Convicted baby killer Keli Lane will remain behind bars after her bid for freedom was denied under New South Wales’ “no body, no parole” laws.
Lane was found guilty of murdering her daughter, Tegan, in 2010, and was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years and five months in jail. She has always maintained her innocence.
Her minimum sentence will expire in May, leading the NSW State Parole Authority to consider whether she should be released.
However, the Authority said it could not allow Lane to be released, citing the no body, no parole laws introduced in the state less than two years ago.
“In circumstances where Tegan’s body has never been found, the offender’s case in respect of release to parole, has been determined solely by reference to s 135A of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999, which incorporates the ‘no body, no parole’ laws,” it said.
“The Authority is not satisfied that the offender has co-operated satisfactorily in police investigations, or other actions, to identify the location of Tegan.
“Accordingly, having regard to s 135A (2) of the Act, the Authority has concluded that it must not make a parole order directing the release of the offender.”
Lane has always maintained she didn’t kill Tegan, and tried to appeal her conviction after being found guilty. However, that appeal was dismissed.
Her full prison sentence will finish in December 2028.
The no body, no parole laws were introduced by NSW in October 2022 following Chris Dawson’s high-profile murder trial.
Dawson, who like Lane has maintained his innocence, was found guilty of killing his wife Lynette 40 years beforehand. Her body has never been found.
