Murder of Mallory Manning
Encyclopedia
Ngatai Lynette Manning was murdered in Christchurch
, New Zealand
on 18 December 2008. It remains unsolved. Manning was picked up from her inner city, Manchester Street corner that she worked on as a prostitute, was taken to a property in Avonside
and brutally killed by stabbing, strangling and assault with a metal pole. Her body was then dumped in the nearby Avon River and found the next morning by a kayaker.
The cases severity and longetivity have lead police to fear of a repeat killer and a reward on information was issued. The case has also been seen so extreme it has gone down as one of New Zealand's most severe unsolved crimes.
Manning had given up work as a prostitute due to fears for her life and due to the fact her sister had recently died and she did not want to die young. Manning had been fighting a drug addiction for years but was off the drugs and decided to go back to polytechnic and study art. However Manning's poverty and unemployment made her unable to afford Christmas presents for her family and she decided to return to prostitution for "just one night".
that may have been involved. They also obtained Manning's client list, receiving a list of 40 people they were eager to speak to. The police took DNA evidence from a carpark that Manning was known to take her clients.
There were numerous people of interest, namely men who lived in Christchurch and regularly used prostitutes. The police dismissed the murder as a robbery gone wrong as her handbag with all her belongings was still over her shoulder when she was discovered. After security footage was examined at the time of Manning's disappearance, it was declared that police were looking for an Indian man who may have been a client of Manning's and a driver of a blue 4 wheel drive.
After talking to another prostitute about the murder, a man was interviewed by police and vital information was recorded. Seed's were found on Manning's cardigan that she was wearing suggesting numerous places the murder could have taken place. In October 2009 a man who had lived with Manning was approached by police to identify a voice that he recognised as highup in the "criminal underworld". Other persons of interest included a man in a singlet with brown curly hair, two men standing by a 4WD and the driver of a white saloon vehicle all located within metres of the location Manning's body was found on the night of her death.
In December 2010 it was announced that the location Manning was murdered had been located due to the seeds found on her body, it was close to where the body had been dumped in a property on Galbraith Avenue in Avonside. A warehouse at the site was a Mongrel Mob
hangout at the time and they were known to work prostitutes however it was not ruled out that the property could have been accessed by others as well.
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 18 December 2008. It remains unsolved. Manning was picked up from her inner city, Manchester Street corner that she worked on as a prostitute, was taken to a property in Avonside
Avonside
Avonside is an eastern suburb in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is one of the oldest suburbs of the city, with only Heathcote being older.-History:...
and brutally killed by stabbing, strangling and assault with a metal pole. Her body was then dumped in the nearby Avon River and found the next morning by a kayaker.
The cases severity and longetivity have lead police to fear of a repeat killer and a reward on information was issued. The case has also been seen so extreme it has gone down as one of New Zealand's most severe unsolved crimes.
Victim
Mallory Manning had been taking drugs since the age of 14 and subsequently had been working as a prostitute since 15. In 1999, she was sentenced to 18 months jail for stabbing a shop assistant with a blood-filled syringe during a robbery.Manning had given up work as a prostitute due to fears for her life and due to the fact her sister had recently died and she did not want to die young. Manning had been fighting a drug addiction for years but was off the drugs and decided to go back to polytechnic and study art. However Manning's poverty and unemployment made her unable to afford Christmas presents for her family and she decided to return to prostitution for "just one night".
Homicide
On 18 December 2008 Manning was walking down Blenheim Road and was picked up by a client at 9:17 pm. She was dropped off at her usual corner of Manchester and Peterborough Streets. She was picked up again at 9:30 from this area and dropped back there. Manning then had another client which lasted until 10:20pm. She was then picked up at 10:35 or 10:40. She sent a text message at 10:43 before being driven to Galbraith Avenue in Avonside. She was then strangled, stabbed and beaten with a metal pole before being driven to the Avon River and dumped.Investigation
Mannings body was discovered the next morning by a kayaker. Manning's watch had stopped at 11 o'clock, due to water damage. Police suggested they may have found items of interest in the river. The investigation was conducted by 30 officers however it was constantly interrupted due to bad weather and rain. Police confirmed that more than one weapon was behind Manning's death. The police interviewed more than 900 people and learnt of a dark Ford FocusFord Focus
The Ford Focus is a compact car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1998. Ford began sales of the Focus to Europe in July 1998 and in North America during 1999 for the 2000 model year....
that may have been involved. They also obtained Manning's client list, receiving a list of 40 people they were eager to speak to. The police took DNA evidence from a carpark that Manning was known to take her clients.
There were numerous people of interest, namely men who lived in Christchurch and regularly used prostitutes. The police dismissed the murder as a robbery gone wrong as her handbag with all her belongings was still over her shoulder when she was discovered. After security footage was examined at the time of Manning's disappearance, it was declared that police were looking for an Indian man who may have been a client of Manning's and a driver of a blue 4 wheel drive.
After talking to another prostitute about the murder, a man was interviewed by police and vital information was recorded. Seed's were found on Manning's cardigan that she was wearing suggesting numerous places the murder could have taken place. In October 2009 a man who had lived with Manning was approached by police to identify a voice that he recognised as highup in the "criminal underworld". Other persons of interest included a man in a singlet with brown curly hair, two men standing by a 4WD and the driver of a white saloon vehicle all located within metres of the location Manning's body was found on the night of her death.
In December 2010 it was announced that the location Manning was murdered had been located due to the seeds found on her body, it was close to where the body had been dumped in a property on Galbraith Avenue in Avonside. A warehouse at the site was a Mongrel Mob
Mongrel Mob
The Mongrel Mob is a New Zealand gang, originally formed in Hawke's Bay in the 1960s and early 1970s.The gang offers a surrogate 'family' for young men, most of whom are often alienated from their family via joining. Members are from New Zealand's Maori, European or other Polynesian ethnic groups,...
hangout at the time and they were known to work prostitutes however it was not ruled out that the property could have been accessed by others as well.