Jennifer Beard, a schoolteacher from Tasmania, was murdered in New Zealand in 1969. Her case remains unsolved.
On December 31, 1969, Jennifer Beard, who was on holiday in New Zealand, was last seen hitchhiking on the West Coast of the South Island. She was traveling to meet her boyfriend in Milford Sound for New Year’s Eve. However, she never arrived. On January 19, 1970, her body was discovered under a bridge near the small town of Haast. The case, often referred to as the “Haast murder,” sparked one of the largest and most extensive investigations in New Zealand’s history.
Despite the extensive police work, no one was ever convicted for the murder of Jennifer Beard. The main suspect was a local man named Gordon Bray, who was believed to have been in the area at the time of Jennifer’s disappearance. Bray was extensively interviewed by the police and was even charged with her murder, but the charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Over the years, the case has been the subject of much speculation, with various theories and potential suspects proposed. It has also been revisited by law enforcement and amateur sleuths alike, but the lack of new evidence has meant that the case has grown cold. Jennifer Beard’s murder remains one of New Zealand’s most enduring and tragic mysteries, leaving her family and the public without closure.