Page 349 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

298 Deception at Work

Joy Kuhl, a forensic biologist from New South Wales, examined the Chamberlain’s car and
found extensive bloodstains and arterial sprays on the seats, in the floor well, under the dash-
board and on a pair of scissors. All of the blood contained foetal haemoglobin which is only
present in young babies.

Ms Kuhl also found bloodstains and small fabric scraps, cut from Azaria’s jump suit, in
Michael’s camera bag. This led to the conclusion that, at some stage, her body had been hid-
den in the bag

The criminal trial

On 13 September 1982, the Chamberlains were charged with murder and appeared before
the Darwin Supreme Court. Enormous forensic evidence was produced by both the prosecu-
tion and defence. Unusually, the prosecution made no attempt to explain the motives for the
alleged murder.

In summing up, the prosecutor said that if the Chamberlains were to believed:

• the dingo went to the tent;
• pulled the baby from its cot;
• ran away, while being chased by a posse of followers with the baby in its mouth;
• buried the body, still fully clothed;
• disinterred it later;
• ran a further 14 km with the body;
• took the body from its clothing, without opening all of the studs or leaving any saliva;
• turned the singlet inside out and then bit it;
• left the booties inside the jump suit;
• placed the clothing down carefully in one neat pile, near a main road.

He concluded that it had to be a very clever and tidy dingo.
On 29 October 1982 the Chamberlains were convicted. Mrs Chamberlain was sentenced

to life imprisonment with hard labour and Mr Chamberlain to 18 months imprisonment,
suspended so that he could look after the children. All appeals were rejected. Here, again the
matter rested until …

New discoveries

On 2 February 1986, the body of David Brett, a British citizen who had a history of mental
illness and believed he was to be sacrificed at Ayres Rock in a black magic ceremony, was
discovered in Uluru5. About 50 yards away from his body, which had been partially eaten by
dingoes, police found Azaria’s missing matinee jacket. The case was again front page news and
inexplicably the discovery of the matinee jacket was viewed as corroboration of the Cham-
berlain’s innocence.

The Royal Commission

In 1988, a Royal Commission was set up, and some of the forensic evidence was discredited. In
particular, the German manufacturers of the chemicals used by Miss Kuhl wrote a letter to the
court suggesting that the tests could produce unreliable results and that what she believed to
be arterial blood stains could have been a rust prevention chemical. The court stated: ‘This is

5 Not far from where the other clothing has been discovered xx years earlier