Secrets We Keep

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 consistent with ‘a boxer’s stance’, which pathologist Clive Cooke called ‘classic self-defence wounds.’

As for their cause of death, It’s likely Ciara Glennon died from the large neck injuries she suffered. These were at the back and sides of her neck.

In this podcast, Tim Clarke explains why Jane Rimmer’s was inconclusive.

Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and Alison Fan as they wrap up week seven of WA’s trial of the century, discussing the information that’s been allowed to be broadcast, as well as explaining why we can hear it now.

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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.

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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 technician who helped with Ciara Glennon’s autopsy told the court in 1997, while they had some idea of hair and fibre transfer when touching a body, they didn’t have an understanding that the same could happen with DNA.

Brian Mouchmore told the court he was aware that a skin flake or hair could get onto a body without touching it, but admitted he didn’t really know mortuary instruments could transfer DNA from one part of the body to another.

As Tim Clarke explains, Mr Mouchemore was also quizzed on the length of his beard.

Join him, Natalie Bonjolo and Alison Fan as they take you through the events of day 29.

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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 the time he believed the then unknown suspect “really enjoys the killing” and “only capture or the killer’s death would stop him taking more lives.”

In this podcast, the team also discuss the injuries found on Ciara Glennon’s body, more quizzing of mortuary technicians of how they collected evidence, and why one of the technicians put a towel meant for cleaning up after an autopsy over his shoulders.

All of that, plus legal analysis and answers to some of your questions by defence lawyer Damien Cripps on day 28 of the Claremont trial.

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***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 prosecution, because several blue and grey fibres, which they say are from the Telstra uniform and Commodore station wagon used by Bradley Edwards at the time.

However, during his cross examination it was revealed Dr Macdermit could have driven a commodore to the post mortem that day.

The defence also noticed what looked like another body present in the room of the time of Ciara's post-mortem. They also got Dr Macdermit to admit they used the same utensils for different body parts, which were rinsed off during the procedure.

Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and Alison Fan as they explain the details of day 27.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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’s crime scene in a station wagon, the type of car the prosecution says Bradley Edwards used when the murders happened, and fibres from it which were found in both Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon’s bodies.

Join the podcast team as they discuss why this new information may be an obstacle for the prosecution.

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****WARNING: Some listeners 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 court how the teenager’s examination was ‘painful and difficult’, saying, “I think the things that made this particular case stick in my mind were the violent nature of assault by a stranger, the fact that she had been hooded and restrained, the extent and painfulness of her injuries and given the fact of her youth and that she was a virgin,”

But while on the stand, the doctor was quizzed about how she collected samples from the teenager, how they were stored and who she sent them to.

The defence say these samples – which were found to have Bradley Edwards’ DNA on them were cross-contaminated with the fingernail clippings from Ciara Glennon.

But the prosecution say they were never even stored on the same shelf, let alone could be contaminated, and previously called the suggestion of cross contamination an “exercise in errant fantasy”.

Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and criminal defence lawyer Damien Cripps as they take you through day 23 of the Claremont serial killings trial.

If you, or anyone you know has been affected by the content in this podcast, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14

Or the sexual assault resource centre on 1800 199 888

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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 Bradley Edwards while he was working at Telstra, had not been videoed while being collected from Ciara’s body. It was revealed that the sample had also not had tamper-proof tape stuck on the container until years after it was collected.

Cross-contamination is the main case the defence has said will provide reasonable doubt about whether Bradley Edwards is the Claremont aerial killer.

Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and Alison Fan as they take you through Day 22’s evidence, and answer some of your questions.

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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.

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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 explain, they didn't need to see the vision to get a picture of what was happening.

Join Tim Clarke, Natalie Bonjolo and Shannon Hampton as they take you through day 20 of the Claremont Serial Killings trial.

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Senior police officers who attended the burial sites of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennons' 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 the Karrakatta rape the murders of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon had been unaccounted for in the WA Police database for almost a year.

Join Natalie Bonjolo, special guest Adrian Barich along with Tim Clarke and Alison Fan as they discuss day 19 of the Claremont serial killings trial.

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After a two-week break, the trial of the century resumed at Perth’s Supreme Court, only to be adjourned again after just half an hour.

The reason? Prosecutors needed to go to a stationary store to buy projector screens to block out gruesome images of the burial sites of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon’s bodies that were set to be shown as evidence.

The families of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon had voiced their concerns about the evidence being shown to the public, and the judge agreed the vision and images would simply be too distressing.

The court was packed out for the resumption of the trial, so closing the court while the gruesome evidence was shown wasn’t going to be an easy option.

So instead, when video of the day Jane Rimmer’s body was found was shown, only the judge, the lawyers, the witnesses and Bradley Edwards could see it.

Tim Clarke, Natalie Bonjolo and criminal defence lawyer Damien Cripps discuss why this was an unusual move, and what it means for the rest of the trial.

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It was by pure-chance Jane Rimmer's body was found.

A woman driving with her husband and children driving in Wellard stopped on the side of the road after a rooster ran out. Kids being kids, they wanted to chase it.

The mother, Tammy Evans decided to pick some death lilies and out of the corner of her eye, 'the biggest death lily' she had ever seen popped into view.

Before grabbing onto it, something brushed her leg. She thought it was a stick, but it was a foot. That was the only feature that assured Tammy that what she had stumbled across was human.

She had found Jane Rimmer's body. While her husband went for help, she said she just couldn't leave Jane and stayed with her until police arrived.

That was August 3, 1996.

The third victim, Ciara Glennon went missing on March 15, 1997. With two women missing and one dead, the state was on high alert.

Then, the day police had been dreading, a second body found.

April 3, 1997, a man looking for wild cannabis leaves came across Ciara Glennon's body off a bush track in Eglington, 40 kms north of Perth.

The headline in the West Australian newspaper the next day said it all: "The State is in Mourning."

He said he thought a kangaroo had died, and being 'nosey' he went to check if a joey was in its pouch, but instead found the body of the 27-year-old.

On the final day of the trial for the year, the court also heard from the men the prosecution called 'The Burger Boys' - one of which yelled to her that she was 'stupid for hitch hiking'

The prosecution reached the end of their 'civilian witnesses'. Next year will see what has been described as 'the battle of the scientists', the DNA and fibre evidence which is so crucial to this case.

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March 14, 1997 was the last time Ciara Glennon was seen alive. She’s been at a work function and by all accounts she didn’t want to go out that night, because she had her sister's hen's night the next night. But she was convinced to go out to Claremont.

She’d only been back in Perth for two weeks, after travelling for six months. In this podcast, Tim Clarke and Damien Cripps ask whether she had known about the other missing girls as well as the rest of Perth, simply because she wasn’t in the country when Sarah Spiers and Jane Rimmer went missing.

In May 1997, WA Police released a re-enactment of Ciara’s final hours in a desperate attempt to jog someone’s memory of the night of March 14, and the early hours of March 15 1997.

Eleven people did see Ciara that night. On day 16 of the Claremont serial killings trial, they gave evidence of seeing a woman matching Ciara’s description walking alone on Stirling Highway. Some witnesses say they saw her talking to a man in a white car, even starting to get in.

In a tragic premonition, a worker at a Thai restaurant over the road from where she was last seen even made a passing comment that “she might be the next girl to go.”

Ciara’s body was found 19 days later near a scrub track in Eglington, 40 km north of Perth.

Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and criminal defence lawyer Damien Cripps as they dissect day 16 and answer listener questions.

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On August 3, 1996 - 55 days after 23-year-old child care worker Jane Rimmer went missing, a woman picking flowers with her family found her body.

She immediately told her husband who rushed for help.

Jane’s body was badly decomposed, covered in leaves and small shrubs.

Meanwhile a couple riding horses nearby found a knife on the ground not too far away.

When they reached the woman who found the body, she told them she had stayed with Jane because “she didn’t want to leave her alone.”

We heard a witness break down on the stand today as she recalled that day Jane’s body was found.

We also heard from the woman who could be one of the last people to see Ciara Glennon alive on March 14,1997.

During her testimony, for the first time, we heard about the police investigation and the man who was the prime suspect, subjected to years of being watched by police, pretty obviously as well.

As Alison Fan - the only journalist to interview Lance Williams while he was a suspect - explained, as soon as she finished talking to him, she called the Assistance WA Police Commissioner and told him they had the wrong guy.

Join Natalie Bonjolo, Tim Clarke and Alison Fan as they wrap up week three of the Claremont Serial Killings Trial.

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The night Jane Rimmer disappeared, on June 9, 1996, two couples - separately - heard blood-curdling, ’traumatic’ screams.

One witness recalled hearing a scream that just suddenly stopped. Then silence.

The two couples lived in the then-rural area on the outskirts of Perth called Wellard.

Fifty-five days later Jane’s body would be found in bushland in between their houses.

As The West’s Emily Moulton - who has been live blogging the court proceedings - explains, one couple remembered a smell coming from just off the road as they regularly drove past. They said they dismissed it as a dead animal.

Day 14 of the Claremont Serial Killings trial also recounted Ciara Glennon’s final night.

She was the last woman to go missing. She had only been home for two weeks from 6 months abroad when she disappeared.

Her parents were on high alert at this stage in March 1997, with two girls missing and one their bodies having been found, as soon as they reported their daughter missing, police swooped.

Join Natalie Bonjolo, Emily Moulton and Tim Clarke as they discuss day 14.

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Jane Rimmer disappeared in the early hours of June 9, 1996 from Claremont. Her body was found 55 days later on August 3 in bushland in Wellard.

On June 9, 1996, a man was riding a horse in Wellard, when his horse spooked. He fell off and found a guess watch.

That watch turned out to be Jane Rimmer's.

Day 13 of the Claremont serial killings trial heard the man didn't report the watch to police until after Jane's Body was found. It turns out he fell just two metres from where her body was dumped.

Before she disappeared, friends of Jane Rimmer relived the decision the 23-year-old made to stay out alone while her friends caught a taxi home the night she disappeared.

One friend, Lynda Donovan remembered a conversation she had with an emotional Jane the night she disappeared - a typical conversation many friends have had after a few drinks, only now it's a heartbreaking reminder of her friend, and her feelings about herself that night.

The court was shown more CCTV of the night Jane Rimmer was last seen alive, also, for the first time, vision of Ciara Glennon in Claremont was shown.

But probably the most important part of this vision was what wasn't able to be seen - Bradley Edwards.

The man the prosecution says killed Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon was nowhere to be seen.

Police said out of all of the vision they've managed to obtain from the nights the two women disappeared, there's no evidence of the man the prosecution say killed the two women in any of the vision.

Criminal defence lawyer Tom Percy QC joins Natalie Bonjolo and Tim Clarke to discuss why the day's proceedings go little way to proving Bradley Edwards is the Claremont serial killer.

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The last pictures of Jane Rimmer alive were shown to a stunned court room on day 12.

The images of the smiling and laughing 23-year-old was shown to the people in the court, who watched on in silence for the entire time the videos were played.

Jane was last seen outside Club Bayview in Claremont at 12.04am on June 8, 1996. At the time, the security cameras recorded on a loop, only capturing 13 seconds at a time.

The CCTV shows Jane standing outside the club. The security vision flicks over to other cameras around the club, and 32 seconds later it comes back to that same spot, but Jane is gone.

32 seconds is all it took for Jane Rimmer to vanish.

It wouldn’t be until almost 2 months later that she would be found. Her body found in bushland in Wellard, half an hour south of Claremont. She’d been murdered, her throat cut.

As Natalie Bonjolo, Alison Fan and Tim Clarke discuss, how different this investigation would be if those security cameras flicked over at different times, would we see what happened to Jane in her final night?

The ‘sliding doors’ moments that The West’s Tim Clarke has described before have become a theme in this case.

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