Episode 572: Heavenly Creatures: The Parker-Hulme Murder

Kaya Henderson discusses the convoluted and intense bond between Juliet and Pauline, which was marked by shared childhood illnesses, entrenchment in fantasy, and ultimately led to violent actions.

Juliet and Pauline formed a profoundly close, obsessive bond that consumed their lives and led to disastrous consequences.

Juliet and Pauline were immediate outcasts in their school, drawn together when they were the only students excused from physical education due to health issues. They forged an intense and exclusive friendship where they were deeply enmeshed in each other's lives. They crafted elaborate fantasies and stories, often engaging in activities that supported their shared world, like horseback riding and moonlight picnics.

As their friendship deepened, they began to retract further into their created fantasy world, shutting out the reality around them and preferring to live within their imagination. Their relationship, seen by themselves as geniuses unappreciated by others and marked by grandiosity, increasingly took on romantic and eventually violent overtones in their imagined narratives.

Urquhart highlights the danger of such "us against the world" relationships, which often become problematic and lead to negative outcomes. The girls' friendship did not seem positive and was entrenched in an unbalanced power dynamic that Kelley and Urquhart found to be unhealthy. When faced with the potential separation due to Juliet's family possibly moving to South Africa, Pauline and Juliet took extreme measures to maintain their connection.

Juliet and Pauline were drawn to each other due to their shared experiences of childhood illness, troubled relationships with their mothers, and feelings of being outcasts among their peers.

Pauline seemed to be more affected by their intensifying bond, even in her home environment. The girls developed a shared psychosis, living in fantasies that sometimes transformed into violent meditation. Dr. Francis Bennett testified to their "wild infatuation," which was expressed through bathing and bedding together, photographing each other, and even creating their own religion.

As their friendship intensified, the girls retreated further into a fantasy world of their own creation, becoming increasingly detached from reality and unwilling to tolerate any perceived threats to their relationship.

Pauline and Juliet's relationship was congenial, with the power initially being in Juliet's favor due to Pauline's dependency. As Juliet's personal life became unstable, she began to rely on Pauline and their shared fantasies more. When Juliet heard about Pauline's short-lived relationship with a local boy, Nicholas, Pauline promptly ended it, affirming her loyalty to Juliet above any other connection. This act further solidified their bond and their distinction from reality.

The power dynamic within the relationship shifted over time, with Juliet initially holding the upper hand but Pauline eventually becoming the dominant ...

Juliet and Pauline both had challenging relationships with their mothers, who struggled with the demands of motherhood.

Hilda Hume, Juliet's mother, was described as aloof and rigid, with little interest in nurturing her children.

Juliet Marion Hume, daughter of Henry and Hilda Hume, experienced a childhood where motherhood was not a natural fit for her mother, Hilda. Described as aloof and not very warm, Hilda adhered to a specific philosophy on child-rearing, believing that "Babies had to learn their place and not be pandered to and fussed over." Hilda had a polished exterior that seemed at odds with the messier realities of nurturing children. Juliet was seen as a very demanding and sensitive child who resented discipline and resisted correction. Her difficult temperament and personality made her "difficult and troublesome to handle," according to author Peter Graham. Further evidencing the strained relationship, Juliet did not view her parents' divorce as emotionally significant but rather as a financial opportunity.

Moreover, Juliet resented her younger sibling, and Hilda's health suffered due to a challenging pregnancy. Juliet spent much time away from her parents, staying with relatives or in hospitals, indicating a detachment from her family unit. Her mother, involved in an affair with a man named Bill Perry, was not one to fuss over children, and her multiple affairs, as noted by Hilda's friend Nancy Sutherland, indicate a lack of investment in her home life.

Nora Parker, Pauline's mother, was stern and quick to anger, leading to frequent arguments and physical punishment.

Pauline and her mother, Nora Parker, had a volatile relationship, characterized by frequent arguments and physical punishment, common for the era. This disciplinary approach led to detachment and trust issues in their relationship. Pauline felt misunderstood and unloved, contributing to the strife at home.

The girls' fathers were largely absent or distracted, providing little emotional support or guidance.

Henry Hume, Juliet's father, was consumed by his important work as a scientist, leaving little time for his family.

Henry Hume, Juliet's father, was deeply involved in significant wartime work, including a role as Deputy Director of Naval Operational Research and as a consult ...

The murder of Nora Parker by her daughter Pauline and friend Juliet was marked by chilling premeditation and brutality, with details emerging that reveal the depths of their planning and detachment from the severity of their actions.

Juliet and Pauline meticulously planned the murder of Nora Parker, driven by their intense desire to remain together and their belief that they could retreat into their fantasy world.

Pauline Parker's diary entries elucidated a meticulously crafted plan to murder her mother, with the aim of preventing a separation from her close friend Juliet. Pauline referred to the murder as "the day of the happy event," which she anticipated with excitement akin to "the night before Christmas." Theories suggested that the girls wanted to remove Nora so Pauline could accompany Juliet to South Africa. They obtained a brick, placed it in a stocking to create a makeshift weapon, and later attacked Nora during a walk in the woods.

The girls obtained a makeshift weapon, a brick in a stocking, and lured Nora into the woods under the pretense of a walk, where they viciously beat her to death.

The walk, presented as an innocent outing, was the setting for their heinous act. Once in the woods, and in a premeditated formation, Pauline swung the stocking with the brick, striking her mother in the head. Despite this premeditation, they struggled to drag Nora's body away, eventually leaving her with extensive injuries. A bloodied brick with hair attached was found at the scene, further corroborating the violent assault.

The autopsy revealed the extent of the brutality, with Nora sustaining 45 external injuries, including 24 lacerations to the head and face that had penetrated to the bone.

Nora Parker's autopsy underscores the attack's brutality, highlighting 45 external injuries and 24 lacerations to her head and face, which penetrated the bone, along with severe head injuries and facial fractures. Nora's broken finger, hanging by a piece of flesh, indicated that she had fought desperately for her life against her attackers.

Despite their young age, Juliet and Pauline displayed a chilling indifference and even enjoyment during the legal proceedings, suggesting a profound detachment from reality.

The girls' behavior in the courtroom, including smiling and chatting, shocked onlookers and ...

The trial and sentencing of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker for murder, followed by their unexpected paths to anonymity and the subsequent resurgence of interest in the case through film, lay bare a saga of mental illness, rehabilitation, and society's fluctuating responses to crime.

The trial was marked by the defense's focus on the girls' mental state, with psychiatrists testifying that Juliet and Pauline were suffering from a shared psychosis.

During their trial, evidence including long passages from Pauline's diary was presented, showing the girls as indifferent, smiling, and exchanging glances as charges were laid out. The girls’ bizarre demeanors were in stark contrast to the seriousness of the proceedings. The defense argued that their intense relationship and disturbed mental states were behind the murder rather than any calculated plan. Psychiatrists testified, diagnosing both girls with paranoia as a result of a shared psychosis.

The girls were sentenced to a remarkably lenient term of only five years in prison, sparking outrage from the public.

The sentencing was an exceptional case, where both girls, under 18 years of age, received "detention during her majesty's pleasure," resulting in five years of incarceration in separate adult prisons. Post-release, they altered their identities in a successful attempt to regain their privacy.

The resurfacing of the case decades later through the film " ...