The Most Morbid Day Ever

On December 2, 2018, the parents of twenty-one-year-old Grace Millane, a British tourist on vacation in New Zealand, became concerned when the birthday wishes they sent their daughter went unacknowledged. Having completed her degree at the University of Lincoln a few months earlier, Grace had spent several weeks traveling during her gap year but had been keeping in regular contact with her parents since leaving for her trip. When they still hadn’t heard from their daughter three days later, Grace’s parents called Auckland police and reported her missing. A week later, Grace Millane’s body was discovered in a suitcase near an access road in the Waitakere Ranges, a dense wooded area about twelve miles outside Auckland. A day later, investigators arrested twenty-six-year-old Jesse Kempson, who was the last person seen with Grace on the night of the murder when the two were captured together by a CCTV camera going up to Kempson’s room at the CityLife Hotel.

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Thank you to our favorite David White for research assistance

References

BBC News. 2018. Grace Millane: Man appears in court charged with backpacker's murder. December 10. Accessed May 3, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-46502649.

Creed, Rebecca. 2021. "Former flatmate of Grace Millane's killer says he was." The Echo, November 15.

Critchell, Matthew. 2019. "Backpacker Grace spoke to men on bondage chat rooms,." The Echo, November 20.

Emes, Toby. 2019. "Accused killer admitted Grace was dead in second interview." The Echo, November 14.

Faulkner, Doug. 2019. Grace Millane murder: A trial that gripped a nation. November 22. Accessed May 2, 2023. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-50515326.

Feehan, Katie. 2018. "Brother of Wickford woman missing in New Zealand says lack." The Echo, December 5.

—. 2018. "Police release last known image of missing Wickford woman." The Echo, December 6.

Graham-Mclay, Charlotte. 2018. "After backpacker's killing, New Zealand looks again at violence against women." New York Times, December 13.

—. 2018. "New Zealand murder case leads to rebuke of Google." New York Times, December 15.

—. 2018. "New Zealander accused of killing tourist." New York Times, December 9.

Humphries, Will, and Bernard Lagan. 2018. "Distraught father flies to join backpacker search." The Times, December 7.

Jesse Shane Kempson v. The Queen. 2021. SC 11/2021 NZSC 74 (Supreme Court of New Zealand, June 29).

Kirk, Tristan. 2019. "Guilty: Fantasist who killed Grace." London Evening Standard, November 22.

—. 2019. "Guilty: Grace jury takes only five hours to return verdict of murder." London Evening Standard, November 22.

Kolirin, Lianne. 2020. "Grace Millane's killer attacked other women." The Times, December 22.

Lagan, Bernard. 2018. "Body found in search for missing backpacker." The Times, December 10.

—. 2019. "British backpacker's 'killer' lied about their Tinder date." The Times, November 13.

Lagan, Bernard, and Will Humphries. 2018. "Father appeals for clues to help find missing daughter." The Times, December 8.

Leask, Anna. 2020. Who is Grace Millane's murderer? Unravelling labyrinth of lies and a fatal Tinder date. February 20. Accessed May 1, 2023. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/who-is-grace-millanes-murderer-unravelling-labyrinth-of-lies-and-a-fatal-tinder-date/PDGHMSM67MZQ5VBH4GT2XIXZ7Q/?c_id=1&objectid=12287282.

MacDonald, Stuart. 2021. "'Rough sex' defence for murder could be banned." The Times, May 29.

Roy, Eleanor Ainge. 2019. "Grace Millane trial: blood in hotel room likely backpacker's." The Guardian, November 8.

—. 2019. "Grace Millane trial: witness says she feared she would die." The Guardian, November 11.

—. 2019. "'She should have been safe here'." The Guardian, November 22.

Smith, Anneka. 2020. "Grace Millane's life: far more than the details of her death." Radio New Zealand, February 21.

South Wales Echo. 2020. "Grace's killer 'raped another Brit tourist'." South Wales Echo, December 23.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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