Bio

Gary Edward Ladbrook was born in 1956 in New Zealand. Before the murder, Ladbrook lived in New Plymouth, in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand. Ladbrook became known in New Zealand criminal history because his case was linked to the early use of DNA evidence. Reports described him as the first person in New Zealand tracked down through DNA evidence after the rape and murder of Nora Sole.

Murder Story

On February 7, 1992, 83-year-old Nora Sole was attacked inside her home in New Plymouth, New Zealand. She lived alone and was described in reports as a grandmother and widow. During the attack, she was raped and suffocated. Her death shocked the local community because of her age, the violence of the crime, and the fact that it happened inside her own home.

The investigation later focused on Gary Edward Ladbrook. His case became significant because police used DNA evidence to track him down, making him the first person in New Zealand identified in that way in a criminal case.

Ladbrook was convicted of the rape and murder of Nora Sole and was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 1993. The case remained painful for Sole’s family for many years, especially during parole proceedings. In 2003, her family opposed his parole, saying he had not accepted responsibility and had not shown enough rehabilitation.

Reports later stated that Ladbrook was released on parole after serving nearly 20 years in prison. In 2012, the New Zealand Herald reported that he was to be released despite being assessed as a high risk of reoffending.