A New Zealand woman, Julia DeLuney, is facing murder charges in the Wellington High Court for the death of her 79-year-old mother, Helen Gregory. The prosecution alleges that DeLuney killed her mother at her Khandallah home on January 24, 2024, and staged the scene to look like a fall from the attic. However, forensic experts have stated that the injuries sustained by Gregory were inconsistent with such a fall. DeLuney denies the charges.
The case has gained attention due to the alleged financial motivations behind the crime. Prosecutors claim that DeLuney stole thousands of dollars from her mother to invest in cryptocurrencies. It's alleged that she was experiencing financial difficulties and had transferred over NZD 150,000 (approximately $90,000 USD) to crypto platforms in the year leading up to her mother's death. Financial records indicate that between January 2023 and January 2024, DeLuney spent over $155,000 on cryptocurrency investments.
Adding to the complexity of the case, DeLuney is accused of orchestrating an elaborate crypto scam just days before her mother's death. She allegedly sent her mother an email claiming that a crypto investment had generated profits exceeding $268,000 and requested $30,000 for withdrawal fees and tax liabilities, asking her mother to cover half. Cryptocurrency experts testified that these fees were "totally false" and a common scam tactic. The court was also shown evidence that DeLuney used a screenshot from someone else's crypto account to show her mother fabricated profits.
Prior to her death, Gregory had confided in friends about missing money from her home, with sums totaling up to $85,000. DeLuney later admitted to investing some of her mother's money in cryptocurrency. Further financial analysis revealed that DeLuney had spent more than she earned in the year before her mother's death. She received significant cash deposits and bank transfers from her mother during this period when she lacked sufficient funds to cover her expenses. Evidence presented in court also showed DeLuney used funds for personal expenses such as credit card debt, travel, beauty services, and Afterpay purchases.
The defense argues that the police had "tunnel vision" in focusing on DeLuney as the suspect and suggest that someone else may have killed Gregory while DeLuney was away seeking help after her mother's alleged fall. The trial is ongoing, and the court is hearing testimony from financial experts, friends of the deceased, and other witnesses to determine the truth behind Gregory's death.