Inside story of how Folbigg lost close friend and advocate
A painful message exchange has revealed the dramatic breakdown of a lifelong friendship between acquitted killer Kathleen Folbigg and the confidant who spent 20 years campaigning to get her out of jail.
A painful message exchange has revealed the dramatic breakdown of a lifelong friendship between Kathleen Folbigg and the confidant who spent 20 years campaigning to get her out of jail.
An extraordinary trove of messages details how the relationship between Folbigg and one of her biggest advocates over two decades in prison, spectacularly imploded over allegations she’d “exaggerated” in media interviews conducted after her release.
In one interview in June this year, two months before Ms Folbigg was granted $2m in taxpayer funded compensation, she told media she was sleeping “on the couch” of a friend’s place.
“I’ve moved back into Newcastle, returning back to where I went to high school and stuff, but I just can’t find a rental, it’s so hard and I guess I’m single, have a dog, no job,” she said in the story. “I’ve been lucky enough that my friend has let me put my stuff in storage and sleep on the couch.”
Text exchanges on May 28, sent days before Ms Folbigg’s comments to the media, shows a falling out was sparked when close friend Megan messaged to ask her about her living arrangements.
Ms Folbigg replied that she was “thinking strategy” and would “claim homeless living with a friend due to rental market lol.”
Megan replied: “Wow so tell a blatant lie? Geez.”
Ms Folbigg responded: “Not technically. I am having trouble getting a place. Movers coming 3rd and today am looking at storage places to put it. It’s the time they take getting applications done.”
When Megan again expressed dismay, Ms Folbigg responded: “Wow ok veto that then. Gees. I will do whatever needed to get them to move their FB arse.”
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Megan said “I had to confront her when I found she had claimed she was homeless.
“These texts show she refused to take responsibility for her actions in that.”
The fallout has impacted Ms Folbigg’s wedding next year to fiance Robert Muir in Newcastle with Megan not receiving an invite and insisting she “does not want one” either.
The Telegraph exclusively revealed details of the Newcastle wedding with Ms Folbigg, 58, saying what a “lovely, beautiful surprise” it had been to meet old school friend Mr Muir after 46 years.
“While both of us weren’t anticipating love would enter our lives, we are thrilled it has,” she said.
Ms Folbigg had her convictions for killing her four children quashed after new medical evidence led to her being pardoned by the NSW Attorney-General two years ago.
She always maintained her innocence over the deaths of Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura Folbigg between 1989 and 1999 and was supported during her time in jail by a close group of former school friends including Megan and Tracy Chapman.
“I wasted 20 years of my life fighting for her freedom,” Megan said. “I had a heart attack and needed a triple bypass after the first inquiry said she could not be released.
“The stress has severely impacted my health.”
Later on in the messaging row, Megan warned the NSW government was considering Ms Folbigg’s compensation payment and she should be “super careful painting yourself as in any kind of financial distress, considering u have more than probably more than 50 % of the country.”
At the time Ms Folbigg is understood to have received $1 million from Channel 7 for her first interview after being released from jail and $300,000 for her share of the book Inside Out she wrote with Ms Chapman.
But just a few days after receiving the warnings from her friend, Ms Folbigg gave the interview in which she implied she was effectivley homeless.
Eventually Ms Folbigg would receive a $2m compensation payment that her lawyer described as “woefully inadequate”.
The text exchange, which dragged on for several days - continued.
“How on earth can they look at your submission & believe a word now,” Megan wrote on June 6.
“I’m just disgusted.”
Ms Folbigg attempted to placate her. “Megzs stop. I am not as cash rich as U seem to think. Rest of the storyline is correct. It’s about the struggle and I am like everyone else.”
Megan then drew a line in the sand on the friendship. “Nope, I’m done.”
In response to Ms Folbigg suggesting she had “created such a storm” Megan replied that her “reputation is worth more than dealing with ‘someone’ who has done this. I spoke up for u, Kath.”
“Megzs … our friendship should not be tied to the advocacy weren’t we friends all our lives??” Mr Folbigg implored.
She stressed her homelessness claim was an “exaggeration” which she had requested be removed from the story and was out of her control.
A week later Ms Folbigg reached out to her “old friend” again but was rebuffed by Megan who said “you still haven’t owned your action” and added “you’re not the person I thought u were.”
Ms Folbigg said: “This is so sad. I admit that the story was exaggerated, OK I admit I had chatted to the journo on the 4th. I admit I said couch surfing and then asked her not to use it, I admit I said I am doing it tough like everyone else.”
But it was not enough and the friendship was done.
After being contacted for comment Ms Folbigg said: “It has been incredibly distressing to see a long term friend publicly share private conversations and make allegations about me that are not true.
I have never given permission for these messages to be made public.
I won’t contribute to a public back and forth, and the matter is being addressed through formal legal avenues.
This is a serious invasion of my privacy.
After spending 20 years in prison for a crime I was acquitted of, to be publicly shamed like this is reprehensible. I have suffered enough.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Inside story of how Folbigg lost close friend and advocate
