Found Deceased NEW ZEALAND - Grace Millane, 22, British backpacker, Auckland, 1 Dec 2018 *Arrest* #2

[Tortoise]

1:10pm - The car is then driven to a carpark, where Det Bicknell says it remained overnight.

Footage shown to the jury of the following morning, December 3, shows the accused walking to the carpark and then the hired car leaving.

At 6:50am, the red hired car is driven into the carpark at an ITM store in Kumeu. Inside the accused can be seen purchasing a red shovel before leaving at 6:57am.


He then returns to the car.

The next footage the jury sees is at 9:30am when the accused returns to the CityLife hotel barefoot.

The court is now taking a lunch break until 2:15pm.

1pm - The public gallery is full, with people standing around the door and sitting on the floor.

Grace Millane murder trial: Live updates as police interview, CCTV footage shown to jury

 

[legal.beagle]

The CCTV footage moves now to the accused's movements on December 3.

6.14am - He leaves the CityLife hotel in a black, hooded jacket and heads for the Wilson car park where the red rented vehicle has been parked overnight.

6.50am - He makes a stop at the Western ITM hardware store in Kumeu, where he buys a red shovel and four bolts. He paid for the items with cash.

6.57am - He leaves the store and heads back to the rental car, puts the shovel on the back seat and drives away.

9.30am - The rental car is seen returning to the Durham St car park. The accused parks the car and returns to the lobby at CityLife hotel. Images show the accused is now barefoot and his pants are rolled to above the ankle.

 

[Mariposa]

He’s cracking... I’m guessing he couldn’t fit grace in that suitcase so he had to go buy a bigger one the next day. How disturbing? I wondered why that grey suitcase was just randomly out in his bedroom and why he hadn’t used that one. Makes sense now

Wasn’t there testimony last week that there was blood or DNA in that suitcase found in his room?

 

[PrimeSuspect]

6.50am - He makes a stop at the Western ITM hardware store in Kumeu, where he buys a red shovel and four bolts. He paid for the items with cash.
Grace Millane murder trial: Accused asks 'am I being arrested for something I didn't do?'

I wonder what the bolts were for.

I'm wracking my brain what the bolts could be for? I don't think he'd use them for the disposal of the suitcase unless he intended to bolt the suitcase to something in the water to keep it from resurfacing but decided to bury the suitcase in the soil.

My next thought, it's to do with the bed in the hotel room? Did he dismantle the bed and lose a bolt? Will keep thinking about it until it's brought up in the trial if it ends up being relevant.

 

[Tortoise]

Wasn’t there testimony last week that there was blood or DNA in that suitcase found in his room?

Yes. I think I remember the reports said it was a suitcase in his wardrobe, so I'm not at all sure how many suitcases were involved in this, now that we hear he left with two on the trolley.

There is a suitcase standing upright next to the desk in the photos of his room, and he mentioned to the detective that they would find that suitcase in his room.

 

[legal.beagle]

I'm wracking my brain what the bolts could be for? I don't think he'd use them for the disposal of the suitcase unless he intended to bolt the suitcase to something in the water to keep it from resurfacing but decided to bury the suitcase in the soil.

My next thought, it's to do with the bed in the hotel room? Did he dismantle the bed and lose a bolt? Will keep thinking about it until it's brought up in the trial if it ends up being relevant.

I also wonder if he was planning on weighing down the suitcase with something (hence the bolts) and dropping it in the water, as where he stopped his car on Scenic Drive if you keep walking out it leads to the Waitakere Reservoir; perhaps he didn't realise how far the walk would actually be or how dense the waitaks really are - link to map below to show what I'm referring to.

Google Maps

 

[PrimeSuspect]

I also wonder if he was planning on weighing down the suitcase with something (hence the bolts) and dropping it in the water, as where he stopped his car on Scenic Drive if you keep walking out it leads to the Waitakere Resoviour; perhaps he didn't realise how far the walk would actually be or how dense the waitaks really are - link to map below to show what I'm referring to.

Google Maps

Thanks for the map, it is close to the water (dam), this probably was his intention.

 

[Tortoise]

But if he was planning on a water disposal he wouldn't need the shovel.

 

[legal.beagle]

But if he was planning on a water disposal he wouldn't need the shovel.

Very true also

 

[legal.beagle]

But if he was planning on a water disposal he wouldn't need the shovel.

Unless he was planning on burying some items then dropping the body and shovel in the dam weighted down with bolts, hence the multiple suitcases to dispose of evidence separately? Who knows, that wouldn't really make a huge amount of sense though would it.

 

[legal.beagle]

Another CCTV image of the accused purchasing said cleaning products

 

[legal.beagle]

And CCTV footage of the accused with suitcases. Grace Millane murder trial: Live updates as police interview, CCTV footage shown to jury

 

[Mariposa]

Unless he was planning on burying some items then dropping the body and shovel in the dam weighted down with bolts, hence the multiple suitcases to dispose of evidence separately? Who knows, that wouldn't really make a huge amount of sense though would it.

He must have disposed of all her personal effects and possessions somewhere along the line. Maybe also items from his hotel room like towels, bedding, his clothing....maybe he didn’t want those dumped near the body because his ideal was that the body would not be found for a long time, if ever, and if it was found he wanted it to be tough to identify thus, dumping other effects separately.

He rocked back up to CityLife that day barefoot with his pants rolled up? This guy I swear....

 

[Kikixxxx]

I’ve just realised... He’s wearing the exact same outfit he wore on his date with grace with this new girl he goes out with the day after he killed her. Vile

 

[legal.beagle]

I’ve just realised... He’s wearing the exact same outfit he wore on his date with grace with this new girl he goes out with the day after he killed her. Vile

Yep...I thought the same thing

 

[Mariposa]

I’ve just realised... He’s wearing the exact same outfit he wore on his date with grace with this new girl he goes out with the day after he killed her. Vile

And it is not even a good outfit

I was thinking one of the things he probably disposed of was his clothes from that night but I guess not.

The mention that in the cab on the way to the car rental place the morning after he is seen smiling and using his phone— wait for his defense team to claim he was in a blind panic oh so drunk or scared. What a joke you can practically hear him whistling while he works.

 

[legal.beagle]

The CCTV timeline resumes after the lunch break:

9.52am on December 3: The accused is seen entering the lift of the CityLife hotel with two bags, and walks in the direction of the car park where the rental car is parked.

9.54am - He takes one bag to Mint Drycleaners.

10.01am - He heads back to the car park and drives the rental car to the Warehouse at St Lukes mall. There he buys another grey suitcase. He pays $80 cash for it. He then heads to Washworld, a DIY car wash, which is only a few minutes away from St Lukes, where is seen washing the rental car.

He gets something out of the boot and washes it. Detective Adam Bicknell tells the jury it is a shoe.

 

[legal.beagle]

The CCTV continues:

10.39am - The accused walks into the next bay of the Washworld car was with the red shovel and leaves it leaning against the wall.

11.20am - He arrives back at CityLife hotel.

11.44am - The accused takes the rental car to a Mobile gas station on Karangahape Rd to fill the car with petrol.

3.18pm - After collecting his items from Mint Drycleaners, he heads back to the CityLife hotel where he lives once again.

 

[Kikixxxx]

How many suitcases does he need? This is his 3rd one? Wtf

 

[CoverMeCagney]

If anyone’s noting a summary timeline of all this footage please post it here. I’d do it but it’s way past my bed time!