Forensic Files

The Tragic Murder of Grace Millane | Morbid | Podcast

Morbid | Podcast

  • Jun 16, 2023
  • 1:01:39
  • Full Episode

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 travelling 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 densely 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. Please Consider Signing this Petition

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.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Connect with Wondery http://wondery.com/shows http://facebook.com/WonderyMedia http://twitter.com/WonderyMedia http://instagram.com/WonderyMedia

Brief Summary

Grace Mullane was murdered by her Tinder date Jesse Kempson in New Zealand, leading to a trial that exposed systemic issues in handling violence against women.

Key points

  • Grace's Exciting Travels. Grace Mullane embarks on a six-month journey around the world, full of positivity and excitement.
  • The Investigation Begins. After Grace goes missing, her family contacts authorities, leading to a police investigation.
  • The Arrest. Police arrest Jesse Kempson, the man Grace went on a date with, as a suspect in her murder.
  • The Shocking Discovery. He woke up to find Grace unresponsive, bloodied, and lying on the floor.
  • The Suitcase Plan. After realizing what happened, he bought a suitcase instead of calling for help.
  • The Disturbing Evidence. Detectives found blood traces and signs of a struggle in the apartment.

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Morbid | Podcast

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.

Start a Case

Join Team Forensic Files

Regular case drops, breaking crime news, and podcast premieres, straight to your inbox.

or

Forgot your password?

The Tragic Murder of Grace Millane | Morbid | Podcast | Forensic Files