The 1980 disappearance of an Australian infant in the rugged outback mesmerized the world at the time. The infant's mother, Lindy Chamberlain, was convicted of murdering the child and sentenced to life imprisonment. Her defense had been considered to be preposterous: the notion that she had seen a wild dingo carrying her child off into the woods. The trial was a media sensation and Chamberlain was deemed guilty in the court of public opinion long before the jury rendered its verdict. However, the discovery of the baby's body resulted in her conviction being overturned. Nevertheless, Chamberlain has battled endlessly to definitively prove she had nothing to do with her child's death. She has now won a fourth court hearing in which she says new evidence will finally exonerate her. Chamberlain's case bares a resemblance to the murder of six-year old American girl Jonbenet Ramsey in 1990. The public jumped to conclusions and determined her parents had murdered her, largely because it was deemed they did not appear to be sufficiently emotional in their media appearances. After an exhaustive investigation, authorities were never able to find the murderer but did exonerate the parents from any responsibility. The Chamberlain case was dramatized in the acclaimed 1988 film A Cry in the Dark in which she was played by Meryl Streep. The phrase "The dingo's got my baby!" has become enshrined in pop culture, having been utilized in many TV shows. For more click here
