Rachelle Childs podcast reaches 3 million downloads as petition for police reward increase grows
And her sister is not stopping in her quest for justice, as a petition to increase the reward to $500,000 to find her killer is gathering momentum online.
Rachelle's sister Kristy, who launched the Change.org petition told signatories: 'This is a personal plea to increase the reward for information leading to a conviction in her case to $500,000. It's been over two decades since we lost Rachelle and justice has yet to be served.'
She told this masthead: 'We haven't achieved a raise in the reward yet, despite campaigning for years.
'We feel an increase in the reward is justified and warranted.'
Kristy said they feel the reward increase 'may help to encourage the public to come forward with perhaps some information that they have held back for personal reasons'.
'We also think that considering other cases with rewards of $500,000, $750,000 and even $1 million, Rachelle's case having a $200,000 reward is not equitable or fair.'
The petition comes as the Dear Rachelle podcast has dominated the podcast charts in Australia and has ranked highly in the UK and New Zealand, as it reinvestigates evidence from the cold case with the help of Rachelle's family and ex-detectives.
LISTEN TO THE DEAR RACHELLE PODCAST BELOW:
When hearing the news of the podcast reaching three million downloads, Kristy said: 'Three million people listening to Chelle's story, talking about her case, and supporting the investigation is just mind blowing.
'We are so thankful, heartened and incredibly grateful.
'We just hope that all this incredible hard work and support from the public leads to a conviction and a very lengthy sentence.
'That is the only reason why we are doing this.'
Rachelle, 23, was murdered, set on fire and left on the side of a lonely highway near Gerroa, on the NSW south coast, in June 2001.
There was a lengthy police investigation at the time, but it was marred with incompetence and ultimately failed to identify the killer.
As a result, Rachelle's case ended up languishing at the back of police unsolved homicide files.
The podcast team at News Corp has been working with Rachelle's family and ex-detectives to reinvestigate long-forgotten evidence, along with the alibi of the chief suspect – her former boss Kevin Steven Correll, who has consistently denied murdering Rachelle and has never been charged. He says that he has always co-operated with police by supplying his DNA and answering all their questions.
Mr Correll and Rachelle sold used cars at Camden Holden when she died. What Rachelle and the rest of the community probably didn't know was that he was previously acquitted of four sexual assaults under his birth name, Kevin Cornwall.
Past allegations aside, it's possible Mr Correll was one of the last people to see Rachelle alive when she left work for the last time on June 7, before she died.Later that night, a number of motorists saw a car that matched the description of Rachelle's prized Commodore along the highway between her home in Bargo and Gerroa, where her body was uncovered.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
31 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘Better luck next time': Taggers flee police after spraying train
A pair of vandals has been caught on video chasing down a train, spray-painting one of its carriages, and then fleeing from police by scaling a fence. The footage, which has circulated widely on social media, has prompted a police investigation. The video, filmed by a passenger on board the train, was uploaded to social media pages under the name Logan Graffiti, titled: 'Better luck next time.' It shows two individuals, their faces covered and carrying what appear to be spray paint cans, running alongside the moving train. Both can be seen glancing over their shoulders as they sprint. When the train comes to a stop, one of the pair tags the side of a carriage while also appearing to film the act on their phone. Moments later, the duo scrambles over a fence as three police officers arrive in pursuit. The officers stop short of climbing the fence. Passengers on board the train can be heard reacting to the incident, with some chanting 'trespassers, trespassers.' 'Get outa here,' one woman yells. The pair is then seen running across a road and into a nearby residential area. The Queensland Police Service has confirmed the incident and said an investigation is underway. 'Queensland Police are investigating a graffiti and trespassing incident at Newmarket last week,' a spokesperson said. 'As the train stopped, two suspects have graffitied the left side of the train, before jumping over a nearby fence upon being challenged by police. 'They then ran across Newmarket Road and fled through a number of properties.' The Logan Graffiti social media pages frequently post photos and videos of graffiti on trains, railway infrastructure, and nearby walls.

News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Charge dropped after Greens candidate injured in protest scuffle
Police have dropped one of the charges against former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas after it was found officers should not have used a rare emergency power introduced after the 2005 Cronulla riots. Ms Thomas was severely injured during a pro-Palestine protest in Sydney's southwest on June 27 that was attended by about 60 people, and left her with a bloody and battered eye. NSW Police said the protest was not authorised and attempted to disperse the group. 'Five people have been arrested following an unauthorised protest in Sydney's west this morning,' a statement at the time read. 'About 5.35am Friday, officers attached to Campsie Police Area Command attended Lakemba Street, Belmore. Police issued a move-on direction to a group of about 60 protesters, who allegedly attempted to block pedestrian access to the business. 'A 26-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were subsequently arrested after allegedly failing to comply with the direction. During the 35-year-old woman's arrest, she sustained facial injuries and was taken to Bankstown Hospital for treatment.' Ms Thomas shared a picture of a swollen eye and streaks of blood rushing down her cheek, revealing she may lose her right eye after a second round of surgery, which she will undergo this week. Last week, Ms Thomas was charged with resisting arrest and refusing or failing to comply with a direction to disperse. Four others were also charged with a variety of offences. 'As police attempted to arrest the protesters who were not complying with the directions, a scuffle ensued between police and protesters,' a police statement read. Ms Thomas was additionally charged with a rarely used emergency anti-riot power under 6A of the Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act (LEPRA). The powers are in place to deal with 'large-scale public disorder', were introduced after the 2005 Cronulla riots and must be signed off by senior officers. On Monday afternoon, Assistant Commissioner Brett McFadden confirmed police had dropped the charge after reviewing the incident. He said 'police will seek to withdraw the alternative charge' at the next court appearance. Following the incident last month, Ms Thomas said she may lose her vision permanently and blamed 'draconian anti-protest laws' brought in by the Minns government. 'I don't want to get into too much detail about the traumatic events on Friday, but I'm five foot one, I weigh about 45kg, I was engaged in peaceful protest, and my interactions with NSW Police have left me potentially without vision in my right eye permanently,' she said in a clip shared by MP Sue Higginson. She is set to face Bankstown Local Court on August 12.


7NEWS
2 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Why the next 28 days are crucial for Erin Patterson after being found guilty of killing three people in mushroom murder
Erin Patterson has just 28 days to launch an appeal against her conviction after a jury found her guilty on three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in a Victorian court on Monday. Patterson's estranged husband Simon's parents, Don and Gail Patterson, 70, and aunt Heather Wilkinson, 66, all died in hospital days after Patterson served them beef wellington laced with death cap mushrooms in July 2023. Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson also fell seriously ill from the deadly lunch but survived. The jury's guilty verdicts came after seven days' deliberation at the end of an 11-week trial in the Victorian town of Morwell, in the LaTrobe Valley. Following the verdict, Patterson was transferred back to Melbourne's Dame Phyllis Frost Centre where it is believed she is being held in protective custody. On Sunrise on Tuesday, criminal defence lawyer Ruth Parker and former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina spoke about a possible appeal from the convicted murderer. 'Technically the rule is that you have 28 days to appeal your conviction. But, realistically, the court will grant leave to appeal out of time for such big cases, where there is so much evidence and transcript,' Parker told hosts Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington. 'Ultimately, I think that if she has the option to appeal she will.' Both Parker and Bezzina said Patterson was looking at a significant sentence. 'We haven't seen a case like this where there have been three people killed at the same time, in circumstances such as these, where they haven't gotten life (in prison),' Parker said. 'The issue will be whether she gets a parole period or non-parole period. 'I think there's a way to go with this one. She can definitely appeal out of time. The focus for her lawyers will be trying to get her the least possible sentence.' Bezzina said life in prison would be difficult for Patterson. 'It would be quite difficult, the fact of being segregated. There is code in the prison system about attacking or causing harm to children and the elderly. So, ultimately, she's not going to do her time easy,' Bezzina said. 'I think given the fact one murder count carries life imprisonment, I would expect the three life imprisonments, possibly with a very high parole date. 'She'll get parole. I would be very surprised if she gets life with no parole. I think parole will be set. 'The judge will have to take into account her whole circumstances when she gives their plea material and how she will be undergoing sentence. 'It will be a difficult time for her. 'That's a long time she will be suffering in jail. So, ultimately, we will be interested to see what the Justice comes back with.' Patterson on the stand Parker said while it was unusual for Erin Patterson to take the stand to give evidence, in this case it was necessary. 'Unfortunately, they (the defence) were put in a position where she had clearly lied to police during her record of interview,' Parker said. 'The only way they were going to get her version across or the version that the defence were promoting was to call her, and to put these things to her. 'But it must have been a terribly stressful situation, calling your own client is always deeply uncomfortable. 'She was in the witness box for a number of days. But unfortunately, I think that that was the only choice that they had.' Evidence Bezzina praised the detective work in the case. 'They had to go with their best case possible,' Bezzina said. 'This involved a lot of medical evidence, toxicology evidence, so forth and so on and witnesses also. 'You go where the evidence takes you and we have electronic evidence, we saw them bring in the dog from the Federal Police to look for electronic devices. 'We have the phones ... ultimately, very, very significant because the police know the high burden to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt. 'This was one of the massive cases, and ultimately, they're responsible to the family and to the community of Victoria to give them answers and bring someone to justice.' Complex case Parker said she had previously thought the complex case could end in a hung jury. 'I don't think I ever really formed that view (we'd get a guilty verdict) until the verdict,' Parker said. 'It was an unusual case in the sense there were lots of conflicting accounts. 'Ultimately the jury (felt) beyond reasonable doubt on the evidence collected she was guilty of murder on three counts and attempted murder on another.'