It has been 25 years since 2-year-old Amber-Lee Cruickshank disappeared from Kingston on the shore of Lake Wakatipu. Initially she was presumed drown but quickly police and her mother Nicola suspected something far more sinister happened to the little blonde girl. Video / Mike Scott
In May 1992, Brian Schlaepfer shot or stabbed six members of his family to death at their South Auckland farm.
The 64-year-old murdered his wife, Jocelyn, and his three sons, Peter, Karl, and Darrell.
The Herald's coverage of the massacre. Image / NZ Herald
He also killed Peter’s wife, Hazel, andtheir son Aaron, 11.
His 9-year-old granddaughter, Linda, was the sole survivor, having hidden in a wardrobe and providing crucial information to the police during the ordeal.
The massacre began after a domestic argument and ended when Brian took his own life.
The scene of the massacre. Photo / NZH
The case remains one of New Zealand’s worst family tragedies.
In this episode of A Moment In Crime, senior journalist Anna Leask explains the case and reveals the harrowing 111 call between young Linda Schlaepfer and the police officer on the other end of the line that day - Constable Jeff Stuck.
The graves of the Schlaepfer family at Paerata. In 1992, Brian Schlaepfer killed his wife, three adult sons, and a son's wife and child, then himself. Photo / NZ Herald
Episodes of A Moment In Crime are usually released monthly and, so far, Leask has covered 64 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.
Brian Schlaepfer stabbed his wife to death before going on a shooting rampage in which he killed six other members of his family. (Peter Schlaepfer's coffin is carried from the funeral service) Photo / File Photo
Herald podcast A Moment In Crime has reached 1 million downloads.
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 hosted by senior journalist Anna Leask — who specialises in crime and justice reporting. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years.
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 55 episodes and has been downloaded over 1 million times, with listeners in over 170 countries. It was nominated for Best True Crime Podcast at the 2024 Radio and Podcast Awards.
