CHRIS Dawson murdered his wife Lynette in 1982, leaving his two daughters Shanelle and Sherryn without a mother.
His crime, and the fact that he groomed and married his daughter’s babysitter, are detailed in ITV’s Twisted Twins series. Here’s everything you need to know.
Shanelle Dawson
Shanelle was just four years old when her mother, Lynette, disappeared.
Lynette, known to loved ones as Lyn, was only reported missing by her rugby league footballer husband six weeks after her disappearance.
However, only two days after Lyn disappeared, the family’s teenage babysitter Joanne Curtis was moved into the house by Chris.
A year later, Chris filed for divorce from his missing wife and claimed that she had joined a religious commune.
In 1984, two years after Lyn’s disappearance, Joanne and Chris tied the knot.
Shanelle shared in her book My Mother’s Eyes that this was a very difficult period in her life.
She wrote that she felt “unloved” by Joanne, who Shanelle believed “didn’t want to be my mother”.
Chris was arrested for Lyn’s murder in December 2018, after an investigative podcast named The Teacher’s Pet created a renewed interest in the case.
He was found guilty of the crime in December 2022 and sentenced to 24 years in jail.
Chris was also found guilty of “carnal knowledge” with one of his pupils.
Sherryn Dawson
Sherryn was only two years old when her mother was killed.
However, unlike her sister Shanelle, Sherryn has stayed by her father’s side despite his conviction for the murder.
Since speaking out, Shanelle feels that she was cut out by Sherryn and the rest of the family.
She told Australian Women’s Weekly: “’I feel like I’m the scapegoat.
“’Why am I the one being cut out? I didn’t do anything wrong. But there is also a real freedom in it that I can embrace.”
However, Shanelle shared that she understands why Sherryn feels loyal to their father.
She said that her sister “believes in the goodness of my dad.”
Shanelle continued: “People think it’s really obvious but if you know my dad, it’s not that obvious,”
“In his slight defense, not that I need to defend him, he did try to prevent her from being so nasty to us and they would argue about it.”
The “her” being referenced is Joanne, whom Shanelle only refers to as J.
