MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS — 1998 · Missing Person
The Furneaux Lodge Disappearance (1998)
In the early hours of 1 January 1998, two young friends celebrating New Year at Furneaux Lodge in the Marlborough Sounds accepted a stranger's offer of a place to sleep aboard a boat and were never seen again. A nationwide search was launched, but their bodies were never found. Police charged a boat owner; after a three-month trial in 1999 the jury convicted him of both murders. He has maintained his innocence, and evidence concerning hairs found on the boat was disputed for years. On a referral for review, the Court of Appeal declined to quash the convictions on 10 September 2025. The case remains one of New Zealand's most contested.
- Date
- 1998
- Place
- Marlborough, New Zealand, Marlborough Sounds, NZ
- Category
- Missing Person
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- -41.1050, 174.1750 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 1 January 1998Two young people vanished after boarding a boat at Furneaux Lodge.
- 1998Despite extensive searches, the bodies were not found.
- 1999After a three-month trial, a defendant was convicted.
- 10 September 2025The Court of Appeal declined to quash the convictions.
Sources
- Courts of New Zealand — Watson v R [2025] NZCA 455 courtsofnz.govt.nz ↗
- NZ Herald — Conviction appeal fails nzherald.co.nz ↗
- RNZ — Convicted double-murderer due before Parole Board rnz.co.nz ↗
- Courts of New Zealand
- NZ Herald
- RNZ
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.