Introducing...The Lab Detective

About this episode

<p>Introducing...The Lab Detective</p><br><p>Kathleen Folbigg experienced unimaginable&nbsp;loss. All four of her infant&nbsp;children died suddenly, over a 10-year period. Their deaths were unexplained. Until a police detective turned up at her door, and arrested Kathleen on suspicion of murder.&nbsp;</p><br><p>She was labelled ‘Australia's worst female serial killer’, convicted, and was destined to spend most of the rest of her life in jail.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Until a different type of detective entered her life. A scientist working in a lab who uncovered the truth behind the deaths.&nbsp;</p><br><p>This is the story of a&nbsp;shocking miscarriage of justice, but as journalist Rachel Sylvester starts to investigate how this happened, she learns that Kathleen is not alone – other mothers have endured the same fate, and may also be in prison.&nbsp;</p><br><p>The Lab Detective is a story about the power of science, and the determination of those searching for the truth.</p><br><p>The full series is available to listen now. </p><br><p>Reporters: Rachel Sylvester&nbsp;</p><p>Producer: Gary Marshall</p><p>Executive editor: Basia Cummings&nbsp;</p><p>Music supervisor: Karla Patella&nbsp;</p><p>Sound design: Rowan Bishop&nbsp;</p><p>Artwork: Lola Williams&nbsp;</p><p>Fact checking: Ada Barume and Madeline Parr</p><br><p><em>Our thanks to&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/news/2025-04-28_science-uncovered-the-truth-of-why-my-children-died-and-set-me-free" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Francis Crick Institute</a><em>&nbsp;for sharing recordings and insights.</em></p><p><em>Watch a&nbsp;</em><a href="http://www.crick.ac.uk/genomics-video" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">short documentary</a><em>&nbsp;on the genomics team behind Kathleen Folbigg's case filmed at the Crick</em></p><br><p>To find out more about The Observer:</p><br><p>Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content</p><p>Head to our website&nbsp;<a href="http://observer.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">observer.co.uk</a>&nbsp;</p><p>Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists</p><p>If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hello@tortoisemedia.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hello@tortoisemedia.com</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>