17 Apr 2025

Mark Lundy timeline: The events that followed the deaths of Christine and Amber

8:16 pm on 17 April 2025
No caption

Photo: Supplied

Convicted double murderer Mark Lundy has been granted parole and will be released from prison next month.

The now-66-year-old wastwice found guilty of killing his wife Christine and daughter Amber in their Palmerston North home in August 2000. He maintains his innocence.

Here's a timeline of how events unfolded.

August 30, 2000: Christine and Amber Lundy's bodies are found in their Palmerston North home by Christine's brother Glenn Weggery.

September 2000: Christine and Amber's funeral is held in Palmerston North.

November 2000: Police say they know who killed the pair and they had "one main suspect".

February 2001: Mark Lundy is arrested for the murders.

March 2001: He is denied bail at a court appearance.

February 2002: His trial begins in the High Court at Palmerston North.

March 2002: Lundy is found guilty of the murders. The jury returns its verdict in less than six hours. A crowd outside the courthouse cheers the news.

April 2002: He's sentenced to life in jail, with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.

August 2002: The Court of Appeal rejects Lundy's appeal against his convictions, but partially accepts a Crown appeal against the non-parole sentence, raising it to 20 years.

November 2012: Lundy's legal team, then led by high-profile London lawyer David Hislop, KC, files an appeal with the Privy Council in London.

February 2013: The Privy Council agreed to hear the case.

June 2013: The appeal is held in London.

October 2013: The Privy Council quashes Lundy's convictions and orders a retrial. After a hearing in the High Court Lundy is released on bail to a location that is suppressed.

February 2015: Lundy's retrial commences in Wellington.

April 2015: He is again found guilty after 16 hours of jury deliberations. His life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years is reimposed.

October 2017: The Court of Appeal hears Lundy's appeal against his convictions.

October 2018: That appeal is dismissed.

August 2019: The Supreme Court then hears Lundy's case.

December 2019: It too dismisses Lundy's appeal.

2021: Lundy files with the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

August 2022: Lundy is eligible for parole, but is denied a release from prison by the Parole Board.

May 2023: The Parole Board again rejects Lundy's application for release.

April 2025: Lundy is granted parole and will be released from jail next month.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs