AFTER THE KILLINGS
In December 1997 a jury found Stephen Anderson not guilty on all charges. They deemed him insane, not criminally culpable, not legally responsible for killing six people and trying to slay another eight.
He was detained in a forensic mental health facility as a special patient, meaning his release could only be signed off by the Health Minister.
In 2008 the Herald on Sunday revealed Anderson had been given regular, unsupervised leave from the facility and had spent Christmas with relatives at their home. It was, according to his aunt Toni Curley, part of Anderson’s “ongoing rehabilitation“.
In 2009 Anderson was released to live in Upper Hutt.
He remained a special patient and was till under the care and monitoring of the facility — however he was able to live in the community again.
During his release he published a book of poetry entitled Toys in the Attic — but his freedom was ended soon after that when he was allegedly caught using synthetic cannabis and authorities recalled him to the mental health facility.
It emerged in 2014 that Anderson was back out in the community part time, and allowed to visit his mother’s Waikanae home for specified periods.
And he was working as a tutor at Wellington’s Inverlochy Art School, where he was described as a “talented” artist.
At the same time he was creating jewellery, some of which featured bullet casings, which was being sold on auction website TradeMe.
Managers at Inverlochy had no idea about Anderson’s past, and once the events of 1997 were brought to their attention, they asked him to leave.
The Weekend Herald requested an interview with Stephen Anderson and his mother Helen.
They declined, but Helen provided a short statement by email.
“Anniversaries of tragic events are distressing for those involved, including Steve and I,” she said.
“We wish for privacy at this time and seek to make no further comment.”