The Mystery Skull
"I want to know why it wasn't looked at three years ago, using the best of science to eliminate Olivia straight away. That is the real story here, why has it taken three years?"
Gerald Hope
The skull was pulled from the sea near the mouth of the Waimakariri River, north of Christchurch, by a trawler three years ago, but its owner was never identified, Sen. Constable Graham Lawson, of Christchurch, confirmed yesterday.
In June this year Lyttelton Police handed it to Otago University skeletal anatomist, John Dennison.
As a result of Mr Dennison’s assessment, it emerged that the skull belonged to a female.
Mr Dennison said he discussed the case with professor Jules Kaiser, of the dental school, and the pair concluded the victim was a young woman. She was likely to have been in her late teens or early 20s and probably Caucasian.
“We looked at the shells on it and professor Kaiser came up with the bright idea that a friend of his new a bit about shells and we should take it to him”, Mr Davison said.
The skull went to Dr. Phil Bishop of the zoology
department.
Christchurch Press 22/8/02 NZPA
The above news article was the first indication that anyone in the Marlborough area had of the existence of this skull and even though it falls within the parameters of Olivia Hope no information about it had worked it's way into the Operation Tam file. The skull was found (from the information available) slightly before or during Scott Watson's trial. Investigation by Police - NIL, until some three years later.
Gerald
Hope, father of murdered Blenheim teenager Olivia Hope, wants to know why it has
taken three years to forensically test a skull retrieved from the mouth of the
Waimakariri River near Christchurch.
Uncovered by a fishing trawler in 1999, the skull was originally thought to have belonged to one of two fishermen who had gone missing in the area. Later tests showed that it belonged instead to a Pakeha woman in her late teens or early 20s.
Yesterday a Sunday newspaper reported it was to be examined to determine if it could belong to 17-year-old Olivia, who went missing at a New Year's Eve party in the Marlborough Sounds in 1998, with her friend 21-year-old Ben Smart.
Scott Watson is serving a 17-year non-parole sentence for the murder of the friends.
Their bodies have never been found.
This morning Mr Hope said he was disappointed to hear through the media that the skull was possibly linked with his daughter. He was also upset that it had taken three years for anyone to consider the possibility that it could be Olivia's.
"I want to know why it wasn't looked at three years ago, using the best of science to eliminate Olivia straight away. That is the real story here, why has it taken three years?"
The skull, discovered in 1999, did not have teeth, flesh or hair.
Otago University academic Phil Bishop, who examined barnacles on the skull, said preliminary results indicated it had been on the seabed since about 1995.
But to determine the barnacles' age more precisely, about 10 mammalian animal skulls would have to be left where the skull was found for four years to ensure the barnacles had not grown faster than usual, he said.
Mr Hope said there was still unfinished business surrounding the murders.
"We are still positive about there being a final resolution. We recognise that this (Ben and Olivia's) disappearance was high profile and that conjecture is rife about what happened. It's unsettling when things like this happen because it brings back unpleasant memories. But we will persist, because one day it may be the one thing that brings us resolution.
Marlborough Express 02 September 2002
The Skull has no teeth and so dental examination is not an option. This leaves dating or MtDNA analysis. The dating so far can only say that the skull had been in the water for up to five years. This does not eliminate it as being that of Olivia Hope.
Another approach is to look at the female people between the ages of 15 and 25 who are listed as missing within the area of the find. The Watson family have taken this approach and requested that the police supply this information under the Official Information Act. Here is the police response:
14910 / LH/ CHRIS WATSON OFFICIAL INFORMAT ION / ER5006 / 130902
Box 336
PICTON
I acknowledge your letter of 2 September 2002 and the request that you have made.
This rather mean spirited letter means that the Watson family is requested by the police to pay for the privilege of doing the work that the police have had three years to do and have not.
Considering the money that police have spent in the past on computer equipment it would be thought that there would exist a national database for missing persons, allowing instant access to this information. This obviously does not exist.
There were a number of sightings of ketches in the Kaikoura - Banks Peninsular area during early 1998. Not all of them identified. It has also been pointed out in the media that the currents on the east coast flow to the north (Remember the "Rose Noel")
The probability of this skull being that of Olivia Hope is small. The possibility that it is that of Olivia Hope remains. Nothing found to date has positively eliminated it from contention.
Reply from Blenhiem Police:
30 September 2002
Mr
C J WATSON
P
0 Box 336
Picton
Dear
Mr. WATSON
Official
Information Act Request
I
have
been asked to respond to your request relating to female persons between the
ages of 15 and 25 missing within the Kaikoura and Marlborough areas between 1993
and the end of 1999.
I
have checked our records and find that the only outstanding missing female in
this area is Olivia HOPE. She was
reported missing from Endeavour Inlet on lst January 1998.
I hope this assists.
Yours
sincerely
Richard Rolton
Detective
Further response from Canterbury Police:
7
October 2002
Mr
C J Watson
PO
Box 336
PICTON
Dear
Mr Watson
OFFICIAL INFORMATION REQUEST; MISSING FEMALES
In response
to your letter dated 14 September 2002.
The
records relating to the missing females for this area have been searched and no
females aged 15 - 25 from the Banks Peninsular area reported missing between
1993 and 1999 are missing now.
Thank you for
your cheque for $112.00 (the receipt is attached).
The time spent in obtaining and supplying this information was in excess
of two hours. In view of the result
no further charge will be made for the extra time.
Yours
sincerely
Superintendant
S J Manderson
District
commander
Canterbury
Update
The latest update on the skull is that it could have been in the water for up to 25 year. This still does not eliminate the possibility of the skull belonging to Olivia Hope.