In a development that has sent shockwaves through the true crime community, convicted murderer Keli Lane has broken two decades of silence. The former water polo champion, found guilty of killing her two-day-old daughter, Tegan, has given a bizarre and chilling account of the infant's final hours in a new documentary series.
The interview, part of the upcoming programme Behind the Silence, marks the first time Lane has spoken publicly since her 2010 conviction. Her story offers no closure, only a deeply unsettling and self-serving narrative that has been met with widespread scepticism from authorities and the public alike.
A Twisted Tale of a Handover
Lane's version of events, delivered with a detached calmness, claims she handed baby Tegan over to the child's biological father, a man she names only as 'Andrew Morris' or 'Norris'. She alleges this transaction took place in the car park of the Northmead Auburn Hospital in Sydney, just days after giving birth in September 1996.
This account directly contradicts the overwhelming evidence presented during her trial, which painted a picture of a woman who repeatedly concealed pregnancies and disposed of newborns. Tegan was Lane's third secret child, and her body has never been located.
A Web of Lies and Deception
The court heard how Lane, a prolific liar, had a history of deception. She had given two previous children up for adoption without the knowledge of her family or partners. Her motive for killing Tegan, the prosecution argued, was to maintain her lavish lifestyle and her reputation as a top-level athlete, unencumbered by motherhood.
Justice Anthony Whealy, who presided over the case, condemned Lane as a "profoundly amoral and manipulative person" whose actions were driven by "self-obsession and monstrous selfishness." She was sentenced to a maximum of 18 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 13 years and 6 months.
The Enduring Mystery
Despite her latest claims, detectives and the Crown prosecutor, Mark Tedeschi QC, remain certain of her guilt. The documentary has failed to provide any new evidence or credible leads to support her story, leaving the core mystery intact: what truly happened to Baby Tegan?
For Tegan's family and a horrified public, Lane's interview offers no answers, only a painful reopening of old wounds and a stark reminder of a little girl whose life was brutally cut short.
