Brother says he was accused of murdering baby in the Outback
Wed Nov 24, 3:46 AM ET


SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - The brother of baby Azaria Chamberlain, whose disappearance in the remote Outback 24 years ago became one of Australia's most enduring mysteries, revealed Wednesday he had been vilified as a suspected killer.

Reagan Chamberlain was only four years old when a native dog, known as a dingo, apparently snatched his nine-week-old sister as she slept beside him in a tent near Ayers Rock - a giant monolith known today by its Aboriginal name Uluru - on Aug. 17, 1980. A coroner initially found that a dingo had taken Azaria, but her mother, Lindy Chamberlain, was later charged with her murder.

She was convicted in 1982 and sentenced to life imprisonment, but was released after four years when a piece of Azaria's clothing was discovered, supporting the mother's claim that the baby was taken by a wild dog.

Lindy Chamberlain - who was played by Meryl Streep in the 1988 movie about the tragedy A Cry in the Dark - always maintained she saw a dingo slinking from the tent into the dark before she discovered Azaria missing. But she could not see what was in its mouth.

Because of his age at the time of the tragedy, Reagan Chamberlain never gave evidence at the official inquiries.

But now aged 28, he told an Australian television news program that he had been aware of a dingo entering the tent the night Azaria disappeared.

"I got called quite a number of pretty things at the time," he told Seven Network television. "I got called 'Baby killer.' I probably got called every swear word under the sun."

He added, "Other children would say things to me, probably whatever their parents would tell them."

Australians closely followed Chamberlain's trial in the 1980s, and were split over whether to believe her story.

Bumper stickers reading The Dingo Did It and The Dingo Is Innocent were often seen during the trial.

Reagan Chamberlain, who works as a care worker, and his siblings, Aidan and Kahlia Chamberlain, told the program the Northern Territory government owed an apology to their mother.

Thats so true...the NT Government owes that whole family a huge apology.
Even after Lindy Chamberlain had her conviction quashed because evidence surfaced that proved that she had been honest, people STILL refuse to believe that a dingo took her child. I cannot imagine losing my baby in such a dreadful way and then being the most hated woman in Australia and sent to prison. There were no tears and sympathy for the family- just hatred and innuendo. So terribly sad and something that I still find hard to think about today.

I remember this case well, it made the news over and over here in the states.

So sad.

Does anyone know what has happened to Lindy since her release?

I pray that she has been able to get on with her life, and come to terms with this horrible time for her and her family.

Patti

Hi Patti, Lindy married an American guy and moved to the States for several years. His name is Rick Creighton. From what I recall they split up and she is living back in Australia now. If I can find out anything more I'll post it here. I haven't read or seen anything on her in a while. Michael (her husband) remarried...he is still in Australia. She has written a book about her experience...it's called "Through My Eyes". I read it and cried many times- the frustration and sadness she must have felt while grieving for her baby and fighting the conviction must have been overwhelming.

Yes- I remember the case as if it were yesterday too- made the front pages here for quite awhile- so tragic and I had never known until this latest article that the poor brother (who was only 4 at the time!) had been considered a suspect too.

I was 14 when this happened, and remember a fair bit about it...I honestly don't remember hearing anything about the brother being a suspect. However with all the hatred flying around at that time regarding Lindy and Michael's religion (it was thought they 'sacrificed' Azaria)- nothing would surprise me. One of the recordings of two detectives speaking in the car after leaving the Chamberlain home, mentioned that one of the boys had 'weird eyes'. You know, there were jokes going around about this case?? A baby was dead, and people could make jokes about her mother killing her. This really is a shameful time in Australia's history.

I heard the rumour about the son doing it, there was alot of stories going around about it. Kez, what was it, they were seven day adventists, and then someone said the name Azaria meant something awful (I cant remember what it was now), but it was trying to say, that it was meant to be. :(

Where I live is near Fraser Island, and we have dingoes here that walk all over the island free they are native to it (and protected). Last week, a dingo went into a motel room, where there was a baby, and a young girl. The young girl screamed, cause the dingo was looking at this baby on the bed, and the mother came running out from the bathroom or somewhere close by, and scared it off. They were talking about putting this particular dingo down (they are still fighting over it actually), because of what happened. It made me think back on this case. Also, there was a man that came forward, and gave evidence, that wasnt used in trial. He apparently had saw the dingo take the baby off etc. What Lindy Chamberlain endured was horrible, she was pregnant at the time, people were screaming, shes pregnant because she wants to escape prison. She dressed neatly during trial, people cried out, look at her, she has a new outfit on everyday. :( The woman wasnt left alone. It was media hyped, and a jury convicted her. She had her baby in prison, and it was taken away from her, that was years for a innocent woman, without her baby daughter in her life. It was sad.

Yeah, Kyla- they were 7 Day Adventists, and people were claiming the name 'Azaria' meant 'sacrifice in the wilderness'- of course when research was done it was found out that it did not mean that, but by then the media had the story and made up what they thought would sell papers. I wonder if they had have been a mainstream religion the same thing would have happened?

In her book she says that they were broke during the trial, and she bought her clothes at op shops and altered them...so much for the 'new clothes' people were moaning about. The media made her and her family's lives a living hell- camping in their yard, trespassing, ringing at all hours. What a nightmare!

Sorry to go on about this, but it really is something that bothers me a lot.

During the time leading up to my trial I could not sleep, and I saw the movie about Lindy and her family, it hurt so bad watching it. I know the emotions that she felt. But her innocence had to intensify them greatly! What a thing to have to endure!

I hope she has found peace in life.

Patti

Well, I remeber it all very differently to everyone else, and I was living in Queensalnd at the time, and in my 30s. Not one single person I know thought she was innocent, the forensic evidence alone was totally convincing, although many did think she might be covering for one of the boys, but the facts were indisputable, there was no way that baby was taken by a dingo.

I was under the impression she was released from jail, but that was all. As I remeber it, the Government cut her sentence short but made a point of saying she wasn't being pardoned, just set free.

As for the film, I've never watched anything with Glenn Close in it since she made that. It was so Hollywood and distorted the facts from start to finish.

Just wanted to put another point of view across and, as I said, I was living there at the time so went through the whole lot, from start to finish, including all the forensic evidence that was put forward.

Rose

I remember they were trying to see if the little outfit was cut with scissors or was it teeth marks.

I dont know, Kez might be able to fill us in here more but I think that she must of had to be cleared, to get permanent residency in the USA. I remember when I got mine, I had to go through federal police checks, and also fingerprinted here, and sent there, etc. I know the USA dont give out immigration with a criminal history, so I think (well I hope) she was cleared. I am not sure though. :(

Lindy Chamberlain's conviction was QUASHED (That's the legal term that was used). I am not sure what that means legally, but the Oxford Australian Dictionary defines it as: Annul; reject; not valid esp by legal procedure. They actually released her from prison within hours of the matinee jacket being found.

I just want to mention that the testing performed by forensic scientist Joy Kuhl was unreliable and sloppy. This was revealed years later. Also, the amount of 'blood' in the car amounted to less than 5 mls. And most of that was later found not to be blood at all, but milkshake. There were several witnesses at the scene and NONE of them testified against Lindy Chamberlain. They each said that the baby was fine at the BBQ area, and that at no time was she (Lindy) away from the group.

Just some more info...I am trying to find out whether Lindy actually received compensation from the NT Government...I am fairly sure she did, but the amount was undisclosed.

In 1992, the Northern Territory Government paid the Chamberlains $1.3 million in compensation. They also received a full Pardon.

Michael was charged with being an 'accessory after the fact', and given a suspended sentence, which is why he was also compensated.

That proves me wrong, then, sorry. My only excuse is that, by the tome she was actually pardoned I was living back in the UK and so wouldn't have had that info.

The forensic scientist you mentioned wasn't the one I remember as being involved in the case. I really can't recall his name but he was the top man in his field in the UK and was flown out especially to work on that case. No, he didn't prove that she did it but he did prove, without doubt, that a dingo did not, in my view that is.

I'm afraid I've always preferred anilmals to people and when it became open season on Dingos around Ayers Rock I was fuming. So, because of this, my judgement could have been clouded.

Rose

Hi Rostonhall, I wasn't trying to prove you wrong, I was just sharing information. Apologies.

I remember reading about the UK guy you are speaking of- but I don't remember anything specific.

Joy Kuhl was the lady who did all the blood testing and stuff. Her methods were called into question because apparently she failed to log her experiments or something like that. It caused a lot of trouble.

I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I was trying to disprove what you said- that really wasn't my intention. I just wanted to clarify, that's all.

This is a case that still divides people today. Powerful stuff.

Oh, I just wanted to mention that when I capitalised Quashed, I was not yelling it...I just wanted it to stand out because it is the legal term that was used. :)

Lindy and Rick are still married to this day. All is good with the family. In fact Kahlia recently graduated from nursing school and last month got engaged.

This case got so much publicity all over the world so I am glad to read your update! Thank-you bmcreighton!