Chris Dawson pleads not guilty to murder of wife Lynette 37 years ago

Chris Dawson has formally entered a plea of not guilty after being charged with the murder of his wife Lynette, who has been missing for 37 years.

The former high school teacher was charged with murder in December in relation to the disappearance of his wife who vanished from Sydney’s northern beaches in January 1982, reports 7News.

According to the news outlet, Greg Walsh, the former rugby league star’s lawyer, entered the plea at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
The matter is due back before the same court on August 8.

Read more: Chris Dawson granted bail after murder charge for wife Lynette Dawson

Chris Dawson, the former husband of Sydney woman Lynette Dawson has formally pleaded not guilty to her murder. #7NEWS https://t.co/liFEUsWEJT

— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) June 20, 2019

The disappearance of mother-of-two Lynette Dawson attracted widespread attention last year after The Australian journalist Hedley Thomas made the cold case the focus of his podcast The Teacher’s Pet, which was listened to by millions of people worldwide.

Following the success of the true crime podcast, with a renewed public interest in the case, police launched a new forensic search at the former home of the Dawson family in Bayview in September last year. However the search of the $2.4 million property turned up nothing of interest.

Read more: Forensic search begins at Lynette Dawson’s home 36 years after disappearance

Lynette has not been seen since January 9, 1982, when the 33-year-old mother went missing from the home she shared with Chris and their two young daughters, with her husband claiming at the time that she had said she needed some time away. Just a few days later, he moved his schoolgirl lover into the family home.

Dawson didn’t inform police that his wife was missing for nearly six weeks.

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