Inconsistencies in Story Lead to Murder Trial

The trial of **Julia DeLuney**, accused of killing her mother, is underway. The prosecution is trying to prove that **DeLuney’s** account of events surrounding her mother’s death is suspect and inconsistent with the facts. The jury will hear how detectives believe the death was not accidental, but a homicide.

Details Emerge in Court

A detective testified that inconsistencies in **DeLuney’s** story caused the police to reclassify the death as manslaughter, not an accident. The victim was 79-year-old **Helen Gregory**. The trial, expected to last at least four weeks, is now in its fourth day.

The Crown contends that **DeLuney** attacked her mother on January 24, 2024, at **Gregory’s** Khandallah home. The defense, however, maintains **Gregory** fell from the attic. **DeLuney** allegedly left her mother to get her husband, **Antonio DeLuney**, as her mother did not like hospitals.

The defense team suggests the police developed “tunnel vision” during the investigation, overlooking other possibilities.

“And there was information that was important that was missing from the accounts that were being provided around changing clothing and a number of areas travelled to that we were picking up that we were not being told about.”

— Detective Sergeant **Guilia Boffa**

She made stops at a petrol station, and according to the prosecution, changed clothes multiple times that evening. One in four murders in New Zealand involve a family member, highlighting the complex nature of such cases (NZ Police, 2024).

Evidence Presented in Court

**Detective Constable Kristina O’Connor** testified on the meticulous search of the property for any unusual signs. She also noted a mark on a doorknob that appeared out of place.

Inside the home, **O’Connor** observed blood on the walls and floor, along with hair clumps in the hallway and bedroom. The court was shown photos of the scene, including a broken fake orange nail tip near the body.

**O’Connor** said that, upon finding blood, hair, and a nail, she considered the death suspicious.