06 What Became of Jack? | Duke Speaks
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Sarah Konoski here. Each and every crime has a story behind it. I was asleep and then I felt this really intense burning. On Conversations, I've met ex-criminals, detectives, crime reporters, victims of crime and the wrongfully accused. More grenades start coming in and then I hear from a loudspeaker that it's the police. Search for the Conversations True Crime Collection on the ABC Listen app. ABC Listen. Podcasts, radio, news, music and more. Just before we start, this episode contains some strong language.
In the initial days after Jack disappeared, his mum was desperate for any clue at all about what had happened and where he was. The obvious place to start was to ask the last person to see Jack alive. The man who'd been with him that whole afternoon and evening. his workmate, Chris Duke. And at the start, Chris seemed happy to chat. He spoke with Jack's mum on the phone at least three or four times. But soon, he stopped answering the phone. And before long, rumours started swirling in the community about Chris's drug use, his criminal record and his possible involvement in Jack's disappearance. Jack's mum and his dad, Ross, became suspicious of Chris. ross stewed on the things he'd heard and the fact that chris was avoiding speaking with him and kelly chris was the last known person with his son chris was supposedly the one that helped get drugs that night so ross decided to call him again and this time chris picked
up i rang him up and said chris to begin with chris didn't say anything and i went chris And he said, who have I got? And I told him who it was. I said, it's Jack McLennan's father, Ross.
Now that Ross had got through to Chris, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity. Ross didn't know what happened that night. All he knew for sure was that Chris was there. So he decided now was his opportunity to put the worst to him. And he was going
to come in hard. And I immediately said, you murdered my son. And then there was just silence. And I mentioned that I'm gonna find you and I'm gonna skin you alive.
Ross told Chris to remember his voice and that he was gonna come find him. Still
silence. That was the end of the phone call. I had nothing more to say. But Ross didn't leave it there and he called Chris one more time. And when I rang up, I said, Chris, it's Ross McClone. How are you, mate? I said, don't call me that. Don't call me that. My son called you that, and look what you've done. Ross accused him again of being involved in Jack's death. This is the only time he spoke, and he said, I don't know where he is. So I said once again, well, we've heard differently, and... When I find you, I'm gonna beat on you like a drum.
Since Jack disappeared more than a year ago, Chris Duke's been one of the most central characters in this story. He's been tied up in countless rumors about what happened on Jack's last known night. He's been accused of everything from not talking enough to lying when he does, of pushing Jack to do drugs, and maybe putting him in a dangerous situation. He's been accused of covering up for someone else or maybe even killing Jack himself. What's clear is that Chris likely spent more time with Jack on the night he disappeared than anyone else. But he's never spoken publicly about the details of what happened that night. We've never heard his side of the story. So now I really want to ask him, what happened on the last night Jack was seen alive?
I'm Rob Bergen, and this is what became of Jack the later season of Unravel. It's taken almost a year to get Chris Duke to agree to meet with me, and even longer to get him to agree to a recorded interview. The spot where he and I have organised to speak, it's out the front of a school. It's school holidays and a Saturday, so it's pretty quiet. I get there early and just kind of sit there thinking about how far this investigation's come, how much of it revolves around Chris and whether he'll actually turn up. Alrighty, so what I'm feeling right now is probably a duty, a responsibility. And I know this probably comes from being a sports reporter and quite a logically minded person rather than a dramatic presenter.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–7:41
2
What led Ross to confront Chris Duke about Jack’s disappearance?
7:41–20:53
3
How did Chris Duke finally agree to sit down for a recorded interview?
20:53–40:35
4
What role did drugs and meth play in the events of the night Jack vanished?
40:35–44:54