Claremont: The Claremont Serial Killings

It was a seemingly out-of-the-blue, random question made by defence lawyer Paul Yovich on Day 37 of the trial, but as put by our criminal defence lawyer guest Shane Brennan, it’s a clever one. That question: In 1996 and 1997, did the PathWest lab - which tested both the Karrakatta rape victim’s and Ciara Glennon’s fingernail samples - have a telephone? With the follow-up question if the phone had ever been maintained during the late 1990s. The accused Claremont Serial Killer Bradley Edwards worked for Telstra during that time, and as the podcast team explain, if the defence are trying to prove reasonable doubt through cross contamination, the question about the telephone is ‘clever’. Our special guest, criminal defence lawyer Shane Brennan, who has more than 42 years’ experience with criminal trials, including murder and DNA, said the defence would try every avenue to prove reasonable doubt. Hear the discussion with Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke, Damien Cripps and special guest Shane Brennan about the day’

It’s seen as probably the most crucial piece of evidence the prosecution have to try and prove Bradley Edwards as being the Claremont Serial Killer - Ciara Glennon’s fingernail clippings. Anna-Marie Ashley, the forensic scientist who extracted the DNA from those fingernails spent her second day on the stand, detailing how the DNA was extracted, and whose DNA they found. Just as crucially, she was also asked about how the evidence was stored, and as Tim Clarke and Alison Fan explain, these are the type of details the defence will try and draw out, to try and show if there was any moment during this mammoth investigation the samples from the Karrakatta rape victim and Ciara Glennon’s fingernails could have been cross contaminated. When one of Ciara’s fingernail clippings taken from the middle finger on her left hand - which were labelled AJM42 - were tested, initially they only showed her DNA. It wasn’t until the fingernail clippings, along with the Karrakatta rape victim’s samples were sent to the UK for f

The forensic scientist who tested the evidence which is crucial to the prosecution’s case today took the stand. Anna-Marie Ashley from Path West, detailed in painfully intricate detail of how she extracted the DNA from the Karrakatta rape victim’s intimate swabs, which revealed DNA which we now know is Bradley Edwards’ - for the first time. She also tested Ciara Glennon’s fingernail samples - the crucial piece of evidence which the prosecution say links the Karrakatta rape, which Bradley Edwards has pleaded guilty to, with the murder of Ciara Glennon. It was an extremely scientific, and detail driven day in court, luckily, forensic DNA expert Brendan Chapman joined Natalie and Tim in the studio to help us try to understand the process of DNA extraction. Brendan’s informative introduction into DNA is a must-listen for those of us following the trial, because we’ve been warned - it’s only going to get more complicated, especially when the defence take their turn cross examining the evidence. The team also

Forensic pathologist Dr Clive Cooke told the court during his fourth day on the stand that Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon suffered similar injuries on their necks and hands, and that they both likely died as a result of having their necks cut with a knife. That information isn’t new to the trial, but as Tim Clarke explains in this episode, it’s significant because it’s the first time an expert witness has been asked - and explained - injuries inflicted on both women as a collective. Criminal defence lawyer Damien Cripps joins the Claremont in Conversation team to discuss why this is significant, as well as throw some questions about the other piece of evidence that Dr Cooke also provided today - that there’s no evidence to suggest that Ciara Glennon was sexually assaulted before her murder. As Damien and Tim explain, if the prosecution are going to present the similarities in the two murder cases, the defence would likely highlight the differences in the murders with the other cases the accused Claremont Se

We’ve already been told Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon fought for their lives. But what they went through in the moments before their deaths hasn't been spoken about in great detail, until today. On day 33, that was made a little clearer by the testimony of pathologist Dr Clive Cooke. He revealed there was no evidence to suggest she was raped before she was murdered. During his third day on the stand, Dr Cooke said while there was no evidence of sexual assault, Jane’s body was so badly decomposed that it couldn’t be completely ruled out. He also couldn’t categorically point to a cause of death for Jane, but suffocation and a cut to the throat also can’t be ‘ruled out’. Dr Cooke was present both Jane and Ciara’s post-mortems. He detailed the large defensive wounds both women had on their bodies in detail, explaining that a sharp object would have inflicted them. He’s also appearing on the stand as an expert witness to analyse pathologist Dr Karin Margolius’ notes - she carried out the autopsies on both w

It was the Australia Day weekend 1996. Perth woke to the shocking news that an 18-year-old had been reported missing after not returning home from a night out in Claremont with friends. Little did we know that her disappearance would be just the beginning of Australia's most expensive and longest running investigation. She was the first victim of the Claremont Serial Killer, but her body has never been found. In this bonus episode, we're joined by veteran journalist Alison Fan, who became close to the Spiers family since their daughter and sister was reported missing. Alison recounts the desperation felt by Sarah's heartbroken family to find the loving and happy young woman. We take you through the person Sarah was, the search for the 18-year-old and the torment her family has gone through in the 24 years she's been missing, including false hopes and clairvoyants giving them leads that went nowhere. As WA's trial of the century continues, the Spiers family say they've never given up hope of finding Sara

It has been revealed for the first time that Ciara Glennon may have been struck on the back of her head in the moments before her death. The blow may have stunned, or rendered her semi-conscious. This information we can bring to you now, because late on day 32 of the Claremont Serial Killings trial, Justice Stephen Hall lifted the suppression order put in place the day before, which had banned all details about Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon’s autopsies being broadcast to the public. After an application by Seven West Media, and negotiations with the prosecution, an order was made to be able to publish limited details from the two murdered womens’ post-mortems. In this information, was the revelation that Ciara had a small fracture to her skull, which pathologist Dr Karin Margolius said was likely to have been inflicted by a sharp object shortly before her death. As Tim Clarke and Alison Fan explain, the injuries suffered to both Jane and Ciara extend further than the ‘neck defects’. They had injuries con

Before Day 31’s evidence in the Claremont Serial Killings trial could be heard, Justice Stephen Hall issues a temporary suppression order on all details regarding the post mortems of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon, including any injuries and the causes of death. Justice Hall said the suppression was made at the request of the victim’s families. The suppression order was put in place just before evidence from the pathologist who carried out the post mortems of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon was read out to the court. Dr Karin Margolius died from cancer in 2010, so her evidence is restricted to the reports she made during the two women's autopsies. It leaves us with the question. Will we find out the caue of death of Jane and Ciara? This left court reporters from every media outlet with not a lot to write about, except that a ban had been put in place. As Tim Clarke explains, media outlets and their lawyers have put in a submission to the court to have access to these details eventually. Just how much detai

The forensic officer who was involved with the collection of what is now seen as key pieces of evidence for the prosecution has revealed one of those pieces of evidence mysteriously disappeared after it was stored for the weekend at police HQ after Ciara Glennon’s autopsy. Sgt Adam McCulloch, who was in his second day of evidence, told the court a white fibre labelled AJM23 - which was collected during a Polilight exam on Ciara's body - was missing. It’s unknown, and will probably never be known the importance, if any, this fibre would have played in the trial. This evidence, and more on questions surrounding Sgt McCulloch’s exhibit labelling and the sealing of samples using proper procedure on Day 30 of the Claremont Serial Killings Trial. Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and Emily Moulton as they discuss the day’s evidence, and answer some of your questions you’ve sent in. If you have a question for the podcast team, send it to claremontpodcast@wanews.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info

Day 29 started out unusually in court, with an officer asked to spell the words ‘maggot’ and ‘entomology’ for the court as his cross examination started. The spelling test however, wasn’t just for fun, the court was told during evidence collection, several copies of exhibit lists were made, and one officer simply couldn’t spell those two words, and could identify his writing through his spelling of ‘magat’ and ‘antomology’. Also to take the stand, the forensic officer who collected exhibits from the 1995 Karrakatta rape. He told the court it was him who incorrectly labelled one of the items as a skirt, when they were in fact shorts. After weeks of questioning other witnesses, scrutiny of the labelling of evidence, Sergeant Adam McCulloch told the court he simply made a mistake, which was rectified. Some of the questions sent in by podcast listeners have queried whether the item was a ‘skort’, a mix between the two. However, Sgt McCulloch didn’t have an answer to that. Another witness, a mortuary technicia

After three women went missing from the same area within less than two years of each other, police concluded they could be looking for a serial killer. So they brought in FBI-trained profilers to try and get inside the mind of the person responsible for the murders of two women, and the disappearance of another. Serial killer experts Claude Minisini and Captain David Caldwell were in Perth, after being invited by MACRO detectives when Ciara’s body was found dumped in bushland in Eglington on April 3, 1997. The FBI experts were brought up by Supt John Leembruggen during his evidence on day 28 of WA’s trial of the century. Supt Leembruggen, who was a detective with the MACRO taskforce in 1997, told the court he escorted the two experts into the crime scene of Ciara Glennon’s body. As Tim Clarke explains, the experts' inclusion in the investigation was contentious at the time, and even more contentious, was what they said. Mr Caldwell had created a profile of the killer while in Perth. He told WA media at t

***WARNING: Graphic Content*** Ciara Glennon's fingernail clippings are the key pieces of evidence the prosecution have to say why they'll prove Bradley Robert Edwards is the Claremont Serial Killer. The reason why they're so crucial, is because DNA found under those fingernails contained the DNA of the accused, and the prosecution say it got there because of a struggle. When Ciara Glennon’s body was found on April 3, 1997, she also had defensive wounds on her arms and hands, indicating she fought for her life. On day 27 of the Claremont Serial Killings trial, the court heard from the mortuary manager who collected those key pieces of evidence. Dr Robert Macdermit, who had conducted more than 10,000 autopsies during his career, clipped Ciara's fingernails, and detailed the grim task that was conducting her post-mortem. In that autopsy, Ciara's hair mass was also taken, a gruesome task which was explained in full to the court by Dr Macdermit. Ciara's hair is also an important piece of evidence for the pro

The defence team for the accused Claremont Serial Killer, Bradley Edwards focussed on forensic collection errors made by police when Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon’s bodies were found in 1996 and 1997. Sergeant Gary Hyde was grilled about errors in transcripts and data entry of forensic pieces from samples collected from the murdered women. On day 26, we’re joined by forensic expert Brendan Chapman, who helps walk us through some of the potential risks incorrect entries in forensic databases can arise, as well as answer your questions about DNA and forensics. We also got a glimpse of the type of person Ciara Glennon was in life, with photos of her bedroom just hours after she went missing shown to the court. The moment trapped in time, as the court saw clothes strewn across her bed and shoes on the floor. The bedroom left by a woman in a hurry, never to return. Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and Brendan Chapman as they navigate the world of forensics and DNA. For more on the trial, head to https://thew

The question of who handled evidence samples from the two murdered women’s bodies, will become key in both the prosecution and defence’s arguments. Today, on day 25, we got our first glimpse of just how in depth the witnesses will be expected to remember of their dealings with samples. Forensic police officer Gary Hyde told the court he was present during the day Ciara Glennon’s body was found, he took photos of her post-mortem the next day, and handled several exhibits. He was responsible for sending off a critical hair sample to the FBI in 1999. He also told the court he handled evidence which had been tested by key forensic scientist Laurie Webb in 2012, who went on to be sacked in 2016 for cutting corners. Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and Emily Moulton as they take you through how the evidence was labelled, where it went, as well as discussing Yakka workwear, and why it has become so important to this case. For more on the Claremont Serial Killings Trial, head to https://thewest.com.au/news/clar

Following Jane Rimmer’s post-mortem, the pathologist who carried it out gave one of the detectives a lock of Jane’s hair. The detective, Vicky Young then washed, brushed and placed an elastic around it and gave it to the Rimmer family. During her evidence today, she said it was an act of compassion. But she also said the hair was covered in fluids and matter when it was given to her. On the podcast for day 24 of the Claremont Serial Killings trial, Alison Fan, Tim Clarke and Natalie Bonjolo discuss this act of kindness, and whether this could have an impact in the case against Bradley Edwards. In a massive day of WA’s trial of the century, several police officers were questioned, including the first Macro Taskforce detective, who organised a massive search - which included TRG officers - of the Wellard area following the discovery of Jane Rimmer’s body, for Sarah Spiers. But they didn’t find anything. Sarah still has never been found. Also today, for Sergeant Barry Mott revealed he drove to Jane Rimmer’

****WARNING: Some viewers may find the content discussed in this episode distressing**** The doctor who examined the 17-year-old who was brutally raped by Bradley Edwards in 1995 has recalled the horrific injuries the teenager suffered that night. In Day 23 of the Claremont serial killings trial Dr Amanda Barnard gave evidence saying while she had examined thousands of women during her career as a doctor for the sexual assault resource centre, the injuries inflicted on the 17-year-old by Bradley Robert Edwards almost 25 years ago had stayed with her. Bradley Edwards pleaded guilty to the rape, in which he abducted the teenager while she was walking to a friends’ house in Claremont on February 11, 1995.  He grabbed the 17-year-old from behind, bound her hands, put a hood over her head and carried her to his van, where he tied her legs, drove her to Karrakatta Cemetery where he then brutally raped the teenager twice. Dr Barnard, who was working at the sexual assault resource centre at the time told the cou

When police arrived at the scenes where Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon’s bodies had been dumped, They didn’t have to wear gloves to prevent cross contamination. On day 22 of the Claremont Serial Killings trial, former forensic police officer Robert Hemelaar took the stand for a third day where it was revealed there wasn’t a big focus on preserving a crime scene in the mid 1990s. He said there was no protocol for wearing gloves and covers for their boots, only that gloves should be worn while handling ‘deceased matter’, for their own safety. During his cross examination by defence lawyer Paul Yovich, Mr Hemelaar admitted he had handled some evidence - a tree branch - with his bare hands. The court had been told tree branches had been pulled off nearby trees and placed over both Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon’s bodies to partially conceal them. He also said a key piece of evidence, a hair sample from Ciara Glennon which the prosecution says contained fibres matching unique Telstra shorts, the kind issued to

Former forensic police officer Robert Hemelaar gave his evidence for the whole of day 21 of the Claremont Serial Killings Trial. He narrated an hour-long video from Ciara Glennon’s burial site, revealing graphic details and forensic clues as to how police collected and stored DNA samples found on the 27-year-old’s body. Joined in the studio by forensic expert Brendan Chapman, Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and Emily Moulton take you through exactly how forensic officers collect samples, and most importantly, how they avoid contamination. A key piece of evidence was also hinted at during the trial - the fact that some of Ciara Glennon’s fingernails were broken, coupled with the defensive wounds on her arms, the prosecution said that Ciara fought for her life the night she died. But under those broken fingernails, the prosecution says was Bradley Edwards’ DNA. Join the Claremont in Conversation team as they take you through day 21 of WA’s trial of the century. Don’t forget to send your questions to claremont

On day 20 of the Claremont Serial Killings trial, the court was given a glimpse into the life of Jane Rimmer through photographs taken from inside her house days after she went missing, a woman’s life frozen in time. Images from the 23-year-old child care worker’s house and belongings were shown to the court by former forensic police officer Robert Hemelaar, who searched Jane’s Wembley flat. Bills, papers, even a KFC voucher had been left on her dining table revealing the life frozen in time of a young woman who was never to return. When Jane's body was found 55 days later, police swarmed the scene. Today one of those officers, former forensic police officer Robert Hemelaar told in graphic detail how her body was found, and how forensics went about moving her body. The video officer for police also gave evidence on day 20. Justice Stephen Hall ruled that the vision he took was too distressing to be shown to the public gallery, but as Tim Clarke and The West Australian's court reporter Shannon Hampton expl

Senior police officers who attended the burial sites of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon's bodies have described the 'mayhem' and 'organised chaos' which became the crime scenes when the women's bodies were found. In particular, when the body of the third woman to go missing, Ciara Glennon's body was found in shrub land in Eglinton, both police and the media started using the term 'serial killer'. This intense interest by the media was brought up in court on day 19 of WA's trial of the century. As detectives tried to preserve the scene, camera screws also tried to capture every moment. One senior officer even mentioned one reporter by name, that was 7News journalist Adrian Barich, who he said was arrested on the scene of Ciara Glennon's burial site, but as Adrian explains, as a rookie sports journalist, it was something he'd never expected to witness, and gives us his account of what happened. The case also focussed around contamination. It was revealed a key piece of evidence which the prosecution says links