New Zealand - David Tamihere's 1990 double-murder conviction quashed, 31 March 2026

[Rikissa]

Article from 1 April 2026:

David Tamihere's convictions have been quashed, 36 years after he was found guilty of murdering two Swedish backpackers, but what happens next and could he get compensation from the government?

In a decision released on Tuesday, the Supreme Court directed a retrial but said it was up to the Crown to decide whether one should be held.

David Tamihere's double-murder convictions quashed: What happens now and could he get compensation?

The Supreme Court directed a retrial for Tamihere, but it's up to the Crown to decide whether one will be held.

www.rnz.co.nz

In 1989 two young Swedish backpackers, Urban Höglin (23), and his fiancée Heidi Paakkonen (21) went missing on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand. Urban's remains were found in 1991, while Heidi is still missing.

Murder of Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

From Swedish TV4 News - translated with Google Translate:

In 1989, Swedish tourists Urban Höglin and Heidi Pakkonen disappeared without a trace on a hiking trip.
New Zealander David Wayne Tamihere was convicted of the murder.
Now he is completely acquitted.
In 1990, the then 35-year-old David Tamihere was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Swedish tourists Urban Höglin, 23, and his fiancée Heidi Paakkonen, 21.

Urban Höglin och Heidi Pakkonen mördades - nu rivs domen upp

Svenska turisterna Urban Höglin och Heidi Pakkonen mördades på Nya Zeeland 1989 - nu rivs domen upp

www-tv4-se.translate.goog

 

[patriciasleuth]

David Tamihere may have had an accomplice. There was a good podcast a few years ago that uncovered a bonkers story - it was called Finding Heidi