Deceased/Not Found New Zealand - Ben Smart, 21, & Olivia Hope, 17, Marlborough Sounds, 1 Jan 1998

[jerryinohio]

Hi all,

I'm kind've on a fishing expedition here. Some years ago (mid to late 1990's?) there was a case of a young couple that disappeared at a party at a marina or yacht club during a party. I believe it was in Australia or New Zealand but I can't find anything on Google about it. At the time there was a website that was tracking the case, maybe from a newspaper, but like I said, I can't find anything on it now.

Does this ring any bells with anyone?

Thanks,

Jerry

 

[Richard]

There was a story on the television a few months back about an American couple who went Scuba Diving while visiting Australia. When they came up, the boat with the rest of the divers had left them behind. Their shoes and some items were found back at the marina, but search efforts did not begin immediately. When the search did get underway, they were not found.

 

[sneeble]

the Ben Smart and Olivia Hope case http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.asp?ID=198
To this day and I am one of them there are people who feel that Scott Watson has not received a fair and just trial.

 

[curves]

I am from NZ and this was huge when it happened - stuff like this doesn't happen too often back home! My best friends mother was also on the jury that convicted Scott Watson and afterwards she said without a doubt she believed he was guilty, and that was before his past history was released to the public.
It's really interesting that someone in Ohio is interested in Ben/Olivia, can I be nosey and ask why?

 

[OkieGranny]

From April 2010:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10637699

A jigsaw puzzle is made of many pieces, says Paul Davison QC, the lawyer who successfully prosecuted Scott Watson for the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope... But what happens when the pieces don't fit any more? What happens when - as the Herald on Sunday has confirmed - a key section of the prosecution case is proved physically and scientifically impossible?...

We took Blade on the same trip, recreating a voyage taken by author and campaigner Keith Hunter seven years ago. We rode the same tide in the same boat from the nearest position Watson was alleged to have travelled from. It took two hours and 35 minutes. Hunter's trip started farther out and took a comparable length of time.

The trip is impossible to achieve in the time stated by the prosecution if calculated mathematically using data from the prosecution's own files. The trip is also impossible using a scientific calculation that determines the maximum possible speed that yachts can travel at. In fact, the evidence suggests that Scott Watson would have had a better chance of completing the trip if he had walked there across the water.

From March 2015:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/268036/scott-watson-attempts-to-clear-name

Watson is serving a minimum non-parole period of 17 years after being convicted in 1999 for the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope.

His father Chris Watson said for the past three months, Watson's lawyers had been assembling a team of researchers, scientists and a private investigator...

In July 2013, the Governor-General declined an application from Scott Watson to be pardoned after unsuccessful appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council.

Details of the disappearance:

http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.aspx?ID=200

Olivia Hope had left her parent’s Grovetown, Marlborough home to drive to Whatamonga Bay in Queen Charlotte Sound on the afternoon of Thursday, 30 December. She joined a chartered yacht, the Tamarack... There were nine people on board, including Olivia and her sister Amelia.

The following day... Olivia, her sister and friends water-taxied from the Tamarack, now in Endeavour Inlet to Furneaux Lodge to take part in the New Years Eve celebrations, along with 2000 other people. There she met her long-standing friend Ben Smart of Blenheim, who was staying in a batch at nearby Punga Cove.

In the early hours of New Year’s morning Ben and Olivia caught the Furneaux Lodge’s water taxi back to the Tamarack but found it crowded with 12 people occupying all the berths. Olivia collected her backpack, sleeping bag and other personal belongings and between 4am and 5 am, when the same water taxi returned to the Tamarack with another person, she and Ben left on it, to find somewhere else to bunk down. Furneaux Lodge water taxi driver Guy Wallace said the pair at first asked to be taken ashore, but when another passenger in the taxi offered them beds aboard his yacht, they accepted.

 

[alb1on]

Bump.

This is an odd case. The convicted (Watson) was found guilty despite the police being unable to place him with the victims, his boat being of a different type to that described by the main witness and timing discrepancies in the boat journey. Either they got it right (but convicted on evidence which would have led any competent judge to give a directed verdict) or they got it wrong and prevented a serious effort in the right direction. I do not know which it is but it seems only 23% of New Zealanders now accept the verdict (although I would like to see the poll methodology) http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/319030/less-conviction-about-watson-conviction-poll.

 

[Davereid]

Bump.

This is an odd case. The convicted (Watson) was found guilty despite the police being unable to place him with the victims, his boat being of a different type to that described by the main witness and timing discrepancies in the boat journey. Either they got it right (but convicted on evidence which would have led any competent judge to give a directed verdict) or they got it wrong and prevented a serious effort in the right direction. I do not know which it is but it seems only 23% of New Zealanders now accept the verdict (although I would like to see the poll methodology) http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/319030/less-conviction-about-watson-conviction-poll.

I watched the documentary Doubt The Scott Watson case and was convinced he was not guilty. Then someone from New Zealand told me about the books and a podcast by Ian Wishart. I became a bit obsessed about the case for a bit but after reading his book which logically disputes any doubt raised I think he did indeed kill them. I wish he would just tell where their bodies are buried or what he did with them.

Wishart speculates they were buried in a cove or relatively lightly traveled area in the sounds. I admit the locations are not familiar with me being from the states. The boat difference can be discrepancies in eye witness testimony and the fact he painted his boat the New Years day. Seems weird he would do that. Plus the testimony of other people not included in the documentary that do lend to his culpability.


I read someone's opinion where they felt uncomfortable not having an opinion on cases with sensationalized documentaries like Steven Avery. I can relate but in this case I am not on the fence I think Scott Watson got drunk and acted on something that was always there in his personality. Something friends of his would relate existed such as hatred of women and violent outbursts coupled with a substance abuse problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[alb1on]

This case is back in the courts. Scott Watson has been granted a second appeal following review of new evidence. Scott Watson, convicted of murder of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope, granted new appeal - NZ Herald

 

[JuneMayday]

Many witnesses have described seeing Olivia Hope and Ben Smart after the date they were assumed to be murdered.