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2:04

recalled an quote, out of

2:06

body experience, like I was

2:08

up above. Jade

2:14

Wiley was unwinding at her home in

2:16

Timaru, nestled on New Zealand's South Island,

2:19

at around 9.40pm on 16th September 2021.

2:23

She was

2:26

engrossed in a television show with her

2:28

husband, when they suddenly became aware

2:30

of a commotion coming from somewhere outside.

2:34

The unmistakable sound of somebody sobbing

2:37

echoed from the neighbouring house, followed

2:40

by a loud thud that sounded like somebody

2:42

slamming the door. Curiosity

2:44

got the batter of Jade, so she

2:47

ventured outside and peered through the fence

2:49

in an effort to figure out the

2:51

source of the disturbance. Although

2:54

her view was obscured, she could

2:56

vaguely make out somebody pacing back

2:58

and forth and sobbing in the

3:00

garden next to theirs. Moments

3:04

later the unknown person disappeared from the

3:06

garden. At

3:08

around the same time, Karen and Brad

3:10

Cooper, who lived in the same neighbourhood,

3:13

were alerted to the sound of a

3:15

man in evident distress. The

3:18

sounds quickly became louder and louder,

3:20

and the man appeared to be screaming for

3:22

help. Karen

3:25

and Brad went to investigate, and

3:27

they came across a man out the front

3:29

of a home in the neighbourhood in a

3:31

state of despair. He

3:34

was crying, and kept repeating, is this

3:37

really happening? Timaru

3:53

is a picturesque port city located

3:55

on the eastern coast of New

3:57

Zealand's South Island. With

4:00

its historic significance as a key port, Timmery

4:03

plays a vital role in the regional

4:05

economy, facilitating the

4:07

export of agricultural products. The

4:10

surrounding areas are categorized by sheep

4:12

and dairy farming, which contributes

4:15

to the city's agricultural heritage.

4:19

Along the coastline, residents have scenic views

4:21

of the Pacific Ocean, in

4:24

particular Caroline Bay, which is

4:26

a popular beach along a boardwalk

4:28

that often hosts events. In

4:32

2019, Timmery became the new focus for

4:34

Graham and Lauren Dickerson. The

4:38

couple were from Pretoria in South Africa, where

4:40

they met back in 2005. Lauren

4:44

had studied medicine at the University of

4:46

Cape Town, where she completed her

4:49

degree in 2004 and became a doctor. Her

4:53

colleagues and patients were touched by her genuine

4:55

care, earning her a reputation

4:57

as a physician who went above

5:00

and beyond for her patients. Lauren's

5:03

empathy extended to her profound

5:05

understanding of depression, and she

5:08

provided unwavering support through frequent

5:10

phone calls to those navigating

5:12

challenging times. In

5:15

2005, Lauren completed her rural health practice,

5:18

where she crossed paths with Graham, an

5:21

orthopedic surgeon. The

5:24

two proved to be a great pair, with

5:26

Lauren's softer, introverted demeanor

5:28

complementing Graham's outgoing and

5:31

extroverted nature. Just

5:34

a year after they met, the couple were married, and

5:37

they moved into the wild estate, a

5:39

residential community on the outskirts of the

5:41

city. Lauren

5:44

and Graham longed to start a family, but

5:46

they soon learned that they struggled

5:48

with fertility problems. Seeking

5:51

solace and understanding, they

5:54

found support in South African infertility

5:56

groups and ultimately opted

5:58

to pursue IVF. IVF

6:01

involves the combination of an egg and

6:03

sperm outside of the body in a

6:05

laboratory dish, leading to the

6:07

creation of an embryo that's then transferred into

6:09

the uterus. Despite

6:12

Lauren's enduring commitment through 17 arduous

6:15

rounds of IVF, the

6:17

pregnancy test consistently delivered

6:19

disheartening results. However

6:22

in 2013 they finally had their

6:25

first child, a little

6:27

baby girl who they named Sarah. Tragically

6:30

Sarah's premature birth at 18 weeks

6:33

resulted in her passing away shortly

6:35

after delivery. Her

6:38

death was categorised as a miscarriage due to

6:40

the early birth and Lauren was

6:42

unable to bring Sarah home, which only

6:44

intensified the couple's heartbreak. The

6:49

emotional aftermath prompted Lauren to take a step

6:51

back from her role as a doctor, although

6:54

she continued to support Graham as a

6:56

part-time surgical assistant. Despite

7:00

the couple's grief, they were determined to build a

7:02

family and they eventually

7:04

turned to donor eggs when

7:06

traditional IVF proved unsuccessful. In

7:11

2014 their perseverance was warded with

7:13

the birth of a healthy little girl who they

7:15

lovingly named Lianny. A

7:19

friend Natasha LaRue spoke warmly

7:21

of the couple stating, The

7:23

nicest person pregnancy could happen to is

7:25

that woman. She was really

7:27

just a nice person. She and

7:29

her husband. In

7:32

2018 a new chapter unfolded as Lauren

7:34

discovered that she was pregnant again,

7:37

this time with twins. Carla

7:40

and Maya entered the world in 2019, completing the

7:42

family unit. After

7:47

a prolonged wait, Lianny, Carla and

7:49

Maya became the cherished apples of

7:51

their parents' eyes. With

7:54

their blonde hair and bright eyes,

7:56

the family's joy was shared through

7:58

numerous photographs posted across soap. social

8:00

media. The

8:02

source of their daughter's DNA held no significance

8:04

to the couple, as

8:06

Graham fondly recollected. Lauren

8:09

never expressed any feelings of the

8:11

girls for anything other than hers.

8:25

In 2019, the Dickerson family set their sights

8:27

on new beginnings in Timaru,

8:29

New Zealand. Graham

8:32

had secured a position at Timaru Hospital,

8:35

where the family found a rented home on

8:37

Queen Street, conveniently situated just

8:39

a stone's throw away from the

8:41

hospital. However, their

8:44

plans were temporarily thwarted, as

8:46

the world grappled with the outbreak of COVID-19, causing

8:49

a delay in their relocation. Finally,

8:53

in August of 2021, the Dickerson family packed up

8:56

their belongings

8:59

and made their journey over to New Zealand.

9:03

Liani was now six years old, while

9:05

Carla and Maya were two. Liani

9:07

had assumed the role of a typical big

9:09

sister, showering Carla and Maya

9:12

with love and affection. She

9:14

could often be found holding their hands, cuddling

9:16

with them, and expressing her deep love

9:19

for them. Described

9:21

by her aunt Betty, Maya had a

9:23

penchant for collecting and carrying toys

9:25

and little handbags, earning

9:27

her the endearing nickname of

9:30

Little Bag Lady. Carla

9:32

was described as the brave one among the

9:34

three girls. She

9:37

had faced a challenging start in life with

9:39

a cleft lip. Despite

9:41

the obstacles, multiple surgeries paved the way

9:43

for Carla to thrive. Prior

9:47

to settling into their new home in New

9:49

Zealand, the Dickerson family underwent

9:51

a two-week quarantine at a

9:53

local hotel. Liani,

9:56

Carla and Maya expressed excitement about

9:58

the quarantine adventure. here, embracing

10:01

the prospect of living in a hotel for

10:03

a while. Lauren

10:05

and Graham shared in their enthusiasm, regularly

10:08

updating their Facebook accounts with posts

10:10

about the unique, yet tough

10:12

experience. Graham

10:15

proudly posted a photograph of their three

10:17

girls at the airport, clutching

10:19

a stuffed toy kiwi with their

10:21

smiles brimming. Lauren

10:24

sought some community input, and

10:26

asked for suggestions for skills and quality

10:28

furniture shops to furnish their new home.

10:32

However, the quarantine period proved

10:34

more challenging than anticipated, with

10:37

the family confined to their hotel room for

10:39

fourteen days. Finally,

10:42

on the 11th of September, after

10:44

what felt like an eternity, the

10:46

family were released from quarantine. With

10:50

the freedom to explore, they saddled into their new

10:52

house, and quickly began transforming

10:54

it into a warm and inviting

10:56

home. At

10:59

the hospital, Graham made friends right away, and their

11:01

newfound community embraced them, making

11:04

the Dickerson family feel genuinely

11:06

welcome. On

11:09

the 16th of September, 2021, two-year-olds

11:13

Carla and Maya were excited about their

11:15

first day at preschool. Their

11:18

older sister, Lianne, had started Temeru

11:20

Christian School just the day beforehand.

11:24

Despite being six years old, Lianne had

11:27

experienced limited schooling due to the COVID-19

11:29

pandemic. Nonetheless,

11:32

she approached her first day with

11:34

confidence, leaving a positive

11:36

impression on her teacher with

11:38

her kind nature and friendliness. Are

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school, Lauren picked up the girls and treated

14:03

them to a visit to the local botanical

14:05

gardens. As

14:07

the girls played, a group of girls came

14:09

up to Lauren and informed her that a

14:12

boy in the park had taken a photograph

14:14

of her girls. Concerned,

14:17

Lauren swiftly gathered her daughters and

14:19

returned home, leading

14:21

her to question the decision to move

14:23

to New Zealand. While

14:26

New Zealand is typically ranked as the

14:28

second safest country in the world according

14:30

to the Global Peace Index, Lauren

14:33

began to doubt her choice. Safety

14:36

was one of the primary reasons for the

14:38

family's move from South Africa, but

14:41

now Lauren was having her doubts.

14:45

She wondered if they had made a mistake

14:47

in moving halfway across the world. Lauren's

14:51

apprehension lingered as she prepared dinner for

14:53

herself and the girls. Graham

14:56

had a work function that evening, so

14:58

it would just be the three of them. At

15:02

about 7pm, Graham kissed Lauren and the

15:04

girls goodbye and sat off. He

15:07

was excited about the opportunity to meet some

15:09

more of his colleagues and build some

15:11

connections. Shortly

15:20

before 10pm, Graham quietly

15:22

returned home, mindful not to

15:24

disturb the girls who would likely be in bed at

15:26

that hour. The

15:28

home, which was usually echoing with the

15:30

signs of the television in the living

15:33

room, was unusually quiet. Talking

15:37

about Lauren's whereabouts, Graham made his way

15:39

to the kitchen where he found

15:41

her. He

15:43

recollected. She looked

15:45

strange. She looked wobbly, like

15:48

she wanted to fall over. Graham

15:51

asked his wife whether she was okay, but

15:54

she didn't reply. He

15:56

later recalled, I realised that

15:58

there was something strange in the world. her face. It's

16:02

just a facial expression I haven't seen

16:04

before." He

16:06

then asked her what was wrong, and

16:08

she cryptically replied, "'It's

16:11

too late.'" Realising

16:13

that something was seriously amiss, Graham

16:16

ran into Liany's bedroom, which was

16:18

the closest to the kitchen. Liany

16:21

was tucked up in her bed, but

16:23

her face was unusually pale, and there

16:26

was something tied around her neck. Graham

16:29

rushed to her side, but she was cold to

16:32

the touch. He

16:34

then noticed that the thing tied around her

16:36

neck was a zip tie, which had

16:38

been pulled tight cutting off her airflow.

16:42

Graham shook Liany by her shoulders in a

16:44

desperate attempt to wake her up, but

16:46

she was completely motionless. Graham

16:50

then ran into Carla and Maya's bedroom, where

16:53

he found them in the same condition. He

16:56

raced back to the kitchen and retrieved a pair

16:58

of scissors to cut the zip ties constricting his

17:01

daughter's necks. Despite

17:04

his frantic attempts at life-saving measures,

17:07

it became painfully clear, as

17:09

Lauren had warned, that it was

17:12

too late. Liany,

17:14

Carla and Maya were gone. Seconds

17:18

later, Lauren emerged in Liany's

17:20

bedroom. She

17:22

slowly moved towards her bed and laid

17:24

on. Overwhelmed

17:26

by trauma, Graham fled from the

17:29

home and urgently alerted his neighbours.

17:32

He also contacted a colleague and asked them to

17:34

come over and call police, as

17:37

he was unfamiliar with the emergency number in

17:39

New Zealand. Paramedics

17:41

and police swiftly responded to the

17:44

call, with constables Alexander

17:46

Schrader and William Turnbull being

17:48

the first to arrive. Upon

17:51

entering the home, they noticed cut cable ties

17:53

scattered on the floor. Their

17:56

initial discovery was Lauren, who

17:58

required immediate attention. Superficial

18:01

cuts adorned her left forearm,

18:04

and she had ingested an overdose of

18:06

tramadol, which explained her disoriented

18:08

state in the kitchen. Meanwhile,

18:12

Turnbull continued his search throughout the rest of

18:14

the home. In

18:16

the next bedroom, he found Carla and Maya

18:19

tucked up in their beds with a stuffed toy. Liany

18:23

was laying on the floor nearby, having

18:25

been carried there by her father. All

18:28

three girls were devoid of any signs of

18:31

life, and they were pronounced dead.

18:35

Lorn was escorted into an awaiting ambulance,

18:37

where she was transferred to Timaru Hospital

18:40

and reported to be in a stable condition. The

18:44

next morning, detectives made a public announcement.

18:47

The investigation into this tragedy is still

18:49

in its very early stages, but

18:52

we can confirm that no one else is being

18:54

sought in relation to the deaths of

18:56

the three children. As

18:58

news of the triple murders spread across

19:01

the region, Lauren's parents, Wendy and Malcolm

19:03

Fox, provided a statement. They

19:06

said that they were devastated to learn

19:08

of the tragedy before adding. The

19:11

extended families are in a state of shock

19:13

as we try to understand what happened. We

19:16

ask for your prayers and support during this

19:18

difficult time. We would

19:21

also request privacy, as we battle to come

19:23

to terms with what has happened. The

19:26

South African community in Timaru came out

19:28

in their droves to offer support for

19:31

Graham. As an impromptu memorial

19:33

began to grow outside the home the family

19:35

had lived in for just a week. People

19:39

placed on cards of condolences and bouquets

19:41

of flowers, as well as

19:43

teddy bears and trinkets. Martin

19:46

Rheineck of the South Africans in

19:48

Timaru Group touched on the collective

19:51

grief, stating, Our

19:53

hearts are breaking for their family back in

19:55

South Africa and around the world

19:57

who will wake up to this terrible news. Since

20:00

the family had just moved to New Zealand,

20:03

Graham didn't have much of a support network.

20:06

He had only just started working at the hospital,

20:09

and all of his family other than

20:11

Lauren and the girl still lived in

20:13

South Africa. Just

20:16

the next day, Lauren was charged with

20:18

the murders of Liany, Maya and Carla.

20:22

People across the nation were stunned and horrified

20:24

by what Lauren had done, and many

20:26

questioned how a mother could kill her

20:29

own children. According

20:31

to the family's friends and former neighbours

20:34

in South Africa, Lauren adored

20:36

her children. The

20:38

family's former caregiver in

20:40

South Africa, Mandy, commented,

20:43

I never saw any fight in that family or

20:46

anything. We treated each other

20:48

as family. I was family

20:50

too. There was nothing wrong. However,

20:54

those acquainted with the family sense that there

20:56

was more to the story. They

20:59

wondered whether it was the stress of moving

21:02

to New Zealand, or possibly

21:04

from being quarantined for so long. Yet,

21:07

as the old saying goes, appearances

21:10

can be deceiving. Despite

21:13

outwardly portraying the image of a

21:15

perfect mother, Lauren had been grappling

21:17

with mental health challenges. Her

21:21

struggles with mental health traced back to

21:23

her teenage years, marked

21:25

by issues of anxiety,

21:27

depression and perfectionism. School

21:30

life had proved difficult for Lauren as

21:33

she faced challenges in making friends, and

21:35

the resulting isolation left a lasting

21:37

impact on her well-being. Following

21:41

the tragic loss of Sarah, Lauren

21:43

received a diagnosis of a major

21:45

depressive disorder with an underlying

21:47

anxiety component attributed

21:50

to postpartum depression. She

21:53

was also diagnosed with intermittent mood disorder,

21:56

with clinical observations noting her tendency

21:58

to set high standards for

22:00

herself. Utilising

22:03

her medical background, Lauren

22:05

began prescribing antidepressants for

22:07

herself, a practice

22:09

legally permissible and common in South

22:12

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Despite her ongoing mental health struggles, Lauren

23:41

and Graham welcomed their daughter, Lianni,

23:44

into the world. However,

23:46

Lauren continued to grapple with her mental

23:48

health and not affected her parenting. Expressing

23:52

her difficulty, she confided in friends

23:55

via text messages. And

23:58

one Lauren said that Lianni moaned all of the time. the time,

24:01

and she even made a reference to strangling

24:03

her. In

24:05

another, Lauren said, I'm

24:07

afraid that one day I will smack

24:09

her too hard. By

24:12

the time Liany was 18 months old, Lauren's

24:14

mental health showed significant improvement.

24:18

The couple subsequently conceived twins, but

24:21

Lauren's mental health problems resurfaced.

24:25

She faced bouts of anxiety attacks, and

24:28

told Graham on two occasions that she

24:30

could do something to the children. Lauren

24:34

openly shared her challenges with friends,

24:37

revealing through text messages that she once

24:39

screamed at the children so loudly that

24:41

at last Liany terrified. With

24:45

the arrival of Carla and Maya, Lauren

24:47

found herself grappling with the demands of

24:49

motherhood, feeling stretched and unable

24:52

to dedicate sufficient time to her eldest

24:54

daughter. As a

24:56

perfectionist, she struggled to navigate the chaos of

24:59

the girl's behavior, their

25:01

playfulness and the energetic running around

25:03

the house. In

25:06

an attempt to support her, Graham

25:08

consistently sent heartfelt messages, reassuring

25:10

Lauren of her worth as a mother. In

25:14

one message, he wrote, You're a

25:16

wonderful mother. You have beautiful children.

25:19

You give up so much for the kids. I

25:21

see it. Despite

25:23

outward appearances, some of Lauren's closest

25:25

friends knew the truth about her

25:27

inner struggles. She

25:30

had confided in them, expressing her difficulties

25:32

in coping with motherhood. In

25:35

one text message, she revealed, I'm

25:38

being traded for depression, but even

25:40

though the medicine works most of the time, I get

25:43

overwhelmed so easily, and the anxiety

25:45

gets so bad that I can't eat,

25:47

sleep or function properly. Adding

25:50

to her challenges, Lauren lamented about the

25:53

unruly behavior of her children in another

25:55

message, describing the twins

25:57

as, like terrors for the past.

26:00

two days. She

26:02

said they were engaging in disruptive activities such

26:04

as screaming, slapping, throwing

26:06

food, fighting and pushing.

26:10

Seeking guidance and structure, she mentioned

26:12

spelling out rules to manage their

26:14

behaviour. It

26:16

was shortly after this that Lauren and Graham

26:18

made the decision to relocate to New Zealand.

26:22

However, as they prepared for the big move, Lauren

26:25

found herself grappling once again with

26:27

her mental health. The

26:30

onset of the COVID-19 pandemic heightened

26:33

stress levels, prompting the

26:35

family to pack up their belongings and

26:37

temporarily move into Graham's mother's home. They

26:41

originally intended to stay for a brief four

26:43

or five days before flying out to New

26:45

Zealand, but their plans were

26:48

disrupted when Lauren's food operation faced

26:50

delays. Meanwhile,

26:52

South Africa was engulfed in serious

26:55

riots, looting and political unrest,

26:57

adding an extra layer of anxiety for

27:00

Lauren, even though the disturbances

27:02

were not directly affecting their location.

27:06

During the pre-flight COVID test, one of

27:08

the girls tested positive, necessitating

27:10

a two-week self-isolation at Graham's

27:12

mother's home. This

27:15

extended period of confinement took a toll

27:18

on Lauren's mental wellbeing. She

27:21

was struggling to eat and sleep, and

27:23

she distanced herself from Graham and the girls. With

27:27

Graham's increased presence due to the

27:29

lockdown preventing him from working, Lauren

27:31

began feeling as though the girls preferred

27:33

him over her. When

27:36

Graham recalled the situation, he noted, She

27:40

verbalised on multiple occasions that she doesn't seem to

27:42

think she's a good mother, and

27:44

I've always reassured her. As

27:47

the move to New Zealand approached, Lauren made

27:50

the decision to discontinue her

27:52

medication. She

27:55

had concerns that the use of chronic

27:57

medication might impact their immigration

27:59

application. considering New

28:01

Zealand's stringent requirements. Instead,

28:05

Lauren opted for a lifestyle and health

28:07

plan to monitor mental health issues, marking

28:10

the first time she had come off medication in

28:12

12 years. She

28:15

noted improvements in a text message to

28:18

friends, expressing, The girls

28:20

are so wonderful, Noy. I haven't cried

28:22

in a long time, and that

28:24

big black cloud is going away quickly too.

28:28

Upon their arrival in New Zealand, Graham

28:30

perceived a positive change in his wife.

28:33

While not fully back to being her old

28:35

self, Lauren appeared to be functioning better. Graham

28:39

actively sought ways to support her, reaching

28:42

out to colleagues' wives to provide a sense

28:44

of community. The

28:47

family received invitations to social

28:49

events, including barbecues and

28:51

dinner invitations, and

28:53

Graham believed that Lauren's struggles were on

28:55

the path to resolution. However,

28:59

the optimistic facade soon shattered.

29:03

Around the same time, Lauren expressed regret

29:05

about the move in a text message

29:07

to a friend, sharing, I

29:09

wonder what the hell we did. Everything's

29:12

so strange here. We're all

29:14

very restless and emotional. Following

29:17

Lauren's arrest for the murders of

29:19

her three daughters, detectives interviewed Graham

29:21

about her mental health struggles. He

29:25

conveyed that while Lauren ensured their daughters were

29:27

well cared for, she was

29:29

never particularly nurturing. He

29:32

explained, She wasn't somebody who

29:34

would pick them up and cuddle them often, but

29:37

she also didn't spank or harm them. She

29:40

cried a lot, and she often couldn't

29:42

say why. Graham

29:44

disclosed during the interview that Lauren had

29:46

mentioned twice the idea of doing something

29:49

to their children, but she

29:51

had consistently sought help, reaching

29:53

out to her psychologist or a doctor. During

29:57

one moment of distress in May of 2019, in

30:00

2018, Lauren expressed feeling like

30:02

she could do something to the babies

30:04

without specifying. Graham

30:07

attempted to comfort her, eventually involving

30:10

her mother in the conversation. Despite

30:14

their efforts, Lauren didn't respond, and

30:16

Graham suspected she had an anxiety attack

30:18

that was fueled by sleeplessness, fatigue

30:20

and frustrations with the children's sleep

30:23

patterns. Though

30:25

things improved temporarily, in July

30:28

of 2021, as the couple prepared to move, Lauren

30:32

broke down again. This

30:34

time she mentioned making an end to it all,

30:37

by sedating the girls and then cutting their

30:39

arteries. After

30:42

a bath that night, Graham addressed her

30:44

concerns and asked if she thought she

30:46

could ever actually do something like that to the girls.

30:50

Lauren said she couldn't, and she

30:52

said that she was just struggling with her anxiety.

30:56

Graham suggested a psychiatric ward, but

30:59

Lauren refused, fearing it would

31:01

jeopardise their plans to immigrate to New Zealand.

31:05

During another incident while living with Graham's mother,

31:08

Lauren admitted to having that feeling again.

31:11

Graham urged her to take her anti-anxiety

31:14

medication, and he said that

31:16

things were turned to normal. Graham

31:19

was obviously very concerned about his

31:21

wife's wellbeing, but she

31:23

had been taking a proactive approach to her

31:25

mental health. Whenever

31:28

she had these feelings or thoughts, she booked

31:30

an appointment with the doctor. Graham

31:33

never saw it in a million years that

31:35

she would ever actually harm herself or the

31:37

girl. After

31:47

Lauren was charged with the murder of her three

31:49

girls, she made an appearance in court. She

31:52

was escorted into the courtroom by two

31:54

police officers, donning a hooded

31:56

sweatshirt and black trousers. be

32:00

calm and she kept her arms folded to

32:02

her chest with her eyes transfixed on the

32:04

floor. A

32:07

South Canterbury District Health Board psychiatrist told

32:09

the judge that it would be inappropriate

32:11

to remind Lauren in prison. Instead,

32:14

the judge reminded her to Hill Morton

32:17

Hospital, where she would undergo a

32:19

psychiatric assessment. Then

32:22

on the 23rd of September, Graham

32:24

spoke publicly for the first time at

32:26

a candlelight vigil outside the family's home.

32:30

He said that his precious angels had been ripped away

32:32

from him in a loss that he would

32:34

carry for the rest of his life. Showing

32:38

true compassion and understanding, Graham

32:40

then said that he had forgiven his wife and

32:43

urged everybody else to do the same. He

32:47

poignantly said, Please

32:49

pray for my lovely Lauren. She

32:51

is a victim of this tragedy as well. The

32:55

community rallied around Graham with hundreds turning out

32:57

to offer their support in the close-knit

32:59

city of Timoroo. Graham

33:03

acknowledged the outpouring of empathy,

33:05

stating, My faith in humanity

33:07

has been restored. I thank

33:09

you all. In this time

33:11

of terrible tragedy and adversity, I can

33:14

only ask for prayers for myself,

33:16

my family, and my friends. Despite

33:20

Graham's family flying in from South

33:22

Africa, their reunion had to wait until

33:24

the completion of the mandatory quarantine

33:27

period. Recognizing

33:29

the financial strain, a fundraising

33:31

campaign was initiated to cover

33:34

the family's travel and accommodation

33:36

expenses. Graham

33:38

took a moment to encourage parents in the crowd,

33:41

urging them to let their children play

33:43

freely and laugh, while emphasizing

33:45

the importance of looking out for one another.

33:49

Meanwhile, a simultaneous candlelight

33:51

vigil unfolded in Pretoria,

33:53

South Africa, outside the family's

33:56

former estate. Attended

33:58

by Lovelands, the event features to South African

34:01

song that was composed by a friend in

34:03

a tribute to the family. The

34:06

fundraising campaign had also been set up

34:08

to cover the funeral expenses for

34:10

Liani, Karla and Maya. Graham

34:14

then returned to South Africa alone in

34:16

November, but had the support

34:18

of all of his loved ones upon his arrival. Lauren

34:23

remained at Hill Morton Hospital, where

34:25

she continued to undergo psychological

34:27

evaluation and psychiatric treatment.

34:31

She had been expected to appear in court in July of

34:33

2022, but

34:35

she didn't show up. Her

34:38

medical team said that it was in her best

34:40

interests. The

34:42

judge ruled that Lauren's murder trial would begin the

34:44

next year, and it would be taking

34:46

place in Christchurch. Lauren

34:49

made her next court appearance in June of 2023, where

34:51

it was confirmed that her defence team

34:55

were launching an insanity defence. They

34:59

shared their intent to call three experts

35:01

who would support a defence of temporary

35:03

insanity, while the prosecution

35:05

said they would be calling an expert who

35:07

held a contrary opinion. By

35:10

17 July 2023, a jury had been selected and

35:13

seated, and

35:16

the trial was ready to begin. In the

35:20

opening statements, prosecutor Andrew McRae

35:22

announced, The Crown say that on

35:24

the evening of the 16th of September 2021, in Timaru, Liannei

35:31

Dickerson, aged 6, and twins Maya

35:33

and Karla Dickerson, aged 2, died.

35:39

They were asphyxiated by way

35:41

of cable ties being applied

35:43

to the neck, and

35:46

the person responsible for that

35:48

was their mother, Lauren Dickerson,

35:51

a recent immigrant to New

35:54

Zealand from South Africa. being

36:01

applied to their neck, the

36:03

Crowns' Day vet, the defendants, smothered

36:05

the girls with their blankets before

36:08

she made an attempt on her own

36:10

life. The prosecutor delved

36:12

into the complexity surrounding Lauren's motherhood,

36:15

attributing her struggles to mental health

36:17

challenges. Despite

36:20

this, McGrath asserted that beneath Lauren's

36:22

mental health difficulties, lurked a

36:25

simmering resentment and anger directed towards

36:27

her own daughters, as

36:29

she perceived them as getting in the way of

36:31

her marriage. He

36:33

cited one text message Lauren had sent

36:36

a friend, which expressed her

36:38

inner turmoil. Three

36:40

kids has really killed all of the passion and

36:42

a lot of the happiness. He

36:46

presented further text messages that

36:48

exposed Lauren's frustrations. During

36:51

the course of the investigation, the defendant's

36:53

cell phone was seized and her messaging

36:55

was analyzed, and

36:57

that messaging, the Crowns' Day, is

36:59

a snapshot into what was running

37:02

through Ms Dickerson's mind. She

37:04

messaged a friend and said, I'm

37:07

going to start DNA on Augmentin,

37:09

which is antibiotics, tonight. She

37:12

woke me up until 3am this morning, but

37:15

I sent her to school, otherwise I would strangle

37:17

her. She mowns all my ******* time,

37:20

kicked me out of bed while I wanted

37:22

to comfort her, was just in

37:24

tears. After

37:26

some further lockdown

37:30

notifications from the South African

37:32

Government in July, she

37:36

sends a message to another

37:38

one of her friends. I

37:40

can't anymore. I'm afraid I'm going to take

37:42

out my whole family if they announce this

37:44

tonight. Then again in September,

37:47

Maya received three smacks on

37:49

her nappy today and sat in the northern

37:51

corner. After that, she was

37:53

well behaved and sweet as honey, so

37:56

disciplines not in the series had their thing

37:58

at their age. know

38:00

there sometimes please." What

38:02

prosecutor McGray admitted that Lauren struggled

38:05

mentally, he said she still

38:07

knew what she was doing, knew that

38:09

it was wrong and that she intended

38:11

to kill her daughters. He

38:14

underscored Lauren's belief that her daughters had

38:16

ruined her life, fuelling her anger as

38:19

she perceived them favouring their father over

38:21

her. It became

38:23

apparent during the opening statements that Lauren had

38:25

been thinking about killing the girls for quite

38:28

some time. She

38:30

had searched for information online about how

38:32

to overdose children and had made

38:35

references to murder and text messages

38:37

to friends. However,

38:39

these friends always took it in a joking

38:42

matter. For example,

38:44

when the family were in quarantine, Lauren

38:46

had texted a friend. He,

38:48

as in God, knows that we might commit

38:51

murder in that small room over those two

38:53

weeks. Prosecutor

38:55

McGray informed the jury that following

38:57

Lauren's arrest, she provided a comprehensive

39:00

and detailed confession to the three

39:02

murders. Lauren

39:05

recounted that after Graham left to meet

39:07

with colleagues, the girls' behaviour

39:09

became unruly. She

39:11

was frustrated as she remarked, they

39:14

don't listen to me at all. I think that's

39:16

one thing lockdown has taught me. I

39:18

don't know my kids at all. Describing

39:21

them as wild, Lauren said

39:23

that they were jumping on the couch and

39:26

ignoring her instructions. She

39:28

told detectives that something within her was

39:31

triggered. According

39:33

to Lauren, stress had been building up since

39:35

their move to New Zealand and

39:38

this was exacerbated by immigration requests

39:40

for additional medical information about Carla's

39:42

cleft palate and her own mental

39:45

health. Feeling

39:47

overwhelmed, she said she even lacked the strength

39:49

to make the children's school lunches each

39:51

morning. Upon

39:54

being triggered, Lauren said she went

39:56

into the garage and retrieved zip

39:58

ties. She

40:00

then gathered Lianne, Carla, and Maya in one

40:03

of the bedrooms, and

40:05

told them they were going to make necklaces with the

40:07

zip ties. She

40:09

then told them, Mommy's very sick

40:11

and she's going to die. I

40:13

can't leave you behind because I don't know who's going

40:15

to look after you. Lauren

40:19

then systematically asphyxiated each girl,

40:22

starting with Carla, then Lianne,

40:24

and finally Maya. Lauren

40:27

explained to detectives that she began with Carla

40:29

the first twin, as she had

40:32

been really, really horrible to her lately. She

40:36

also mentioned that Lianne had fought back, staring

40:39

in a blunt tone. The

40:41

oldest one was very angry, and

40:43

she wanted to know why I'm doing this to them, because

40:46

I'm the best mum and she loved me. However,

40:49

at that point, the girls weren't dead yet.

40:53

Lauren recounted that she proceeded to smother each

40:55

one with a towel and their own blankets.

40:59

Afterwards, Lauren said that she went to take her

41:01

own life. She ingested

41:03

tramadol and made an attempt to cut her

41:06

arm with a blunt knife, resulting

41:08

in only a superficial wound. Despite

41:12

taking more pills, Lauren didn't succeed

41:14

in her suicide attempt. In

41:17

her interview, Lauren shared that when she woke up,

41:20

she was in shock and surprised to be alive.

41:25

During defense attorney Karen Beaton's opening

41:27

statements, she portrayed her client

41:29

as a loving mother, who had faced

41:32

challenging periods in her life. She

41:35

emphasized that Lauren was not inherently a

41:37

bad person. Lauren Dickerson

41:40

was a loving mother and

41:42

wife. She loved Lianne,

41:45

Maya and Carla very much,

41:48

and yet she killed them. And

41:51

as you've just heard, it was violent

41:54

and it was prolonged. But

41:56

afterwards, she put her girls in their

41:59

beds. She topped the men

42:01

with their soft toys. She covered

42:03

them up with their blankets. And

42:05

then she took an overdose of pills trying to

42:07

kill herself. But she failed. Defense

42:11

Attorney Beaton argued that Lauren was experiencing

42:13

a severe mental breakdown at the time

42:15

of the murders and rejected

42:17

the prosecution's version of events and

42:19

motives. She

42:22

also challenged the notion that if Lauren simply

42:24

wanted more time with her husband, she

42:26

would have taken her life only. According

42:29

to the defense, Lauren, in her deeply troubled

42:31

state, believed that when she decided to end

42:34

her own life, she had to take the

42:36

girls with her. The

42:38

defense attorney also disclosed that Lauren

42:40

had confided in Graham and doctors

42:42

about previous thoughts of harming her

42:44

daughters. The

42:47

defense attorney Beaton concluded with a

42:49

tragic acknowledgement. But

42:51

tragically, no one realized how

42:53

well she was until it was too late.

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extra bright Graham

45:03

was a non-violent person and

45:06

she had sought help from a doctor and she appeared to

45:14

be back to normal. Graham

45:17

attributed her comments to anxiety attacks

45:19

and said, If

45:21

I suspected that anything like this could happen,

45:23

I would never have even come

45:25

to New Zealand. During

45:28

cross-examination by defence attorney Ann

45:31

Tooey, Graham was questioned about

45:33

why he didn't take more action. Defence

45:37

attorney Tooey clarified that the defence did

45:39

not place blame on Graham for the

45:41

events. I want

45:43

to start by acknowledging your

45:45

loss, Mr Dickerson, and

45:48

how difficult evidence

45:51

has been for you. It

45:53

is not the defence case that

45:55

you are to blame in any

45:57

respect for what happened. The

46:00

attorney acknowledged Lauren's struggles before the

46:02

move, citing her weight loss and

46:04

frequent crying. Graham

46:07

replied and said he believed that

46:09

Lauren's anxieties were responsible for her

46:11

emotional state and thought that

46:13

moving to New Zealand, a safer

46:15

country, would alleviate those anxieties.

46:19

One of the main things that appeared to be

46:21

causing Lauren's stress was the unrest that had broken

46:24

out in various parts of South Africa. During

46:27

Graham's testimony, the prosecution entered various

46:30

text messages from Lauren into

46:32

evidence. The

46:34

purpose was to prove that Lauren felt resentment

46:37

and anger towards her children, and

46:39

had done so for some time. In

46:42

one conversation, Lauren was asked by a friend

46:45

about a Netflix show that she was watching.

46:48

Lauren had replied, Very good. Otherwise,

46:51

I'm trying not to murder the twins. In

46:55

another text message, Lauren touched on her

46:57

outbursts, telling a friend, It

47:00

feels like my fuse is so short. I

47:03

want to explode over the smallest things.

47:06

She told her friends that she regularly wanted to

47:09

smack the girls, but she was stopped

47:11

by Graham. During

47:13

a discussion about a couple she knew

47:15

had divorced, Lauren had said she

47:18

would rather divorce her children. She

47:21

then added, I wish I could

47:23

give them back and start over. I

47:25

would decide differently. In

47:28

another text message, Lauren had said she was

47:30

afraid that one day she would smack Lianni

47:32

too hard. In

47:35

another, she expressed, Lianni

47:37

kept me awake until 3 a.m., but I

47:39

sent her to school. Otherwise, I

47:41

would strangle her. She moans

47:44

all the fucking time. In

47:47

various text messages, Lauren questioned how other

47:49

parents seemed to make it look so

47:51

easy when she was really struggling.

47:55

Just the night before the girls were killed, Lauren

47:57

had texted a friend. are

48:00

driving us crazy. They're wild,

48:02

cheeky, and disobedient. Graham

48:05

and I are run down." The

48:08

testimony about Lauren's ominous searches were

48:11

also presented to the jury. She

48:14

had researched terms such as most

48:16

effective overdoses in children, drugs

48:18

to overdose kids, and common

48:20

culprits of medication overdose

48:23

in children. The

48:25

most recent search was just a month before Lauren

48:27

killed Lianne, Carla, and Maya. The

48:31

testimony then shifted to Lauren's frame of mind

48:33

at the time of the murders. The

48:36

defense said that all of the defense

48:38

experts agreed that there was an altruistic

48:40

motivation, meaning that Lauren had killed

48:43

the girls out of love. Dr.

48:46

Susan Hadders had interviewed her over the

48:48

course of four days, and

48:50

testified. She said caring

48:52

for her children was the hardest thing she'd ever

48:54

done, and she found

48:56

managed isolation overwhelming. The

49:00

psychiatrist said that Lauren had ongoing

49:02

thoughts about hurting her children, and

49:04

that these thoughts were her own. She

49:07

noted that Lauren had a profound sense of

49:09

hopelessness, and shared an intense

49:11

fear and worry that something bad was

49:13

going to happen to her or her husband.

49:17

She testified, for example,

49:19

that they would get cancer or die in a car

49:22

accident. Her thoughts of harming

49:24

the children were in that context. It

49:27

was Dr. Hadders' Freidman's opinion that Lauren

49:30

didn't grasp the full extent of the

49:32

situation, that she was

49:34

delusional and psychotic, and

49:36

that she should be considered not

49:38

guilty by reason of insanity. Dr.

49:40

Lauren Dickerson was laboring under a

49:42

disease of the mind to such

49:44

an extent that it rendered her

49:46

incapable of knowing that her acts

49:49

were morally wrong. Two more defense

49:51

experts agreed, with the conclusion

49:53

that Lauren wasn't legally responsible for

49:55

the three murders. Dr.

50:00

Eric Monasterio, a forensic

50:02

psychiatrist who had interviewed Lauren after

50:05

her arrest. Lauren

50:07

told him that she couldn't form a

50:09

connection with her three daughters and often

50:11

felt underappreciated by them. She

50:14

said that when Graham focused on the girl,

50:16

she felt alienated. It

50:19

was Dr. Monasterio's opinion that

50:21

Lauren didn't meet the threshold for

50:23

insanity and that she wasn't

50:26

experiencing psychosis or delusions at the time

50:28

of the murders. He

50:31

further said that Lauren wasn't suffering from

50:33

postpartum depression at the time, but

50:35

that she was depressed. The

50:39

prosecution also called on forensic

50:41

psychiatrist Dr. Simone McLeavy,

50:43

who said Lauren intended on

50:46

Liani, Carla and Maya dying,

50:48

and that she was fully aware of her

50:50

actions. She

50:53

said that any altruistic motivations were

50:55

formed by control and anger at the

50:57

prospect of another woman raising her children

50:59

if she just killed herself.

51:02

She recalled an quote, out of

51:04

body experience like I

51:06

was up above, end quote. At

51:10

no point in time did she

51:12

reconsider what she was doing, explaining

51:15

quote, they would have known what

51:17

I did. Any altruistic motivation

51:19

was, in my opinion, fueled

51:22

more so by a need for

51:24

control and anger. She

51:26

agreed with the other prosecution expert that

51:28

Lauren didn't meet the threshold for insanity.

51:32

Following their testimony, the trial was complete. During

51:36

closing arguments, prosecutor McGray said that

51:39

while Lauren was significantly unwell with

51:41

her depression, her condition wasn't

51:43

bad enough to halt the defense of

51:46

insanity. She

51:48

maintained that Lauren had killed Liani, Carla

51:50

and Maya out of anger and a

51:52

need for control over her family.

51:55

She acted methodically and purposefully, and

51:58

perhaps even clinically. and what she

52:00

said. He also said she

52:02

knew what she was doing and the

52:04

consequences, but still didn't contemplate

52:07

stopping. She

52:09

went as far as to smother them when she

52:11

saw that they were still breathing, after

52:13

she had asphyxiated them with zip ties. He

52:17

said to the jury, Once

52:19

she started doing what she was doing to

52:21

the girls, there was no turning back. The

52:24

Crowns say she was not insane. She

52:27

was not so unwell that she didn't know her

52:29

actions were morally wrong. During

52:32

her closing arguments, defence attorney Beighton said

52:34

that there was no way Lauren's

52:37

actions were murder. Rather,

52:39

they were the actions of a deeply unwell

52:41

woman who couldn't bear to live another day,

52:44

and decided to die

52:46

to protect her children by taking them

52:48

with her. Lauren was so deep into

52:50

depression, so removed from

52:53

actual reality, and distorted in

52:55

her thinking, that

52:57

she decided to die and take

53:00

her daughters with her. She

53:02

further announced, Her beautiful

53:05

girls, who she loved so much. The

53:08

deaths don't have anything to do with

53:10

anger or resentment, and have

53:12

everything to do with a severe mental illness.

53:16

The Crocs of the Krieis truly hinged on whether

53:18

or not the jury believed that Lauren was insane

53:20

at the time of the murders. They had

53:23

been given multiple polarising portrayals

53:26

by defence experts and prosecution

53:28

experts. They

53:31

had four final options. Guilty

53:33

of murder, guilty of the

53:35

lesser alternative of infanticide, murder

53:39

not guilty on account of insanity, and

53:41

infanticide not guilty on account

53:43

of insanity. The

53:46

jury were then sent off to deliberate, and

53:48

they returned to court the next day to

53:50

deliver their verdict. Lauren

53:53

Dickerson was found guilty of the murders

53:55

of Liany, Carla and Maya.

53:59

The jury had not reached a unanimous vote,

54:01

voting 11-1 for a conviction, a split

54:04

which is allowed under New Zealand law.

54:08

Lauren showed no emotion as the verdict was

54:10

announced, but as she left court

54:12

that afternoon she could be seen quietly

54:14

crying. In

54:16

the wake of the verdict, Lauren's parents issued

54:18

a statement which read, We

54:21

would like to encourage families and individuals

54:23

around the world to be aware of

54:25

the symptoms of postpartum depression as early

54:27

as possible, both for yourselves

54:29

as well as close family and friends around

54:31

you. In

54:34

October Lauren provided a statement and thanked

54:36

people for supporting her. While

54:39

she was convicted many people felt that

54:41

the verdict was wrong and that Lauren had

54:43

been suffering from postpartum depression,

54:46

something that's widely misunderstood even

54:48

today. She

54:51

said that she slept with three teddy bears

54:53

that had her children's names embroidered on the

54:55

feet. She

54:57

wrote, I sleep with the teddy

54:59

bears at night to hold them close

55:01

and remember all the wonderful cuddles my girls used

55:03

to give me. Lauren

55:06

Dickison is currently awaiting sentencing

55:09

and she's looking at a sentence of life in

55:11

prison. While

55:15

Lauren Dickison awaits her impending sentence,

55:17

the public discourse surrounding her culpability

55:20

remains sharply divided. On

55:23

one side she is painted as a remorseless

55:25

child killer driven by a

55:27

sinister desire to seize control within her

55:29

own family dynamic. On

55:31

the opposing front, a contrasting

55:34

narrative unfolds. One

55:36

that casts Lauren as a tragic

55:38

victim ensnared by the clutches of

55:40

postpartum depression, a

55:42

mental health struggle that persists in

55:44

being widely misunderstood and stigmatized.

56:08

Well besties that is it for this

56:10

episode of Morbidology. As always thank you

56:12

so much for listening and I'd like

56:14

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57:08

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