A Moment In Crime

For years, baby killer Lise Turner hid in plain sight — shielded by medical uncertainty, misplaced trust and the tragedy of so-called cot death. Her crimes were only uncovered after the death of 8-month-old Michael Tinnion in Christchurch in 1984 exposed a deadly pattern authorities had missed. Turner was later convicted of murdering three babies — including her two infant daughte...

This episode includes graphic descriptions of violent acts, which some listeners may find distressing or triggering. Listener discretion is strongly advised. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or distress, support is available. Scroll down for a list of support services. And please consider your well-being before listening. In 2025, a man with a lengthy history of stalkin...

This is the second part of a two-part A Moment In Crime special. Christchurch woman Nicola Flint told friends she was dying, even showing them the spot where her ashes would be scattered.  They grieved and gave thousands to help her fight cancer. But police say there is no evidence of any cancer diagnosis – and behind Flint's narrative, a web of forged medical letters, bank payouts and...

This is part one of a two-part A Moment In Crime special. Christchurch woman Nicola Flint told friends she was dying, even showing them the spot where her ashes would be scattered.  They grieved and gave thousands to help her fight cancer. But police say the terminal diagnosis was all a lie – and behind it, a web of forged medical letters, bank payouts and theft from a rugby club &ndash...

In 2016, 77-year-old pensioner Brian Hilton was found on the floor of his Ōpōtiki home — brutally beaten, barely conscious, and covered in blood. He died five days later. Police launched a major homicide investigation, first zeroing in on one local man before turning their attention to another: Harry Matchitt. A beer bottle found in Hilton’s lounge carried Matchitt’s DNA, and aft...

(Contains strong language and references to violence and sexual assault.) In 1991, Bronwyn Warwick crossed a line that would define her forever. The transgender former sex worker murdered a  Ponsonby pensioner during a botched antiques robbery. But the story didn’t end with her arrest. Decades later, Warwick’s life took even darker and more tragic turns: years behind bars, living...

(Contains strong language and references to violence and sexual assault.) Before she was a convicted killer, Bronwyn Warwick was a child who never stood a chance. Growing up in a family that didn't understand or accept her and facing violence, addiction, and rejection, Warwick’s early years set the stage for a life defined by crime and chaos. In the first of two episodes about Warwick's life...

In May 1992 Brian Schlaepfer shot or stabbed six members of his family to death at their South Auckland farm. The 64-year-old murdered his wife, three sons, daughter in law and grandson.  His nine-year-old granddaughter, Linda, was the sole survivor, having hidden in a wardrobe and providing crucial information to the police during the ordeal. The massacre began after a domestic argument and...

In December 2001, William Bell stormed into the Mt Wellington-Panmure Returned Services Association premises and brutally attacked four innocent people. Club president Bill Absolum, club member Wayne Johnson and cleaner Mary Hobson died. Susan Couch survived - just. Bell left the mother-of-one for dead with broken arms and severe head injuries that caused a stroke. She lost about 80 per cent of he...

40 years ago, two bombs went off in Auckland's harbour when French agents targeted a Greenpeace ship. It was meant to be a warning against anti-nuclear protests, but the death of a photographer on board sparked a major police and political response.  From the NZ Herald and Bird of Paradise Productions, this six-part series re-examines the bombing, the events leading up to it, the investigatio...

On June 13, Chinese national Tingjun Cao was jailed for life for the murder of Christchurch real estate agent and mother Yanfei Bao. Bao, 44, was stabbed to death in July 2023 and buried in a shallow grave on a farm outside Christchurch. She was not found for more than a year. The crime shocked New Zealand and this month on Herald podcast A Moment In Crime senior journalist and host Anna Leask tel...

Warning: this episode refers to child sex abuse and is intended for a mature audience only.  The Christchurch Civic Creche child sex abuse scandal rocked the South Island city in the early 90s - and went on to become one of the most significant legal battles in New Zealand's history. Childcare worker Peter Ellis was accused of bizarre and horrifying offences of satanic rituals, torture and sa...

Youth crime is a constant issue in New Zealand – and in the last few years, stories of ram raids, violent attacks and spree offending have dominated the headlines. Successive governments have tried to tackle the problem – introducing various policies, programs and plans and even changing legislation. There has been some success, but for some youth offenders, it seems there is nothing a...

In 2015 a 43-year-old man was jailed for more than 15 years for the premeditated, prolonged and persistent sexual abuse of his two young daughters - filming much of the abuse of the youngest and uploading it to vile websites. He was also convicted of sexual offending against another two little girls he met through his job at a community centre and secretly filming an adult friend having sex. Recen...

Anthony John Wheble is not as well-known as many of the criminals previously covered by A Moment in Crime - but he is considered of New Zealand’s most violent criminals. He has been in prison for more than a decade and he is serving as sentence with no end date, due to the severity and nature of his crimes.  Wheble has tried to kill two fellow inmates with shanks - one who was confined...

From the start of 2021 to November 2023 a total of 333 police staff - constabulary and non-sworn - were investigated for alleged criminal offending. The constabulary includes all of those from recruits right up to senior inspectors and top cops. Non sworn staff are in admin or support roles within the organisation. Of those investigated, 89 were charged. In some cases, employees faced multiple cha...

In the 19 years I have been a crime and justice reporter I have told countless stories about offending in New Zealand - who is behind it, who is hurt by it and the lasting impact.  I’ve covered a lot of the really high-profile cases during that time - including more than 130 murders, and dozens upon dozens of prosecutions and trials for manslaughter, sexual assaults and abuse, domestic...

In August 2014 Connor Morris was fatally injured during a street fight in West Auckland. He was struck in the head with a sickle-like tool and died instantly. Morris, 27, was a patched gang member, the son of a senior leader and was in a relationship with the daughter of one of New Zealand's most prominent broadcasters.  His murder and the trial f or the man responsible, was high profile. A Moment...

It is not a rare occurrence for teachers to be investigated or charged with sexual offending against the children and young people they are supposed to be educating, guiding and nurturing.    But some cases are significantly worse than other and in this episode of A Moment In Crime host Anna Leask recalls the three sex offending teachers who have caused New Zealand kids the most harm.  The cases o...

This is the second in a two-part episode.  In 2023 South African doctor Lauren Anne Dickason was found guilty of murdering her daughters Liane, 6, and 2-year-old twins Maya and Karla at their Timaru home. She and her husband Graham - an ortopaedic surgeon - had emigrated to New Zealand just weeks earlier seeking a better, safer life for their young children.  Dickason killed the little girls 20 mi...

In 2023 South African doctor Lauren Anne Dickason was found guilty of murdering her daughters Liane, 6, and 2-year-old twins Maya and Karla at their Timaru home. She and her husband Graham - an ortopaedic surgeon - had emigrated to New Zealand just weeks earlier seeking a better, safer life for their young children.  Dickason killed the little girls 20 minutes after her husband left for a work fun...

Cynric Temple-Camp is one of New Zealand's top pathologists - and he has just published his third book about his work. The Final Diagnosis is a collection of stranger-than-fiction stories of death, disease and murder - as well as Temple-Camp sharing new perspectives on high-profile cases, including the disappearance of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope and the trial of Mark Lundy. A Moment In Crime host A...

To mark the 30 year anniversary of the mass killing A Moment In Crime presents The House of Bain, a two-part telling of the case.  On June 20 1994 Margaret and Robin Bain, their teenage daughters Arawa and Laniet and son Stephen were all shot dead in the family home at 65 Every Street, Dunedin. Just after 7am David Bain - Margaret and Robin's oldest child - called emergency services to report the...

On June 20 1994 five members of the Bain family were found shot dead in their home at 65 Every Street, Dunedin. Margaret and Robin Bain, their teenage daughter Arawa and Laniet and their son Stephen were all shot at close range.  Just after 7am David Bain - Margaret and Robin's oldest child - called emergency services to report the ghastly scene. He said he had come home from his morning paper run...

In 1954 Christchurch woman Honorah Parker was murdered while on a walk in the Port Hills.  The culprits? Her daughter Pauline, 15 and best friend Juliet Hulme, 16.  With “animal ferocity” they hit her over and over again with a brick inside a stocking . Police would later say the 46-year-old had been “battered to pieces”. After a controversial trial, the teens were found guilty of murder - a jury...