The Intense Friendship That Led to Murder
Unravelling the Motives of Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme.
Pauline Parker has spent the majority of her life in anonymity, having changed her name when she was relatively young. So has her childhood friend Juliet Hulme.
Both of these ladies changed their names when they were released from prison for the murder of Parker’s mother, a crime they committed before they were twenty.
They had other things in common, as well as their early journey into crime; both had childhood illnesses that had caused them great pain. What led two young girls to murder?
Pauline Parker
Born on 26th May 1938, she was the second daughter of a New Zealand couple, Herbert and Honorah Reiper. Parker was also then known by the surname Reiper.
At age five, Parker was hospitalised with a crippling bone marrow infection known as osteomyelitis. She survived the painful treatment, but the condition left her with chronic leg pain throughout her youth.
One of the advantages of this condition was that she was excused from physical activities at school. Instead, she had a keen interest in art and writing and showed a talent for clay sculpting.
