Parole Board defers decision on killer Lewis Blackburn’s release as assessments continue
The New Zealand Parole Board has deferred the release decision for Lewis Blackburn, who has served 20 years for the 2005 murder of his ex-partner. Blackburn expressed frustration with the ongoing assessment process, while the board maintains that further psychological and geriatric reviews are necessary.
Why it matters
The case highlights the complexities and procedural hurdles within the parole system for long-term inmates.
Christine Hindson was killed in her Christchurch home.
A man in prison for strangling his ex-partner to death, before putting her body inside a wooden chest, says he is feeling puzzled by the parole process.
Lewis Blackburn murdered Christine Hindson after she ended their three-year relationship in September 2005.
He was 48 when he was sentenced in 2006 to life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.
Twenty years on, and a decade after he became eligible for parole, Blackburn opened up to the Parole Board about the process.
“It is so confusing. It seems to be going round and round and getting nowhere,” he told the board yesterday.
“They are actually doing reports on reports.”
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