The Widow of Walcha: A True Story of Love, Lies and Murder in a Small Country Town

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Emma Partridge

The Widow of Walcha

A True Story of Love, Lies and Murder in a Small Country Town

Emma Partridge

$34.99

Paperback

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English

Simon & Schuster
04 May 2022

Biography; True crime

The Widow of Walcha is a shocking true story of love, lies and murder in the small NSW town of Walcha.

All farmer Mathew Dunbar ever wanted was to find love and have a family of his own. That's why the much-loved grazier didn't hesitate to sign over his multi-million-dollar estate to his partner, Natasha Darcy, just months after meeting her.

'Don't forget you need to change your will', 46-year-old Natasha texted Mathew.

After ensuring she was the sole beneficiary of his estate, Darcy adopted a false name to source animal sedatives, which were later blended with a cocktail of drugs before she gassed the 42-year-old with a canister of helium on his property, Pandora.

In a 'stranger-than-fiction' twist, Natasha's estranged husband - who she was once charged with trying to kill - was the first paramedic on the scene after the murder.

Police later uncovered hundreds of Google searches made by Natasha in the lead-up to Mathew's death, including 'toxic wild plants that look like food' and 'the science of getting away with murder'.

Following a two-month trial in the NSW Supreme Court, a jury found Natasha guilty of murdering Mathew in June 2021. In February 2022, Natasha was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment with a minimum release date of 2047.

Journalist and author Emma Partridge travelled to the cool and misty town of Walcha in the Northern Tablelands of NSW in the months after Mathew Dunbar's death, drawn by the town's collective worry Natasha was going to get away with murder. Partridge spent months researching the case, interviewing Mathew's friends, family and Natasha herself in an attempt to uncover her sickening web of lies and crimes.

The Widow of Walcha is about one of the most extraordinary criminal trials in Australia's history and reveals Natasha's sickening crimes against other partners, fuelled by her obsession with money.

By: Emma Partridge
Imprint: Simon & Schuster
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781760859428
ISBN 10: 1760859427
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 04 May 2022
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Emma Partridge, has been covering crime for various media for many years and is now the Senior Crime Editor at Nine News.

Reviews for The Widow of Walcha: A True Story of Love, Lies and Murder in a Small Country Town

'Emma Partridge's account of the trial of the Widow of Walcha is as gripping as a novel ... an Australian true crime story containing many of the elements of a fictional crime novel: bizarre murder, suicide, theft, bribery, blackmail, love, hate, drugs, co-incidence, change of a will and lies.' * Canberra Times * 'This was wild ... [Emma Partridge] has done an amazing job here, travelling to Walcha and speaking to so many people, fleshing out history, trying to track down people from Natasha’s past and sort the truth from the lies ... Highly, highly recommended.' * 1 Girl ... 2 Many Books * '5 stars ... one of the best Australian true crime accounts I've ever read!' * Carpe Librum *