Azaria Chamberlain disappearance
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Azaria Chamberlain Born
11 June 1980 (1980-06-11) (age 27)
Mount Isa, Queensland Died
August 17,
1980
Nine-week-old
Australian baby
Azaria Chamberlain disappeared on the night of
17 August 1980 on a camping trip with her family. Her parents,
Lindy and
Michael Chamberlain, reported that she had been taken from their tent by a
dingo. An initial inquest, highly critical of the police investigation, supported this assertion. The findings of the inquest were broadcast live on television — a first in Australia. Subsequently, after a further investigation and second inquest, Azaria's mother,
Lindy Chamberlain, was tried and convicted of her murder, on
29 October 1982 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Azaria's father,
Michael Chamberlain, was convicted as an accessory after the fact and given a suspended sentence.
The media focus for the trial was extraordinarily intense and sensational. The Chamberlains made several unsuccessful appeals, including the final High Court appeal. After all legal options had been exhausted, the chance discovery of a piece of Azaria's clothing in an area full of dingo lairs led to Lindy Chamberlain's release from prison, on "compassionate grounds." She was later exonerated of all charges. While the case is officially unsolved, the report of a dingo attack is generally accepted. Recent deadly dingo attacks in other areas of Australia have strengthened the case for the dingo theory.
The story has been made into a TV movie, a feature film and a TV miniseries. There have also been numerous books about the case.