FOR 17 years a murder case has haunted New Zealanders. A
teenage girl murdered, her body discarded like trash in the bush, and a killer
who has — to date — escaped unpunished.
The Kirsty Bentley case has baffled investigators ever
because the 15-12 months-antique walked out of her domestic in Ashburton, on
the east coast of the South Island, on New 12 months’s Eve 1998. She left that
day with her canine Abby for a walk but become never visible alive again.
Her brother John Bentley became at home that day, but stated
she in no way lower back domestic. She had planned to have dinner that night
time along with her boyfriend Graeme Offord, and become excited he was coming
over.
NEW 12 months’S EVE murder
there has been no sign of anything being incorrect. Her mom
Jill last yr remembered the last time she’d visible her, earlier that day, as
being happy and excited.
while she didn’t return Jill and husband Sid went on the
lookout for her. They exceeded an area of riverbank where Abby changed into
discovered tied to a pole the following day, suggesting the canine have been
positioned there some time later than New 12 months’s Eve as the mother and
father searched the neighbourhood frantically.
Disturbingly, her undies changed into observed nearby,
approximately 20m away.
Unconfirmed sightings had Kirsty on foot with guys near the river but that sighting was by
no means confirmed. After a big search it changed into two men checking their
hashish plot who made the grisly discovery 18 days after she vanished. Kirsty’s
body turned into observed in thick bush, 40km away, hidden below branches.
Her own family had feared the worst and now that they had
it. Kirsty had died violently, from a blow to the again of the top from a heavy
item.
Who killed Kirsty Bentley have become a national speakme
point. murder is exceptionally rare in New
Zealand and a teenage female slain in a
quiet community like Ashburton became enough to dominate front pages and
information bulletins for weeks.
At one level police announced a inexperienced Commer van
become vital to their inquiries. Witnesses mentioned it near where Kirsty
turned into last visible, and where her underclothes where discovered. in spite
of being an extraordinary car — and in spite of a nationwide enchantment — the
proprietor of the automobile by no means got here ahead which most effective
fuelled the suspicions of police.
other witnesses later informed of seeing a car with a blond
woman “cowering” within the front seat, close to wherein a inexperienced van
became left abandoned, while other sightings have been reputedly overlooked
with the aid of police, suggested the Ashburton dad or mum.
however the leap forward investigators were hoping for in no
way got here. there was no forensic proof at the body that linked anybody to
the crime and with out a further sightings the case went ‘cold’.
humans OF interest
In 2010 police showed they had narrowed their list of
capability people of interestto about 20 humans. On that listing were Sid
Bentley, Kirsty’s father, and John, her older brother. each have denied any
involvement.
now not long after Sid died, John expressed his subject that
the killer may also by no means be found.
He told stuff.co.united kingdom he had continually spoken to
police while asked and usually could.
In public homicide detectives gave traditional responses
when requested by reporters if the daddy and son were being investigated, as
you would expect. however backstage that turned into considered one of a number
of theories they were thinking about.
In an interview with Fairfax
last year Jill Peachey, who separated from Sid in 2000 and remarried, recalled
when a detective inspector put it to her that her statistically a family member
might have been worried.
“He kept quoting the statistic 80 in step with cent of these
crimes were because of a member of the family.
“I said – ‘so? What about the other 20 consistent with
cent?”.
She became taken aback to hear that, among some of theories,
they had been considering the opportunity John and his father had a few
involvement within the disappearance of his sister.
but police have produced no evidence to back up that
principle.
“I didn’t see it coming, all I should consider was locating
Kirsty. even when her frame was determined it didn’t come to mind that both can
be involved,” she informed stuff.co.nz
She informed her son “innocent human beings” had not
anything to worry while police hobby ramped up — watching the pair cautiously
and bugging their home.
Sid’s very own behaviour was complicated for him and people
trying to find his daughter’s killer. first of all, he stated he have been in Christchurch,
a long way from Ashburton, however later modified his story to say he were in
the town in any case. but he changed into unable to say what he were doing.
In various interviews both Jill and John stated they felt he
became hiding something. however neither ever believed he changed into the
killer, something he strenuously denied for the duration of the years.
He died of most cancers closing July, the uncertainty of the
case nonetheless swirling around him.
John Bentley and his father hadn’t spoken for many years
before his death, and the son never went to the funeral.
Now dwelling in Australia,
John Bentley said last July he believed his father turned into too embarrassed
to confess the truth what he was doing that day.
“whatever he turned into doing on that day, he could be
embarrassed to confess it. through a piece of warped common sense, because he
is aware of it doesn’t have something to do with the case, he thinks the police
don’t need to know,” he told the Sunday superstar-times.
He worried the killer might never be observed because human
beings wrongly assumed it have been his father.
NEW proof
In 2010 police asked a retired British expert to check the
case. top international crook profiler Chuck Burton changed into of the view
whoever killed Kirsty staged the crime scene to throw off police.
He advised the new Zealand
herald whoever did it turned into an “culprit protective his own identity
through changing and changing the crime scene”.
They maximum probable knew the location nicely, suggesting
it become local man or woman.
most startling of all though were his interpretation of the
way the teenager had been located. He became satisfied the killer had a few
type of link with Kirsty, because of the manner her body had been arranged.
She had been carried thru thick thorn and located at the
ground, no longer thrown down a bank, and her frame was placed in the foetal
role. Her clothes had been laid on top of her body, respectfully protecting
her, he instructed TVNZ’s Sunday program.
some other principle
remaining July after Sid Bentley died, and amid renewed
hobby inside the case, a woman came forward to mention she desired to alternate
her police declaration.
She’d been interviewed on the time of Kirsty’s disappearance
however advised stuff.co.nz she could have “one-of-a-kind answers” for them
now.
Her claims hinged at the behaviour of her then-companion
The lady told Stuff whilst he have become under the
influence of alcohol he might joke approximately being the killer.
“He used to mention it jokingly, nicely, i think it changed
into jokingly, when he became under the influence of alcohol.”
Police will no longer comment on the lady’s declare aside
from to say the man in question were absolutely investigated.
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