Crime Junkie
Crime Junkie
"The inquiry really looks hard at that cartridge... Exhibit 350 doesn't have any of the same corrosion as other brass cartridges that were buried for comparison. Not just on the surface either, but down to like the little tiny crevices and folds that human hands can't even get to. Like the whole thing is just too neat and clean to have been in a garden for that long." — Britt
"The commission finds three key areas of police corruption that led to Arthur's conviction... First, that 22 brass cartridge... they say it was actually planted in Harvey and Jeanette's garden by two police officers." — Britt
"To this day, the murders of Harvey and Jeanette crew remain unsolved... She views the inquiry as proof that no one in her family had anything to do with the murders." — Britt
The episode recounts the disturbing discovery of a bloody crime scene at the home of Harvey and Jeanette Cruz in Pukokawa, New Zealand, in June 1970. Upon entering the house, Jeanette's father, Leonard Demler, found signs of violence, including significant bloodstains and drag marks, with their 18-month-old daughter, Rachelle, found neglected. Initial police investigations focused on Leonard due to his peculiar behavior at the scene and the fact that Jeanette's mother's will had left her half of the family farm to Jeanette, not Leonard, potentially indicating a financial motive.
The investigation took a grim turn with the discovery of Jeanette Cruz's body in the Waikato River, showing signs of a gunshot wound and prior assault. Her body was wrapped in a bedspread from the Cruz's home, and police theorized that Harvey had also been murdered and disposed of similarly. While police collected .22 rifles from the community, including one belonging to Arthur Allen Thomas, who had a prior unrequited interest in Jeanette, the investigation struggled to produce concrete evidence. This focus on Arthur intensified when his father's trailer axle was found near Harvey's body and wire samples from his farm matched that found on the victims. A crucial piece of evidence, a .22 brass cartridge found in the Cruz's garden, was matched to Arthur's gun, leading to his arrest and conviction for the double murder.
However, years later, a Royal Commission of Inquiry found significant police corruption. Key findings revealed that the crucial .22 cartridge was planted, and another cartridge was switched during Arthur's retrial. Detective Inspector Bruce Hutton and Detective Lenrich Johnston were implicated in fabricating and manipulating evidence. This led to Arthur Allen Thomas being granted a free pardon in 1979 and receiving significant compensation. Despite the exoneration, the murders of Harvey and Jeanette Cruz remain officially unsolved, with a subsequent police review in 2014 highlighting further investigative shortcomings, leaving the family seeking definitive answers.