'Thou shalt not kill, I have sinned': Jury hears alleged parent murder confession

Alleged parent killer Raelene Polymiadis captured 'confessing' to murders, jury told Wed 17 Jun 2026 at 5:12pm In short: Police allegedly captured accused murderer Raelene Polymiadis on listening devices confessing to killing her mother and father. The 65-year-old is standing trial after pleading not guilty to murdering Brenda and Lynton Anderson 14 months apart. What's next? The trial is expected to continue for three months. Accused murderer Raelene Polymiadis was allegedly captured on police listening devices confessing to killing her elderly parents, a court has heard. Ms Polymiadis, 65, of Craigmore, is standing trial in South Australia's Supreme Court, accused of murdering her parents 14 months apart in 2022 and 2023. Brenda and Lynton Anderson were both aged 94 at the time of their deaths. The 14-person jury was previously told Ms Polymiadis, who is a type 1 diabetic, allegedly injected and killed her parents with fatal doses of insulin. Neither Mrs nor Mr Anderson were diabetic. On Monday, prosecutor Michael Foundas told the jury that listening devices captured Ms Polymiadis making alleged confessions after her parents died, in June 2023. "On the prosecution case, that listening device captured the accused, Ms Polymiadis, alone in her car praying to God on two separate occasions," he said. "In the course of those prayers, on each of those two occasions, on the prosecution case, she confesses to God to killing both of her parents." Mr Foundas told the jury Ms Polymiadis said: "Please Lord you know, yes I have sinned, I have, thou shalt not kill, I have sinned". "I have sinned twice, I have sinned twice in my life, and I hate it, but I also know, I also know, I also know with your blessing Lord that they did not want to go to a nursing home, that was their wish," he recounted to the jury. Mr Foundas said one of the alleged confessions was captured on June 20, 2023, while Ms Polymiadis was on her way to an interview with a Major Crime detective from SA Police. "What is captured on the listening device in the car on that day, in addition to her confession to God, is her praying to God for strength to show emotion where I need and to stop me with that tongue from running off at the mouth," he told the jury. "In the course of those admissions, Ms Polymiadis speaks in tongues. A phenomenon also known as glossolalia." Mr Foundas said a linguistic expert would give evidence about what Ms Polymiadis said. Police interview was 'planned and curated' He also told the jury that notes found in Ms Polymiadis's car allegedly showed that the 65-year-old gave "a clearly contrived account, including contrived emotions" to police. "During a search of her house and car, police locate, amongst other things, a set of notes written by her with what she should be saying to police when she spoke to them," Mr Foundas said. "On the prosecution case, it reveals that what she told police in that interview was planned and curated. "In at least one of those notes, Ms Polymiadis has written to herself 'sob here' and that corresponds with a point in the interview where Ms Polymiadis commences sobbing." Marie Shaw KC, defence counsel for Ms Polymiadis, told the jury that the context of the alleged confession would be an issue arising in the trial. She said that, after the alleged confession, Ms Polymiadis said: "I was thinking God they got into my stuff and it's all my fault. They said it happens all the time with old people not wanting to go into nursing homes". "The issue about the alleged confession is; was my client admitting she was responsible for the deaths or was she telling her God she felt responsible for their deaths because if they died of insulin administration, they must have accessed her insulin?" Ms Shaw questioned. The trial continues.