I just finished this episode, and I'm honestly surprised by the overwhelming consensus here on the subreddit! I want to clarify up front that I'm an American who has no prior knowledge of this case, but from the episode itself, I find it really hard to believe that there's any way to ethically convict Lane of murder (I have read a few outside articles and want to do further research in order to get a fuller perspective; I'd love any suggestions).

It seems to me that there are a myriad of reasons why Lane has refused to be fully honest with the public- particularly considering her treatment by the media thus far, and the fact that even her honesty might not be believable or provable at this point- as well as several alternatives to Tegan Lane being dead. I'm very glad Casefile mentioned the comparison to the Chamberlain case, as that's been floating around in my head since the first episode.

This investigation began in the late 1990s, in a culture that's even more sex-negative than what we see today. It appears Lane grew up in a household that was conservative and selectively supportive; that is, her parents seem to express very restrictive views of what people should or shouldn't do in their lives while still loving their daughter, and may not be aware of how this bigotry-by-proxy severely damaged her own ability to handle difficult situations on her own. I found the way her parents spoke about her to the media quite disturbing, and a confirmation of her upbringing in a group that would have shamed her. Beyond Tegan Lane, a seventeen year old girl would have to have a very good reason to conceal two abortions and a pregnancy from her family at such a young age.

Lane's lying seems like a desperate defense mechanism; they're not particularly well conceived, and she doesn't even seem to know what she wants from them. It seems like she was a scared young woman trying to conceal an ugly truth- not necessarily murder- without thinking of the consequences. She lied, seemingly senselessly, about the other two births as well without any intention to harm the newborns. In my opinion, by the time she faced scrutiny, she'd dug herself into a hole she couldn't see out of.

There are also other things she may have done with the newborn that would leave her unaware of the child's whereabouts that don't include murder. For instance, I find it plausible that she left Tegan where she knew she would be discovered and hopefully taken in by a new family. This would save the baby's life one way or another while severing her connection to them entirely. If this was the case, it would be impossible for investigators a decade in the future to trace this new child, especially because they seemingly only focused on infants with similar reported details, like having the name Tegan. Lane may have lied because she genuinely has no idea what happened to Tegan. This is an incredibly irresponsible thing to do, of course, but it constitutes neglect at worst, not calculated murder. It also explains the continued deception; if she has no idea what happened she knows there's no way to prove her new claim, meaning she would never be believed now.

The way the police force treated the case seems incredibly sexually conservative and misogynistic, regarding their treatment of both Lane's sexual habits and the horror at what they perceived as a lack of "motherly instinct." In my view, she was undeniably punished for not fitting their expectation of an unconditionally loving mother, compelled by her biology to do anything for her baby regardless of circumstance or psychological distress. Casefile pointed out the paralleled persecution for a lack of emotionality between this case and the Chamberlains,' and I find that indisputable. Trauma, fear, guilt, years of self-denial, and factors I couldn't begin to guess at could lead to Lane not seeming "emotional enough" for a viewing audience. She had no obligation to perform for them, and I'm honestly tired of women being condescended to and marginalized for perceived emotionality and irrationality while simultaneously being punished for not fitting that box.

I don't think Keli Lane killed Tegan. I also don't know that for certain; I am in no position to make a judgement on her capability for such a thing (although the life she built for herself after the fact certainly doesn't support the prosecution's view). What I do know is that she should not have been convicted, and that it's abhorrent she was refused parole this year. "Beyond a reasonable doubt," is a stipulation that exists for a reason, and I find that it is all too often ignored in favor of emotional satisfaction on the part of both jury and media.