The Murder Case That Rocked a Country
By: Ash Jurberg
Tags: Crime, Mystery, Australia, History, Life

The Murder Case That Rocked a Country

A Dingo’s got my Baby!

Michael and Lindy Chamberlain outside the court

“My God, my God, a dingo’s, got my baby!”

This is one of the most famous quotes in Australian history. It was the centerpiece of the defense used by Lindy Chamberlain, accused of murdering her daughter, Azaria. It was a murder case that enthralled and divided a nation for over thirty years, across many trials and inquests, even being made into a Hollywood movie.

The question of whether Lindy murdered her daughter or wild dingoes did take her baby still appears to be a mystery to many people.

A baby disappears in the Outback

On August 16, 1980, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain took their family (Aidan, six, Reagan, four and Azaria two months old at the time) on a camping trip to Uluru, in the Australian outback. Uluru is a sacred site for the indigenous people, and a popular spot for tourists and the Chamberlain family planned to spend some time camping in the area.

On the morning of the 17th, while Michael and the boys were climbing Uluru (which is now illegal), Lindy remained behind to explore caves near the campsite. She recalled to a policeman later she was unnerved by a dingo that was just staring at her and her baby, like the wild dog was “casing the baby.”

Later that night, while having dinner with her family and friends around a campfire, Lindy claims to have heard a cry from the tent where Azaria was sleeping. She ran to the tent where she claimed that “a dingo’s got my baby!”

Police were called, and immediately a massive search operation commenced in an attempt to find the missing child. There were dingo tracks near the tent, but they disappeared in the thick bushland. Hundreds joined the search with no success, until on the 24th, they found Azaria’s bloodied jumpsuit four kilometres from the tent. A jacket she was wearing at the time wasn’t found.

Lindy and Azaria Chamberlain. Source WikiCommons

Forensics on the clothes were inconclusive, and dingoes in the area were shot and examined to see if they had eaten any human remains. None were found.

Two coronial investigations

The investigation continued with officers split on whether a dingo had indeed taken her baby. Suspicions were raised, when during the course of the inquiry, they spoke with a doctor who had recently treated Azaria. Puzzled why the baby was dressed all in black, the curious doctor looked up the meaning of the name Azaria. He was shocked to discover it meant “Sacrifice in the Wilderness.”

The media jumped on this and began suggesting the death was planned as a religious sacrifice. Speculation mounted that the Chamberlains were part of a religious cult — Michael was in fact, a Seventh Day Adventist Minister.

Media soon pointed to the fact the jumpsuit had been found in the same area Michael and the boys had hiked the day before. The evidence suggested the clothes had been placed in the bush and not dragged there by a wild dog.

Retracing the dingo’s steps. Source WikiCommons

A coronial inquest was called in December 1980 with the findings being filmed in front of a full courtroom — such was the interest, it was the first televised inquest in Australian history.

The coroner found that a dingo had in fact taken Azaria.

“Neither of her parents were in any degree whatsoever responsible for her death.”

The coroner did add that he believed that the clothes had been taken by humans. This added more intrigue to the mystery. Questions were now asked why the clothes had been taken and moved.

If the Chamberlains thought that would end the case, they were wrong.

In September 1981, their house was raided by police and over 300 pieces of evidence were taken. Based on this, the attorney-general for the Northern Territory (the region that Uluru is in), filed a motion to quash the findings of the first inquest based on the newly discovered evidence.

A second inquest commenced in December 1981, and this one seemed more aggressive towards Lindy. This time it focused on blood found in Lindy’s car and the hypothesis she had used scissors to kill her child. Forensic experts testified the tear in Azaria’s jumpsuit was consistent with scissors and not dingo’s teeth.

One reporter noted the difference between the two coroners’ investigations. “The first inquest was about dingoes; this one is about blood.”

The focus on blood and the additional evidence was enough to persuade the coroner. This time he charged Lindy Chamberlain with murder. Michael was charged an accessory after the fact.

The case would now go to trial.

A mother accused of murder

The trial began on September 13, 1982, with Lindy now pregnant again. As Azaria’s body had not been found and there were no eyewitnesses, the case continued to captivate the country. There were Pro Lindy and Anti Lindy sides. However, it seemed the media was leaning heavily to Lindy being guilty.

Much of the public hatred stemmed from the reactions of the parents after the death.

Just minutes after the alleged dingo abduction, Michael said to campers,

“A dingo has taken our baby, and she is probably dead by now.” Lindy commented, “whatever happens, it is God’s will.”

The prosecution focused heavily on these comments and the apparent lack of grief shown by the parents. They alleged that Lindy had cut Azaria’s throat in the front seat of the family car, hiding the baby’s body in a large camera case. They also suggested that while the search party was taking place, Lindy hid the body.

A tearful Lindy took the stand and maintained her innocence. Her lawyers stating, “the prosecution has had two years and three months to think of a reason, (for her to kill her child) they can’t.”

On October 29, with a whole nation holding its breath, the judge reached his decision. Lindy was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison, Michael was also found guilty of being an accessory after the fact, but his sentence was suspended.

In many cities around Australia, applause broke out as the decision was named. For many, they believe justice for Azaria had been achieved.

Michael and Lindy Chamberlain outside the court. Source WikiCommons

The jacket is found

While in prison, Lindy gave birth to a daughter, she named Kahlia. Referring to the debate about the meaning of the name Azaria, she said at the time, “let them try to make something out of that.”

Australia was still divided — a poll showed 52% thought she was guilty. Soon a Free Lindy movement was started and gathered over 100,000 signatures on a petition for her freedom. They were helped by experts who now cast doubts on the blood found in her car, claiming it was paint emulsions.

It seemed the mystery would never be solved.

In January 1986 there was a new twist in the case when a British hiker fell from Uluru. Police searched for his body, which they found eight days later — in a dingos lair. Also inside the lair was a baby’s jacket — the one that had belonged to Azaria. Finding the jacket was enough to temporarily release Lindy from prison pending further judicial investigation.

After fifteen months, the findings were released. The latest investigation was heavily critical of the prosecution and its experts with the coroner now stating, “I am far from being persuaded that Mrs Chamberlain’s account of having seen a dingo near the tent was false, if the evidence before the Commission had been given at the trial, the trial judge would have been obliged to direct the jury to acquit the Chamberlains.”

It took a further fifteen months after these comments, before Lindy and her husband were formally acquitted of their charges.

In 1992 after more court appearances, the Chamberlains received $1.5million compensation from the Northern Territory government.

The cause of death finally determined.

With debate still raging, a third inquest was conducted in 1995. This upheld the previous findings, and it seemed the matter was finally over. The long-running saga had taken its toll — over this period Lindy and Michael had separated, and both had remarried.

Still, to Lindy, the matter seemed unresolved. Though eventually acquitted, it was never proven that a dingo had taken Azaria. The public still felt Lindy was guilty. She wanted the full truth to be publicly acknowledged.

In 2012, Lindy and Michael pushed for a fourth inquest. They felt that after 32 years, the public still didn’t believe them and they were “unsatisfied with bare acquittal and presumed innocence, and were keen to finally, and definitively, determine how their daughter died.”

In February 2012, a coroner made the final ruling that a dingo had indeed taken Azaria and issued a formal apology to the Chamberlains.

After 32 years, a death certificate was finally issued for Azaria.

Lindy with the 2012 death certificate. Source Youtube screenshot

Despite the legal rulings, many Australians still question the innocence of Lindy and each year, more theories are brought forward. Perhaps we will never be 100% sure.