Inside The World Of A Crime Scene Cleaner
5/13/202642 min
What happens after police leave a crime scene? For six years, Donna Nayler was the person called in to deal with what remained.
Wearing full protective gear, she cleaned some of the country’s most confronting scenes, from murders and domestic violence cases to homes where bodies had gone undiscovered for weeks.
Donna reveals the harsh realities that come with a job few people ever think about and the unseen work done behind closed doors.
LINKS
You can find Donna's book, Bloodstains and Ball Gowns, here.
If you’re experiencing family and domestic violence, Safe Steps provides immediate and confidential assistance. Find out more here.
If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
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CREDITS
Guest: Donna Nayler
Host: Gemma Bath
Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman
Group Executive Producer: Ilaria Brophy
Video Editor: Julian Rosario
Audio Engineer: Tegan Sadler
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsGemma Bath· Host0:00
[gentle music] A warning before we begin. In this episode, Donna describes several crime scenes in graphic detail. The conversation includes references to domestic violence, suicide, and the death of a child. Please listen with care. [car whirring] [suspenseful music] Donna Naylor pulls up in front of a house in Ballina, just below the New South Wales-Queensland border. The first thing she sees is a bloody handprint on the front door. Sheets and doona covers have been plastered on the windows to stop the outside world looking in. [door closing] "If you feel unsafe at any time, I want you to call the police," [paper rustling] the officer who lets her in says. She enters, and as soon as her eyes focus on the hallway, she feels a gasp of horror rising in her throat. It looks like five liters of red paint has been thrown down it. Smears made by hands can be seen all along the walls. It's blood, endless amounts of blood. She soon discovers it in every room of the house. In the bedroom, a wooden bed frame lies in pieces on the floor. In the skirting board next to it, a gaping hole. This is a murder scene, one of the worst Donna has ever seen,