Harvey and Jeanette Crewe

David Harvey Crewe, know as Harvey, and Jeanette Lenore Crewe (1940 - June 1970) were a New Zealand farming couple who died in a double murder, both died around 17 June 1970, or possibly a murder-suicide. A neighbour and farmer Arthur Allan Thomas (born 1938) was twice convicted of their murders but later pardoned, following a Royal Pardon.

Husband and wife Harvey and Jeanette Crewe were shot and killed around 17 June 1970. One or both of them were shot in their farmhouse at Pukekawa, Lower Waikato, and their bodies were dumped in the Waikato River. Jeanette's body was found in the river two months later and her husband's body another month later. An axle which had apparently been used to weigh down Harvey's body was also found.

The Crewes' disappearance was reported to the police by Jeanette's father Lenard W. Demler (died 1992) and his neighbour on 22 June. The Crewes' 18-month-old daughter Rochelle was alive in the house and it was suspected that an unknown woman had fed her between the 17th and 22nd. Len Demler became the leading suspect in the police inquiry.

The police collected and test-fired rifles belonging to residents in the district. All but two rifles were eliminated as possible murder weapons. One of these rifles belonged to Arthur Thomas and he became a suspect. On 27 October the garden at the Crewe house was searched for the third time and a cartridge case was found. The case carried marks which showed it had been fired from Thomas's rifle. In November Thomas was arrested and was found guilty of their murder in a jury trial in 1971. On appeal, a new trial was ordered and a second jury found him guilty in 1973.

A campaign led in part by Pat Booth of the "Auckland Star" attempted to overturn his conviction. The campaign alleged that police evidence against Thomas was fabricated. Forensic work by Dr Jim Sprott showed that the cartridge case had been planted at the scene. [cite web |url=http://www.gunworks.co.nz/expertwitness.php |title=Expert Witness |publisher=Gunworks Canterbury |accessdate=2007-03-31] A Royal Commission of Inquiry was formed to review the case and reported to the Governor-General in November 1980. The Commissioners found that the cartridge case relied on to convict Thomas, Exhibit 350, had been planted by Detective Inspector Hutton and Detective Sergeant Johnston. The Inquiry found there was misconduct by Hutton and Johnston in the prosecution of Thomas and that the arrest and prosecution of Thomas was unjustified. Thomas was pardoned in 1979 after serving nine years in prison and was paid compensation for his time in jail.

David Yallop wrote the book "Beyond Reasonable Doubt" about the case. The case was made into the docu-drama "Beyond Reasonable Doubt" in 1980.

No-one else has been arrested for killing the Crewe's and the case remains unsolved. A number of theories have been put forward. Pat Booth has speculated that Harvey Crewe assaulted his wife who then shot him, dumped his body with help from her father and several days later shot herself, with her father also disposing of her body. Another theory is that Demler killed both the victims. Chris Birt covers this extensively in his book "The Final Chapter" in 2001. Arthur Thomas's brother believes that yet another man was the murderer.

Notes

References

* [http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/r.christie/thomas_royal_commission_1980.pdf Report of the Royal Commission to Inquire into the Circumstances of the Convictions of Arthur Allan Thomas for the Murders of David Harvey Crewe and Jeanette Lenore Crewe] , 1980
* [http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3438/features/5751/dead_ends.html;jsessionid=4000291C6686A36E35B8504180D31420 Article by Pat Booth in the "New Zealand Listener"]
* [http://www.waikaretu.co.nz/news/example2.php?subaction=showfull&id=1175138044 Report urging Police to reopen the case in 2006 Based on Chris Birt's investigation into the identity of the unknown woman.]