Tamihere murders haunt witness

Double murderer David Tamihere. File photo / NZ Herald

One of the last people to see Swedish backpacker Heidi Paakkonen alive has only one regret about the decision to release convicted double murderer David Tamihere.

Mel Knauf, 64, is still haunted by the fact Tamihere has never revealed the location of Ms Paakkonen's body.

"If there was one justice that should have been done it was saying that we'll let you go, but only if you will tell us where Heidi is.

"Her family is still grieving. They've got no closure.

"One person knows where she is and he's not saying. That person David Tamihere could have eased a lot of suffering for the families.

"It wouldn't have made a difference to him. He's still a convicted double murderer."

Tamihere has continued to claim his innocence, despite the parole board repeatedly stating an admission of guilt and revealing the whereabouts of Ms Paakkonen's body would go some way towards him getting released on parole. However yesterday the board announced Tamihere will be released on November 15, despite still keeping tight-lipped.

Key to Tamihere's conviction in 1990 was Mr Knauf's testimony he saw Tamihere with Ms Paakkonen at Crosbies Clearing north-east of Thames on the Coromandel Peninsula, around the time she and fellow backpacker and fiance Urban Hoglin went missing.

She was never seen again.

Despite Mr Knauf helping with an extensive search, her body has never been found. Mr Hoglin's body was found by pig hunters in 1991 near Whangamata - 70km from where Ms Paakkonen was last seen.

Mr Knauf says the ordeal has affected his life forever.

He still thinks about what he could have done to prevent the murders and regrets the trauma the pair's families have been through.

"It haunts me.

"It's now years ago. It's stuffed my life. My life would have been different. A lot of lives have been stuffed because of this.

"I still think what if. What if I'd been more observant? I've tortured myself for a long time about this. But it's a dead end. If we'd done something different maybe we'd have had three or four murders that night."

The family of Ms Paakkonen say they are shocked and upset by the decision to release Tamihere.

Ms Paakkonen's sister-in-law Cea Paakonen told Radio New Zealand this morning the family are still grieving and want to have Heidi home.

"We don't think she is alive, but it would be good to have her home. To have a grave site to go to."

Former Thames police officer Del Read led the searches for the couple in the dense Coromandel Peninsula bush after they went missing.

He told Radio New Zealand he too believes Tamihere knows the location of her body and regrets it has never been found.

But he had no problems with the parole board's decision to release Tamihere, saying he had "done his time".

"He's served 21 years in prison - that is a long time in any person's life. Justice has been done."

In its decision to release Tamihere, the parole board said it gave careful consideration to a police demand that Tamihere not be released until he reveals the location of Ms Paakkonen's body.

It saw "no useful purpose" in pursuing the matter further.

"Each time it is met with an adamant denial. We feel strongly for the victim's family that they cannot at present complete the usual funeral and burial procedures which may bring at least a measure of peace to them but we record that our attempts have not been successful and we do not think that we can take that matter any further."

Clinical psychologist, Nigel Latta, told Newstalk ZB he struggled to understand the board's decision to release Tamihere without him disclosing where Ms Paakkonen was.

"I think it was a very reasonable request of the parole board, I think it brings peace to her family."

He believes it sends a poor message to other prisoners the police may be making similar requests of.
- Additional reporting Paul Harper