The wife of Outback Wrangler Matt Wright has spoken out about the 'OJ Simpson-like' frenzy over her husband's arrest, life as a single mother while her husband spent months in jail, and the quest for the truth about the fatal helicopter crash that killed Chris 'Willow' Wilson.
The Airport Frenzy
Kaia Wright described a harrowing scene at Sydney Airport in November 2022, when she was holding her 10-day-old newborn Dusty as media crews swarmed them. 'It was like an OJ Simpson on the run countdown. It was insane,' she said. The family had received notice from lawyers that Northern Territory police had issued a warrant for Matt's arrest. They quietly flew from the Gold Coast to Sydney, but the media knew their plans. 'We were completely accosted at the airport, camera shoved in our face,' Kaia recalled. 'I look bewildered in that photo.'
Matt boarded a flight to Darwin to hand himself in, while Kaia collapsed crying at the airport. 'I was sitting there with our newborn baby, shit everywhere,' she said. That moment kicked off 'four years of relentless media articles, false things being written, false allegations.'
A Witch Hunt
Kaia said her husband had been the subject of a witch hunt. 'It never felt like truth seeking, it never felt fair, it never felt two-sided, and for four years Matt has been falsely tied to Willow's death and it's just not true,' she said. The family received death threats and horrific messages online. 'If you're a person of public interest, people love a fall from grace story,' Kaia added.
Unanswered Questions
Kaia wants the NT Police to explain why their investigation didn't find the cause of the crash. The ATSB report found the helicopter likely crashed due to fuel exhaustion, but no one has been charged in relation to the crash itself. 'I just want an answer from the police. Just a 'why',' she said. 'Where did your investigation get to? Why did you stop?'
She noted that police did not attend the crash site on the day. Rumors circulated that Matt tampered with the helicopter or drained fuel. 'It's crazy, the misinformation is crazy,' Kaia said. 'The number of people that thought Matt was responsible, they thought Matt was flying.'
The Personal Ordeal
Sitting through the highly publicized trial was 'really tough,' Kaia said. 'You could feel the tension in the room, people hating Matt and cheering when he was convicted.' She was pregnant during the trial and gave birth to their third child, Sterling, just hours before Matt was released from jail. 'I don't regret telling the kids the truth about where Dad was,' she said. 'Going to visit Matt in jail with your kids is not something I ever pictured.'
There were 'very dark days,' especially when the Corrections Commissioner revoked Matt's early release multiple times. 'The goalposts can be changed because of 'discretionary powers'. There needs to be better checks and balances,' Kaia said.
The Fight Continues
Wright is appealing his convictions for attempting to pervert the course of justice, and is involved in several civil lawsuits. Kaia said the family won't stop fighting for the truth. 'We don't want a pity party, we are speaking out because we want the answers,' she said. 'But slowly each day there's a sense of normalcy coming back.' She joked that on Matt's second day home, hearing their daughter call out for him felt normal again.
