Convicted killer and kidnapper Bronwyn Warwick, 74, once on the run from police, tells the NZ Herald about her past and her search for redemption. Video \ Jason Dorday
In 1991, Bronwyn Warwick murdered a retired nurse who caught her stealing a valuable collection of Royal Doulton china from her Ponsonby home.
Warwick was a seasoned criminal, high on heroin, spiralling through addiction and trauma, and in a single moment, she became a killer.
The story of Bronwyn Warwick, pictured here at her home in Papatoetoe, is raw, confronting, and deeply complex. Photo / Jason Dorday
She spent a decadebehind bars for the crime. But her story didn’t end there.
Over the years, she reoffended – breaching parole, kidnapping, and returning to prison.
Most recently, she was locked up again after a senior probation officer claimed he saw her buying methamphetamine at a South Auckland pub. The Parole Board wasn’t convinced she posed a danger to the public, and she was released.
Now, for the first time, Warwick has handed over the only written account of the day she took a life – a prison diary filled with guilt, grief, and the truth she’s never spoken aloud.
A police mugshot of Bronwyn Warwick was released when she was on the run in 2023.
She refused to talk about the murder in person, saying: “I’m too ashamed … if you want to know about it, it’s in the book.”
In this exclusive two-part podcast special, A Moment In Crime: Diary of a Killer,senior crime journalist Anna Leask delves into Warwick’s extraordinary life – a journey marked by violence, addiction, and survival.
From a childhood scarred by stints in boys’ homes rife with horrendous abuse, through a gender transition that began at just 8 years old, to years of stripping, sex work, and repeated incarceration – often in men’s prisons; Warwick’s story is raw, confronting, and deeply complex.
Bronwyn Warwick says she's not seeking sympathy; she just wants people to understand. Photo / Jason Dorday
She says she’s not seeking sympathy. She just wants people to understand.
This is not just a story about crime.
It’s a story about consequence, identity, and the long shadow of trauma. And it’s a story Warwick believes must be told – before it’s too late.
The first part of A Moment In Crime: Diary of a Killer is available now. Part two will be released on Thursday, November 6.
NZ Herald archives hold detailed information about Warwick's criminal history. Image / NZME
A Moment In Crime is written and hosted by Leask, who specialises in crime and justice reporting. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years.
This episode was produced by Leask and NZME audio engineer Alastair Boyes.
Episodes of A Moment In Crime are usually released monthly and, so far, Leask has covered more than 70 cases, including the murders of Grace Millane, Scott Guy, Austin Hemmings, Carmen Thomas, Karen Aim; the deaths of the Kahui twins; the Christchurch mosque attack and the historic Heavenly Creatures murder; the case of Lauren Dickason who was jailed for murdering her three young daughters soon after emigrating to New Zealand, and the massacres at Raurimu and Aramoana.
Leask’s first podcast was Chasing Ghosts, a six-part investigative series revisiting one of New Zealand’s most haunting cold cases.
In October 1992, 2-year-old Amber-Lee Cruickshank vanished from Kingston, near Lake Wakatipu.
Amber-Lee was last seen playing outside a friend’s house while her family prepared to move to the West Coast for a fresh start. In a tragic miscommunication, both parents believed the other was watching her. By the time they realised she was missing, 45 minutes had passed – and Amber-Lee was gone.
Despite exhaustive searches of the lake, bush, and surrounding area, no trace of her was ever found. No one has ever been charged, and the case remains unsolved.
In Chasing Ghosts, Leask worked closely with Amber-Lee’s mother, Nicola Cruickshank, to re-examine the case.
Since 2019, A Moment in Crime has been downloaded more than two million times, with listeners in over 170 countries. It was nominated for Best True Crime Podcast at the 2024 Radio and Podcast Awards.
A Moment In Crime is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are released monthly.
If you have a crime or case you would like to hear more about, email anna.leask@nzme.co.nz
