New Zealand Woman Accused of Killing Mother Over Crypto Losses

Julia DeLuney, a 53-year-old woman from New Zealand, is accused of murdering her 79-year-old mother, Helen Gregory, after allegedly stealing her money to invest in cryptocurrency. Gregory, who distrusted banks, kept her savings in plastic packets hidden around her home. According to court testimonies, DeLuney and her husband stayed at Gregory's house while she was hospitalized after a fall in September 2023. Upon her return, Gregory's friends noticed that the house was in disarray and that a significant amount of money was missing.

Cheryl Thomson, a friend of Gregory, reported that approximately NZD $51,000 was stolen. Thomson stated that Gregory had confided in her that DeLuney was the only person who knew about the hidden money. DeLuney, who is currently on electronically monitored bail, allegedly admitted to investing the stolen money in cryptocurrency, amounting to approximately NZD $45,000.

Gregory was found dead at her home in January 2024, two days after receiving an email from DeLuney claiming that her crypto investment had yielded significant profits, equivalent to over NZD $160,000. DeLuney reportedly requested over NZD $18,000 for withdrawal fees and tax liabilities to access the profits, asking her mother to cover half of the expenses. Experts consulted by the court suggested that these fees were not legitimate and were a common tactic used in scams.

Elizabeth Askin, another friend of Gregory, mentioned that DeLuney had promised to share the investment returns with her mother by November 2024, later changing the date to April 2024. Financial analyst Eric Huang's analysis of DeLuney's financial records revealed that she had spent more than she earned in the year leading up to her mother's death. Between January 1, 2023, and January 25, 2024, DeLuney spent NZD $93,000 on crypto investments, receiving over NZD $55,000 from friends and family, primarily from her parents. By January 2024, DeLuney's investments were nearly NZD $41,000 in the red.

Prosecutors allege that DeLuney killed her mother in her own home, drove back to her residence, and returned later with her husband. DeLuney claimed that she had left her mother with minor injuries after a fall from the attic, but the reconstruction of events suggests that DeLuney attacked her mother and staged the scene to look like an accident. Inconsistencies in DeLuney's story led police to investigate the death as manslaughter rather than an accident.

Under cross-examination by defense lawyer Quentin Duff, Detective Sergeant Giulia Boffa highlighted inconsistencies in DeLuney's account, noting that important information was missing from her statements. DeLuney reportedly changed clothes multiple times that evening, and a sweep of Gregory's home found blood on the walls and floor, as well as clumps of hair in the hallway and bedroom—details not consistent with a fall from the attic.