Parker-Hulme murder
Encyclopedia
The Parker-Hulme Murder was a murder and subsequent court case that occurred in Christchurch
, New Zealand in 1954, achieving notoriety because a mother was murdered by two teenage girls: her daughter and her daughter's best friend. The murder became the basis for the critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated 1994 film Heavenly Creatures
.
, in Christchurch, New Zealand. That morning Honora had gone for a walk through Victoria Park with her daughter Pauline Parker
, and Pauline's best friend, Juliet Hulme. Approximately 420 feet (128 m) down the path, in a wooded area of the park near a small wooden bridge, Hulme and Parker bludgeoned Honora Rieper to death with half a brick enclosed in an old stocking
. After committing the carefully planned murder, the two girls fled, covered in blood, back to the tea kiosk where the three of them had eaten only minutes before. They were met by Agnes and Kenneth Ritchie, owners of the tea shop, whom they told in a horrified panic that Honora had fallen and hit her head. The body of Honora Rieper was found by Kenneth Ritchie where she had been killed by the girls. Major lacerations were found about Honora's head, neck, and face, with minor injuries to her fingers. Police soon discovered the murder weapon in the nearby woods. The girls' story of how Honora was killed by a slip quickly fell apart.
Parker came from a working-class
background; while Juliet Hulme was the daughter of Dr. Henry Hulme, a distinguished physicist who was the rector
of University of Canterbury
in Christchurch.
As children, Parker had suffered from osteomyelitis
and Hulme had suffered from tuberculosis
; the latter was sent by her parents to the Bahamas to recuperate. The girls initially bonded over their respective ailments, but, as their friendship developed, they formed an elaborate fantasy
life together. They would often sneak out and spend the night acting out stories
involving the fictional characters they had created. Their parents found this disturbing and worried their relationship was sexual. Homosexuality
at the time was seen as a serious mental illness
, so both sets of parents attempted to prevent the girls from seeing each other.
In 1954, Hulme's parents separated; her father resigned from his position as rector of Canterbury College
and planned to relocate to England. It was then decided that Hulme would be sent to live with relatives in South Africa
—ostensibly for her health, but also so that the girls would be more effectively, if not permanently, separated. Parker told her mother that she wished to accompany Hulme, but Parker's mother made it clear to her that it would not be allowed. The girls then formed a plan to murder Parker's mother and leave the country for the United States, where they believed they would publish their writing and work in film.
. The girls were convicted on August 30, 1954, and each of them spent five years in prison
as they were too young to be considered for the death penalty. They were released with the condition that they never contact each other again.
The murder was touched upon as strong evidence of moral decline less than four months later by the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents in what became known as the Mazengarb Report
, named after its chair, Oswald Mazengarb
.
After her release from prison, Juliet Hulme travelled to the United States and went on to have a successful career as a historical detective novelist under her new name, Anne Perry
. She has been a Mormon
since about 1968. She now lives in Scotland
.
Pauline Parker spent some time in New Zealand under close surveillance
before being allowed to leave for England. , she was living in the small village of Hoo
near Strood
, Kent
, and running a children's riding school. She has become a Roman Catholic and for many years Parker had refused to give interviews surrounding the murder of her mother and expressed strong remorse
about having killed her.
In March 2006, Perry said that while her relationship with Pauline Parker was obsessive, they were not lesbians.
In 2011 Peter Graham published So Brilliantly Clever: Parker, Hulme & The Murder that Shocked the World about the case. ISBN 9781877551123
's film Heavenly Creatures
. Perry's identity was only uncovered due to publicity surrounding the latter film. The case was also fictionalised in 1958 as The Evil Friendship by M. E. Kerr
under the pseudonym
Vin Packer.
Beryl Bainbridge
's first novel, Harriet Said...
, was inspired by newspaper reports of the case.
The 1967 play, Minor Murder, by Mary Orr and Reginald Denham was also based on the Parker–Hulme murder.
The 1991 play Daughters of Heaven by Michaelanne Forster, was premiered by Court Theatre in Christchurch.
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 in 1954, achieving notoriety because a mother was murdered by two teenage girls: her daughter and her daughter's best friend. The murder became the basis for the critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated 1994 film Heavenly Creatures
Heavenly Creatures
Heavenly Creatures is a 1994 film directed by Peter Jackson, from a screenplay he co-wrote with his wife Fran Walsh, about the notorious 1954 Parker-Hulme murder case in Christchurch, New Zealand. Filmed on location in Christchurch, it features Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet in their screen debuts...
.
Incident
On June 22, 1954, the body of Honora Rieper was discovered in Victoria ParkVictoria Park, Christchurch
Victoria Park is a large recreational area on the Port Hills above Christchurch, New Zealand.-Description:The park was formally opened by William Rolleston on 22 June 1897 for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria....
, in Christchurch, New Zealand. That morning Honora had gone for a walk through Victoria Park with her daughter Pauline Parker
Pauline Parker
Pauline Yvonne Parker is a woman from Christchurch, New Zealand who, together with her friend Juliet Hulme , murdered her mother, Honora Rieper, on 22 June 1954...
, and Pauline's best friend, Juliet Hulme. Approximately 420 feet (128 m) down the path, in a wooded area of the park near a small wooden bridge, Hulme and Parker bludgeoned Honora Rieper to death with half a brick enclosed in an old stocking
Stocking
A stocking, , is a close-fitting, variously elastic garment covering the foot and lower part of the leg. Stockings vary in color, design and transparency...
. After committing the carefully planned murder, the two girls fled, covered in blood, back to the tea kiosk where the three of them had eaten only minutes before. They were met by Agnes and Kenneth Ritchie, owners of the tea shop, whom they told in a horrified panic that Honora had fallen and hit her head. The body of Honora Rieper was found by Kenneth Ritchie where she had been killed by the girls. Major lacerations were found about Honora's head, neck, and face, with minor injuries to her fingers. Police soon discovered the murder weapon in the nearby woods. The girls' story of how Honora was killed by a slip quickly fell apart.
Background
Before the trial began, it was discovered that Honora Rieper had never married Herbert Rieper, the man known as her husband. She and Pauline were therefore referred to by her maiden name, Parker, during the trial.Parker came from a working-class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
background; while Juliet Hulme was the daughter of Dr. Henry Hulme, a distinguished physicist who was the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
in Christchurch.
As children, Parker had suffered from osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis simply means an infection of the bone or bone marrow...
and Hulme had suffered from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
; the latter was sent by her parents to the Bahamas to recuperate. The girls initially bonded over their respective ailments, but, as their friendship developed, they formed an elaborate fantasy
Fantasy (psychology)
Fantasy in a psychological sense is broadly used to cover two different senses, conscious and unconscious. In the unconscious sense, it is sometimes spelled "phantasy".-Conscious fantasy:...
life together. They would often sneak out and spend the night acting out stories
Storytelling game
A storytelling game is a game where two or more persons collaborate on telling a spontaneous story. Usually, each player takes care of one or more characters in the developing story...
involving the fictional characters they had created. Their parents found this disturbing and worried their relationship was sexual. Homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
at the time was seen as a serious mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, so both sets of parents attempted to prevent the girls from seeing each other.
In 1954, Hulme's parents separated; her father resigned from his position as rector of Canterbury College
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
and planned to relocate to England. It was then decided that Hulme would be sent to live with relatives in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
—ostensibly for her health, but also so that the girls would be more effectively, if not permanently, separated. Parker told her mother that she wished to accompany Hulme, but Parker's mother made it clear to her that it would not be allowed. The girls then formed a plan to murder Parker's mother and leave the country for the United States, where they believed they would publish their writing and work in film.
Trial and aftermath
The trial was a sensational affair, with speculation about their possible lesbianism and insanityInsanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
. The girls were convicted on August 30, 1954, and each of them spent five years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
as they were too young to be considered for the death penalty. They were released with the condition that they never contact each other again.
The murder was touched upon as strong evidence of moral decline less than four months later by the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents in what became known as the Mazengarb Report
Mazengarb Report
The Mazengarb Report of 1954, formally titled the Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents , resulted from a ministerial inquiry sparked primarily by two infamous and well-publicised events in New Zealand's history: the 22 June 1954 Parker-Hulme murder...
, named after its chair, Oswald Mazengarb
Oswald Chettle Mazengarb
Oswald Chettle Mazengarb was a New Zealand barrister. His other well-known public appointment was in 1954, by the National government of the time, to chair the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents, otherwise better known as the Mazengarb Report.Oswald Mazengarb also...
.
After her release from prison, Juliet Hulme travelled to the United States and went on to have a successful career as a historical detective novelist under her new name, Anne Perry
Anne Perry
Anne Perry is an English author of historical detective fiction. Perry was convicted of the murder of her friend's mother in 1954.-Early life:Born Juliet Marion Hulme in Blackheath, London, the daughter of Dr...
. She has been a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
since about 1968. She now lives in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Pauline Parker spent some time in New Zealand under close surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
before being allowed to leave for England. , she was living in the small village of Hoo
Hoo St Werburgh
Hoo St Werburgh is one of several villages on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent, England, to bear the name Hoo. It constitutes a civil parish in the borough of Medway, with a population of 7,356 at the 2001 census.- History :...
near Strood
Strood
Strood is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. It lies on the north west bank of the River Medway at its lowest bridging point, and is part of the Rochester post town....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and running a children's riding school. She has become a Roman Catholic and for many years Parker had refused to give interviews surrounding the murder of her mother and expressed strong remorse
Remorse
Remorse is an emotional expression of personal regret felt by a person after he or she has committed an act which they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or violent. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self-directed resentment...
about having killed her.
In March 2006, Perry said that while her relationship with Pauline Parker was obsessive, they were not lesbians.
In 2011 Peter Graham published So Brilliantly Clever: Parker, Hulme & The Murder that Shocked the World about the case. ISBN 9781877551123
Portrayals in fiction
The story of the murders was adapted into the French film Mais ne nous délivrez pas du mal (Don't Deliver Us From Evil) and into Peter JacksonPeter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's film Heavenly Creatures
Heavenly Creatures
Heavenly Creatures is a 1994 film directed by Peter Jackson, from a screenplay he co-wrote with his wife Fran Walsh, about the notorious 1954 Parker-Hulme murder case in Christchurch, New Zealand. Filmed on location in Christchurch, it features Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet in their screen debuts...
. Perry's identity was only uncovered due to publicity surrounding the latter film. The case was also fictionalised in 1958 as The Evil Friendship by M. E. Kerr
M. E. Kerr
Marijane Meaker is an American novelist and short story writer, who has used multiple pseudonyms for different genres. From 1952 to 1969 she wrote twenty mystery and crime novels under the name Vin Packer including the immensely popular Spring Fire, that is credited with launching the genre of...
under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Vin Packer.
Beryl Bainbridge
Beryl Bainbridge
Dame Beryl Margaret Bainbridge, DBE was an English author from Liverpool. She was primarily known for her psychological novels, often set amongst the English working classes. Bainbridge won the Whitbread Awards prize for best novel in 1977 and 1996; she was nominated five times for the Booker...
's first novel, Harriet Said...
Harriet Said...
Harriet Said... was the first novel written by Beryl Bainbridge. Although completed in 1958 it was rejected by several publishers in the late fifties, one of whom wrote:The manuscript was thought lost but was found by one publisher, returned to the author and finally published by Duckworth in 1972,...
, was inspired by newspaper reports of the case.
The 1967 play, Minor Murder, by Mary Orr and Reginald Denham was also based on the Parker–Hulme murder.
The 1991 play Daughters of Heaven by Michaelanne Forster, was premiered by Court Theatre in Christchurch.
Further Reading
So Brilliantly Clever: Parker, Hulme & The Murder that Shocked the World. Peter Graham. Awa Press, New Zealand, 2011. ISBN 9781877551123.External links
- Information on the Parker-Hulme case - from the public library of Christchurch, New Zealand