S2JUMP IN NOW: Claremont the Trial Catch Up Part 1

Welcome to this special catch up episode of Claremont in Conversation.

We’re at the half-way mark in WA’s trial of the century.

If you’ve never listened before, this is your perfect chance to get up to speed on everything that’s happened in WA’s trial of the century, without having to listen to 57 episodes.

If you’ve been following the trial since day one, this is your perfect chance to recap the last three months before the trial moves into fibre evidence.

It’s been the trial WA has waited more than two decades for. Between 1996 and 1997 in the affluent, beautiful and safe suburb of Claremont, the disappearance of three women struck fear into the lives of the people of Perth, Western Australia.

Sarah Spiers, Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon are names most people in WA know. They’re known because they’re the three victims of the Claremont Serial Killer.

Sarah was the first to go missing, in the early hours of January 27, 1996. She called a taxi from a Telstra phone box in Claremont just after 2am. Three minutes later the taxi arrived but she wasn’t there. She’s never been seen since.

Five months later, Jane went missing in almost identical circumstances to Sarah. She had been out in Claremont with friends, except when they decided to go home, she stayed. The last time she was seen was on CCTV vision. It took 32 seconds for Jane to never be seen alive again.

Then in March 1997, Ciara, who had been travelling around the world, had just returned home. Friends convinced her to go out, she reluctantly agreed. The 27-year-old spent just 15 minutes in the Continental Hotel in Claremont and decided to walk home. The last time she was ever seen alive, she was leaning into a white Commodore Station Wagon.

These killings went unsolved for 23 years. Now, the man police and the state say is the man who murdered Sarah, Jane and Ciara is on trial. His name is Bradley Robert Edwards.

Join the Claremont in Conversation team, Natalie Bonjolo and The West Australian Newspaper’s legal affairs editor Tim Clarke as they take you through the first part of the Claremont Serial Killings trial, known as the “civilian witnesses”.

Hear from the people who knew the victims, some of the last people to see them alive and hear from the people involved in the accused man’s life - his wives, friends and colleagues as the prosecution try to paint a picture of what would drive a man to kill three lone, vulnerable women.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode and want to know more, start from season 2.

Part 2 - The Forensics can be found on your favourite podcast app on Saturday.

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