‘Cruel’ killer eyes work release
Dartelle Alder, who murdered Wellington woman Margaret Lynne Baxter in 2001, has taken steps towards being able to work outside prison but will not be paroled this year.
Alder, who is now 42, was aged 23 when he ran Baxter down with his car as she was jogging in Hawke’s Bay.
He then dumped her in his car and drove to a house, where he raped her, before stabbing her more than 30 times. Alder killed
Baxter by smashing a terracotta tile on her head.
At Alder’s sentencing, Justice Warwick Gendall said it was hard to imagine a more cruel, vicious and brutal crime.
Alder, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced to life with a 15-year non-parole term for the murder, which was increased by the Court of Appeal to 17 years’ non-parole – one of the longest terms in New Zealand’s history.
In 2007, Alder was found not guilty of murdering Sonny John Keremete, 25, a fellow inmate at Hawke’s Bay Prison in March the previous year.
Alder was seen by the Parole Board earlier this month. He was assessed as being of a low to medium risk of reoffending.
The board said he ‘‘has clearly made good progress in reducing his anxiety’’ and was living in self-care within the Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison. He has behaved well in prison.
Alder has been working well, has attended courses and was encouraged to continue counselling ‘‘and, if possible, to begin work outside the wire and a possible release to work’’.
Alder had not sought parole and accepted there was further reintegration work required of him. The board agreed that he remained an undue risk.
The board considered whether it was appropriate for Alder to be released to an unnamed address.
‘‘His offending occurred in Hawke’s Bay . . . [W]e have pointed out that, should [the unnamed address] be the place chosen, there are likely to be substantial pressures by way of publicity and perhaps anger in the local community that Mr Alder would be released to the very area where he committed this terrible crime. He has discussed the matter with his family. Mr Alder is aware of the issues.’’
Alder told the board he would be interested in a restorative justice meeting with the victims of his offending but would leave it up to them to decide if they wished to do so.
He would come before the board by the end of February next year with the hope that his reintegration had significantly progressed.