Pauline Parker 1938 – 2026

Biography

# Pauline Parker

Pauline Parker became one of New Zealand’s most infamous figures following the Parker–Hulme murder case of 1954. At just 16 years old, Parker and her 15-year-old friend Juliet Hulme were convicted in the death of Honorah Mary Rieper in Christchurch. Both teenagers were sentenced to five years imprisonment and given new identities upon their release, allowing them to attempt fresh starts.

While her co-defendant went on to achieve international recognition—Juliet Hulme reinvented herself as bestselling detective fiction author Anne Perry, a revelation that didn’t become public until 1994—Parker’s life following her release remained largely private. The case itself became a cultural touchstone, examined in documentaries and dramatized in the 1994 film “Heavenly Creatures.” Parker lived quietly for decades after her release, passing away in October 2026 at age 88.