Shandee Blackburn was brutally murdered as she walked home from work - but this cold-case can still be solved. Gold Walkley-winning journalist Hedley Thomas - w... More
Shandee Blackburn was brutally murdered as she walked home from work - but this cold-case can still be solved. Gold Walkley-winning journalist Hedley Thomas - w... More
Available Episodes
5 of 32
Shandee's Legacy Episode 9: Consequences
Will anyone face criminal charges for the disaster at the laboratory?
We examine more of Walter Sofronoff’s findings about how this catastrophe unfolded, delve deeper into Cathie Allen’s conduct, and meet a lady who -- when the laboratory couldn’t make sense of DNA results -- was told her own son must have been switched at birth.
The Queensland Government moves swiftly to respond to the report, and we cast forward to the laboratory’s future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17/12/2022
1:55:40
Shandee's Legacy Episode 8: Astounded
At last, Commissioner Walter Sofronoff hands down his 500-plus-page report -- and it is a sweeping denunciation of the laboratory’s failings, and of the conduct of one person in particular: Cathie Allen. He finds the managing scientist lied: to police, to her staff, to ministers and to the Commissioner himself, under oath during the inquiry.
Sofronoff exposes a litany of deceit and trickery, compounded by ineptitude and weakness -- but he heralds the bravery of those who stood up, hailing the courage of Dr Kirsty Wright.
We hear reactions from Dr Wright and Vicki Blackburn - and we learn some news about John Peros. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16/12/2022
1:27:28
Shandee's Legacy Episode 7: Freedom Day
It’s the final week of public hearings in the explosive inquiry into a broken DNA lab and we’re all here because of one person -- Shandee Blackburn. The vicious and unprovoked murder of the defenceless 23-year-old walking home from work is front-and-centre as three independent experts give their verdict on the lab’s failure to find any forensic trace of her killer.
It’s been a long and, at times, lonely road for Australia’s Dr Kirsty Wright, but now she gets her day in court alongside the world’s most renowned forensic biologist, Dr Bruce Budowle, and New Zealand’s Johanna Veth, revealing shocking new findings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
25/11/2022
1:39:33
Shandee's Legacy Episode 6: Disney Villain
In the harsh spotlight of the inquiry, lab boss Cathie Allen admits to absolutely nothing, tearfully insisting she always acted with the best intentions and has been terribly misunderstood.
In her account, white-anting staff were to blame for the toxic culture at the lab, management offered no support, funding was shrinking and the pressure was relentless. We explore her life outside the lab, with some surprising revelations, and examine her claim to have been unfairly portrayed as a ‘Disney villain’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4/11/2022
1:45:13
Shandee's Legacy Episode 5: Blowtorch
The big guns from the DNA lab - Lara Keller, Justin Howes and Cathie Allen - are rolled into the formal inquiry and subjected to withering questioning by a lawyer on top of his game over alleged cover-up, lies to police, and scientific fraud. The three insist they've been honest at all times, just guilty of misunderstanding the details or being overwhelmed by work and led into human error. The inquiry's lead lawyer Michael Hodge was relentless as he applied a blowtorch to a very broken lab affecting thousands of victims of crime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Shandee Blackburn was brutally murdered as she walked home from work - but this cold-case can still be solved. Gold Walkley-winning journalist Hedley Thomas - who created The Teacher’s Pet and The Night Driver - goes deep to find out who killed Shandee, and why.
Episodes of the podcast first, plus exclusive stories, videos, pictures and extraordinary evidence are available with a subscription through The Australian's app, or at shandee.com.au
To contact Hedley Thomas anonymously with any information on Shandee's Story email here - [email protected]