WELLINGTON — 1994 · Murder
The Thomas father-and-son case
SolvedSources: CLast updated: 14 October 2026
In 1994, in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, father and son Eugene and Gene Thomas, both employed in the finance sector, were shot dead at their workplace. The case went through three separate trials: in the first two the jury could not reach a verdict, and in the third, defendant John Barlow was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The fact that the same case was tried three times is recorded as a rare occurrence in New Zealand legal history.
- Date
- 1994
- Place
- New Zealand, Wellington, NZ
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- -41.2866, 174.7756 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1994The killings took place
- 1995The jury could not reach a verdict in the first two trials
- 1995Conviction at the third trial: life imprisonment
Sources
- Court Records
- Contemporary Press Archive
Source grade C: no linked source yet; details rely on the general press archive. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
More cases from the 1990s
Categories
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.