From Newshub comes a new investigative podcast, Grove Road.
This is the story of the murder of Arthur Easton and the arrest of Alan Hall, a man with no alibi or answers.
But it's also a story about our system of justice - the power and trust we give to police and prosecutors… and their ability to find the truth.
Episode eight asks the question - did police arrest the right suspect?
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Two pieces of crucial evidence found at the scene of Arthur Easton’s murder in October 1985 gave police a strong case against convicted suspect Alan Hall.
A woolen hat and the murder weapon – a bloodied bayonet.
Alan admitted owning the bayonet, and said he had borrowed the hat from his brother.
But, he has always maintained the hat and bayonet were stolen out of his bedroom.
Alan says the items were taken from a sleepout he shared with his brother Greg, on the property of their Papakura family home.
But, there was no evidence that a burglary took place. So how did the murder weapon and woolen hat end up at the scene of the crime?
The family suspects an associate who had gang connections stole the items.
But what if the bayonet owned by Alan wasn’t the one that killed Arthur Easton?
There was no forensic evidence linking the murder weapon to Alan. The only link was Alan’s own identification of it – he said his bayonet had distinctive rust marks.
Alan also didn’t fit the initial descriptions of the intruder, and his characteristics didn’t match those the intruder would likely have.
But someone else does fit those descriptions. Someone who may never have been properly questioned by police.
Grove Road was created in partnership with Newshub Nation, which is made with help from NZ On Air.
Got a question or tip? Email it to groveroad@mediaworks.co.nz
