259: The Killing of Kirsty Bentley | New Zealand

On New Year's Eve 1998, fifteen-year-old Kirsty Bentley vanished while walking her Labrador, Abby, near the Ashburton River in Canterbury, New Zealand. Seventeen days later, her body was found hidden in dense scrub at Camp Gully, Rakaia Gorge, 40 kilometres away. She had been killed by a single blow of blunt force trauma to the head. Despite decades of investigation under Operation Kirsty, hundreds of suspects interviewed, a 2016 coroner's inquest, and a $100,000 reward offered in 2022, no one has ever been charged. New Zealand's most haunting cold case murder remains unsolved.

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Resources
Web
Wikipedia
New Zealand Police: Hot Spot: Op Kirsty  
Articles
Killer Blow: the Kirsty Bentley mystery  
New evidence in cold case murder
The curious case of Kirsty Bentley’s murder
DNA could crack open Kirsty Bentley cold case
Kirsty Bentley murder: Police offer $100,000 reward
Kirsty Bentley cold case narrows to 10 suspects  
Brother John Bentley speaks on Ashburton cold case  
Teen’s killing still unsolved after 18 years (coroner inquest, 2016)
Lawyer sounds warning over $100,000 Kirsty Bentley murder reward

Created & Produced by Sonya Lowe
Narrated by Noel Vinson
Music: "Nordic Medieval" by Marcus Bressler
Background track: Doblado Studios: https://www.youtube.com/c/DobladoStudios

This True Crime Podcast was researched using open-source or archival materials.