Summary
Name:
Gary Lawrence McKinleyYears Active:
1986Status:
ImprisonedClass:
MurdererVictims:
1Method:
Bludgeoning / StrangulationNationality:
New ZealandSummary: Murderer
Name:
Gary Lawrence McKinleyStatus:
ImprisonedVictims:
1Method:
Bludgeoning / StrangulationNationality:
New ZealandYears Active:
1986Gary Lawrence McKinley was born in 1960 in New Zealand. Prior to the 1986 offense, he lived in the Taranaki region and worked as a machine operator. At the time of the crime, he was unemployed. By November 1986, McKinley was residing in or near New Plymouth. His presence in the area placed him in proximity to local parks, including Brooklands Park and Pukekura Park, where the crime later occurred.
On November 21, 1986, Gary Lawrence McKinley attacked 23-year-old Wendy Snowdon while she was jogging through parkland in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Snowdon had entered the park alone during the morning. Evidence indicated that McKinley was concealed near a pathway where several tracks intersected. He attacked her from behind, striking her with a rock, which caused severe head injuries.
He then moved her to a more secluded location within the park, where he committed a sexual assault. Following this, he attempted to strangle her and left her at the scene. Approximately 20 minutes later, a passerby discovered Snowdon and alerted authorities. She was transported to Taranaki Base Hospital in critical condition and placed in intensive care. She remained unconscious and died from her injuries 16 days later.
Police conducted a large-scale investigation, interviewing more than 100 individuals who had been in the area at the time of the attack. McKinley, a 26-year-old local resident, was identified as a suspect and arrested approximately nine days after the incident. During questioning, McKinley claimed that his actions were influenced by an alternate personality. Psychiatric evaluation did not support this claim.
In June 1987, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He also received an additional sentence for the sexual assault. While serving his sentence, McKinley was later involved in a separate violent incident in prison, in which he assaulted a fellow inmate. This event was addressed in court and formed part of his continued criminal record while incarcerated. He remains imprisoned in New Zealand.
