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Home / New Zealand

A Moment In Crime podcast: Two weddings and a murder - the case of Auckland man Blazej Kot

Anna Leask
By Anna Leask
Senior Journalist - crime and justice·NZ Herald·
3 Mar, 2020 09:00 PM4 mins to read

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Preview: A Moment In Crime - Two weddings and a murder. Full podcast is now available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

It took less than two hours for Auckland man Blazej Kot to go from doting newlywed to blood soaked prime suspect in his wife's brutal murder.

At 8.02pm on June 2, 2009 the 24-year-old computer science student was helping Caroline Coffey load their wedding photos on to Facebook in their
New York State apartment.

At 9.47pm police found Kot sitting in his car in a park 350m from their Ithaca home.

Covered in dried blood, Kot led police and state troopers on a high speed 8km chase that ended when his car slammed into trees.

He was found slumped over the steering wheel bleeding profusely from a self-inflicted gash to the front of his neck.

The next morning Coffey's body was found, brutalised and bloody, on a trail in a park near the couple's home.

Blazej Kot, his father Leszak and new wife Caroline Coffey at their Costa Rica wedding in 2009. Kot killed Coffey about a month later. Photo / Supplied
Blazej Kot, his father Leszak and new wife Caroline Coffey at their Costa Rica wedding in 2009. Kot killed Coffey about a month later. Photo / Supplied

Today we look back at the grisly and bizarre crim in the Herald podcast A Moment in Crime.

The episode is available on the Herald website today using the player below - and you can listen on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

This episode of A Moment In Crime contains material including references to violence, sexual assault and murder and might be distressing for some listeners.

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LISTEN TO EPISODE 5 HERE:

Kot was born in Zaire to polish parents - and the family moved to Auckland when he was a young child.

He attended Macleans College and Auckland University.

His dream was to attain a PhD at Cornell University in the US.

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READ MORE:
A Moment In Crime: House of Horrors - the macabre crimes of Jason Somerville
A Moment In Crime: Herald true crime podcast now available in podcast apps
A Moment In Crime: The disappearance and death of Aisling Symes revisited in Herald podcast
A Moment In Crime: Operation Net - the murder of Kayo Matsuzawa
House of Horrors transcript - a lurid tale of death and sex

Soon after his move to the United States Kot met Caroline Coffey.

She too was born overseas - in Ireland - but had been raised in the US from childhood.

The pair married in a civil ceremony in 2008 and headed to Costa Rica for a second wedding with family and friends in 2009.

Discover more

New Zealand|crime

Cold case confession: 'I've done something really bad'

27 Dec 04:00 PM
New Zealand|crime

A Moment In Crime: The macabre crimes of Jason Somerville

30 Jan 08:00 PM
New Zealand|crime

A Moment In Crime: Herald true crime podcast now available in podcast apps

23 Sep 12:00 AM
New Zealand|crime

Body in a storage space: Who murdered Kayo Matsuzawa?

13 Dec 04:00 AM

Just over a month later, Kot beat his wife with a metal pipe and slit her throat.

Early coverage of the Kot case in the Herald on Sunday in 2009. Photo / NZME
Early coverage of the Kot case in the Herald on Sunday in 2009. Photo / NZME

A Moment In Crime is written and hosted by Anna Leask, senior crime reporter for the Herald. The podcast is produced by Chris Tarpey. Frances Cook is the executive producer.

Leask has been covering crime and justice for the Herald for more than a decade and has reported on most of the major incidents and events over that time.

"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."

A Herald on Sunday story about the outcome of Kot's trial and appeal details. Photo / NZME
A Herald on Sunday story about the outcome of Kot's trial and appeal details. Photo / NZME

In our first episode we looked back at the Christchurch terror attack - what unfolded on March 15 and how it changed New Zealand.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO EPISODE 1 OF A MOMENT IN CRIME

The podcast has also delved into the death of West Auckland toddler Aisling Symes, the cold case murder of Kayo Matsuzawa and double killer Jason Somerville, infamous for the Christchurch House of Horrors.

In 2017 Leask wrote and hosted Chasing Ghosts - a six-part podcast series on the Amber-Lee Cruickshank case.

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The South Island toddler disappeared almost 27 years ago from a small town on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.

READ MORE AND LISTEN TO CHASING GHOSTS HERE

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.

It was the Herald's first true-crime podcast.

To subscribe to A Moment In Crime visitiHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

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We want to hear from you

If there's a case you want us to consider covering, email

anna.leask@nzme.co.nz

or visit

Anna Leask - Journalist

on Facebook.

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