Lyn’s Law: ‘No body, no parole’ on a roll

Chris Dawson’s former family babysitter has launched a petition calling for new laws to stop convicted killers being released without revealing the location of their victims’ remains.

Chris and Lyn Dawson’s former family babysitter Bev McNally has called for uniform ‘no body, no parole’ laws across the country. Picture: James Croucher

Chris Dawson’s former family babysitter has launched a petition calling for new laws to stop convicted killers being released without revealing the location of their victims’ remains.

Bev McNally’s call for uniform “no body, no parole” laws across the country has attracted more than 14,000 signatures in two days. It has the support of the family of Lyn Dawson, who was murdered and disposed of by her husband Chris 40 years ago. Her body has never found.

Former lead detective Damian Loone has also added his support after telling the family the change was needed and should be called Lyn’s Law.

“Victims of homicide need closure,” Mr Loone wrote online in response to the petition.

“There are convicted murderers nearing their sentence without disclosing the whereabouts of the body. They should never be released without disclosing.”

Ms McNally was a student of Dawson’s at Cromer High School on Sydney’s northern beaches and became his family babysitter. She gave a statement to police for the first time during The Teacher’s Pet podcast, revealing she saw Dawson lash out at Lyn with a tea towel over a dirty glass.

At Dawson’s murder trial, Ms McNally also told of seeing Dawson angrily fling Lyn “like a rag doll” into a door frame.

Ms McNally was replaced as the Dawsons’ babysitter by another teenage student, known as JC. Dawson’s obsession with JC led him to murder Lyn and dispose of her body in a place she has never been found.

“While justice has finally been served and Lyn’s truth has been heard, there is one more puzzle left to this heart-wrenching story. Where is Lyn?” the ­petition reads.

“Lyn’s family have battled for years to clear her name and have her truth told, but the closure they need would come from being able to put her to rest properly, and they are not alone.

“There are many other families out there also waiting for their loved ones to come home.

“So let’s get in line with other states of our wonderful country and make Lyn’s Law national.”

The NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman is examining interstate “no body, no parole” laws, and Premier Dominic Perrottet has expressed support for the move.