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The Murder Case That Rocked a Country
A Dingo’s got my Baby!
“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.”
