Mayor Grant Smith says Palmerston North doesn’t want convicted murderer Mark Lundy in town

Mark Lundy is expected to be released on parole from prison in May. Photo / RNZ

By RNZ Online

Community tensions will surround the release of convicted double-murderer Mark Lundy from prison, and Palmerston North does not want him back, the city’s mayor says.

Lundy is expected to be released on parole from prison in May.

He was convicted in 2002 of murdering his wife, Christine, and daughter, Amber, in their Palmerston North home in 2000. A retrial in 2015 arrived at the same judgment, reimposing a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years.

Forensic evidence showed the killings were particularly brutal.

However, Lundy has continuously maintained he did not kill his wife and daughter, and a group of supporters has formed around him to fight for his cause. In 2021, Lundy filed for his case to be reviewed by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Among the conditions of his release, Lundy is forbidden from entering Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Hastings or Nelson.

Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith says he was surprised to hear Lundy had been granted parole. Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ

Not welcome here, mayor says

Palmerston North residents want Lundy to stay away, the Manawatū city’s mayor Grant Smith said.

“For the people of Palmerston North, [the case] was quite confronting. I can recall at the time it really was almost disbelief that that had happened in our city,” he said.

“I think most people will be going ‘We don’t want him in town, and I hope that he won’t come back’.”

At a Parole Board hearing on Thursday, Lundy said he would abide by the geographical restrictions placed on him when he is released.

Smith said he was surprised to hear Lundy had been granted parole and hoped the release restriction stayed in place.

“He wouldn’t be welcome, regardless of what people think on all sides.

“And I’d have to say that those that were either connected to the trial or the police - even some family members, it’s etched in their minds what happened with the murder of his wife and his daughter.”

Release to the community a delicate balance, with strict conditions

Lundy served 23 years in prison and was initially denied parole in both 2022 and 2023. His life sentence means that at any time he can be recalled to jail.

People living in the immediate area where he will be living will be notified that he will be living nearby, he will be under a curfew and will be electronically monitored. The parole board has also met with the people he will be staying with.

Lundy is forbidden from using drugs or alcohol, which he can be tested for at any time, and is forbidden from using social media, dating sites or accessing pornography. He is also forbidden from talking to the media or contacting any registered victims or their families. Probation officers have permission to access any internet-capable devices he has.

Lundy himself has told the parole board he has concerns about reactions to his release, including worries about his own safety and about any repeat of an earlier experience when media had arrived in the street where he was staying.

He had also previously met with hostility from some in the community, including being yelled at aggressively and told to drop dead. However, he told the parole board there had been more positive community interactions.

Lundy is scheduled to meet with the Parole Board in October to review his release.