Baby K Update

NZ Herald...

16.04.2002
4.55pm
Police are searching a large section of rugged hill country near the Wellington suburb of Berhampore for the kidnapped baby Kahurautete Durie.

The team, made up mainly of recruits from the police college, has been searching the gorse covered hill for signs of 8-month-old Kahu Durie, who was taken at gunpoint from her mother Donna Hall on Saturday afternoon.

The search follows a call from a woman to the police 0800 line just before midnight last night with information which included a street name, but poor quality audio made her words unclear.

Police searched Albert Street last night, before listening to the tape again.

Today, police have been searching a hillside which follows Mt Albert Road. They have so far been unsuccessful.

Police are appealing for the caller to make contact again.

Picture: Kahurautete Durie

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=1392287&thesection=Story&thesubsection=&reportID=362582

Picture: Kahurautete's clothing

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=1392285&thesection=Story&thesubsection=&reportID=362582

Picture: the car being sought by police

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=1392284&thesection=Story&thesubsection=&reportID=362582

The car at the centre of the police hunt is a two-tone blue and silver Mitsubishi similar to this vehicle.

The registration number is UL3802 or similar.

The car was seen twice as it left St Albans Grove and drove along Woburn Rd, Lower Hutt.

Map: Lower Hutt kidnap and killing

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=1392258&thesection=Story&thesubsection=&reportID=362582

Police Attempt To Trace Caller
16/04/2002 04:03 PM
IRN

A caller to an 0800 number set up to find Kahu Durie claims the baby might be dead.

The eight-month-old was abducted at gunpoint in a Lower Hutt street, on Saturday afternoon.

Police are still trying to determine whether the call, made by a woman, is genuine or a hoax.

The call was made to the 0800 number just before midnight last night.

The caller claimed to have killed and disposed of a baby in central Wellington, but a search of a city street has failed to find any sign of Kahu Durie.

Police say the audio is not very clear and they have experts trying to analyse it today.

Meanwhile, they say they are following up more than 400 calls to the 0800 number, and have made a list of around 25 potential suspects.

I just can't believe this happened

Oh god, please let this baby be allright. She is so little and has done nothing to hurt anybody.

I think there might be some interesting info coming to light in the case soon. It seems very strange at the moment.

The police have more leads than they are letting the public know, makes sense. They would have a number of prime suspects and have various people under 24/7 survelliance...

Like harvey said above something will be happening very soon...

the longer this goes on with no word, the worst the out come looks!

Yep, gotta agree with fitzy.

Personally, I think that with no ransom demands, no apparent motive, and just 1 phone call - that could well be a fucking prank - the baby is more likely dead than not.

:/

I think there would be many motives for this kidnapping ...quite possiblibly revenge. The parents do have areasonably high profile and have received threats in the past through the work they have done.

baby k = timmy fell down a well

Harsh call dpt ...could well be the case though.

this is soo sad!!
i hope she's ok!!!

not saying its fake, just the level of media coverage etc etc

As you would expect. I would be more worried if sick stuff like this was not unusual enough to be headline news.

Well, the police have finally given the reason as to why no identikit picture has been released. Apparently the guy was wearing a balaclava. I don't know why they didn't just tell everyone that earlier, rather than have all the speculation as to why no identikit had been released to the media.

That's why they weren't sure about the pictures they had drawn?

wtf?? If it didn't before it sure as hell sounds fishy now!

why - I got the impression they still felt they could have some sort of identikit picture. They are also trying to get agreement fom all the people of exactly what he looked like, something the police said is often a problem.

*sniff* Come home little fella

but last night on the news the police said something along the lines of 'we aren't releasing the picture because it is to typical/generic looking and would lead to false accusations'

dpt...you think this case has had too much media coverage???

first suspect? equals person the baby was stolen from.

'oh they just came up to me for no apparent reason in the middle of the day in the street and stole my baby'

its harsh, but true. innocent till proven tho ofcourse

Latest update:

Police release new details of baby Kahu kidnapper

17.04.2002
3.15pm
A more detailed description of the man who kidnapped baby Kahu Durie at gunpoint on Saturday morning has been released by police.

The man is said to have grey or greying hair, a spot under his left eye, bad teeth (possibly with some missing), and a wrinkly neck with loose flesh under the jaw.

He is aged between 30 and 40, about 172cm tall, and was wearing tight black trousers (possibly jeans) with dark leather boots and a jacket, and a ski balaclava.

Detective Superintendent Larry Reid, the new senior officer coordinating the case, said police had taken this long to get the new description, including the Balaclava, because they had been verifying the statements made by Kahu's two young cousins who witnessed the kidnapping.

Police said they may still produce an identikit picture of the man's face.

Today is the fifth day without any sign of the 8-month-old baby or contact from the kidnapper.

What a stupid comment dopespot. The guy was wearing a balaclava and had a gun and took the baby. Surely that is the first suspect.

Seems that heaps of people are suspecting the mother. That's weird, I hadn't even thought of the dingo stealing the babe until I read this thread...Now of course I'm thinking.
Be interesting to hear some more actual facts.
Please oh please find your way home little baby K...

Dope. I reckon that the witnesses would be able to disprove that one pretty damn quick.

justahalf - who told u this? idiot.

im not saying she did it. just making a point which u obviously missed. better luck next time.

witnesses relentless - please advise who they were if u know? the babies 2 yr old brother? the dog? a talking parakeet?

A witness who lives on the street where the abduction occoured has verified what the mother and nieces have said.

well, thats better, thanks Bigups.
I wonder if this witness knows the mother?

sounds pretty odubtful it was her now tho...

Yeah. I'm glad to hear that. Well, glad-ish. A mother doing that is truely sick. Well, anyone, but particularly a mother, if you know what I mean. But now who's a wanker enough to take someones baby?? I really hope they get to the bottom of it soon. Good friend of mine just had a baby...she would be so absolutely destroyed if that happened...

From all reports the mother does not know the witness.

It seems that at this point the Police believe that the person who took the baby was probably hired by people that the Mother, Donna Hall, had investigated or was in the process of investigating. Donna Hall had previuosly received threats around October of last year. Over the last six months she has been investigating large organisations over some fraudulent and corrupt practises.

If they can figure out a motive it will be easier to narrow down who did it.

Always the innocent victims that suffer! Hope they string up the sick b*****d! They havent released a lot of the story - mainly involving the secret role that the mum has to play in a top secret race relation deal going on at the moment - mind you Dad being a high court Judge has a few foes, but hush I can tell you a thing!

is a ski balaclava different from a normal balaclava? Because a normal one would obviously hide "grey or greying hair", "a wrinkly neck with loose flesh under the jaw" and "aged between 30 and 40"

Also if the mother did do it she probabilly wouldn't have got all those people to lie to support her story, she would have got a guy to dress up and come and do the act etc, then all those people can tell the truth and support her story

EWOL, one piece of work that she is working on that moment, dont know if this is the one you are talking about:


Donna Hall leading fight for $2b prize
17.04.2002


Donna Hall's Volcanic Interior Plateau claim for most of the central North Island is potentially the biggest Maori land claim yet.

It covers the entire Bay of Plenty, the central plateau down to Waiouru and parts of the East Coast and Waikato, with compensation potentially topping $2 billion.

Led by Hall and Wellington lawyer Ian Millard, QC, more than 100 individuals, tribes and hapu - including Te Arawa and the Mataatua Waka Confederation of Tribes (most Bay of Plenty and Taupo tribes) and Tuhoe groups - have joined forces.

They seek the return of seven forests totalling 165,000ha, including the country's largest, Kaingaroa, and all lakebeds, riverbeds and waterways within the area not already returned.

Fourteen lakes in the Rotorua district, plus Lake Waikaremoana and part of Tongariro National Park, are part of the claim, which is also expected to include geothermal resources such as Orakei-Korako near Taupo and Whakarewarewa in Rotorua, hydro power stations and manmade lakes such as Atiamuri and Matahina.

The Volcanic Interior Plateau claim's principal basis is the "total loss" of customary land ownership and "severe loss" of other lands through Treaty of Waitangi breaches by the Crown. The grievances date to 1866, when about 16,200ha of eastern Bay of Plenty land was taken under the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863.

The claim states that the loss of further land, forestry, lakes and waterways and geothermal areas cost Maori the right to use modern technology to develop the resources to increase their prosperity and living standards.

Cutting rights to the forest land covered by the claim were sold for $2.25 billion under the Crown Forest Assets Act 1989, which leased state forests to private companies.

The Waitangi Tribunal could make a mandatory order, which the Government must obey, to compensate the claimants for up to 100 per cent of the value of these rights.

The claim also seeks up to $500 million based on the value of the forestry land and $128 million in rent accumulated on the forests.

Any settlement above $1 billion would trigger relativity clauses in the $170 million settlements already agreed by Tainui and Ngai Tahu. Both tribes would get an extra 17c for every extra dollar paid to other claimants.

I was thinking the same thing about the balaclava. How could they see his hair?

The mother could have done away with her baby alot easier than going to all this trouble. She hasn't got a motive anyway.

I feel so sorry for the family. If we ever lost any of our babies (nephews, nieces, cousins) we would never be the same. Especially at 8 months. Its the best age, so bloody cute its not funny.

hey, uh... wouldn't all the people who work closely with Donna Hall be FREAKING OUT?????!!!!

So you think it could be legal/work related? Dopespot, I dont understand how you could think that a mother would do that to her child and then be so emotionally distraught by it! Not flaming, just wondering.

I wonder if there would be as much media coverage if the couple were not in the public eye as such?

I was thinking the same thing, about the media and the level of police activity.

Redbeast: It has happened before where the mother has seemed to be pretty distraught ...quite a few times in the US in fact.

I am not saying that this is the case here ...just helps to think of all possibilities.

Usually postnatal depression. Not relevant in this case.

They could probably see a little bit of his hair either under the balaclave or through the opening for the eyes. There was doubt about the clour so obviously not that much could be seen.

A freind suggested this motive to me: The baby was stolen to order...and has been sold...thoughts?

nah, too american...

NZ is such a small place for something like that to happen.

Too drastic in the middle of the street and stuff. If you were going to do that,you'd be more discreet about it, surely...
Not that I've ever thought much about that...

This sort of thing can and sadly enough does happen in any place no matter if it is big or small.

I just wish that there was some contact that had been made with whoever did this...

Could killing your wife and daughter with a hatchet be called 'too american' as well?

Maybe the child has been taken overseas...tough, but not impossible.

So far, this kidnapper has snatched a baby at gunpoint in the middle of the street, armed with a shotgun, balaclava and stolen number plates on a car which hasn't been seen since. Lots of planning, and he hasn't been caught yet. A baby snatched from it's home in the middle of the night would attract just as much attention as this case. Maybe the kidnapper is trying to divert attention by making it look like a ransom case.

How long though until they start looking at ot from the 'psycho fuck' angle?

Yeah. Whoever did it could just have one little scrap of humanity and just let the country know something. Even if the baby's dead (I hate saying that) or whatever, it's so unfair on the family.
Seems so strange, though, that instead of doing it when no one was around,that it was done in daylight, people saw it, etc.
Obviously it was planned, ie stolen car, gun, balaclava, etc, so it's no one who's like lost a baby and distraught and freaking out so goes and takes someone elses kid.
Apparantly the suspect list has about 800 people or something...

Still think chances of it having something to do with the parents is way higher, almost certain in fact. If they were stealing for overseas they would take a pakeha baby almost certainly.

Nah, NZ's famous for it's weird massacres etc, there's always been lots, but I just think if you wanted a baby, to sell, to have as your own, you'd take one inconspicously.
Like I said, though, I've never had much call to think about it seriously.
You're right though, Kris B, it looks very much like a ransom, but since there's been no contact, it could be a good disguise for something else...
But I don't know what that would be...

My main objection (now that I've thought about it more) to it being the mother, is that she's a lawyer, and a big one by the sounds!!! she'd surely know how to do it so it doesn't point so much at her!! And as you see from this thread, there are heaps of people thinking that...

Well, considering the mother (Donna Hall) is a high class lawyer, who is also a maori activist, and the fact that the father is highly involved in the legal issues of the Waitangi tribunal and is a High Court judge is quite scary. I think that it has something to do with the way one of the parents handled a case or something, which made this kidnapper snap. Or, it could just be something completely different like a random kidnapping.

The fact that it was a man who kidnapped the baby is also strange, he could've been paid to do so, in the past, it's usually been women who kidnap babies. Scary case I hope that they find her.

Everyone's saying "it doesn't add up".... etc etc, but really, what do we know??
Probably about one hundredth of what the police know, if that.
Of course they don't release important stuff until they're sure they can. I wonder what they'll tell us over the next little while that will change everyones ideas...??

bluang3l says: "The fact that it was a man who kidnapped the baby is also strange"

+1, Insightful

Taking in that point alone, in my mind that narrows down the scenarios.

A) Suspect paid for the job.

B) Random act of foul play.

A sobering thought from missingkids.com: "According to the State of Washington’s Office of the Attorney General “the murder of a child who is abducted ... is a rare event. There are estimated to be about 100 such incidents in the United States each year, less than one-half of one percent of the murders committed”; however, “74 percent of abducted children who are murdered are dead within three hours of the abduction.”

(http://www.missingkids.com/html/publicaffairs_stats.html)

and "...The youngest females, 1-5 years old, tend to be killed by friends or acquaintances (64%)..."

Reading this thread makes me feel ill...if someone took my liddle Munchkin I would be so absolutely devastated and I swear to God if they ever caught who had done it, I would go to jail for the murder of them and it would be long, slow and bloody nasty. This kinda shit really pisses me off.

It is a terrible thing. I wish they would just hear from the fucker who took the baby.

I hope she's allright. Poor little bubby doesn't even know what's going on.

Im not really keeping up with it all, I cant stand watching the News, but its been a week and they still dont have any idea? What happened with 0800 call?

Still nothing....

This is very disturbing if you have been trying to follow it close...

What i really hope is that wherever she is and whoever has her is still taking care of her...

SHES BEEN FOUND.

A new update said she was founf recently and is now safe at home with parents.

Police arent releasing any details.

Knge
- : )

Where did you hear this K?

It is true I hear. TG she's safe and well now.

Excellent News:
Baby Kahu Found!
21/04/2002 10:28 PM
IRN

Baby Kahu has been found safe and well and has been reunited with her family.

The news comes at the end of day nine of the kidnapping.

Police are holding a media conference in Lower Hutt later tonight.

Baby Kahu was kidnapped at gunpoint last Saturday while her mother, prominent lawyer Donna Hall was out walking with other members of her family.

A week-long intensive search had failed to find any sign of the baby or her abductor.

The FBI and other specialist agencies were contacted by Lower Hutt police for their advice.

Police have not yet revealed the circumstances surrounding the abduction.

Source: www.xtra.co.nz

It still all seems very weird to me.

She was found in the central NI, close to, or in, the area of the large Treaty claim Donna Hall is involved in. Could be coincidence but quite likely not.

So happy ! :o)

You seem very suspicious over this whole thing harvey, think it is a scam ?

I don't think its a scam. I just find it weird the way the whole thing went down. I believe theres still some more stuff regarding this that hasn't been let on about.

thats what i hav been saying, 1st the baby was givin on gun point, I mean any mother would giv her life for her child especially a child.. then a week later they find her 2 days after the police ofered a reward..

Police Relaxed On Ransom Decision
22/04/2002 08:18 PM
IRN

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson is dismissing concerns that the willingness of the authorities to pay a ransom in the Baby Kahu kidnapping case has set a dangerous precedent.

The child is now back with her parents, unharmed, after police raided a rural Taumarunui house last night.

It comes nine days after the eight-month-old was snatched at gunpoint from her mother.

The Government authorised a $3 million ransom payment just days before the baby's recovery.

Commissioner Rob Robinson says they're not in the business of giving in to ransom demands.

But he says they want to keep all their options open to them when it's a life-or-death situation.

Commissioner Robinson has also described the great relief police felt at being able to return Kahu Durie safely to her parents.

He says it was a difficult time for police, particularly because they are also dealing with the Kate Alkema murder investigation. Audio and Video
Baby Kahu Home - 22/04/2002 07:58 PM - The news that New Zealand has been waiting for: Kahu is home, safely. 56k | 125k | 300k


Requirements


NOT SPECIAL TREATMENT

The Government would be willing to dig deep for any families who find themselves in a similar situation to baby Kahu's parents.

The Prime Minister denies the eight-month-old's family was favoured by the Government, which gave police permission to pay a $3 million ransom for the baby's return.

Helen Clark says the Government didn't adopt a certain attitude towards the case, just because Kahu's parents are High Court judge Eddie Durie and high-profile lawyer Donna Hall.

The PM doesn't believe anything was done in this case, that wouldn't have been done for any other distressed family which found itself in a similar situation.

APPEARANCE IN COURT

Members of the public hurled abuse at the man charged with kidnapping Kahu Durie, when he arrived at court.
The accused at court in Taumarunui - tv3


The 54-year-old made a brief appearance in the Taumarunui District Court on one charge of kidnapping.

The accused received interim name suppression and has been remanded to reappear in Lower Hutt on Friday

You are here : XtraMSN > News > NZ News Tue 23 April 2002


Today In New Zealand News

Hopes Kidnappings An Anomaly
23/04/2002 07:20 AM
IRN

A security expert believes two recent kidnapping cases are an anomaly and not a wake up call for New Zealanders.

Kahu Durie is back with her parents after police swooped on a house in Taumarunui.

The incident ended a nine day ordeal in which police allege $3 million was sought for the infant's safe return.

A 54-year-old unemployed man has appeared in court, charged with kidnapping for ransom.

Kahu's abduction came just days after a six-year-old Auckland boy was snatched.

Police have arrested two men who they allege demanded a $500,000 ransom for the boy.

Security consultant Trevor Morley does not think kidnapping is a crime New Zealanders should expect to see more often.

He says it is easier to hide in other Western countries, which have a far more diverse criminal population.

Trevor Morley says there is little people can do to protect against a kidnapping, short of hiring bodyguards.

harevy and blitzz - of course we don't know everything about this case, and probably never will. Blitzz - you seem to think something dodgy is going on here. If so can you explain what?

I'm with your questioning there justahalf. Blittzz/harvey - do you think it was all a set up, family involved ???

?

Bogus Rich List Blamed For Kidnapping
01/05/2002 09:25 AM - Jenni McManus - The Independent

Wellington lawyer Donna Hall yesterday refuted claims she was worth $10 million, saying a statement from her accountants Martin Jarvie indicates her taxable income in the past three years has been less than $180,000 per year.

Hall also denied she had received any legal aid income for Waitangi Tribunal work during the same period, saying the tribunal was sending her a written verification of this fact.

Hall told The Independent she was making "this very private information" public because it was the only way she could protect her daughter Kahu from further kidnapping attempts.

Terence Traynor, who has pleaded guilty to kidnapping Kahu, has said he selected his victim after studying a Rich List estimating Hall was worth around $10 million.

Hall said yesterday she first appeared on an NBR Rich List on 19 May 2000, where it was alleged that fees relating to the Waitangi Tribunal settlements paid over several years to Hall, "the wife of part-time High Court judge and Waitangi Tribunal chairman Justice Eddie Durie, could be in the vicinity of $10 million."

Hall said the story was nonsense and "wildly astray." No attempt was made at the time of publication to verify the allegations and, she says, she didn't take the matter up with NBR later because the newspaper was running a campaign against her. And because NBR is not a member of the Press Council, there is no check or balance on what it publishes, Hall said.

But other mainstream newspapers have since "perpetuated NBR's misinformation."

"My firm [Woodward Law Offices] does a lot of pro bono work," she says. "But none of my income earned over the past three years was Waitangi Tribunal legal aid. The allegation that my firm is on a Waitangi Tribunal legal aid gravy train is wrong."

"her *taxable* income in the past three years has been less than $180,000 per year"

and what does that prove? shes good at avoiding tax too?

or that she doesn't earn that much.

or that, but you got to admit that if you earned $3million in a year and paid $1.4 million of that in tax then you would be pretty pissed at your accoutant

If I earned 3 million a year I wouldn't care if I had to pay 2 miilion in taxes. I'd probably give away that much anyway.

If you want to give your money away then thats up to you. But if it's paid in tax you don't get to give it away.

Id rather give it to my family, friends and charitys which I think are deserving. I certainly wouldn't give $20,000 of it to the maori tv CEO (ex)

Out of interest what percentage of your income do you give away? or do you only give when you can force everyone to do the same...

I don't give any percentage away, but I'm happy with the tax I pay.

Would you give 13% away if the tax rate was dropped to 20%, somehow I don't think so...

Maybe not in the short term, but in the long term, yes. I would probably try to pay off my mortgage first, as that would make more sense and would enable me to give away more money in the long term.

suddenly your view isn't quite so socialist...

what do you mean. Being socialist doesn't mean ignoring some simple economics. Why give more money to the bank than I need to, that is socialist isn't it.