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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National

Four deaths, two inquiries, 20 years in jail: timeline of Kathleen Folbigg's case

Kathleen Folbigg.

A TIMELINE OF MAJOR EVENTS IN KATHLEEN FOLBIGG'S LIFE:

* JUNE 14, 1967 - Kathleen Megan Donovan (later Ms Folbigg) is born

* JANUARY 8, 1969 - Ms Folbigg's mother murdered by her father

* 1987 - Ms Folbigg marries Craig Folbigg

* FEBRUARY 20, 1989 - Caleb Folbigg dies aged 19 days

* FEBRUARY 13, 1991 - Patrick Folbigg dies aged eight months

* AUGUST 30, 1993 - Sarah Folbigg dies aged 10 months

* MARCH 1, 1999 - Laura Folbigg dies, aged 18 months

* OCTOBER 24, 2003 - Ms Folbigg sentenced to 40 years in prison for murder, non-parole period is 30 years. Later reduced on appeal to 30 years, with a minimum of 25 years

* SEPTEMBER 2, 2005 - High Court refuses to grant special leave to appeal

* JUNE 10, 2015 - NSW governor David Hurley receives petition for review of convictions based on forensic pathology findings

* OCTOBER 28, 2018 - Former judge Reginald Blanch begins hearing inquiry into convictions

* MAY 2019 - An international medical registry reports that two US children have died of the mutation found in Sarah and Laura

* JULY 2019 - Blanch inquiry finds no reasonable doubt to Ms Folbigg's convictions - validation of Folbigg mutation could not be completed before end of inquiry

* OCTOBER 2019 - Ms Folbigg's lawyers apply for judicial review of the Blanch inquiry

* NOVEMBER 2020 - Likely role of CALM2 mutation in Sarah and Laura's death confirmed in world-leading study

* MARCH 3, 2021 - Scientists' petition for Ms Folbigg's pardon sent to NSW Governor Margaret Beazley

* MARCH 24, 2021 - NSW Court of Appeal dismisses challenge to Blanch inquiry, stating the conclusion was not at odds with the scientific evidence

* MAY 2022 - NSW governor orders second inquiry into Ms Folbigg's convictions, to be headed by former NSW chief justice Tom Bathurst KC, to look at evidence of a genetic variant, among other things

* NOVEMBER 14, 2022 - the first public hearing block in the second inquiry begins, with evidence from cardiac and genetic experts

* FEBRUARY 13, 2023 - the second public hearing block in the inquiry hears the rest of the cardiac and genetic evidence, as well as evidence relevant to Ms Folbigg's diaries

* APRIL 2023 - Findings to be made at a later date after closing submissions were delivered in the inquiry, with the counsel assisting concluding the evidence gives rise to a reasonable doubt as to Ms Folbigg's guilt over the deaths of her four children

* JUNE 5, 2023 - Ms Folbigg is pardoned, the NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley announces, sensationally ending her 20-year incarceration, after a memorandum was receieved from Mr Bathurst before his final report

- With Australian Associated Press

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