Isa police would be sent to pick up the blanket, but that they
would let her know whether she could wash the sleeping bag.

Several days had passed before someone arrived. Lindys mother opened the front door to find a young,
blond uniformed police officer, no older than twenty-four. Lindy invited him into the lounge room
where she unfolded the blanket, pointing out to him the rip marks and a definite paw print. He
confirmed what they had found. Lindy gave him the blanket and Reagans parka on which she had
discovered blood stains. Before he left, she asked him about the bloodstains found on her sleeping bag,
as the police had not yet told her whether it was all right for her to have it dry-cleaned. The police
officer told her that it wasnt needed, so go ahead and have it cleaned.

Michael took the sleeping bag to the dry-cleaners the next day. He showed the woman behind the
counter where the bloodstains were and arranged to pick it up in a couple of days. When he returned to
pick it up, he could see that some of the stains hadnt been removed properly and insisted that they do it
again. While he was there, another customer had been present. Knowing who he was, she thought that
he was trying to destroy evidence so called the local police who quickly obtained a warrant to pick up
the sleeping bag from the dry-cleaners. The first the Chamberlains heard of it was when Michael again
returned to pick it up.

Michael angrily went to the police station for an explanation, but none was forthcoming. He was then
informed that they would now need Aidans parka as well, which Michael dropped off to them on
Friday 29th August. Several days later, Lindy received a call from Alice Springs police, wanting to
know why it hadnt been sent. Lindy insisted that it had. The police called back later to tell her that they
did in fact have it, but had forgotten it was there. It did not take long before reports of the
Chamberlains deliberately attempting to destroy evidence began to appear in the press.

Police Build Their Case

While the Chamberlains were desperately trying to put the pieces of their life back together, police in
Alice Springs were working overtime to put the pieces of this very strange case together.

Instead of solving the mystery for them, finding the baby's clothes only seemed to raise more questions
to those police who were sure that the dingo story was a fabrication. Why was there so little blood on
the jumpsuit? Why were the clothes not ripped to shreds? Where was the matinee jacket? Did it exist at
all? How could a dingo possibly carry a ten-pound baby without dragging it? Why were there no
remains found?

In an attempt to find proof to substantiate the Chamberlains' claims, police in the area were ordered to
begin shooting dingoes. The contents of their intestines were to be examined for human remains.

Upon hearing of the shootings, Les Harris, president of the Dingo Foundation and expert in the habits
of dingoes, both in the wild and in captivity, was dismayed. From his office in Melbourne, he called
Inspector Gilroy to inform him of the futility of such action.

During the course of their thirty-minute conversation, Harris explained that within 24 hours,
everything would have passed through the dingos system. A week after the event would show them
nothing. When Gilroy questioned Harris on the likelihood of finding remains, Harris was emphatic that
they would have been completely gone within the hour. A dingo in the wild cannot afford to leave the
food it has until later. It would have consumed everything, perhaps sharing it with a litter. With small
mammals, they eat everything including the fur; with birds, they even eat the feathers.

Harris also explained to Inspector Gilroy that, the state the clothes were found in, did fit with a dingo
attack, as they were known to unwrap meat pilfered from a campsite leaving very little damage. As for
the babys weight, it would have been no deterrent to any dingo, as they had been known to easily carry
a twenty-five pound wallaby. A dingo could run carrying a ten-pound baby.

Before closing his conversation with Gilroy, Harris attempted to convince him that killing dingoes was
actually destroying the only real chance of getting evidence. He suggested that instead, they would be
better served to observe the behavior of the dingoes in the area. Dingoes are territorial so, in a very
short time, it would be possible to determine which dingoes inhabited which areas, and narrow the
search down considerably. With the dingoes shot, they would have nothing. This conversation was not
officially recorded in Gilroys preliminary report. What he did not know at the time was that the powers
that be had decided that Graeme Charlwood, a Detective-Sergeant in Criminal Investigations would
now head the Azaria Chamberlain investigation.

Det. Graeme
Charlwood

While not officially taking up his new position until Sunday, 31st August 1980, on Saturday 30th
August, Charlwood was responsible for the transmission of a message to the motor registration
departments of every Australian State requesting the names and addresses of a list, numbering in the
hundreds, of registration numbers of vehicles recorded at the Ayers Rock camping-ground overnight
on 17th August 1980. Two days prior to this, he had sent a subordinate to Ayers Rock to collect this list.

The Chamberlains were never informed of this change. The first they heard of it was on September 29,
1980, when Charlwood and a second police officer arrived on the Chamberlains' doorstep. He
informed Lindy that he would like to take statements from both her and Michael and both of the boys.
Lindy expressed her surprise that another statement was required as they had already made an official
statement before they left Ayers Rock. She was told that because that statement was only an audio
recording, it was necessary for the records to have a written statement.

At this time, the Chamberlains were packing to move to Cooranbong, several miles north of
Newcastle, New South Wales. Michael had applied to attend Avondale College, a Seventh Day
Adventist educational facility, several months before Azarias death. He would be studying for a
Masters Degree while having his own church part-time.

As the police officers and Lindy walked through the garage on their way to Michaels office
downstairs, Charlwood commented on a small (1.4m / 4 feet 6 inches) wooden paupers coffin. Lindy
explained that it was one of many visual aids that Michael used in his quit smoking programs to scare
people into giving up smoking. Coincidentally, within days the newspapers were reporting the fact that
a small, child- sized coffin was found hidden in the Chamberlains' home!

After being introduced to Michael, Charlwood explained that he would like to interview Lindy at the
police station first, and would interview Michael and Aidan the next day after school. While at the
house, he attempted several times to question the young Reagan but without success. Unbeknown to
the Chamberlains, Charlwood was carrying a concealed tape recorder. Everything that was said by
them was being recorded.

At one oclock, as arranged, Lindy was picked up by the police and taken to the Mt. Isa police station.
She was taken to an interview room and interviewed by Charlwood in the presence of Sergeant Morris,
a local officer who did the typing, and Detective Constable John Scott, from Alice Springs, as a
witness.

Charlwood opened the interview casually by asking Lindy to tell him everything that happened once,
so that he could familiarize himself with the details, then they would go over it again for the official
typed statement. At no time did Charlwood notify Lindy of the fact that he had a tape recorder in the
drawer of the desk, and would be taping the entire interview, even the first supposedly unofficial
discussion. Lindy was to learn about this for the first time when it was somehow passed as admissible
evidence during her trial.
Charlwoods opening questions puzzled Lindy. Why was it necessary to recall all of the details of their
trip from the time they left home? Surely that was not relevant to the disappearance of Azaria from the
tent. He allayed her concerns with the explanation that he needed to get a complete overview in order
to get a clear picture of what had happened.

Painstakingly, Charlwood led Lindy through every detail of their journey to Ayers Rock, where they
stayed, who they saw along the way, times and places. His questioning became more rigorous when
she described their activities once arriving at Ayers Rock. He was particularly concerned about her
movements at the Fertility Cave and Maggie Springs the area close to where Azarias clothes were
found. Over and over, he asked her to clarify who was with her, whether there were any other tourists.

Lindys recollection of Azarias disappearance progressed rapidly. Charlwoods questioning dwelt

mainly on the list of Azarias clothing; the description of the dingo where and when Lindy saw it; and
whether Lindy and Michael were alone when they searched. Was the dingo in the tent or coming out of
the tent? Was there something in the dingos mouth? Lindy, mistaking the repeated questions for lack of
understanding, actually drew a quick diagram of the tent and the car, pointing where she was in
relation to the dingo at each point.

Once the nights events had been clearly established in Charlwoods mind, the questioning moved to the
events of the next two days until the Chamberlains left Ayers Rock for their homeward journey. He
was particularly interested in Michael and Lindys movements on the Monday. Where did they go and
how did they go there, who was with them at the time? All questions that, to Lindy, seemed irrelevant
to Azarias disappearance.

To conclude the preliminary interview, Charlwood needed an in-depth description of all of the items on
which Lindy had discovered blood stains. Lindy quickly described how she found blood on Aidans
parka and the babys blankets, which she had reported to Frank Morris in the Uluru motel that first
morning. She told them of how her mother had organized the washing of all of the clothes on the
Friday, separating the dry-cleaning, including her tracksuit, to take to the cleaners later that day. Lindy
was about to continue her recollections when Sergeant Morris interjected "What about the tracksuit
pants?" bringing her back to what seemed a trivial point to her, but of great interest to both Morris and
Charlwood. Quickly, she recounted that she had taken them out of the tent after Azarias disappearance
and put them on under her dress.

As she listed off other items, her running shoes, Reagans parka and her own sleeping bag, Lindy
reminded Charlwood of those items that the police had told her they didnt want. A point which
Charlwood was reluctant to pursue. Then there was the "space blanket" with the tears and paw prints
and finally, how she had found a number of marks on the mattress that had been on the floor of the
tent, and was then lying against Azarias bassinette in the room with them.

Lindys recounting of the story took two hours with only a small break. Including the time spent back at
her house, it totaled three hours.

The next stage of the interview was to begin. Morris prepared the pages in his typewriter, ready for the
official interview. At this point, if Charlwood had strong reason to believe that Lindy Chamberlain was
somehow criminally involved in the death of her daughter, rules of police interrogation would have
required him to caution her of this fact and inform her that she was not obliged to answer any
questions without legal representation. No such caution was given or recorded in the official written
record or the unofficial recording.

Two and a half hours, and seventy-one recorded questions and answers later, they had only covered the
events up to the point where the Chamberlain family were preparing their dinner at the barbecue. At
that point, Charlwood halted the interview for the day, and Lindy was driven home.
They recommenced at ten-fifteen the next morning. It was past midday before they had covered, in
minute detail, Lindys recounting of her daughter being taken from the tent by a dingo, the long and
hopeless search and the familys sorrowful return to Mt. Iza. Still, Charlwood had no reliable clue to
suggest where the infants body may have been hidden or when Lindy may have laid the clothing out in
the gully where they were found. Clues that were necessary to corroborate his suspicions.

The questions continued. Once the recapping of minor details of location and time were completed,
Charlwood took from his folder a copy of the latest edition of a magazine Womans Day which showed
a photograph of Azaria at Ayers Rock, taken on the day of her death. Charlwood had heard that Azarias
hair was quite dark. Yet this photo showed a golden-haired baby being held upright by Lindy, creating
the illusion that it was standing. Perhaps it had not been Azaria at all, Charlwood wondered. He asked
Lindy to look at the photo and tell him whether it was "a true representation of the hair colour at the
time the photo was taken?"

Lindy, looking at the photo, expressed that she felt it looked ginger. She then went on to explain that
Azarias hair, while still being dark at the back had begun to lighten, looking quite gingery in the
sunlight. Although, she felt that it did appear lighter in the photo than it actually was.

Charlwood then moved away from the desk, picking up a pile of paper and plastic bags, camping gear
and clothing, which he moved closer to the desk. Still standing, Charlwood proceeded to hold up each
item individually, asking Lindy to identify each one.

First was Lindys sleeping bag, then Aidans parka. The next item was laid on the desk. It was Azarias
singlet. Next to it, Charlwood placed the bloodied jumpsuit. Lindy slowly picked it up, holding it
limply in her hands. It was the first time that Lindy had seen the clothes since Azaria wore them. On
the television they had seemed remote and unreal, not connected with Azaria. But like this was
different. She sat looking down at her hands in her lap, silent tears falling.

Morris suggested that they break for a while, but Charlwood, aware that there was only half an hour
before Michael would arrive at four oclock, pressed on.

He replaced the clothes on the desk with a pile of reports. He explained to her that a number of
forensic tests had been undertaken on the clothes. After he described the findings of these tests, he
asked her opinion of their implications; of course she was unable to offer any explanation.

The first finding was that there had been no dingo saliva found on the garments. What he didnt tell her
at the time was that, up until these tests were taken, there had been no testing method designed to
determine the presence of animal saliva. Dr Andrew Scott, a biologist with the South Australian
Forensic Centre had made it up solely for this situation.

The second test results, conducted by Dr Kenneth Brown and Sergeant Cocks in Adelaide, which
Charlwood brought to Lindys attention, brought forward the conclusion that the holes in Azarias
jumpsuit were not made by either a dogs or dingos teeth. Lindy questioned what the tests revealed had
made the holes, but Charlwood could not answer that. This was the first time that it began to dawn on
Lindy that the police suspected that Azaria had been murdered. Charlwoods revelation of further test
results (namely that blood stains closely matching her blood group had been found in the Fertility Cave
and that the hairs found on the blankets were those of a cat, not a dingo) brought this home to her more
clearly. Still, it had not occurred to her that they actually suspected her. Instead she wondered at the
possibility that someone had deliberately set it up to look that way and asked about the results of tests
on the "space blanket". Charlwood then told her that the "space blanket" was in Adelaide undergoing
testing.

The interview finally over at four thirty, Charlwood had only one more task for Lindy to complete
before she was free to leave. Using the blankets and a baby-doll, he asked Lindy to reconstruct how
Azaria had been wrapped and placed in the bassinette. Lindy quickly turned away from the picture that
she had created as the officer photographed it.

When they left the interview room, Michael was waiting in an anteroom. Commencing the interview,
Michael was asked whether an officer could inspect the car. Michael happily surrendered the car keys

Unlike in Lindys case Charlwood did caution Michael that he did not have to answer any questions
and that any answers he did give may be used in court. Once it was established that Michael
understood the full implications of this caution, the interview proceeded following much the same
course as that taken with Lindy, concluding nearly six hours later.

While Michael was being interviewed, Aidan was in another room with his mother, also making his
statement. It was just dark by the time they had finished and Michael was still a long way from being
finished. Lindy asked if it would be possible for her to drive them both home in the family car, and
have one of the officers drop Michael home later. Senior Constable Graham left the room to check
whether the car was ready for them to take. Five minutes later, Graham returned to tell them that the
car had been checked and was fine. They followed another policeman through to the back of the police
station into an indoor parking area that was heavily lit with fluorescent lights.

By as early as the next morning, headlines on newspapers around the country declared that a dingo was
not responsible for Azarias disappearance, all of them quoting the results of the forensic tests Lindy
and Michael had heard about for the first time only the night before.

A Logical Conclusion

The Chamberlains moved to their new home in Cooranbong, close to Avondale College, only days
before the inquest was to begin in Alice Springs. After they had been interviewed by the police,
they sought legal advice from a friend of Michael's in Innisfail. He advised them that the inquest
would be a simple affair with no need for a solicitor to represent them.

Dr. Magnusson from Avondale College, who had helped them with the arrangements for their
move, was shocked when they told him of the advice they had been given. With their permission,
he rang a lawyer friend who was adamant that, because of the tone of the police inquiry, they
should get someone to represent them immediately.

Dr. Magnusson called the Seventh Day Adventist Church administration in New South Wales,
insisting that they take the responsibility of providing legal assistance to the Chamberlains at the
inquest and pay for it as well. Through contacts in the Northern Territory, they were able to appoint
local Alice Springs lawyer, Peter Dean. The Chamberlains and Dean met for the first time on the
Sunday afternoon, prior to the commencement of the inquest on Monday December 15, 1980.

_________________

The courtroom was crowded and the seating limited so much so, that the only seats available for
media reporters were in the jury box. Considering their role in the case up until this point, it seemed
fitting.

Coroner Denis Barritt

(The Advertiser)

The presiding coroner was Denis Barritt, a local magistrate. Counsel assisting the coroner was
Ashley Macknay, with Michael OLoughlan as his assisting solicitor. The Chamberlains had Peter
Dean.

In order to open proceedings, Barritt as coroner was required to establish that he had jurisdiction in
this case. He said
"I agree that because of the nature of the damage to the clothing and the manner in which the
clothing was found, it would indicate that there has, at some stage, been human intervention in the
disposal of the body, and that the body cannot now be found. I find that the body is in a place from
which it presently cannot be recovered. On those grounds I find that I have jurisdiction."

The next morning's papers reported that the coroner believed that Azaria had been murdered. Barritt
made a point of referring to these reports as a misrepresentation of the previous days proceedings as
no evidence had been given to support such a conclusion.

The coroner is empowered to determine the sequence of the appearance of witnesses. In order to
ensure a fair hearing, the coroner would not compel a witness to the stand if he believed that the
weight of evidence to be presented during the inquest would be strong enough to justify sending the
individual to trial. Barritt believed that this was not the case with the Chamberlains and so granted
Macknays request that Lindy and Michael Chamberlain be the first witnesses.

Lindy was called first. Macknays questioning led her through the events leading up to Azarias
disappearance from the tent and the search that followed. Her accounting of the details became
more difficult as she neared its conclusion, as her words were lost in tears. This was in stark
contrast to the descriptions of her by the press and police reports as being emotionless and hard.

As Lindy listened from the witness stand, Macknay read through the many scientific reports. All of
them suggested that a dingo did not cause the damage done to Azaria's clothing. As he read from
the report by the dentist, Dr. Brown, referring to the holes in the singlet being made while it was
inside out, Lindy expressed her surprise. She was absolutely certain that she did not put Azarias
singlet on inside out.

Macknays line of questioning was diverted for some time on this point as he attempted to clarify
how certain Lindy was that she had not in fact put the singlet on inside out. It was an important
point as the forensic reports clearly stated that the singlet had been found inside out among the
clothing when it was first discovered. It now left open the question of how the singlet had come to
be inside out. Lindy was not able to answer this question, nor was she willing to guess at a possible
explanation.

Male Dingo
After briefly explaining to Lindy an experiment conducted at the Adelaide zoo, in which a parcel of
meat wrapped in a babys jumpsuit was thrown into the dingo enclosure, Macknay told her that it
was found that the clothing located at Ayers Rock did not have any features consistent with those
taken from the zoo. When asked whether, from the results found in this experiment, she would
agree that the damage to Azarias clothing was not caused by a dingo, Lindy questioned the validity
of such experiments if they were not conducted on wild dingoes. Macknay was not able to answer
her argument as there had, at this point, been no tests using wild dingoes.
Once again, when Macknay attempted to get Lindy to either deny or accept Browns conclusion that
while there were small cuts in the blankets and there was no evidence of tooth marks, she was not
forthcoming. It concerned her that the report was able to clearly state that the cuts were not caused
by a dingo's teeth, but was not able to tell what did cause them.

When Macknay brought the "space blanket" forward, Lindy attempted to show the paw prints that
her mother had found only to discover that they were missing. When the police were questioned
about this, Charlwood stated that he recalled Lindy mentioning the prints but had not seen them
himself, nor had the blanket undergone any testing. This was a direct contradiction of what he had
told Lindy during her Record of Interview.

Well into the second day of the inquest, Lindy stood down from the witness stand. Michael, who
was asked to recount his version of the events and to comment on the findings of the reports,
immediately followed her. Like Lindy, he was unable to offer any feasible explanation for them.

As Macknay listed for the record a series of photographs, a police officer walked quietly toward
Peter Dean who was seated at the bar. He handed him a note. Dean, in turn, handed it to Macknay.
Dean got to his feet and asked Barritt to grant a short adjournment. Five minutes was granted. The
crowd in the courtroom was intrigued by the disturbance as it watched Dean, Macknay and Barritt
leave the courtroom. By the time they reached the magistrates chambers, Barritt had been told of
the news that there had been a threat made against Lindy Chamberlains life.

The calls had come through to the courthouse switchboard during breaks in the proceedings,
suggesting that it may have been someone in the courtroom. Barritt made arrangements for a
bodyguard to be appointed for the Chamberlains, to be with them at all times. Frank Gibson, a
police officer from Alice Springs, was given the double task of guarding the Chamberlains, and
finding out any information he could for his superiors. His belief that the Chamberlains were
innocent was to cause him a great deal of strife with his fellow police officers, who were angered
by his open support of them.

Before the end of the third day, initial police reports of the events had been completely refuted by
the testimonies of the eyewitnesses in the case. Florence Wilkin had held Azaria during the
afternoon at the base of Ayers Rock, showing that she was definitely alive and well, contradicting
the police theory that Lindy had murdered the baby early in the day, and merely carried a white
bundle around with her. It also dispelled the notion that the photo taken of Azaria at the Rock was
in fact a different baby. Sally and Greg Lowe were able to further confirm that Azaria had been
alive up until the time Lindy laid her down in the tent, as they had seen her squirming in her
mothers arms as she put her off to sleep, then heard her last cry before she disappeared. Bill and
Judy West were able to confirm Lindys claim that there had been a dingo at the tent, as they both
heard its growl from their tent next to the Chamberlains, just prior to Lindys cry that a dingo had
her baby. Every witness who had seen Lindy with Azaria had commented on the tender and loving
way in which she had dealt with her baby daughter and her sons, a direct contradiction to the police
reports, which had said that Lindy had been described as an uncaring mother.

The third day closed with the testimony of Wally Goodwin and Derek Roff. Goodwins story
confirmed the Chamberlains testimony, as did Roffs, until he was asked to look at photographs of
Azarias clothes, supposedly as they were found. The appearance of the clothes in the photograph in
no way resembled Goodwins earlier description. Roff stated that the manner in which the clothes
were arranged did not fit with Roffs experience of dingoes. What the court did not know was that
these photographs were taken of the clothes as arranged by Frank Morris in an attempt to recreate
what he had found, not how they were actually found.
During the final days before the court recessed for the Christmas break, expert testimony continued
to create confusion about the likelihood of a dingo's involvement in Azarias death. Winmatti, the
Aborigine, was brought to the stand. Beside him stood an interpreter, Pamela Harmer, relaying
Macknays questions in Winmattis native tongue, Luritja, and his answers in English to the court.
All went smoothly as Winmatti described the dingo tracks that were found and how he followed
them as far as Maggie Springs. Unfortunately, Barritt had not been aware of Aboriginal tribal
taboos, and had caused offence by asking about Aboriginal stories relating to the taking of children
by dingoes in the past. Winmattis inability to answer such questions led to confusion about his
testimony regarding the likelihood of a dingo attacking and killing a baby.

By the end of the first session, it was obvious to both the Chamberlains and Peter Dean that the case
was too big for Dean to handle on his own. The decision was made to assign another lawyer to the
case. Lindy and Michael contacted their church headquarters, known as the Division, who said they
would organize it straight away.

Confident that the Chamberlains would be looked after when the inquest resumed in February,
Dean began the process of preparing all of the documents and court transcripts for the new lawyer's
briefing. As his staff had already finished work and would not return until Monday, Lindy and
Michael offered to assist him. For five hours they photocopied, sorted and stapled the documents
they needed. It was towards the end of this time that Michael discovered some important evidence
that had not been heard during the inquest. While reading Crown scientist, Dr. Andrew Scotts
evidence, he had found a list of test results. Included in this list was the fact that a large pool of
blood had been found on a mattress in the tent. The blood had tested and grouped foetal positive
and identified as Azarias blood. This now confirmed Sally Lowes description of the pool of blood
she had seen in the tent on the night of Azarias death. It also answered the skeptics' question as to
why there were no large amounts of blood in the tent, which would be expected in such an attack.

Over the Christmas break, the Chamberlains returned to their new home in Cooranbong and began
preparations for the next stage of the inquest. Although the Seventh Day Adventist Division had
agreed to cover the Chamberlains' legal expenses and had appointed Phil Rice QC, a conflict of
interests between them and the Chamberlains arose. The church saw the proceedings as a church
issue and were concerned about protecting their interests, and so insisted on maintaining control
over all legal matters, to the point of not giving the Chamberlains any contact details for their
newly-appointed lawyer. Both Lindy and Michael tried unsuccessfully on several occasions to
convince them that it was vital that they be in direct contact with Rice, but still the information was
withheld. With only a few weeks before court resumed, Lindy had become quite frantic. It was only
the intervention of Lindys father and a number of other friends that the situation changed. Finally,
the Chamberlains were able to arrange to meet with Rice in Adelaide to fill him in on the details of
the case.

On February 9, 1981 the inquest re-opened. The scientific evidence was to be the main focus of the
second stage of the inquest. Dr Brown, the forensic dentist, told the court that he had hung a singlet,
spring loaded with a scale of 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds) across the tooth of a dingo skull, provided
by a museum, and left it hanging there overnight. From tests such as this he concluded that a dingo
had not made the cuts in the jumpsuit. Lindys comment that it was "...as bad as hanging a slice of
bread on your false teeth overnight and expecting them to bite it." Caused the courtroom to explode
in laughter.

For two days, the court moved to Ayers Rock, an unprecedented event, in order to hear some of the
technical evidence and that of the Aboriginal trackers. The court was walked through the scene at
the campsite, where Haby had found the dingo tracks, and the site where the clothes had been
found. This was when Lindy had first learned that the clothes had not been found near Maggie
Springs behind the Fertility Cave where the blood was, as the police had reported, but nearly half a
kilometre away. It was also discovered that Lindy had not been at the Fertility cave on the day that
Azaria had disappeared, but had, in fact, been in an area known as the Maternity cave.

An aspect of Lindys evidence which had raised doubts about the truth of her testimony was that she
had had no trouble seeing clearly into the tent. In order to judge for himself, Barritt ordered that the
court would convene in the camping ground after dark. All lights were turned off for half an hour to
allow peoples eyes to adjust to the new conditions. The only light left on was the one at the
barbecue area, just as it had been on the night of August 17. Within a short time it had become
apparent that Lindys claims were true. Once everyones eyes had made the initial adjustment it was
quite easy to see. This was further highlighted by the fact that journalists and reporters were taking
notes on the proceedings. Barritt asked one journalist to read from the page he had been writing. He
was able to do so easily.

Back in Alice Springs, during the course of the so-called "forensic" evidence, it was revealed to the
court that the clothing had not only been handled extensively with bare hands before any
photographs had been taken, but had been transported in a box to the Darwin laboratories.

When Myra Fogarty, the young policewoman assigned the task of completing the initial forensic
work, took the stand, the full extent of the ineptitude of the Northern Territory police scientific
department became painfully apparent. Fogarty described how she had taken the clothing out of the
box and shaken it onto the bench. Everything which fell off, including that which fell on the floor,
was swept away and discarded, along with any material in the box itself. She then laid the clothes
out on the bench and vacuumed them. The contents of the vacuum cleaner were then placed in
containers and placed in a cupboard.

When asked whether she had seen any hairs, Fogarty said that she had not. As she had not been told
what type of hairs she should be looking for, she took a hair from her own head to use as a
comparison. She claimed that she had not found any animal or natural material in the vacuumed
evidence at all. The blankets and other material taken from the tent had been treated in much the
same manner.

Her testimony further revealed that there had been some confusion about the testing of the soil
taken from around the tent and the tent itself. The soil was supposed to be tested for saliva, but was,
in fact, tested for blood. The area of the tent with the blood spatter, found by Inspector Gilroy and
Sergeant Lincoln, was not tested at all. In fact, the tent had been placed in the back of a cupboard.
Barritt ordered that the tent be found and examined by Scott. All that Scott was able to determine
was that it was blood of some kind. Due to denaturisation, the natural aging of the sample, he was
not able to draw any further conclusions.

These revelations caused the Crowns following witness, Dr Harding, to ask the court for time to
review his testimony. Before reading the transcript of Fogartys evidence, Harding had determined
that the hairs found on the blankets and clothing were too old to have been deposited there on the
night of Azarias death.

Harris explained that normally in a situation such as this, hairs would have been gently removed
with sticky tape so as not to damage the hair structure in any way. Under a microscope, a fresh hair
that has come into superficial contact with a garment looks very different from one that is old and
embedded. The vacuuming and handling of the clothes would have greatly influenced the test
results and should not have occurred until after the hair and botany departments had seen them.

The significance of the vacuumings was not lost on Barritt, who called for the containers to be
located immediately and brought to the court. It was found that there were hairs present. Harris
believed they would have come from around the face or mouth of an animal. He could not say
definitely whether it was from a dingo, cat or domestic dog.

During the period of recess, Barritt had received material from three dingo experts as to their
opinions about normal dingo behaviour in relation to the Azaria case. They were Les Harris, Dr.
Newsome and his colleague Lawrence Corbett. Barritt chose Dr. Newsome because of his long list
of qualifications and his ten-year experience as team leader of a zoological study of dingoes
throughout Central Australia and Victoria. During that time, they had placed radio transmitters on
wild dingoes and tracked their movements.

His experience with dingoes led him to believe that the growl the Wests had heard indicated that
there were probably two dingoes at the tent that night. The first would have been the one Lindy saw
leaving the tent, and the second was probably the one she saw standing near the car as she exited
the tent, which could explain why Lindy had not seen anything in its mouth. As for the expectation
of the presence of hairs on the clothing, it would greatly depend on how the child was carried. If it
had been held by the head or neck, there was a strong possibility that there would be few hairs
present.

When questioned about the likelihood of a dingo having taken the child from its bassinette and
leaving the clothing as described, Newsome explained that his personal experience did not confirm
it, but he was also not able to discount it as impossible.

The final witness of this first inquest was Dr. Milne, the obstetrician who had attended at Azarias
birth and been the Chamberlains family doctor during the time they had lived in Mt. Isa. Her
testimony that Azaria was a normal, healthy baby, who had not sustained any brain damage since
her birth, was enough to destroy the police claim of a motive for Lindy to murder Azaria.

With all of the evidence presented, Macknay and Rice made their summations. Macknay opened his
summary by pointing out that he believed Lindy Chamberlain to be a reliable and honest witness
whose testimony was verified by several people who were present at the time of Azarias
disappearance. These witnesses were able to verify, not only that Lindy had actually called out that
a dingo had taken her baby, but also that she was sufficiently distressed to cause them to conclude
that Lindy had fully believed that that was what had happened.

He criticised the Northern Territory police for allowing an inexperienced officer to handle such
important evidence with no supervision and without proper instructions. Macknay also pointed out
to the coroner that these criticisms had been made in previous cases but little had been done to
improve the situation.

Macknay was also critical of the management of wildlife in the Ayers Rock area, suggesting that it
should be a matter to be dealt with at a ministerial level, in order to better protect tourists from
dingoes in the area, which are wild animals and a danger to people. It was Macknays belief that a
dingo had taken Azaria from the tent on the night of August 17, 1980 resulting in her death, and
steps must be taken to ensure that such a tragedy did not occur again.

There was little that Rice could add to this and so the inquest into Azarias death was finally over.
All that was left was for Barritt to make his verdict. This would follow the next morning.

On Friday, 20th February 1981, the courtroom was full almost as soon as the doors were open to the
public at 9:15 am. The days proceedings were to be different from any other coroner's inquest in
Australia. Barritt had agreed to televise the reading of his findings because of the intensity of the
Australian publics reaction to the case. He wanted to dispel, once and for all, the rumours, which
had so quickly spread about the Chamberlains' involvement in the death of their daughter. He felt
he could not rely on the media to successfully do this. By televising the event, in its entirety, with
no editorial license, he could be sure that the nation was given all of the facts.

With the whole of Australia watching, Denis Barritt began. Barritt had chosen his words very
carefully, leaving no room for misinterpretation. He clearly stated that Lindys movements, until the
time she had raised the alarm of a dingo taking her baby, had been witnessed by her son Aidan, her
husband Michael, and both Sally and Greg Lowe. Mr. and Mrs. West confirmed her testimony
about the dingo by having heard the dingo growl.

To quash the rumours that these witnesses were somehow conspiring with the Chamberlains, Barritt
included details of their backgrounds. They all lived thousands of miles apart and had never known
each other before the event. Except for the events that night, they would never had any further
contact. He had complete confidence in their honesty and integrity and the truthfulness of their
testimony.

In regard to the search, Barritt explained that there had been a search conducted on the night of
August 17, 1980, around houses in the area which dispelled any claims that the babys body had
been found and disposed of by any persons living in those houses. The search was finally
abandoned until Mr. Goodwin found the clothes the following Sunday afternoon. Barritt expressed
the opinion that "commendable efforts" had been made by the police to preserve the scene and that
it was the opinion of all who observed the scene that the clothes had been placed there.

Wally Goodwin, watching from his home in Victoria, disagreed strongly on this observation but
knew that it was now a moot point, it was all over and justice would prevail.

Barritt stated that although the stains found on the tent had not been tested during the initial stages
of the inquiry, later tests by Dr Scott had shown that they were indeed bloodstains. Although Scotts
testing could not definitely confirm whether they were animal or human in nature, Barritt was
"satisfied beyond reasonable doubt to the highest degree of proof recognised in law that the sprays
of blood on the exterior of the tent were sprays of arterial blood coming from Azarias head or
neck."

In regard to the evidence given by Dr. Brown, an odontologist, Barritt acknowledged that while
Brown was an expert on the bite-marks on humans, he had, by his own admission, been dealing
with an unknown field in regard to the bite marks of dingoes in clothing. For this reason, he
believed it would be dangerous to rely on his evidence in this instance. However, he did accept
Browns belief that Azaria had worn the singlet correct-side-out at the time of her death.

The absence of saliva on the jumpsuit led him to believe that Azaria had been held by the head or
neck by the dingo at all times during the attack. The fact that there had been minimal damage done
to the jumpsuit and singlet, along with Sergeant Cocks testimony that the cuts to the neck and
sleeve of the jumpsuit had been done by scissors, led him to conclude "that the dingos possession of
Azaria was interrupted by human intervention on the night of 17 August 1980."

Barritt criticised the emphasis placed upon conservation in the area that did not take human safety
into consideration, a situation which needed to be rectified immediately by the safe enclosure of
any animals presenting a danger to man, or their elimination from national park areas frequented by
man.

His final criticism was directed at the police force and its scientific investigators, emphasizing the
need for complete objectivity in the investigative and scientific processes of the law. Only the
highest standards would be acceptable. Such standards were not maintained in this case, leading to
wrong conclusions being drawn and the waste of police resources and public money in pursuing
them. Not to mention the unnecessary trauma caused to the Chamberlain family.

To the Chamberlains and their children, Barritt extended his deepest sympathy. "You have not only
suffered the loss of your beloved child in the most tragic circumstances, but you have all been
subjected to months of innuendoes, suspicion, and probably the most malicious gossip ever
witnessed in this country." A much deserved chastising of the Australian public and the media.

Barritts reading of his verdict ended the transmission.

"I doth find that Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain, a child of nine weeks of age and formerly of
Mt. Isa, Queensland, met her death when attacked by a wild dingo whilst asleep in her familys tent
at the top camping area, Ayers Rock, shortly after eight p.m. on 17 August 1980. I further find that,
in attempting to remove this babe from the tent, the dingo would have caused severe crushing to the
base of the skull and the neck and lacerations to the throat and neck. Such injuries would have
resulted in swift death. I further find that neither the parents of the child, nor either of the remaining
children, were in any degree whatsoever responsible for this death. I find that the name Azaria does
not mean, and never has meant, sacrifice in the wilderness. I find that, after her death, the body of
Azaria was taken from the possession of the dingo and disposed of by an unknown method, by a
person or persons unknown."

Lindy and Michael show a photo of

Azaria to reporters.
(The Advertiser)
On the steps of the courthouse, the tired and relieved couple stood smiling before the onslaught of
microphones and cameras. When asked of their plans they answered "Well, to begin new lives, look
after our children, and take a holiday. We hope the children can settle down and lead normal lives."
Michael and Lindy then held up a poster-sized photograph of their baby daughter in the arms of her
mother so the world could see Azaria as she really was "the most beautiful baby."