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The Witch of Walcha Episode: Show Notes
Welcome to the podcast where we explore greed, wrath, and envy, and how these play into stories of contested wills and property inheritance! Here on the 3 Deadly Sins Podcast, we will be bringing you stories from New South Wales, Australia, and beyond, looking at small cases as well as some dealing with high-profile celebrities. Today's show deals with a case of murder and an inheritance involving Mathew Dunbar and Natasha Darcy, who was dubbed The Witch of Walcha. This case is an extreme example of the blindness of love, and how conniving desires for wealth and property can drive people to violent, drastic, and stupid measures! Mathew Dunbar was the owner of Pandora, a farm worth over $3 million, and his supposed romance and cohabitation with Natasha Darcy led to his murder, as she plotted to gain control over the estate. We talk about the prior brushes that Natasha had with the law, including jail time, and the extensive research that she did into methods for a murder that proved to be her downfall. After she was convicted, the judge underlined her continual focus on finding ways to kill a person, available through her internet searches, as the main signifier of her guilt. To hear all about this baffling situation and the disturbing actions of the Witch of Walcha, join us for the show! Trigger warning: Please be aware that this episode deals with themes and details of suicide and murder.
Key Points From This Episode:
• How Mathew Dunbar and Natasha Darcy met, and the courtship that led to them moving in together.
• Natasha Darcy's history of attempted scams and investigations into poison and bodily harm.
• How Natasha Darcy attempted to kill her first husband by drugging him and setting their property on fire.
• The conviction that Natasha Darcy received; reckless damage instead of attempted murder.
• The pressure that Natasha Darcy exerted on Mathew Dunbar regarding the arrangement of his will.
• Internet research that Natasha Darcy conducted into human physiology, death, and police jurisdiction.
• The events that led up to Mathew Dunbar's death and information that Natasha Darcy fabricated.
• Police interest in Natasha Darcy that arose before Mathew Dunbar was killed.
• The claims Natasha Darcy made about Mathew Dunbar's sexual orientation to the police.
• Natasha Darcy's capture and conviction, and her inability to stick to her story.
• The judge's ruling and statement at the trial condemning Natasha Darcy and her actions.
Tweetables:
“He was a man without any obvious heirs, and he owned a property known to be worth more than 3 million. All he wanted was a family to surround him on his sheep farm, and to live out his life working hard.” — Leah Sewell [0:02:18]
“She was convicted in 2012 and sentenced to serve a minimum 9 months in jail. In 2015 Darcy was sent to jail again for stealing a former boyfriend's credit card.” — Leah Sewell [0:07:26]
“Darcy's internet searches became more direct. She searched things like, 'how to commit murder,' murder by injection,' and '99 undetectable poisons.'” — Leah Sewell [0:17:05]
“Of course, Darcy will not inherit the property, as she has been found guilty of murder, so forfeits any entitlement under the will.'” — Leah Sewell [0:25:00]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Case References R v Darcy [No 9] 2022 NSWSC 135
Lifeline — 131114
