A Moment In Crime

In 1992 Susan Burdett was found dead in her South Auckland home. The 39-year-old had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death with a baseball bat she kept by her bed for protection.  Susan's story was awful and tragic but would become much more so when the wrong man was convicted of her murder and jailed for more than 20 years. In this month's episode of Herald podcast A Moment In Crime senior journalist Anna Leask looks into the death of Susan Burdett and the botched police investigation that led to Teina Pora being arrested and charged a year later.  Pora, a 17-year-old petty criminal, confessed to the murder after hearing about a significant reward offered by police for information that would lead to the killer being identified.  But there was no other evidence linking Pora to the scene and his confession was jumbled, vague and changed by the minute.  Two juries went on to convict Pora before an ex-detective got involved and fought for him to be freed.  It was not until after the Privy Council quashed Pora's convictions that the real killer - serial rapist Malcolm Rewa  - was held to account. FOR MORE ON THE CASE VISIT NZHERALD.CO.NZ OR CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO ACCESS CONTENT: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/how-the-justice-system-failed-teina-pora/W4VPIZR6JDHMU4VHY7PLEBZCEI/Judge: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/judge-teina-pora-innocent-entire-crown-case-rejected/B7LVXQK7FNRUVSKLP2L6AKKIGM/ https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/serial-rapist-malcolm-rewa-jailed-for-life-for-1992-murder-of-susan-burdett/TWJNAO25RH77V2M242XXYRS2MA/?c_id=1&objectid=12216145 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/malcolm-rewa-survivors-heartbreaking-letter-i-thought-he-would-kill-me/PCCLD3DA4BFAAWCRTB4DJ7MTUA/?c_id=1&objectid=12206068 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/serial-rapist-malcolm-rewa-guilty-of-murdering-susan-burdett-in-1992/UCRYHDRG3ROT6YWRECKSORC4IM/?c_id=1&objectid=12205665 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/i-hope-to-get-justice-for-my-sister-susan-burdetts-brother-on-teina-pora-decision/HYXO4ZMD7XXL7XM7KPZBIQVONA/    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In September 2003 Helen Meads was gunned down at her Matamata home by her husband Greg.  She was shot at close range, her body found soon after by police in the stables at the property she shared with her racehorse breeder husband Greg Meads.  Meads was charged with Helen's murder and it later emerged that their marriage had been rife with domestic violence and the last fatal assault came after she announced she was leaving.  Meads denied that he meant to kill Helen. While he admitted to shooting her, he claimed it was an accident - that he went to confront her about why she was leaving him, that he took the loaded gun, that it went off by mistake. But after a high-profile High Court trial Meads was found guilty of Helen's murder. He was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 11 years before he could apply for parole. In today's episode of Herald podcast A Moment In Crime, senior journalist Anna Leask revisits Helen Meads' life, death and legacy.  In this episode you will hear about the marriage marred by abuse, violence and control; Helen's last days and the harrowing ordeal her parents endured after she died.  READ MORE: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/it-was-a-deliberate-act-i-killed-helen-after-13-years-of-untruths-and-lies-matamata-horse-breeder-admits-murdering-wife/T2AJE2JUV5V76QHRODR2234MOA/ DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - DO YOU NEED HELP? If you're in danger now: • Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.• Run outside and head for where there are other people.• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.• Take the children with you.• Don't stop to get anything else.• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay Where to go for help or more information: • Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz • Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz • Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584 • It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On February 8 1997 Stephen Lawrence Anderson gunned down six people and wounded five others during a rampage at a ski lodge just out of Raurimu in the central North Island. The tragedy remains one of the worst mass shootings in New Zealand history. In this episode, Anna Leask revisits the day of the massacre and speaks to survivors, witnesses and the cop who took down the killer. The gunman also shares his story in his own words.For more on this case visit:Remembering Raurimu: victims break their 20-year silencehttps://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/remembering-raurimu-victims-break-their-20-year-silence/6BDSEYTTCMIRAZKXBXFBCLQ7FY/Raurimu 20 years on: the madman, the massacre and the memorieshttps://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/raurimu-20-years-on-the-madman-the-massacre-and-the-memories/2FGFIGPFPXMX3IPPIXD6VCW2NI/?c_id=1&objectid=11788645Raurimu massacre: remembering the fallen 20 years onhttps://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/raurimu-massacre-remembering-the-fallen-20-years-on/4E6CRIG2PFWVL26JVBGNOQFFWY/?c_id=1&objectid=11787718If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.OR IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE:Lifelinehttp://www.lifeline.org.nzSUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE0508 828 865DEPRESSION HELPLINE0800 111 757See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a Monday morning in June 2004 Jim Donnelly got up and went to work at a steel mill south of Auckland. But he never came home. The metals scientist has been missing every since and his wife has never given up hope that one day the mystery will be solved.For a full feature on this case visit nzherald.co.nzIf you have information about what happened to Jim Donnelly contact Inspector Dave Glossop at the Counties Manukau Police [email protected] or A Moment In Crime host Anna Leask [email protected] pass on information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Holdem was a prolific sex offender and told police when he was arrested in the early 80s that the next little girl he targeted would die. In 1986 he grabbed Louisa Damodran as she walked home from school and his horrific promise came true.For more on this case and others mentioned in the podcast visit: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/author/anna-leask/SEXUAL HARM - DO YOU NEED HELP?If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.​If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone contact the Safe to Talk confidential crisis helpline on: text 4334 and they will respond or email [email protected] or visit https://safetotalk.nz/contact-us/ for an online chatIf you have been abused, remember it's not your fault.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The death of Christie Marceau in November 2011 shook New Zealand. The 18-year-old was fatally stabbed in her own home and died in her mother's arms. The man responsible for the attack was on bail for previously kidnapping and assaulting Christie and had been released on bail 32 days before he killed her. He had been ordered to stay away from Christie and her family. This episode of A Moment In Crime marks the 10-year anniversary of Christie's tragic death. If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111. For more information on Christie's life and death: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/i-watched-the-life-drain-out-of-her/W7XMAX2ZAHPPXJHKJRQAHOAWJA/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/terrifying-last-moments-at-hands-of-insane-killer/4BWAKHXTDY5KMOSNDV5XHO5P5E/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christie-marceau-tragedy-and-futility-of-death-lead-to-major-recommendations-by-coroner/T3FNF443G2VQPK2ICL7K7QZO3I/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christie-marceau-death-there-was-more-than-one-hand-on-the-knife-that-day/JSL4OVKK4K62XY4ZOKPQCKYWRE/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Herald journalist Anna Leask looks back at the case of Colin Mitchell - the man behind an attack on a Auckland woman in 2017. What started as an apparent random attack soon unravelled as four decades of offending by a serial rapist who was finally revealed. If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.​ If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone contact the Safe to Talk confidential crisis helpline by texting 4334 and they will respond or visit https://safetotalk.nz/contact-us/ for an online chat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who killed Chris and Cru Kahui? The twin brothers were only 84 days old when they died, within hours of each other, after being violently assaulted. Their deaths remain one of New Zealand's worst child abuse cases. Are you worried about the safety of a child?If you have concerns about the immediate safety of a child, call 111.Alternatively contact your local police station. Or, contact Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Children on 0508 326 459 for advice or www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/contact-us/contacts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1998 Auckland woman Claire Hills didn't make it to work. The 30-year-old was murdered, burned alive in her own car. Her killer left clues - DNA even - but after 23 years police are still no closer to finding him.If you can help police phone 0800 OP HILLS. SEXUAL HARM - DO YOU NEED HELP?If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.​If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone contact the Safe to Talk confidential crisis helpline by text on 4334, email [email protected] or visit https://safetotalk.nz/contact-us/ for an online chatSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Herald true-crime podcast A Moment In Crime we look into the beginnings of Gloriavale and the ongoing list of men brought to justice for sex crimes against children within the confines of the religious community.And podcast host Anna Leask speaks about her own time at Gloriavale, reflecting on all she saw and experienced during a visit to the place often referred to as a cult or sect.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Smart and Olivia Hope went missing over New Year 1997. Their bodies were never found but a man was convicted of their murders and jailed for life. In today's episode of A Moment In Crime we revisit the enduring mystery,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this month's episode of A Moment In Crime, senior journalist Anna Leask looks back a the murder of Grace Millane, a young backpacker from the UK who died in Auckland, New Zealand in 2019.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1992 toddler Amber-Lee Cruickshank disappeared from a small South Island town. Despite exhaustive searches spanning almost 30 years, there has never been any sign of the 2-and-a-half-year-old. The Herald re-investigated the case in 2017 and episode 15 of A Moment In Crime goes back to a podcast that ran about the toddler and her family's journey since she vanished.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a high profile trial in November this year, Christchurch engineer Joseph McGirr was acquitted by a jury of giving ecstasy to a US polo player before she died in his spa bath.But he was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice by burying her clothing after her death.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 9.51am on September 1 2014 a balaclava-clad man stormed into the Work and Income New Zealand office in Ashburton and opened fire.In just 61 seconds he gunned down and killed two women and almost murdered two more.Then he calmly walked back out of the office, unlocked his bike and peddled away into the distance - leaving bloody carnage and chaos in his wake.The man was Russell John Tully and his horrendous, deliberate and planned actions that day shook New Zealand.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 11 of NZME podcast A Moment In Crime we look back at the front line deaths and revisit some of the stories that have shocked and saddened New Zealand. The episode comes two days before the annual police Remembrance Day - a date marked internationally to pay tribute to cops killed while on duty, and others who have passed during the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The murders of Christine Lundy and her young daughter Amber in their own home in 2000 is still a case that New Zealanders find shocking.And it's a case everyone has an opinion on - even more so after two decades of hearing the facts in various trials, appeals and other court settings. This is because Christine's husband - the father of her only child - was charged with the grisly murders.But after 20 years he maintains his innocence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In August 1980 six-year-old Alicia O'Reilly was raped and killed in her bed by an intruder. Her sister was sleeping less than a metre away. Forty years on, the offender has never been found and her family are still desperate for answers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early hours of June 8 2010, Feilding farmer Scott Guy was gunned down in the driveway of his rural home as he headed out to work. A decade on, despite an arrest and a high profile trial, there has been no one held accountable for the slaying, and no justice for Scott or his family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On June 17 1970 Harvey and Jeanette Crewe were gunned down in the living room of their Pukekawa farmhouse. Fifty years have passed since the brutal crime - which remains unsolved despite one man being convicted twice of murder. In episode seven of Herald podcast A Moment in Crime, we look back at the infamous cold case - one of New Zealand's most enduring murder mysteries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kidnapped: The bizarre abduction of Baby Kahu In 2002 a baby girl was snatched from her pram as her mother pushed her through a quiet Wellington suburb. For days the nation - and the world - watched on as the hunt for Baby Kahu intensified. How did it end and who took her? We look back a the most gripping kidnapping case in NZ history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2009 Auckland man Blazej Kot murdered his new bride in New York State. We look back at the case - including the computer science student's bizarre trial and where he is now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2008 Tisha Lowry went missing in Christchurch without a trace. In 2009 her neighbour reported his own wife missing. When he went into a local police station days later, no one could have imagined what he would admit to, and why. We look back at the double murderer and the women he destroyed and buried below his own home.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kayo Matsuzawa’s body was found stashed in a small cupboard in a building in Auckland’s CDB in 1998.She was naked, she had been there for at least 10 days.And 21 years on - even in spite of a hefty $75,000 reward offered in 2007 - her killer has never been caught.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2009 a toddler vanished in West Auckland.For more than a week police, search specialists and volunteers combed the city for any sign of the little girl.But she was nowhere to be found.As investigators started to fear foul play, a shocking and tragic discovery was made.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was New Zealand's darkest day, and one we will never forget. Our newsroom got the first call from a witness just minutes after the shooting started. For the first time we are sharing audio from that interview - and others - as we take you back to the day that changed us all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the NZ Herald newsroom comes A Moment in Crime - a podcast delving into some of New Zealand’s biggest cases.Anna Leask has been a crime and justice reporter at the Herald for more than a decade.Each month she'll take you inside some of our most infamous incidents, notorious offenders and behind the scenes of high profile trials and events to show you what’s really happening in your backyard.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.