Sinister Dynasty - New Zealand (NZ) True Crime Podcast

Andi tells Ayla about 25 year old Jennifer Beard, who was supposed to meet her fiancée in January 1970 after a solo trip down the West Coast.

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Ayla tells Andi about the murder of Jayne Furlong. A "side step" from the Hayden Poulter case, Jayne regularly worked down Karangahape Road in Auckland... until 1993. Wayne McGrath is the only named suspect on this open case.

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Andi talks to Ayla about the disappearance of Alan Woodford in Mossburn, 1985. Coincidentally, Alan had complained about his petrol being stolen around the time he vanished. Could there have been foul play involved?

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Our first episode after the break! Dubbed New Zealand's first serial killer, Ayla tells Andi about Hayden Poulter and his victims from 1996. We remember Natacha Hogan, Ladda Nimphet, and Herbert Norris.

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In this episode of Sinister Dynasty, Andi and Ayla go back to the past of the 1800s to talk about a vaguely documented/known case involving racism, possibly wrongly convicted men and unjust treatment by the system for the murder of the 60-year-old woman: Mary Young!  

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The murder of Scott Guy is a high-profile case that occurred in New Zealand in 2010. Scott Guy was a 31-year-old farmer who was found shot dead in the driveway of his home in the rural town of Feilding. He had been shot twice in the head, and his body was discovered by his brother.

The investigation into the murder initially focused on Scott's immediate family and friends, but the case quickly became complex, and a suspect list emerged. The police had to eliminate numerous potential suspects, including members of Scott's family, business associates, and neighbors.

The case gained national attention, and the police launched an extensive investigation, which involved forensic experts, detectives, and other specialists. Despite collecting significant amounts of evidence and conducting numerous interviews, the police struggled to identify a suspect.

Eventually, after four years of investigations, the police arrested Ewen Macdonald, Scott's brother-in-law and neighbor. Macdonald, who had been married to Scott's sister, was charged with the murder of Scott Guy. During the trial, the prosecution argued that Macdonald had been motivated by a range of financial and personal reasons to commit the crime. However, the defense team suggested that there was insufficient evidence to convict their client.

In 2012, Ewen Macdonald was acquitted of Scott Guy's murder, and the case remains unsolved to this day. The murder of Scott Guy is one of New Zealand's most high-profile cases, and the investigation and trial were heavily covered by the media.

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The Raurimu massacre was a tragic shooting that took place in New Zealand on February 8, 1997. The incident occurred at a remote railway worker's hostel in Raurimu, a small town in the central North Island.

The shooter, identified as David Gray, a local man, arrived at the hostel armed with a semi-automatic rifle and began shooting indiscriminately. He killed six people and injured four others before being apprehended by police.

The victims of the shooting included residents and employees of the hostel, as well as a visiting family of four. Gray had no prior criminal history, and his motives for the shooting remain unclear to this day.

After the shooting, a Royal Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate the incident and to identify any potential failures or gaps in New Zealand's gun control laws. The inquiry found that Gray had obtained his firearm legally, and it recommended stricter gun control measures to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

The Raurimu massacre was one of the worst mass shootings in New Zealand's history, and it had a profound impact on the country's attitudes towards gun control. The incident is still remembered today as a tragic reminder of the devastating effects of gun violence.

Our love goes out to the families of the fallen:

Neville Anderson
Steven Hanson
John Matthews
Hendrick Dirk Van de Wetering
Anthony McCarty
Andrea Brander

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Mary Donnelly was a special Olympian who was tragically murdered in her home in Hamilton, New Zealand, in 2005. Mary was well-known in her community and had won medals for her achievements in the Special Olympics.

On the day of her murder, Mary was home alone when an intruder entered her house and attacked her. She was found by her parents when they returned home from a shopping trip. Mary had been sexually assaulted, and her injuries were so severe that she died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The police launched an extensive investigation into Mary's murder and appealed to the public for information. Several people were questioned, but the case went cold for several years. In 2008, DNA evidence found at the scene was matched to a man named Liam James Reid, who had a history of sexual offenses.

Reid was arrested and charged with Mary's murder, and his trial began in 2009. The prosecution presented a compelling case, arguing that Reid had burgled Mary's house and attacked her when she surprised him. The defense argued that the DNA evidence was unreliable, but Reid was ultimately found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 23 years.

The murder of Mary Donnelly shocked and saddened New Zealand, particularly those in the special needs community, who knew Mary and respected her achievements. Her murder was a reminder of the vulnerability of people with disabilities and the importance of protecting and supporting them. The case also highlighted the importance of DNA evidence in solving crimes and bringing justice to victims and their families.

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Ayla covers the Case of Maja Sollis and her brutal murder. 

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Andi continues the tale of Olivia Hope and Ben Smart. 

Andi takes Ayla on a two-parter, covering the disappearances of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope. The two friends were celebrating the New Year of 1998 at Furneaux Lodge in Marlborough Sounds, and went back to their yacht in the early morning. With no place onboard to sleep, they were picked up again around 3.30am where they were offered a place by a stranger. They were dropped with the stranger between 4 and 5am, and have not been seen since. A boat was seized shortly after that found hairs on board matching Olivia. Scott Watson was found to be the stranger and was sentenced to life imprisonment. This is despite there being no evidence for the two-trip theory, which meant Scott had to leave his yacht and come back to shore before hopping on the water taxi with Ben and Olivia. It has led many to think this was a case of wrongful imprisonment. What do you think?

 
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Music by Kyle Hsieh