New book on Crewe murders blames the investigating police officer...

Arthur Allan Thomas says he backs a new book on the murders of Harvey and Jeanette Crewe that claims the killer was a police officer who investigated the case.



Thomas was originally arrested for the double murder in 1970. He was found guilty by two juries despite a strong alibi. Thomas was then pardoned in 1979 and a Royal Commission of Inquiry found that key evidence had been fabricated by the police.



Author Ian Wishart's new book, Arthur Allan Thomas: The Inside Story, claims that Det Sgt Len Johnston did more than plant evidence. He writes that Johnston was responsible for killing the Crewes and framing Thomas.



Thomas told TV ONE's Breakfast today that he had never before considered Johnston as the killer, believing that the culprit was most likely Len Demler, Jeanette's father.



But Wishart said his investigations brought to light new evidence that led him to focus on Johnston.



"Everywhere we went, Len Johnson kept on turning up in this case... as the person planting all of the key evidence...(fabricating) the case against Arthur Thomas."



Wishart said that Johnston's motive may have stemmed from blackmail over a burglary and insurance fraud.



The Police Association has dismissed the claims. Spokesman Greg O'Connor described Wishart's book as "scurrilous rubbish".



But Thomas is backing Wishart's theory.



"I'm not surprised, the police were corrupt to the highest degree in my case."





Thomas said that even now people struggle to accept his innocence. He said he has been let down by the police, the courts and the justice system.



"I had great faith in the police in the early days... I had nothing to hide. I helped the police where I could and they let me down," he said.



Back in July, Thomas' ex-wife, Vivien, spoke out about the murder mystery. She sent a letter to Justice Minister Simon Power, requesting he re-open the cold case.



Now known as Vivien Harrison, she was accused by police of being involved in the double homicide by feeding the Crewes' baby.



While a statement from a local farmhand led to her being cleared of any involvement, the case did lead to the demise of her marriage and force her from the country.



Vivien filed for divorce after Thomas' guilty verdict remained in place after the second trial. The pair never spoke again, but she remained a staunch supporter of his innocence, maintaining he was home with her at the time of the murders.

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Christchurch prison inmates being shifted to other prisons...

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Christchurch  prison inmates moving en masse -  being shifted to other prisons...




Danger of fire after the earthquake prompts Department of Corrections to move inmates from Christchurch's Men's and Women's prisons.











Prisoners from Christchurch's Men's and Women's prisons will be moved to other sites as a precautionary measure following Saturday's earthquake.



The Department of Corrections says the prisons are operating safely but there is a safety risk that water pressure wouldn't be effective enough in the event of a fire. Indeed!



In a statement, Acting General Manager of Operations Karen Urwin says prisoners will gradually be moved over the coming days. Male prisoners will be transported by prison bus to Otago, and charter flights will be used to move female prisoners to Auckland. Ms Urwin says it's a temporary move to reduce the demand on local services.



Rolleston Men's Prison remains largely unaffected by the earthquake and will run as usual.






Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

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The 40th anniversary of the Crewe murders - NZ's most baffling...

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On the 40th anniversary of New Zealand's most baffling murder mystery, Arthur Allan Thomas’s ex wife Vivien Harrison has broken her silence on the case that destroyed her marriage and drove her from the country.


And she’s called for the "mystery woman" she believes fed the baby of murdered couple Harvey and Jeanette Crewe to account for witness reports that she was seen at their farmhouse after the killings.



Thomas, who was convicted of murder on evidence later found to be fabricated by the police, was finally pardoned in 1979 and awarded $950,000 in compensation after a royal commission of inquiry ruled he should never have been charged.



After publicly campaigning for her husband's freedom through two court trials – both of which found him guilty – Harrison filed for divorce while Thomas was still in prison.



They haven’t spoken since and no one else has been charged with the murders. But in an exclusive interview with North & South magazine, she still stands by her man.



"What I did was end my marriage to Arthur. But I did not desert him. I know Arthur did not kill those people and I will declare his innocence until the day I die."



Thomas, who was devastated by her decision, felt betrayed. But she says their relationship was a casualty of the justice system.



"The second trial ended my marriage; what hopes we had were dashed by the verdicts delivered by that jury. Our plans for our future were completely and utterly gone."



Researcher and writer Chris Birt, who wrote a book on the Crewe murders, The Final Chapter, in 2001, tracked Harrison down to Queensland and returned with her to the Pukekawa farmhouse, south of Auckland, where the murders took place on June 17, 1970.



Initially fingered by police as the woman who fed the Crewe’s baby girl, Rochelle, before the bodies were found five days later, Harrison speaks out against the police corruption she says has tainted her life in the July issue of North & South .



And the families of two other key witnesses reveal their own stories of harassment and intimidation at the hands of the police.



Should there be a further inquiry into the Crewe murders and should the "mystery woman" – who is known to the police – be asked to account for her whereabouts during those five days before the bodies were found? Have your say below.





Acknowledgements: Plus read more about the Crewe murders in the July issue of North & South  Magazine.