The Teacher's Pet

The Poisoned Wife – and a cop who didn’t buy her husband’s story

2026-09-13

Journalist Hedley Thomas joins us with a special insight into where his blockbuster podcast investigation The Poisoned Wife is heading. After the 1986 murder of Rosslyn McQueen, the Homicide Squad rolls into tiny Lockwood, Victoria to question husband Ray, who is infatuated with a teenage girl - and the police interview changes everything. 

He suspects a neighbour of poisoning his wife Ros. Meanwhile, Ray’s attention is focused on a vulnerable 17-year-old girl. 

Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

Husband accused of murder sent ‘strange’ neighbour to find poisoned wife

Poisoned wife Rosslyn McQueen feared husband was having an affair with babysitter

McQueen marriage under ‘considerable stress’ due to finances, friend told police

This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Joshua Burton. Our team includes Lia Tsamoglou, Tiffany Dimmack, and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No. of episodes

30

Latest episode

2026-09-13

Where can you listen?

Lyn and Chris Dawson appear to have the perfect marriage. He's a star footballer and popular high school teacher. She's a devoted wife and mother. They share a beautiful home above Sydney's northern beaches. But when Lyn goes missing, dark secrets are buried. This is no fairytale, but a sordid story of strangely close twin brothers, teenage student lovers, and probable murder. The Australian's Hedley Thomas digs deep into a cold case which has been unsolved for 36 years, uncovering startling new evidence.