Why ‘no body, no parole’ laws were never meant for Keli Lane
Something about Keli Lane’s continued imprisonment sits uncomfortably with me.
I covered this case from the very beginning – from the moment we first heard about the three secret pregnancies, the star water polo player, and missing baby Tegan, through to the coronial inquest in 2005 and murder trial in 2010.
Keli Lane’s daughter was only nine years old when her mother was convicted in December 2010, found guilty of the murder of two-day-old Tegan. Nine
My mind often turns to her other daughter – born five years after Tegan – who was nine when Lane dropped her to school, gave her a kiss, and told her she’d see her that night.
That day – December 13, 2010 – Lane was convicted.
A jury returned a majority 11-to-1 verdict, finding Lane guilty of murdering her two-day-old daughter, Tegan, in September 1996.
Lane never made it home that evening, and her other daughter, now 25, has been waiting 16 years for her mum to come home.
When we hear “convicted baby killer”, there are immediately – and understandably – a whole lot of emotions that come up.
There are two stories as to what happened the day Lane left hospital back in 1996.
Despite there being no body, witnesses, or evidence, the jury decided Lane murdered her baby, but that’s not the story she has told consistently since first being interviewed by police.
Ally Langdon covered this Keli Lane case from the very beginning Nine
She says she gave Tegan to her natural father, Andrew Norris or Morris, and his partner, Mel.
I often find myself wondering about her state of mind at that moment. Lane was 21 years old.
She gave birth to Tegan on her own, in secret, with no support system around her.
And if I am being completely honest – though I know many will disagree – I feel a profound sense of compassion for the young woman trapped in that desperate situation.
Keli Lane’s daughter says she is the forgotten victim of this case. A Current Affair
Lane was first offered immunity back in 2005 at the inquest into Tegan’s disappearance, where the coroner ruled the baby was likely dead.
All she had to do was confess to killing her newborn and she wouldn’t be charged; she wouldn’t spend a night in jail.
Yet Lane has steadfastly stood by her story.
Regardless of whether you think she is guilty or not, Lane has served her minimum sentence of 13-and-a-half years.
Because she won’t – or can’t – say where Tegan’s body is, she can’t be released from prison until December 2028 under NSW’s laws.
I’m not against these laws – I think they’re important in most cases.
But I personally don’t believe these laws were intended for someone like Lane.
Typically, when I cover stories about parole, I am interviewing families fighting desperately to keep dangerous perpetrators behind bars.
But Lane is not a risk to the community.
Back in June 2024, I spoke extensively to Justice Anthony Whealy about Lane’s case.
He was the presiding judge and sentenced Lane in 2011. This was his final case before retiring from the bench, and it has always sat uncomfortably with him.
“It had a very profound effect on me, and I felt that I could not do or undertake a criminal trial again, and I did not,” he told me.
He was adamant that the “no body, no parole” laws weren’t intended for someone like Lane and went as far to say she should no longer be in jail.
I remember at the time being surprised by how forthright and strong he was on this.
Ally Langdon and Patrick Cogan, the partner of Keli Lane. A Current Affair
“I feel sorry for her in this no-parole, no-body situation, because she’s served a sentence,” he explained.
“It was a long sentence, nearly 14 years, in prison in very difficult circumstances.
“She had to give up her child.
“She had another child who was growing up when she went to prison, and that child has really never known her mother.
“So, yes, I feel sorry for her in that sense, but I feel sorry for her particularly because I believe that had this law not been passed, then she would be back in the community where she belongs.”
By all accounts, Lane has been a model inmate and has done everything right in jail.
She started a literacy program for Indigenous and international inmates, helping women with visa paperwork and helping mothers navigate child protection services to get visitation with their children.
There is no one campaigning to keep Lane locked up.
Keli Lane was sentenced to a maximum of 18 years in jail. A Current Affair
But because of this law – which in most cases is a good thing – she remains in jail.
At the heart of this tragedy is a family running out of time.
Lane’s elderly parents, Robert and Sandra, desperately want to see their daughter come home before they pass away.
And then there is her daughter, now 25, who has spent nearly 16 years waiting for her mum to come home.
If for no other reason than for her daughter – it’s time for Lane to be released.
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