4 Oct 2012

Handbag killer now out of prison

12:47 pm on 4 October 2012

A man who garrotted a teenager in Palmerston North with the strap of her own handbag is now out of prison.

The naked and battered body of Donnell Wood, 19, was found outside her Victoria Avenue flat in 1993.

Carl Liam Martinson was given a life sentence for rape and murder. He had earlier befriended her at a nightclub.

Despite officials rating him at a moderate risk of reoffending, Martinson, who is now 36, was released from jail on 13 August.

A parole report said Martinson had undergone extensive psychological treatment and it was time for him to put into practice what he has learned.

The report said Martinson is a valued and trusted worker on a dairy farm.

He is prevented from entering the Palmerston North region without written approval. The exact details of where he now lives are being kept secret.