Judges are today considering an appeal related to the 2001 RSA killings by William Bell (pictured). Photo / Martin Sykes
Judges are today considering an appeal related to the 2001 RSA killings by William Bell (pictured). Photo / Martin Sykes
In December 2001, William Bell stormed into the Mt Wellington-Panmure Returned Services Association premises and brutally attacked four innocent people.
Club president Bill Absolum, club member Wayne Johnson and cleaner Mary Hobson died.
Bell left the mother of one for dead with brokenarms and severe head injuries that caused a stroke.
The scene of the deadly attack in Auckland. Photo / NZ Herald
She lost about 80% of her blood and ambulance officers later said she came as close to dying as she could get.
Bell was on parole at the time of the murders and already had 102 convictions.
In this month’s episode of Herald podcast A Moment In Crime, senior journalist Anna Leask revisits the triple murder, explaining what led to Bell’s violent and callous offending and how the tragedy would never have happened if authorities had not missed a crucial opportunity to recall him to prison.
Leask also tells the stories of the victims and survivor – why they were at the RSA that day and what they meant to their family and friends.
Security footage of triple-murderer William Bell taken soon after he left the RSA. Photo / Supplied
A Moment in Crime is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are released monthly.
The series is written and hosted by senior crime and justice reporter Anna Leask. Leask has been with NZME since 2005 and has worked as a specialist journalist focusing on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime.
If you have a crime or case you would like to hear more about, email anna.leask@nzme.co.nz.
Since 2019, A Moment in Crime has produced over 60 episodes, and has been downloaded over 2 million times, with listeners in over 180 countries. Past cases covered include the Bain Family murders, Lauren Dickason, James Wallace, the Heavenly Creatures case, and Grace Millane.
It was nominated for Best True Crime Podcast at the 2024 Radio and Podcast Awards.
