Juliana Herrera. Photo / Supplied
The murder of Christchurch woman Juliana Herrera by a convicted rapist paroled just 72 days earlier has been referred to a coroner.
A decision will now be made as to whether an inquest is held into Herrera’s death in a bid to find out what, if anything, went wrong with her killer’s release and management in the community - and to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Last week Joseph James Brider was sentenced to life in prison and preventive detention for the murder of the Colombian native in her Christchurch flat. Justice Jonathan Eaton described the murder as brutal, cruel, callous, depraved and sadistic.
At sentencing, Brider was described as a psychopathic offender who lacked remorse or empathy and was undoubtedly a significant and “very real” danger to women.
Brider had been released on parole with strict conditions including GPS monitoring and a curfew.
He moved into a flat adjoining Herrera’s on Grove St, Addington and within days became obsessed with her.
The Parole Board had refused to release Brider on multiple occasions and only agreed to do so - shortly before his sentence end date - so they could impose strict conditions and put monitoring in place.
That monitoring - including GPS tracking and a curfew - fell to Corrections once Brider was outside the wire.
After Brider’s sentencing, Corrections released a report into Brider’s management, determining that actions of its staff “neither caused nor could have prevented this offending”.
However the next day Parole Board chairman Sir Ron Young claimed there was a “failure” by Corrections “to provide vital information” which “compromised the board’s decision-making” around Brider’s release.
That claim is now being investigated.
Minister of Corrections Kelvin Davis said he is happy Corrections commissioned an independent investigation into the claims as any suggestion incorrect information was provided to the Parole Board needs to be looked into.
“I expect this to be done with urgency and have expressed that to Corrections,” Davis said
“While it is underway, it is not appropriate for me to make any assumptions or speculate on what may or may not have happened.”
In most cases, the sentencing of a convicted murderer ends the court process, unless they appeal.
But in some situations the Coroner will still hold an inquest to establish further context around a death and whether recommendations need to be made to prevent people dying in similar circumstances in future.
Other cases where the Coroner has held an inquest after the criminal case has been determined include the killing of Auckland teenager Christie Marceau, the abuse-related manslaughter of preschooler Moko Rangitoheriri and, most recently the murder of Christchurch woman Nicole Tuxford.
Paul Russell Wilson, a convicted killer and rapist who was a groomsman at the wedding of David Bain, lay in wait for eight hours overnight, before attacking Tuxford when she arrived back in her Merivale home in April, 2018.
Wilson, also known as Paul Tainui, was sentenced in 2019 to life imprisonment for raping and killing Tuxford, with a minimum non-parole period of 28 years.
The Coroner’s office could not comment on Herrera’s case at this stage.
But the Herald has confirmed it has been referred and an inquest would be considered.