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Report on local murder, Dunollie.
Pic two courtesy Malcolm Howell:
Scene of the Murder. Mrs Laura Jones Cottage in Dunollie. Tucked up in the bush some 300m from the Dunollie Hotel. View from Railway Line showing front gate and Cottage. Date of Murder Saturday 10 August 1968.Date of PhotoBetween 1st January 1966 and 31st December 1969Map[1] ContributorHayley Skeats
Hayley Skeats
Yeah, the house isn't there anymore.
Lynne Brown
Terrible there was a road up to her house past Dunollie Hotel, I knew her and her family well. I always remember one of her daughters lived in the North Island in a lighthouse, her husband was a keeper. She was such a quiet innocent person, her house very isolated though awfully scary too
Des O'Connell
The man worked at the Rapahoe bins I forget his name
Hayley Skeats
Yeah the police files are still closed so there is no info on it available, it's just something I've been curious about for years. Thanks guys :)
CindyGary Foster-Buckman
Thats up our way
Brenda Barry Brown
Was my grandad Gibson cousin or aunt can't remember I was very young at the time
Judy Smolen
yes I remember that house, we used to go up there and it was creepy
CindyGary Foster-Buckman
I wouldnt mind having a read of that Hayley.
Hayley Skeats
Sure Cindy, I'll photocopy it for you, there's a couple of people that were interested. Xx
CindyGary Foster-Buckman
Sweet ta :)
CindyGary Foster-Buckman
Yea my Nana (Polly Marshall) found her when she was going to her house to have a game of cards. After finding her body, she walked down to Dunollie hotel n got them to ring the cops
Hayley Skeats
Yup, that's right Scott , they were mates.
Diane Burling
Wow never heard of this
Diane Burling
Kathy n Cheyne marshall will prob be interested in reading this too. we were only talking about it a couple of weeks ago
Hayley Skeats
Will do a copy for them too. I know when Dad worked with your sister she was interested.
Joyce Creagh
Could you do a copy for me as my daughter in law is her granddaughter
Joyce Creagh
Yea they'll defin be keen on a copy aye Hayley.
Heather Newby
There have been a few scandals on the coast over the years.Way back in the 1940`s(?) before my time... a young guy was jilted by a girl who lived in Blackball and he sent her poisoned chocolates.. another girl opened the packet and ate some and she died.
Lynne Brown
Not sure maybe 1930's my great grandmother Granny Frickleton had a shop there and she ate a chocolate too not one that was poisoned. They never prosecuted anyone for this although they thought they knew, no proof. He was quite clearly mentally handicapped, not a boyfriend as such he just imagined he was. This was a TV episode "unsolved NZ crimes" on about 2-3 years ago. My mother knew al about this she lived in Blackball at the time as well.
Neil Martin
September 24th 1934
Neil Martin
Heather Newby The Blackball poisoner was apparently unknown to the girls involved and the believed perpetrator one "John Skikelthorpe Page a 39 year old miner was found unfit to plead and was sent to a psychiatric institution.
Lisa McGuire
Members of her family know who really did it ;)
Fiona Riordan
That was tragic Hayley Skeats
Amon Greening
Hey Shaun is that the old overgrowin house we use to pick blackberrys @ was up in the bush between ross st & ward street, always seemed very creepy.!!
Shaun Taft
Amon did comment earlier but it's gone damn FB lol.Was the house up past the big old goods sheds (white with red roof) past Dunollie pisser at the start of the cutting
Heather NewbyGroup Admin There have been a few scandals on the coast over the years.Way back in the 1940`s(?) before my time... a young guy was jilted by a girl who lived in Blackball and he sent her poisoned chocolates.. another girl opened the packet and ate some and she died.
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Lynne Brown
Lynne Brown Not sure maybe 1930's my great grandmother Granny Frickleton had a shop there and she ate a chocolate too not one that was poisoned. They never prosecuted anyone for this although they thought they knew, no proof. He was quite clearly mentally handicapped, not a boyfriend as such he just imagined he was. This was a TV episode "unsolved NZ crimes" on about 2-3 years ago. My mother knew al about this she lived in Blackball at the time as well.
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Neil Martin
Neil Martin September 24th 1934
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Neil Martin
Neil Martin Heather Newby The Blackball poisoner was apparently unknown to the girls involved and the believed perpetrator one "John Skikelthorpe Page a 39 year old miner was found unfit to plead and was sent to a psychiatric institution.
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Lisa McGuire
Lisa McGuire Members of her family know who really did it ;)
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Fiona Riordan
Fiona Riordan That was tragic Hayley Skeats
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Amon Greening
Amon Greening Hey Shaun is that the old overgrowin house we use to pick blackberrys @ was up in the bush between ross st & ward street, always seemed very creepy.!!
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Shaun Taft
Shaun Taft Amon did comment earlier but it's gone damn FB lol.Was the house up past the big old goods sheds (white with red roof) past Dunollie pisser at the start of the cutting
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Amon Greening
Amon Greening Ahh righto yeah i know the one... :)
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Shaun Taft
Shaun Taft Yip thought you might lol
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Helen Brennan
Helen Brennan I can remember this the man gave himself up to Mrs Gilmore the police mans wife
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Kathy Marshall
Kathy Marshall Hayley - sure would love to have a copy. It really rattled poor old Poll and she was really quite nervous about living in her home next to the Railway Station especially if Terry was away. It must have been pretty daunting for her to find Laura Jones dead and running down to the pub in the dark for help.
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Hayley Skeats
Hayley Skeats Sure Kathy , will do a copy for you :) Poor Polly, it must have been a sight and affected her greatly xxx
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Anne-Marie Dixon
Anne-Marie Dixon I do remember his name. Poor Polly Marshall
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Megan Wilson
Megan Wilson I am also one of the granddaughters of Laura Jones, my mum was Eileen. The murder of their mum was so ghastly that none of the girls ever really got over it. In later years when I asked Dad about it he told me he had to identify the body and in he to...See More
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Glenys Coburn
Glenys Coburn I can remember this happening. Felt sorry for Polly Marshall finding that.The man who did it, his sister used to go on the bus to his trial. Remember sitting on the bus and no one said a word about it. Most unusual as everyone usually talked about all sorts of things on the bus, especially something like that.
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Deb Broersma
Deb Broersma I remember this. It really rocked Dunollie residents, young and old.
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Clare Arnel
Clare Arnel I also remember that terrible murder. The Police did their (usual) routine door-knock at our house in McDougal Ave. I also knew Mrs Jones and her children. Eleanor Jones was my age and attended all the dances in Dunollie as we all did back then. This is the first time I knew that mrs jones was a Devescovi. Also knew that family in Runanga.
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Brenda Brown
Brenda Brown She was my grandfather's cousin
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Murray Dixon
Murray Dixon Did the house get burned down after that....can remember picking plums off the trees up there years later
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George Samuel
George Samuel what street did this happen
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Lyn Moe
Lyn Moe Lynne Brown, the daughter you mention light house keeper was kitty.Her husband bill kemp wrote a book.Pass safely sailor, about their life.Hard to believe but the man that killed her was from pitt st at the other end of pitt st was a good family man with the same name
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Catherine Fisher
Catherine Fisher it was 69 as I was working at Ron Mprris
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Kathy Marshall
Kathy Marshall I suppose Laura Jones address would have been Railway Reserve. It wasn't really a street.
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Carol Cook
Carol Cook Yes I can remember it well ... living in Ross Street we all got interviewed by the Police which was a bit scary back then.
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Diane Prescott
Diane Prescott I remember it alright. It was my Nana (Polly Marshall) who found her dear friend Laura
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Malcolm Howell
Malcolm Howell The scariest night of my life. I arrived at the small bach like cottage and had to stay in that house all night guarding the scene. The murderer was not even known then. I had to check in by radio every hour and standing at the back door with a wall of...See More
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Malcolm Howell
Malcolm Howell I still have the jury murder photos and its not one of my pleasant memories as to what was found. I won't disclose any further details as they are disturbing. Evidence wise, besides the interview, a light bulb was removed from a light in one of the bed...See More
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Brian McIntyre
Brian McIntyreGroup Admin VERY enlightning Malcolm Howell. I was in Nelson in 69 and heard virtually nothing of it
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Trish Dellaway
Trish Dellaway Hi Hayley Skeats this was my mothers great aunt. We were just talking about it today. Jack and violet are my great grandparents
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Hayley Skeats
Hayley Skeats Hi Trish, Jack and Violet were my (if I've got it right) Great, Great Aunty and Uncle. Caterina Devescovi was my Grandad's mother :)
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Scott Mitchell
Scott Mitchell F
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Trish Dellaway
Trish Dellaway Hayley we are related. My mum is Rosalee and her mum was Dorothy who was jack and violets daughter
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Trish Rennie
Trish Rennie I remember this really well Hayley....Laura used to get a quarter loaf of brown bread on a Friday from my Mum n Dad whom owned the wee shop in Dunollie. She hadn't come in for it and Mum said on the Saturday morning if she hadnt come in by 1pm we were...See More
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Ann Knipe
Ann Knipe She lived just down the Railway line from us - we lived in Ross St. She was such a lovely lady.
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Kerry Beech
Kerry Beech It was said that Polly Marshall was the one that found her. We saw the man that sunday on his way to give himself up lived over the hill from us.
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Kathy Marshall
Kathy Marshall Yes Polly Marshall did find her. She, d walked along the railway lineto Laura's house to play cards. When she found her dead, she ran to the Dunollie pub.
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Karen Shaw
Karen Shaw This has been a fascinating read. As a new member to this page and a granddaughter of Laura Devescovi Jones it has brought back many memories of that sad time. My mother was Laura’s eldest daughter Marjorie.
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Laura Mills Detlaff
Laura Mills DetlaffGroup Admin Admins this is on Reco
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Helen Brennan
Helen Brennan He gave himself up to Mrs Gilmore she had to wait till Ericcame home
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Megan Wilson
Megan Wilson Malcolm Howell as belated as this is, on behalf of our family I want to thank you for staying with Laura's body overnight, guarding it after she had been murdered. It must have been harrowing for you. And although you were doing your job, and preservin...See More
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Malcolm Howell
Malcolm Howell Thanks Megan Wilson. I was 22 yrs of age. The big transportable Radio I had was next to useless and the telephone wire had been cut. Cell phones were not even heard of then. To top all this off my mother knew Mrs Jones also. Very sad.
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Paul Soster
Paul Soster my aunty,s mother found her,Polly Marshall.
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Alison Wall
Alison Wall I also remember the horror of it all. The first we knew was when all our fathers came from Dunollie to get us from the pictures to walk us home. Police cars everywhere. We lived in Herd Street, a very close community. Still miss the Bush.
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