Justice in doubt: The killing of Brian Hilton

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: Har…

Diary of a Killer (part two): Murder, prison and the 'gangster granny'

(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 lat…

Diary of a killer (part one): Becoming Bronwyn Warwick

(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 th…

Paerata's darkest day: The Schlaepfer family massacre

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 cruc…

NZ's most brutal killer? The story of RSA triple murderer William Bell

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 f…

NZH Presents - Rainbow Warrior: A Forgotten History

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 Product…

Depraved, brutal and callous: The murder of Yanfei Bao

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 …

The Peter Ellis case: Inside the Christchurch Civic Creche scandal 

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 wo…

NZ's worst youth offender? The life and many crimes of Paddy the 'baddy'

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 legislati…

My father, the sex offender: Sisters speak about years of abuse

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 gir…