Alan Hall was wrongly convicted of murder and spent 19 years in prison for the crime he did not commit. Photo / NZH
Alan Hall was wrongly convicted of murder and spent 19 years in prison for the crime he did not commit. Photo / NZH
In October 1985 Arthur Easton was murdered in his Papakura family home.
Easton and his two teenage sons were attacked by a bayonet-wielding home invader.
The 52-year-old postal worker was stabbed in his liver during the frenzied attack and died of blood loss after emergency services arrived on the scene.
Alan Hall was convicted of murder in 1986 and spent 19 years in prison for the crime.
The Crown accepted earlier this year in a submission to the Court that key evidence leading to the identity of the true attacker was "materially" altered, leading to a miscarriage of justice.
Alan Hall. Photo / NZH
Today, Herald senior journalist Anna Leask revisits the murder of Arthur Easton and the journey to justice for Alan Hall.
This episode of A Moment In Crime is a bonus episode.
While our usual monthly episodes look at cases that have gripped New Zealand's interest over the years, there are plenty of cases before the courts that I'm covering right now that warrant a deeper look.
From complex murder trials to the cases destined for infamy, these bonus episodes will show you what's really happening in your backyard - right now.
A Moment In Crime is written and hosted by Leask - who has been covering crime and justice for NZME since 2005.
Leask has also reported on most of the major incidents and events in New Zealand during that period including the Christchurch quakes, Pike River mine disaster, March 15 terror attack and the White Island eruption.
"Each month I'll take you inside some of our most infamous incidents, notorious offenders and behind the scenes of high-profile trials and events to show you what's really happening in your backyard," she said.
"Heroes and villains battle for justice to be done, and it seems no matter how horrifying the story, we always want to know more.
"If you want to know more about the cases that have shocked and shaped our nation - from murders and massacres to violent villains and the utterly unbelievable - join me for A Moment In Crime."
In our first episode, we looked back at the Christchurch terror attack - what unfolded on March 15 and how it changed New Zealand.
The podcast has also delved into the death of West Auckland toddler Aisling Symes, the cold case murder of Kayo Matsuzawa, the murder of Feilding farmer Scott Guy, the disappearance of Jim Donnelly at the Glenbrook steel mill, the murders of Grace Millane and the Kahui twins, the killing of Christie Marceau, Bruce Howse who murdered his two stepdaughters and double killer Jason Somerville, infamous for the Christchurch House of Horrors.
Despite exhaustive and repeated searches, there has never been any sign of the little girl.
To mark the 25th anniversary of Amber-Lee's disappearance, Leask investigated the famous cold case in a bid to generate some answers for the toddler's family.
