Inquest into Shandee Blackburn’s murder to be reopened
Palaszczuk government agrees to new inquiry after The Australian’s Shandee’s Story podcast exposes litany of errors in handling of forensic evidence.
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A coronial inquest into the murder of Mackay woman Shandee Blackburn is set to be reopened after allegations of serious forensic failures in her case were exposed.
The case is the subject of The Australian’s podcast series, Shandee’s Story.
The Palaszczuk government has faced mounting pressure to launch an inquiry into the state-run forensic laboratory after one of Australia’s most respected DNA scientists, Kirsty Wright, uncovered a litany of errors in the handling of forensic evidence in the Blackburn case.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath wrote to Shannon Fentiman, the state’s Attorney-General, on Thursday morning asking for the inquest to be reopened.
“In relation to the Shandee Blackburn case, based on the claims made regarding forensic evidence and whether such evidence could lead to new findings,” Ms D’Ath told parliament.
“I believe there is sufficient public interest and questions to be addressed to warrant me writing to the Attorney-General to consider requesting the coroner to reopen the matter.”
A spokeswoman for the Attorney-General said Ms Fentiman would now seek advice from Crown Law about opening the case again.
Ms Blackburn was stabbed to death on her walk home from work in 2013. Her ex-boyfriend John Peros was charged with her murder but was found not guilty by a jury in 2017 after a 12-day trial.
Last year, a coroner found Mr Peros was responsible for her death.
Dr Wright, who teamed up with The Australian’s Hedley Thomas on his investigative podcast series, found the government-run lab did not complete full DNA testing including on a large knife police thought could have been the murder weapon.
Dr Wright said the case was a “forensic train wreck”.
“What I’ve found is quite unbelievable,” she said. “And I think that what we’re seeing with Shandee’s case may be the tip of a very large iceberg.”
Last week Ms D’Ath rejected calls from Ms Blackburn’s family for a review into the lab saying the coronial inquest would have to suffice, unless new evidence was brought forward.
But hours after the father of murdered Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe backed the Blackburn family’s plea for a review, Ms D’Ath announced it would seek to reopen the inquest.
Annastacia Palaszczuk said she believed problems with the forensic unit “warranted further investigation”.
Originally published as Inquest into Shandee Blackburn’s murder to be reopened
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