Former Detective Damian Loone on the Disappearance of Cheryl Grimmer *Re-Issue*

Former Detective Damian Loone on the Disappearance of Cheryl Grimmer *Re-Issue*

Author: Bravecasting October 23, 2025 Duration: 31:15

Some of you may recognise the name and voice of this episode’s guest, It’s retired NSW Police Detective Sergeant Damian Loone who featured on Hedley Thomas’s extraordinary podcast The Teacher’s Pet. Damian investigated the 1982 disappearance of Sydney mum Lynnette Dawson for years, bringing the case to two coronial inquests. Lynette’s former husband Chris Dawson was charged with her murder in 2018 and is awaiting trial.

 

Damian features again in another major podcast that’s gripped listeners' attention worldwide. It’s the excellent BBC Sounds multi-episode podcast Fairy Meadow about 3-year-old Cheryl Grimmer’s haunting disappearance from Fairy Meadow Beach in Wollongong in 1970.

 

Damian and Detective Frank Sanvitale, were the detectives tasked with having another look at Cheryl’s disappearance. The case had basically gone nowhere for more than 45 years until the file was passed to them.

 

If you'd like to assist the Grimmer family, you can also sign this petition - addressed to Attorney General Speakman - to help in the fight to find justice for Cheryl.

 

The BBC Sounds podcast Fairy Meadow, hosted by Jon Kay, can be found here.

 

There is a $1 Million dollar reward from NSW Police for information about Cheryl’s abduction and murder.

 

 

CREDITS:

 

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram here

 

Guest: Damian Loone

 

Producer/Editor: Lachie Flannigan

 

Executive Producer: Jacqueline Tonks

 

GET IN TOUCH:

 

Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast

 

Email the show at hello@australiantruecrimepodcast.com


For those drawn to the shadows that linger just beyond the backyard fence, Australian True Crime offers a compelling and often unsettling exploration. Hosted by Meshel Laurie, whose genuine fascination with the genre drives every conversation, this podcast delves into the stories that unfold in the very streets and suburbs we think we know. It moves beyond the headlines to examine the intricate, human details of cases that have shocked the nation. Laurie’s approach is characterised by thorough research and a commitment to presenting multiple perspectives. Each episode is built around interviews with a range of voices, including journalists who have covered the cases, investigators who worked the scenes, and at times, the victim survivors or even perpetrators themselves. This method provides a multi-faceted view, probing the underbelly of Australian communities to uncover the complex realities behind the crime. Listening to this podcast feels like sitting down for a deep, sometimes difficult, but always engrossing discussion about the darker threads woven into the fabric of Australian life. It’s for anyone who understands that true crime is, at its core, about people and place, and that the most mysterious tales are often those closest to home.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 100

Australian True Crime
Podcast Episodes
Shortcut: The Inner Worlds of Violent Offenders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:55
This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. Content warning: this conversation includes discussion of child sexual abuse. Support…
The Inner Worlds of Violent Offenders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:03
Content warning: this conversation includes discussion of child sexual abuse. Support services can be found further down in these show notes. Pamela Nathan is a clinical and forensic psychologist with more than 40 years’…
The Real Dog Day Afternoon - ATC International [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:02
In this episode of ATC International, we're going to the movies. We're looking at the real story behind the 1995 classic film, Dog Day Afternoon, starring Al Pacino. It's known as a classic heist flick. But the true stor…
Shortcut: Forgotten Bombs: The Other Bali Bombings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:47
This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. In 2005, three bombs exploded in Bali, with two at Jimbaran Bay and a third in Kuta,…
Forgotten Bombs: The Other Bali Bombings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:08
In 2005, three bombs exploded in Bali, with two at Jimbaran Bay and a third in Kuta, killing and injuring civilians in an attack that once again targeted popular tourist areas. The attack came just three years after the…
Neil Mitchell’s Life in Crime [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:13
Neil Mitchell is a legendary Australian broadcaster and journalist who became one of the youngest editors of an Australian newspaper in 1985 at The Herald. He went on to write for The Age before beginning his extraordina…
The Yosemite Serial Killer (With a Twist) - ATC International [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:42
This week for ATC International, we travel back to 1999, when the locals of the Yosemite Valley were being terrorised by a serial killer with an exceeding brutality. Between the months of February and July, Carole Sund,…