In 1954, two teenage girls in New Zealand shocked the world with their carefully planned murder of Pauline Parker’s mother, Honorah. The crime became infamous not only for its brutality but for the deep, obsessive friendship between the two girls that led them to commit such an act. What followed was a trial that captivated the nation, with themes of mental illness, delusion, and the price of youthful obsession.
Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, 16 and 15 years old, developed an intense and co-dependent friendship that alarmed their families. The pair spent countless hours together, creating a fantasy world filled with stories and dreams of leaving New Zealand. However, when Juliet’s parents announced they were getting divorced and that Juliet would be sent to South Africa, the girls became desperate.
To them, Pauline’s mother, Honorah, stood in the way of their future together, and they believed removing her was the only way they could stay united.
This led to the chilling decision to kill Honorah Parker. On June 22, 1954, the girls lured Honorah to a secluded area in Victoria Park, where they carried out their brutal attack. They used a brick encased in a stocking, bludgeoning Honorah over 20 times until she was dead.
After the murder, the girls initially claimed that Honorah had fallen and hit her head, but police quickly uncovered the truth when they found the murder weapon nearby.
The trial that followed was filled with drama and intrigue. Pauline’s diary revealed that the girls had planned the murder for some time, writing about their excitement and anticipation leading up to the event.
The defense argued that Pauline and Juliet suffered from a shared delusional disorder, known as "folie à deux," which had led them to believe that the murder was a necessary act. However, the jury rejected this defense, and both girls were found guilty of murder.
Due to their young age, they were spared the death penalty and instead sentenced to “detention during Her Majesty’s pleasure,” an indeterminate sentence that led to both girls serving five years in prison before being released.
Upon their release, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme went on to lead very different lives. Juliet changed her name to Anne Perry and moved to the United Kingdom, where she built a successful career as a crime novelist. Her first book, , was published in 1979, and she went on to write dozens of mystery novels.
For years, Perry kept her past a secret, but it was eventually uncovered, thrusting her into the spotlight once more.
Pauline, on the other hand, changed her name to Hilary Nathan and lived a quiet, reclusive life in the UK, teaching children to ride horses. She became a devout Catholic and stayed out of the public eye.
The Parker-Hulme murder case continues to fascinate people worldwide, with its themes of youthful obsession, mental illness, and the consequences of extreme friendship.
It inspired the 1994 film , directed by Peter Jackson, which brought the case back into the public consciousness. Even today, the story of these two girls serves as a chilling reminder of the dark side of human relationships and the terrible consequences of unchecked delusion.
Do you believe that Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme were victims of a shared delusion, or were they fully aware of their actions? Share your thoughts and join the discussion on how mental illness and friendship played a role in this infamous crime.
