A New Zealand farming couple disappeared, and a wrongful conviction followed.
Updated 20 Aug 2026
Harvey and Jeannette Crewe were last seen alive at their Pukekawa farmhouse on 17 June 1970. Their infant daughter was later found alive in the house. [1]
The couple's bodies were recovered from the Waikato River. Arthur Allan Thomas was convicted twice, pardoned in 1979, and compensated after serious concerns about police evidence. [2]
5 sourced milestones
Major events in the case, shown in chronological order.
Harvey and Jeannette Crewe were last seen alive at their Pukekawa farmhouse; their infant daughter was later found there alive.
Source: New Zealand Police ↗The couple's bodies were recovered separately from the Waikato River, and police opened a double-homicide investigation.
Source: Wikipedia ↗Arthur Allan Thomas was convicted twice, then pardoned in 1979 and later compensated after serious concerns about police evidence.
Source: New Zealand Police ↗A Royal Commission concluded that a cartridge case central to the prosecution had been planted and examined the circumstances that produced Thomas's convictions.
Source: New Zealand Police ↗New Zealand Police digitized and reassessed the file, re-interviewed witnesses, and conducted new forensic work, but found no evidence identifying a prosecutable offender.
Source: New Zealand Police ↗0 videos
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