DELVE

As the line-up of experts continues, we go on a crash course on the inner workings of the Gore sewerage ponds, and we hear yet another opinion on whether Lachie could have made it all the way out there by himself. You can see an image of a cross section of the pond on our  Facebook page  and our  Instagram page .  Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and...

In today’s episode, The Depot, three months after giving evidence in the first phase of the inquest, Michelle Officer presents a new sworn statement that changes her account of her movements at the depot that afternoon, but a contractor who works from the same depot says Lachie and his mother weren’t there. Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive excl...

Robin Bates, lawyer for the police, goes into full Crown prosecutor mode, as he tries to dent the findings, methodology and conclusion in former forensic detective Karen Smith’s report. Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and...

Robin Bates, the lawyer representing the police, goes head to head with former forensic detective Karen Smith. Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investigates on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up to...

In today’s episode, Staged As An Accident, Karen Smith details timelines, distances, witness statements and the 111 call, and explains how she reached her conclusion that Lachie’s death was staged to look like an accident.  Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigations editor Melanie Rei...

Karen Smith lays out the system failures, biases and exactly what went wrong with the investigation into Lachie’s death - and questions why the NZ police are so obstinate in this case. Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and...

A forensic pathologist and a retired forensic detective, both Americans, give evidence in the Invercargill courtroom and fiercely defend their views – one emphatic Lachie drowned, the other who says his death was staged. Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigations editor Melanie Reid. ...

The controversy steps up a notch when a Wellington based forensic pathologist enters the frame and is intractable on Lachie’s cause of death.   Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz and search for Melanie Reid Investi...

Speculation and hypothetical scenarios are thrown around the courtroom, as the absence of a forensic autopsy limits options. Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigations editor Melanie Reid. Discover more at Newsroom.co.nz Sign up to DELVE+ to get early access to new episodes and listen to o...

Dr Martin Sage, the man who says he could have and should have done the forensic autopsy on Lachie, takes the stand. He gives a rare window into the reality of forensic autopsies and we find out what he believes may or may not have happened to Lachie. Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigat...

Melanie Reid and her team make their way south for the second phase of the inquest, and on the first day a police dog expert is asked that if Lachie walked out to the ponds, why did the police dog not pick up his scent until 30 metres out? Sign up to DELVE+  to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. Presented by award-winning investigations editor...

Following a tip-off, Melanie Reid heads south and gets the Facebook messages, the phone and the explosive interview. The Boy in the Water is now part of our new investigative podcast channel, DELVE.  Melanie Reid Investigates will be releasing gripping, in-depth podcasts on DELVE throughout the year. If you would like to support our work: Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify l...

US-based Andrea Zaferes, who has investigated thousands of ‘body found in water’ cases, tells Melanie Reid what stacks up and what doesn’t when investigating suspected drownings.  You can also watch a short video of Andrea explaining the positions bodies are commonly found in when they are in water, on our  Facebook page  and our  Instagram page .  Sign up t...

On the last day of phase one of the inquest, Detective Inspector Stu Harvey is cross examined about witness statements that weren’t taken, the reliability of eyewitness identifications, and any lessons he gleaned from the reinvestigation. Coroner Ho then wraps up the inquest for now.   Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and recei...

The final witness to appear for this first phase of the inquest is the man who was in charge of the reinvestigation into Lachie’s death, Detective Inspector Stu Harvey. Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe...

The police dog handler who found Lachie with his dog Gee gives his evidence in closed court. Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe banner on the DELVE page and follow the prompts. Presented by award-winning...

Bill Little, who’s been in the job for more than 30 years, sets the record straight about process, protocol and who is responsible for what.  Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe banner on the DELVE pa...

The pathologist who conducted the post mortem on Lachie tells the inquest they didn’t even have the right equipment to do pediatric autopsies in Southland.  Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe banner...

A former police officer who worked under Senior Sergeant Cynthia Fairley refutes her assertion that he was in charge of the investigation into Lachie’s death. Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe banner on...

The pressure is on to find out who was responsible, who was in charge, and who turned around the autopsy.  Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe banner on the DELVE page and follow the prompts. Presente...

Senior Sergeant Cynthia Fairley, the police officer at the centre of the case, is in the witness box.  Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe banner on the DELVE page and follow the prompts. Presented by...

The first of the police officers scheduled to appear at the inquest takes to the witness stand, and we begin to hear about the confusion over who was in charge of the investigation into Lachie's death. Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+...

The sighting of a mysterious shirtless man, what one of Lachie's preschool teachers remembers about him, and the two paramedics who worked on the little boy's lifeless body all feature in this collection of shorter witness testimonies. Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podc...

The police’s lawyer tackles Paul about making claims that Michelle and her sons had something to do with Lachie’s death. Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe banner on the DELVE page and follow the prompts....

Paul is questioned about his relationship with Michelle and the events on the day and night leading up to Lachie’s death. Sign up to DELVE+  here for Android and Spotify listeners to get early access to new episodes and receive exclusive bonus material, all ad-free. For Apple Podcasts listeners, sign up to DELVE+ by simply clicking the subscribe banner on the DELVE page and follow the prompts...