Jorgensen has fled country, say police

Press, 23 March 1985, Page 8

Jorgensen has fled country, say police

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

The police believe that Ronald Jorgensen, who was last seen at Kaikoura at 3 p.m. on December 18 last year, has fled the country and inquiries into his

disappearance still continue. Jorgensen was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 for his part in the Bassett Road machine-gun murders. During the 1970 s the question of whether he should be paroled became a matter of public controversy. He was eventually allowed to settle in Kaikoura as part of parole provisions imposed on his release from jail.

His car was recovered on December 19 at the base of a 15m cliff, Bkm south of Kaikoura. Jorgensen has not been seen since 3 p.m. the previous day. The police report on the Jorgensen case has now been supplied by the Minister of Police, Mrs Hercus, to the Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, who has published it.

The report said Jorgensen was on parole under “terms not unduly restrictive” and was required to seek approval to leave Kaikoura. It was thought approval had been granted on each occasion on which it was sought. Jorgensen had last been seen at 3 p.m. on December 18 when he had driven into the driveway of the home of Mrs Naomi Genest at South Bay, Kaikoura, she being absent in Australia. At 10.45 p.m. he had telephoned his

former wife in Christchurch from Mrs Genest’s home.

At 1 a.m. the next day, two occupants of a passing truck had seen Jorgensen’s car stationary, with the front wheels over the cliff, at the “accident” site on the main highway, the police report said. At 9 a.m. that day, his car had been recovered at the base of the cliff, corresponding with where it had been seen earlier on the highway. “The police believe that no persons were in the car when it went over the cliff and that the circumstances were fabricated to give the appearance of a motor accident,” the police report said.

“Jorgensen has left substantial assets, but this factor is open to equivocal interpretation. Most of the assets would not have been readily realised and, had this been attempted, would have negated any actions to fabricate the motor accident. ‘“lt is known that he continually voiced a resentment at the terms of parole, and two associates have said that Jorgensen told them he intended to leave the country to escape parole restrictions,” the report said.

“Because of the unusual

circumstances, inquiries relating to the disappearance still continue.” The report was sought by Mr Palmer because there had been intense news media speculation about the circumstances of Jorgensen’s disappearance. As the case was not closed, he said, publishing any more than this could be prejudicial to further inquiries. The police report said that, to date, no evidence had emerged implicating John Frederick Gillies — another accomplice to the Bassett Road murders — with the disappearance. Mr Palmer said there had been suggestions of a possible link between Jorgensen’s disappearance and the question of parole for Gillies. Because of this speculation, Mr Palmer had asked for a copy of the report on the police investigation so that he could satisfy himself as to the facts before he considered the recommendations of the Parole Board on Gillies.

He was now in a position to consider those recommendations, but had set no time frame for a decision. He also declined to publish the recommendations on Gillies.