A new book by controversial author Ian Wishart claims a "psychopath" made a deathbed confession to the murders of Heidi Paakkonen and Urban Hoglin.
The Swedish tourists disappeared in 1989, and in December 1990 David Tamihere was convicted of their murders.
But in Missing Pieces, out this Friday, Mr Wishart tells of a mental health patient who confessed to the crimes before passing away due to renal failure in 2002. Mr Wishart says the dead man's family told him about the confession, which was confirmed just last week by a nurse who claims she treated the new suspect before he died.
"It doesn't prove he did it but it does prove he confessed," Wishart told the New Zealand Herald.
According to Mr Wishart, the nurse contacted police at the time of the confession, but was told the pair's killer had already been caught.
Before being found guilty of murdering Mr Hoglin and Ms Paakonen, Tamihere already had numerous convictions, including manslaughter and rape. Mr Wishart says despite the new claims, it was still possible Tamihere was the killer.
Tamihere was released on parole in 2010 and has always maintained his innocence, claiming he was framed by police.
Tamihere's brother, former MP and RadioLIVE talkback host John Tamihere, says police might have got the wrong man.
"They clearly identified a key suspect and determined there would be no others," he told the Herald, casting doubt on the police case.
Police said they haven't yet seen any new evidence Mr Wishart might have uncovered.
WISHART'S NEW SUSPECT
Mr Wishart hasn't named the suspect as yet, except to say he was a mental health patient who attacked a priest in Waihi soon before the Swedes' murder.
He allegedly escaped into the bush, travelled rough and headed north towards Whitianga and Thames, in the area where Mr Hoglin's body was later found (Ms Paakkonen's never was).
The man had a history of anger and violence issues.
At some time in the 1990s he lost an arm when it was hit by a truck after he stuck it outside the driver's window. The other driver believed he did it deliberately, which Wishart says is further evidence he had mental health issues.
3 News
source: newshub archive
