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Chris Dawson found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette
Reporting: Janet Fife-Yeomans
 murder trial that has gripped the nation, Chris Dawson has been found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette and disposing of her body more than 40 years ago so he could be with the family’s teenage babysitter.
After a marathon
These are the key findings.
These are the key findings.
Dawson had pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife, who disappeared from their Bayview home on Sydney’s northern beaches in the summer of 1982. 
The 74-year-old's defence had argued he had neither the opportunity nor the motive to kill the mother of his two children.
A five-hour judgement
After a five-hour verdict, Justice Harrison found Dawson guilty of murdering his wife Lynette in 1982 and disposing of her body so he could be with the family’s teenage babysitter, known as JC in court. 
The judge said Dawson had lied about phone calls from his missing wife and rejected all the alleged sightings of her. He found Lynette had died on or about 8 January 1982 and "did not voluntarily abandon her home".
Dawson lied about calls
The judge agreed with the crown’s argument that Dawson had a deep animosity to his wife, and wanted “unfettered” access to his teenage lover.
Motive to kill
Dawson had a “possessive infatuation” with his former babysitter JC, the judge said.“That affected him very significantly,” he said, especially around January 2, 1982, when JC left for time away with friends at South West Rocks. 
JC had said she wanted to end the relationship. Dawson did not want that to occur, the judge said. JC was “suddenly out of his physical reach and out of his control”.
The prospect Dawson would lose JC led him to resolve to kill his wife, Justice Harrison found.
“
Justice Ian HarrisonSupreme Court of NSW 
I am satisfied that, distressed, frustrated and ultimately overwhelmed and tortured by her absence up north, Mr Dawson resolved to kill his wife.
After the verdict, Lynette Dawson’s family asked her killer to “do the right thing” and tell them where her body is. “She is still missing. We still need to bring her home,” Ms Dawson’s brother Greg Simms said.
'Journey is not complete'
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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/web-stories/free/herald-sun/chris-dawson-guilty-verdict-we-still-need-to-bring-her-home-2