Clarington Digital Newspaper Collections

Canadian Statesman (Bowmanville, ON), 5 Oct 1994, p. 55

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I Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, October 5,1994 11 New Zealand's most infamous slaying takes a bizarre twist four decades later when a prolific mystery writer is unmasked in a Scottish village Max HAINES Crime Flashback I n 1953, at the age of 16, Pauline Parker was an overweight, awkward awkward teenager. She walked with a slight limp, the result of contracting contracting osteomyelitis as a child. Because of her limp, she didn't take part in sports at Christchurch High School in her native New Zealand, but did own a pony and was an avid member of the Horse and Pony Club. Pauline's father, Herbert Rieper, was an inoffensive little man who owned a relatively successful wholesale wholesale fish business. Herb never did get around to officially marrying Honora Parker, but their common-law marriage marriage had survived 23 not always tranquil tranquil years. The Rieper-Parker union produced four children. The eldest, Wendy, 18, was a normal, affectionate daughter who had never caused her parents one moment of anxiety. A younger brother was born mentally ill and was confined to an institution, while a fourth child died at birth. Dark, brooding Pauline, as we shall soon see, marched to her own drummer. drummer. We will never know how Pauline would have turned out had not the fates decreed that her life become entwined with that of 15-year-old Juliet Hulme. Juliet's father, Dr. Henry Rainesford Hulme, was tall, stooped and cultured. During the Second World War, at age 46, he was one of England's leading mathematical scientists. He was considered considered a fine acquisition when he became Rector of Canterbury University College in Christchurch. With the position came membership in the Senate of New Zealand University. No question about it, Hulme was a heavyweight. But it was not academic recognition which enticed him to leave England for New Zealand. It was his daughter, Juliet. Doctors told him that her tubercular condition would improve in the fresh, clean air of New Zealand. In 1948, Hulme, his aristocratic aristocratic wife, Hilda, daughter Juliet and his youngest son, Jonathan, arrived in Christchurch. As part of his compensation, Dr. Hulme was given the use of a 16-room mansion in which to live and entertain. Certainly the brilliant doctor, who held one of the most prestigious positions in Christchurch, could look with confidence confidence to a bright and promising future. Things didn't work out as Dr. Hulme planned. After a few years of apparent tranquillity, 15-year-old Juliet met Pauline Parker. Adolescent girls often develop close attachments, but this was different. The two girls were SAVAGE SLAYING ... Pauline Parker, left, and Juliet Hulme used a brick in a stocking to beat Pauline's mother to death in 1954. inseparable. The bond between them bothered both families. To Pauline's parents, it appeared the Hulme girl was the cause of all their daughter's problems. Conversely, the Hulmes felt Pauline was an extremely bad influence influence on Juliet. But the gods in the heavens decided they had more in store for the two families. families. Walter Andrew Bowrpân Perry arrived in Christchurch from England on a prolonged business trip. He became acquainted with the Hulmes, who invited him ta be their houseguest in a sélf-containeü flat which was part of their large home. Walt was delighted to partake of Henry's hospitality. Unfortunately, he partook of Henry's wife as well. One fine afternoon, when everyone was supposed to be out, Juliet strolled into her mother's bedroom. Who should she find there in bed with Mummie but Walter Andrew Bowman Perry. Things were never quite the same between Mummie and Juliet after that. •Dr. Hulme picked this inopportune time to resign his position at the university. university. He told his family he had decided to return to England with son Jonathan. Dr. Hulme suspected his wife of adultery and his daughter of having a lesbian affair with Pauline Parker. He discussed the situation with Pauline's father, but nothing seemed to do any good. Dr. Hulme decided he would take Juliet as far as South Africa. He would continue on his way to England and she would return to Christchurch: When Juliet heard of this scheme, she was furious. She wouldn't budge a step unless Pauline went with her. The girls asked Pauline's mother for permission permission to have Pauline go on the trip. They were bluntly refused. The human mind is a complicated mechanism. The more the two girls thought about it, the more it seemed to them that Honora Parker was the one who stood in the way of their happiness. happiness. They decided to kill her. On June 22,1954, an overcast winter's winter's day in Christchurch, Honora, Pauline and Juliet walked together along a path. The murder scenario was already in motion. That morning, Juliet had brought half a brick to her friend's house. Now that very brick was in Pauline's pocket inside the foot of an old stocking. Pauline pointed to some pretty pink stones on the path. As her mother stooped down to examine the pebbles, Pauline extracted her homemade murder weapon and set it crashing, over and over again on her mother's head. She passed the bloody stocking to Juliet, who proceeded to hit Honora repeatedly. Together, the two girls beat Honora Parker to death. Pauline ran to a nearby kiosk, shouting, shouting, "It's Mummie. I think she's dead. We tried to carry her. She was too heavy." Hysterically, Juliet added, "Yes, it's her mother. She's covered with blood." Pauline interrupted, "We were coming coming back along the track. Mummie tripped on a plank and hit her head when she landed. She kept falling and her head kept banging and bumping as she fell." The girls washed their hands. Later, witnesses said the pair could be heard laughing uncontrollably as they washed away the blood. Police examined the 45 wounds which had been inflicted to Honora Parker's head and detained the girls for questioning. Three weeks later, they were charged with murder. Both girls confessed, making the salient point of New Zealand's most infamous crime not who committed the murder but whether the perpetrators were sane or insane. The star of the proceedings was not a witness, but Pauline's diary. It remains as one of the most diabolical pieces of evidence ever read in a courtroom. courtroom. Here are a few excerpts: Feb. 13,1954. "Why could not Mother die? Dozens, thousands of people are dying. Why not Mother?" April 28,1954. "Anger against Mother boiling inside me as she is the main obstacle in my path. Suddenly, means of ridding myself of the obstacle occur to me. If only she were to die." June 21,1954. "We have decided to use a brick in a stocking rather than a sandbag. Mother has fallen in with our plan beautifully." June 22,1954. "I felt very excited last night and sort of night-before- Christmas." On the top of the page dated June 22, Pauline printed: "The Day of the Happy Event." As the trial progressed, it was revealed that the two girls spent much of their time writing stories, which they believed to be potential best-sellers best-sellers if they could ever make their way to America and have them published. Honora Parker had crystallized in their minds as the main obstacle standing standing between them and their goal. As a result, she had to die. The thought of being apprehended and punished had never entered their minds. After retiring for two hours and 13 minutes, the New Zealand jury found both girls guilty of murder. They were sentenced to prison "during Her Majesty's pleasure," which is usually around 25 years. Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme spent only four years in prison before both were released. EPILOGUE: The movie Heavenly Creatures, recently shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, is based on the old New Zealand murder. New Zealand journalists have been successful in tracing Juliet Hulme to a small village in Scotland, where she now lives. The literary world was shocked to learn that Juliet Hulme is internationally renowned mystery writer Anne Perry, who has written in excess of 20 novels, all devoted to murder. murder.

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