Source: Radio New Zealand
A man who has twice been ruled insane after committing two separate killings can now be named.
RNZ can reveal the man is Leslie Raymond Parr, who killed two people more than two decades apart – beheading his partner Fiona Maulolo in 1997, and then in 2024 fatally stabbing his mother Heather Condon.
The revelations of a second killing prompted the Chief Victims Advisor to call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into forensic mental health facilities.
A High Court judge said the offending occurred “against a backdrop of apparent significant failures in the mental health system”.
Parr’s family believes the mental health system let both him, and his mother, down.
RNZ earlier revealed the case, which had been shrouded in secrecy. However, an appeal against name suppression meant it was not possible to publish details about either killing. That suppression lapsed on Monday after the Supreme Court did not grant leave to appeal.
An appeal was heard in the Court of Appeal in August before president Justice French, Justice Campbell and Justice Collins.
In a decision released last year, the court dismissed Parr’s appeal. The court said the fact Parr had again killed someone closely connected to him whilst suffering from mental illness was a matter of “overwhelming public interest”.
It can now be reported that Parr killed his partner Maulolo in April 1997. Maulolo was decapitated with her head found in a plastic bag in a clothes dryer. Forensic evidence revealed Parr had driven a chisel multiple times into her heart before decapitating her.
Parr, who had a history of schizophrenia, told police he killed her after she told him to.
“She said she was Satan and I had to kill her,” he said.
A year before the killing he was made a compulsory patient for six months after attacking a policeman. However, nine days later he was discharged by psychiatrist Linda Astor without even meeting him. Astor later fled the country and was unmasked as a bogus psychiatrist.
A jury found Parr not guilty by reason of insanity. A judge ordered he be detained in a special secure unit and not freed without the health minister’s authority.
A coroner later said Parr’s treatment had been seriously deficient.
To be released into the community after being designated a special patient, requires the sign off of the Minister of Health, the Attorney General and the Director of Mental Health. Parr was released back in the community in 2012. In 2021, his status was changed to being a patient under the Mental Health Act.
At the time of his second killing, he was subject to a Compulsory Treatment Order.
Health NZ earlier confirmed an external review of the care Parr received leading up to the offending was under way.
The house where Fiona Maulolo was found dead in 1997. Supplied
‘The second killing’
In the weeks leading up to his mother’s death, Parr’s mental health was “rapidly declining,” Justice Karen Grau said.
In May 2024, following an altercation between Parr and a relative he was admitted to a mental health facility.
He was released after around a week on 30 May. Following his release, he became preoccupied with the loss of his car keys and was having difficulties with relationship he was in. He was also using cannabis.
Court documents reveal that about 6pm on 4 June last year, Parr and his mother were at a property in Whanganui.
An incident occurred between the pair and Parr, armed with a knife, stabbed his mother in the chest.
He then left the address, driving his car to another address to see an associate, arriving about 6.20pm.
He then walked into the address and sat on the doorstep.
Parr asked his associate: “Cuz do you know where to get a gun?”
He said he needed a gun because the Mongrel Mob were after him. He then made a call to his sister, and a plan was made to go to Raetihi.
Parr and his associate left the property in Parr’s car. As they travelled past Whanganui Girls College, Parr told his associate: “Cuz I’ve killed mum”.
The associate stopped the car on the side of the road and asked Parr why.
“Mum’s possessed, Mum’s possessed. I had to do it. She killed your parents…” he replied.
The associate then exited the car and walked away.
Parr then got into the driver’s seat and drove off.
The associate went to a nearby petrol station to get a $20 top up and called a friend. The two men then went to the Whanganui Police Station and reported what Parr had told them.
Police went to Condon’s property where they found her dead in the garden behind the porch.
She had a white handled knife sticking out of the right side of her chest through her clothing.
Parr was arrested by police shortly before 2am on June 5. When he was advised he was under arrest for murder he said “yes, I know”.
‘Mentally impaired’
Justice Karen Grau ruled that Parr was legally insane at the time he caused his mother’s death in April last year.
In her judgment, Justice Grau addressed Parr’s family.
“Understandably there is shock, disbelief, and grief for Heather who was taken too soon, a fit, yet elderly woman deeply involved in her whanau and in her community.
“The whanau understands that insanity has played a role, but again, understandably, the feeling remains that this was a cruel and heartless act. The whanau feels that the mental health system has failed Mr Parr and has failed his mother.”
Justice Grau said the criminal charge “could not unpick what has happened in the system and what could and should have done, but it is hoped that answers will come, both for the whanau and for the wider community”.
Parr was described as someone who “loved his mother very much and would do anything for her,” Justice Grau said.
“He was a caring person when he was well, but at the time Ms Condon died, he was clearly unwell.”
Name suppression
Parr’s whānau requested permanent name suppression for Parr and his mother.
Justice Grau said that while she had the “utmost sympathy” for the whānau, she was unable to grant suppression.
She said there were two reasons why she declined name suppression.
Firstly, Parr’s name and details of his first killing had already been reported which would not change if she made an order for suppression in relation to his mother’s death.
“The second is that this is a case where the public interest in open justice must prevail. There is rightly a high degree of public interest in learning of the circumstances in which a person who has been released into the community under the supervision of mental health services has gone on to kill again. While this case represents a family tragedy, it also represents a wider tragedy to the community.”
Justice Grau said it was a case where Parr had killed another person while suffering from mental illness “against a backdrop of apparent significant failures in the mental health system”.
“These are matters that the public has an interest and an entitlement to know about.”
Parr also posed an “ongoing and serious risk to public safety”.
An appeal was then made against Justice Grau’s decision to not order any suppressions.
‘Overwhelming public interest’
In its decision, the Court of Appeal said tikanga may assist courts in determining whether or not an applicant had demonstrated they would suffer extreme hardship or whether a victim had established they would suffer undue hardship if name suppression was declined, and in assessing the extent of that hardship.
“But, even assessing the hardship of Mr Parr’s whānau through that tikanga lens, we are not persuaded that that hardship outweighed the strong public interest in open justice in this case.”
The Court agreed with Justice Grau that there was an “overwhelming interest” in giving supremacy to the principles of open justice.
“Mr Parr’s name is already known to the public in connection with the killing of Ms Maulolo and the profound failings of the mental health system which contributed to that tragedy. The fact that Mr Parr has again killed a person closely connected to him whilst suffering from mental illness is a matter of overwhelming public interest.”
The Court said while the media had been able to convey a lot of information about Parr’s actions without naming him or his mother, further inquiries and the inquest into Condon’s death would be “hampered” if it was not possible for authorities to openly identify Parr.
The public also had a right to know about Parr’s “distressing history of violence”, in order that they are aware of the risks he may pose if he was ever released into the community again.
The Court added that Maulolo’s family had a “unique interest” in knowing, and being free to discuss, that Parr had killed another person closely connected to him.
“These factors overwhelmingly lead us to conclude that the hardship suffered by the whānau does not outweigh the principle of open justice in this case.”
Review under way
Health New Zealand (HNZ) national director of mental health & addictions enhancement, Phil Grady, said on Monday the case was an incredibly tragic event.
“Our thoughts remain with the family, friends and communities affected. On behalf of Health New Zealand, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to everyone impacted,” Grady said.
“It is completely understandable that people feel let down and are seeking answers. We acknowledge those concerns and want to approach them with openness and respect, while recognising the deep impact this has had on both victim’s loved ones, the wider community, and the staff involved in Mr Parr’s care.”
Grady said HNZ also recognised that questions had been raised about aspects of Parr’s care and the decisions made at the time.
“These were complex clinical decisions based on the information available, and the external review has carefully examined those concerns.
“Where the review has identified areas that could be clearer or stronger, such as expectations around drug screening, information sharing, and clinical oversight, we are acting on those findings to improve consistency and strengthen practice across the service.”
Health NZ reviewed every serious adverse event that occurs within its services, and were committed to learning from them, he said.
“An external review of the care Mr Parr received leading up to this event is currently being finalised, led by senior Health NZ staff from outside the Central Region to ensure independence.
“We are committed to implementing any recommended changes so that we continue to strengthen the quality and safety of the care we provide.
“Events of this nature are incredibly tragic, but when they occur, we take them extremely seriously. The learning from this event is already informing improvements across the service, including strengthening clinical leadership, improving information sharing, clarifying clinical protocols such as drug screening, and enhancing whānau engagement and staff training.”
Mental health care in the community was complex, and risk could never be removed entirely, he said
“Especially in the case of serious mental illness, but these improvements are designed to strengthen safeguards and provide reassurance to the people we care for, their whānau, and the wider community.”
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said in a statement his thoughts were with the families impacted.
“I have made it very clear to HNZ that patient and public safety must always be paramount, clearly situations like this are not good enough. New Zealanders deserve to have trust that when people are in the care of mental health services, the appropriate care is being taken to ensure patient and public safety is at the forefront of all decisions,” he said.
“As Minister, my focus is on ensuring agencies put in place all necessary changes to prevent tragedies like this from occurring again. I have made it very clear to Health New Zealand that they must move quickly to implement the findings of the reviews and make all necessary changes to prevent this from happening again.”
Doocey was awaiting the Director of Mental Health’s decision on whether he was satisfied with the review and whether any further action needs to be taken.
The Ministry of Health also extended its deepest sympathies to the families, friends and communities affected by these tragic events.
Following Parr’s second killing Health New Zealand commissioned an external review into the care provided to the individual.
“Health New Zealand has already made changes since the incident, and I support their work,” Director of Mental Health Dr John Crawshaw said.
He said the external review was being led by an external expert panel and is near completion.
“Once the external review is available, I will carefully consider whether any further actions are required.”
TIMELINE:
August 1995: Parr was admitted to hospital under the mental health act after twice cutting his wrists and attempting to hang himself. After attacking a policeman in 1996 he was made a compulsory patient.
March 1996: Less than two weeks after being made a compulsory patient Parr was discharged from Hutt Hospital by psychiatrist Linda Astor without even meeting him. Astor later fled the country and was later unmasked as a bogus psychiatrist.
April 1997: Leslie Parr, 27, killed Fiona Maulolo, 31 in Naenae. Maulolo was his partner. A jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity. A judge ordered he be detained in a special secure unit and not freed without the health minister’s authority.
August 2002: Coroner Garry Evans releases a damning report into Parr’s psychiatric care, finding it was seriously deficient.
Parr was released back in the community in 2012.
In 2021, Parr’s status was changed to being a patient under the Mental Health Act.
May 2024: Parr was admitted to a mental health facility following an altercation with a relative. He was released about a week later on May 30.
4 June 2024: Parr kills his mother, Heather Condon.
April 2025: Justice Karen Grau finds Parr not criminally responsible for the death of his mother on account of insanity. He is detained in a hospital as a special patient under the Mental Health Act.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand