Pauline Parker, Subject of 'Heavenly Creatures', Dies at 88
Parker, who as a teenager was convicted of murder in a sensational New Zealand trial, lived a reclusive life in Scotland before her death in Orkney.
Pauline Parker, known for her role in a sensational 1950s New Zealand murder case that inspired the film "Heavenly Creatures," has died in Orkney at the age of 88. To her neighbours and friends, she was known as Hilary Nathan, a quiet, religious woman who ran a riding stable.
Parker, then 16, and her schoolfriend Juliet Hulme were convicted of the murder of Parker's mother, Honora Parker, in 1954. The case shocked New Zealand and garnered international attention, with some tabloids dubbing the pair "evil schoolgirl killers." The court heard that the girls, fearing separation due to family circumstances, plotted to kill Mrs. Parker, whom they believed was an obstacle.
They lured her to a park and bludgeoned her to death with a brick. The defense argued insanity, but both girls were found guilty of murder. Due to their age, they avoided the death penalty and each served five years in separate prisons.
Following their release in 1960, they were given new identities and left New Zealand. The court ordered they should never meet again. Filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson's 1994 film "Heavenly Creatures" explored the intense friendship between Parker and Hulme and their descent into a shared fantasy life that culminated in the murder. Jackson aimed to understand the girls' motivations rather than sensationalize the crime.
By the time the film was released, Hulme, under the new name Anne Perry, was living in Portmahomack, Scotland, where she had become a successful crime writer. Perry stated she did not plan to see the film, calling it potentially too "harrowing." She expressed concerns about how the film would affect not only herself and Parker but also their families and communities. "It's a bit like being stripped naked in the High Street for everyone to come and look and pick and poke," she said.
Parker, meanwhile, had settled in rural Kent in the UK, opening a riding school. By 2011, she had moved to Orkney, also running a stable there under the name Hilary Nathan. Like Perry, Parker sought refuge in religion and tight-knit communities. She was described as a devout Catholic who led a reclusive life.
Perry, a Mormon, also found support within her religious community when reporters descended upon her home after her identity was revealed. While her books achieved significant success, particularly in America, she was reticent about promotion in the UK. She once told a journalist that after 51 years, she could let the past go, stating, "It's not who I am now. It's not who I have been for decades." Her writing often explored themes of memory loss and identity, drawing parallels to how she felt others viewed her. She also noted that her experiences fostered a greater compassion for those who do wrong.
In 2011, true-crime author Peter Graham located Parker, who then used the name Hilary Nathan. He had written a book about the case titled "So Brilliantly Clever," referencing a phrase from Parker's diary, which was used as evidence in court. Parker's death in Orkney marks the end of a long and extraordinary life shaped by a notorious crime from her youth.