Rachelle Childs’ family react to news that NSW Police are re-investigating her murder
Rachelle Childs’ family have been given some good news about the cold case that has haunted them for more than two decades. See the video.
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Police quietly reopened the investigation into the cold case murder of Rachelle Childs three months ago, without telling her family.
Rachelle’s sister Kristy Childs has long-campaigned for her sister’s 2001 murder file to be reopened. A series of avoidable blunders in the initial investigation meant an arrest was never made, and the killer is still at large.
Following the launch of True Crime Australia’s cold case investigation podcast Dear Rachelle on Friday, this masthead can now reveal the case has been under re-investigation under Strike Force Telap since January.
Watch the video of the family’s reaction to the news above.
Kristy and her mother, Anne, had no idea. When podcast host Ashlea Hansen told them, they were overwhelmed.
“So they’ve reopened it? Wow. That’s unbelievable … This is huge.”
“I’m really proud of the police for seeing this as an opportunity and not seeing it as a criticism. It’s incredible, I’m proud of them for doing that. Very, very exciting.”
Anne said: “That’s bloody fantastic, honestly. Finally, someone’s listening. Took a bit to make them do that.
“Shouldn’t have taken all this for that to happen, but step one – that’s good.”
LISTEN TO EPISODES 1 AND 2 OF THE PODCAST BELOW:
Kristy was told in 2021 that Rachelle’s cold case would be reviewed by an ex-homicide detective, but that never happened and it was handed back to the unsolved homicide team. In 2024, she was told the case had been nominated to be assessed for review.
When she spoke with a member of the unsolved homicide team, she found out that no one in the squad was across her sister’s case.
Kristy also wrote to NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley last year to try and get the reward money for any information in Rachelle’s case that leads to a conviction increased from $200,000 to $500,000.
The minister never replied. Instead, her office forwarded the letter to the unsolved homicide squad. In a statement, Ms Catley said “the minister ensures all correspondence receives a response, either directly or through the most relevant body”.
When probed, police said “standard operating procedures mean the family are not always immediately notified for operational reasons”.
“Police are in regular contact with Rachelle’s family, but they have not formally been told of a re-investigation, just that the matter was under a current assessment.
“There will be ongoing and future contact with Rachelle’s family.”
For more information about our investigation, visit dearachelle.com.au
If you have any tips or confidential information, please contact investigative journalist Ashlea Hansen at dearrachelle@news.com.au.
You can also join our Dear Rachelle Facebook group.
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