‘missions’. He said he was intimidated by Macdonald and just went along with him, and hadn’t even written the graffiti on Scott and Kylee’s house because ‘I can’t spell’—an ironic claim given four of the five words were misspelt. Instead, Boe explained his actions by saying it was ‘just being young and stupid, I guess’, although he eventually added, ‘Well, I am sorry . . . I’ve only got myself to blame and I did what I did.’
But before he finished unburdening himself he lobbed one last explosive claim at his former mate. When police asked him what his theories and opinions were, Boe replied, ‘I think that Ewen Macdonald shot Scott Guy, and that’s just spinning in my head. And it’s just a theory, that is, like my gut is telling me that.’
Suddenly, another dimension of Ewen Macdonald was laid bare—not the hardworking, quiet school trustee and family man, not the man who coached his kids’ rugby team and didn’t smoke or drink, not the top farmer and patient father, but a callous, dangerous criminal driven by hatred and revenge. Someone who was determined to drive Scott and Kylee off the farm by threat and intimidation. Someone who had the motive, opportunity and weaponry to kill Scott.
Schwalger and her team were convinced they’d finally found their man.
On the morning of Thursday, 7 April 2011, nine months after the police investigation began and just two days after their final interview with Boe, detectives Laurie Howell and Glen Jackson arrived at Ewen Macdonald’s house at breakfast-time. Macdonald had just finished milking and the officers said they wanted him to come with them to Palmerston North Police Station for a further interview. So he bolted down some Weet-Bix, grabbed his jersey and climbed into their car. On the short journey into town they made small talk—rural talk—about harvesting, yields, cropping and cattle.
By 9.20 am they had settled in a small interview room. Howell sat across the table from Macdonald doing most of the questioning, with Jackson at the end of the table observing and adding the odd comment. The interview was videoed, and Macdonald was read his rights on numerous occasions and reminded he could contact a lawyer at any time.
Macdonald had previously admitted to poaching deer after helicoptering into land near Taihape in April 2009, for which he and Boe had received diversion for unlawful hunting. And he’d also fessed up to regularly poaching on the Sexton farm with Boe, something police were aware of because the pair had been caught and trespassed from the land. So at the beginning of the interview Macdonald again outlined how he and Boe had gone on their ‘missions’ at night, sneaking in from the beach to the forest and farmland in search of deer. But that was all he admitted to, convincingly denying any involvement in the other crimes in which Boe had implicated him.
For several hours the police went through these matters and Macdonald repeated his answers and alibis. But gradually Howell started to point to inconsistencies in his statements, and then produced phone and bank records that conflicted with Macdonald’s story of his whereabouts when the arson and vandalism had occurred. Often the officers would say nothing for a time, creating a silence that Macdonald felt obliged to fill with something he’d just remembered or other reasoning.
As Howell slowly, icily revealed the police hand, Macdonald began struggling to maintain his façade of innocence. Increasingly restless, he stripped off his jersey and drank a bottle of water quickly. To the police watching the interview, he was clearly becoming uncomfortable, a big man trapped in a small room being trapped by the convoluted tales he’d created for years.
At around 2.30 pm, after nearly five hours of questioning, Howell eventually played his ace, telling Macdonald they’d spoken to Boe. ‘Given that I know what he told us,’ said Howell, ‘and that you don’t know what
But before he finished unburdening himself he lobbed one last explosive claim at his former mate. When police asked him what his theories and opinions were, Boe replied, ‘I think that Ewen Macdonald shot Scott Guy, and that’s just spinning in my head. And it’s just a theory, that is, like my gut is telling me that.’
Suddenly, another dimension of Ewen Macdonald was laid bare—not the hardworking, quiet school trustee and family man, not the man who coached his kids’ rugby team and didn’t smoke or drink, not the top farmer and patient father, but a callous, dangerous criminal driven by hatred and revenge. Someone who was determined to drive Scott and Kylee off the farm by threat and intimidation. Someone who had the motive, opportunity and weaponry to kill Scott.
Schwalger and her team were convinced they’d finally found their man.
On the morning of Thursday, 7 April 2011, nine months after the police investigation began and just two days after their final interview with Boe, detectives Laurie Howell and Glen Jackson arrived at Ewen Macdonald’s house at breakfast-time. Macdonald had just finished milking and the officers said they wanted him to come with them to Palmerston North Police Station for a further interview. So he bolted down some Weet-Bix, grabbed his jersey and climbed into their car. On the short journey into town they made small talk—rural talk—about harvesting, yields, cropping and cattle.
By 9.20 am they had settled in a small interview room. Howell sat across the table from Macdonald doing most of the questioning, with Jackson at the end of the table observing and adding the odd comment. The interview was videoed, and Macdonald was read his rights on numerous occasions and reminded he could contact a lawyer at any time.
Macdonald had previously admitted to poaching deer after helicoptering into land near Taihape in April 2009, for which he and Boe had received diversion for unlawful hunting. And he’d also fessed up to regularly poaching on the Sexton farm with Boe, something police were aware of because the pair had been caught and trespassed from the land. So at the beginning of the interview Macdonald again outlined how he and Boe had gone on their ‘missions’ at night, sneaking in from the beach to the forest and farmland in search of deer. But that was all he admitted to, convincingly denying any involvement in the other crimes in which Boe had implicated him.
For several hours the police went through these matters and Macdonald repeated his answers and alibis. But gradually Howell started to point to inconsistencies in his statements, and then produced phone and bank records that conflicted with Macdonald’s story of his whereabouts when the arson and vandalism had occurred. Often the officers would say nothing for a time, creating a silence that Macdonald felt obliged to fill with something he’d just remembered or other reasoning.
As Howell slowly, icily revealed the police hand, Macdonald began struggling to maintain his façade of innocence. Increasingly restless, he stripped off his jersey and drank a bottle of water quickly. To the police watching the interview, he was clearly becoming uncomfortable, a big man trapped in a small room being trapped by the convoluted tales he’d created for years.
At around 2.30 pm, after nearly five hours of questioning, Howell eventually played his ace, telling Macdonald they’d spoken to Boe. ‘Given that I know what he told us,’ said Howell, ‘and that you don’t know what
Similar Books
![Of Being Yours[another way 2]](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/458893/thumbs/152x264/of-being-yoursanother-way-2.jpg)
