3 days Ago
Mark Lundy was twice found guilty of murdering his wife Christine and daughter Amber in 2000. Photo: RNZ By Jimmy Ellingham of RNZ Convicted double-murderer Mark Lundy will be released from prison next month. "Thank you very much," the 66-year-old said to the Parole Board yesterday, after an hour-long hearing in Tongariro Prison in the central North Island.
But his release isn't the end of his fight to clear his name, as Lundy and his supporters wait for the Criminal Cases Review Commission to complete its investigation. Lundy, twice found guilty of killing his wife Christine and daughter Amber in their Palmerston North home in August 2000, maintains his innocence. One of his release conditions bans him from entering Manawatū, meaning he can't visit their graves.
Where he will live, and who he will live with, are suppressed. Lundy was arrested in early 2021 and, apart from 18 months when he was on bail awaiting his retrial, has been in custody since. Sentenced to a 20-year minimum term, Lundy was eligible for parole in 2022 and before yesterday had twice previously appeared before the board, but was ordered to remain in jail.
Serving a life term, he can be recalled to jail at any time. The Parole Board will meet him again in October to monitor his progress. Parole Board convenor Kathryn Snook said as well as the ban from Manawatū, Lundy can't enter Rangitīkei, Hastings or Nelson.
That and a curfew will be electronically monitored. Lundy can't possess or use alcohol or drugs, and can be tested any time, He cannot contact registered victims or their families, and he has to tell his probation officer of any intimate relationship or any work he finds. He is banned from social media, internet dating sites and accessing pornography, and must make available to probation internet-capable devices or passwords.
"Not a problem," said Lundy, as he sat in a hearing room flanked by two Corrections officers, with three supporters behind him. They can't be identified. Lundy is also banned from giving media interviews.
Before the hearing ended, he asked if he could ask one more question: "I think the answer's going to be no. When I got out on bail our street was crawling with media. Is it possible to stop that this time?" Snook said it was not something the Parole Board could control.
"I thought so," Lundy replied. "Go well, sir," board member Alistair Spierling told him as the hearing ended..
