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Gresham Marsh
.
Murdered an elderly couple of Te Akau in the Waikato in May 1994
Was on parole at the time for attacking a man with an iron bar
Also has committed over 50 other offences, many of them violent.
John and Josephine Harrison
none known
Born 1972
Prison - with limited release periods in Dunedin
Sentenced to just ten years in July 1994.
First parole hearing June 2004
Due for next hearing November 2012
Background
NZ Herald story here and here
Last parole board decision documented here
Further info here from this article
Sunday News article here about his 2009 parole bid, and here
Every parole application has been declined since his first and parole was again denied in November 2011 but has already been approved temporary releases, story here
In 1994 he was considered extremely dangerous. He is still considered by the Parole Board as a "moderate to high" risk of reoffending and his Psychopathy Checklist Screening Version(PCL-SV) also shows a "high" score, although he spent 9 months as a builder's labourer in the building industry and is described as a very good worker. He was working from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. until that work ceased.
While the victims' family have got half their wish in that the Parole Board made a Postponement Order against his co-offender Leith Ray's parole hearing, denying him the option to apply for parole for another three years, the victims’ family are repeatedly pleading to the Parole Board for a 3-year deferral against Gresham Marsh as they want Gresham Marsh to be kept locked away just as much as they do Leith Ray.
We understand he was minimum security in self care, he is currently IDU free, however he has had recent incident reports including with a cell phone which lead to him being ejected from self care and in put in low-medium security. Marsh claims he is now deeply remorseful about his actions in 1994. He would be prepared to meet them in a restorative justice context with the Harrison family, but they are not prepared to do that.
Both the Harrison and Marsh family strongly suspect that would just be a further opportunity for manipulation and of no value to them or anyone else. At the time of the murders of John and Josephine Harrison, Gresham Marsh and Leith Ray both told police that they wanted to see what it was like to kill someone and watch them die.
Statement from the Harrison family
I am Janine Harrison - nee Marsh, sister of Gresham Marsh who did the killings of John and Josephine Harrisson in their Te Akau home on the 1st June 1994.
Age 10.. Gresham was lighting fires in our hometown. He was moving from class to class because the teachers could not handle him.
Age 11-12.. Burglary and Arson as well as not going to school.
Age 12-16.. He was a Ward of the state as we all lost control of him.
Age 17.. Assaulted a young man for a leather jacket, he used an iron bar and I believe this young man is still in a wheelchair to this day.
Age 18.. Gresham Marsh did three years in prison for this assault, he had 50 convictions under his belt from burglary to assault, this was his career, he loved the thrill of getting away with it. He once told me the best days to burgle someone’s home is on a rainy day because you cannot hear anything. He was training as a criminal.
Age 19.. He was living with myself, my husband and 3 children, he was on the run from gang members, law and probation officers.
As a family we were all trying to support, love and encourage him, but this made no difference to him, we were dealing with a man who would sleep during the day sitting upright and during the night walk around the house while everyone was sleeping. There were incidents where I knew he was getting tired of our rules, at one stage I knew I had to get my baby and myself out of the house.
One night out of the blue he said to me (sounding excited) I WONDER WHAT IT IS LIKE TO KILL SOMEONE.
On the 16/8/93 my eldest sister wrote a letter to the judge that Gresham was appearing before, yet again on a assault charge. Sharon stressed how unstable he was and stated that her greatest fear was that he will kill someone. WE WERE IGNORED.
Eight months later now having 53 convictions his dream and thrill had come true with the helping hand of the Justice System. He did the double murders of non-threatening couple John and Josephine Harrisson.
John a NZ retired soldier, was not afraid, he said he was going to call the police, as he walked away the 1st bullet went into his back, straight through to his spinal cord 2nd bullet in the abdomen, 3rd bullet in his mouth, 4th bullet point blank in his head. Then Gresham and his two accomplices went up to the bedroom to deal with Josephine (as he put it). She was sitting up in bed waiting to die, they shot her in the head twice then covered her face with a pillow.
Josephine’s last words were “What have I ever done to You". Marsh and Ray were sentenced to 10 years for two killings. I guess this means 5 years for each of the killings, do you call this Justice in New Zealand? I CALL IT A FREEBIE KILLING…. 10 Years sentencing for 2 lives.
Gresham Marsh did comment “They were old anyway". They died for a can of petrol, some honey and some American currency, their lives meant nothing to the Justice System or the killers.
Age 32.. Marsh is up for parole in 2004, he has already threatened to kill, he will walk free because the Justice system says so. He is young enough to continue to kill again and again.. You are looking at your next victim, so when you the select committee make the decision on my ghost coming back to you in 4 years time and asking you then if you made the right decision, our lives with my husband.. and my 3 children will more than likely be in your hands….
Janine
Abridged….
Also from WYSIWYG News July 1994;
Graham Marsh (22) and Leigh Ray (19) have been sentenced to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to murdering an elderly
couple in Te Akau, John and Josephine Harrison on 31 May.
The Minister of Justice has rejected a request from Marsh's family that he should never be paroled. They also asked that the Minister of Justice introduce 3 degrees of murder. This was also rejected.
His sister had written to the Police in August 1993 when Marsh was facing charges for assulting his wife and burglary. She expressed concern over his mood swings and his tendency to be more violent as he grew older. She'd hoped that he would be forced to get the psychiatric help he needed.
Recent information that has come to hand indicates that Gresham (who was adopted) was the product of rape. This is consistent with current research indicating that psychopathy has a substantial genetic causation, of greater significance than environmental factors such as society and upbringing.
