Thirty years have passed since the tragic events that claimed the lives of five members of the Bain family in Dunedin, New Zealand, yet the case continues to captivate and disturb. On June 20, 1994, the quiet South Island city was thrust into the national spotlight when news broke of the Bain Family Murders at their Every Street home. The brutal deaths of Robin and Margaret Bain, along with their children Arawa, Laniet, and Stephen, sent shockwaves across the nation and ignited a legal saga that would last for decades.
The initial aftermath pointed towards a murder-suicide, with police initially suspecting the father, Robin Bain. The grim scene suggested a father overwhelmed, who had taken the lives of his family before ending his own. A note discovered at the scene, “Sorry, you are the only one who deserved to stay,” seemed to solidify this theory. However, as forensic investigation progressed, suspicion began to shift towards the sole survivor, the eldest son, David Bain.
David, then 22, had been the one to discover the horrific scene and make the frantic 111 call, reporting “They’re all dead.” This statement itself would later become a point of contention, as inconsistencies arose between his initial call and later police statements regarding what he claimed to have witnessed. Bloody fingerprints belonging to David were found on the .22 Winchester rifle, the weapon used in the bain family murders. A partial palm print, also in blood, was discovered on the washing machine. These pieces of evidence contradicted David’s account of throwing his clothes into the wash before discovering the bodies, casting a shadow of doubt over his innocence.
Further complicating the picture was the discovery of a bloodied pair of gloves under Stephen’s bed and a lens from David’s glasses in Stephen’s room. The broken glasses suggested a struggle, aligning with the theory that Stephen, found strangled with his own t-shirt before being shot, had fought his attacker. The police theorized that the broken glasses were a result of this struggle with David.
These accumulating pieces of evidence led to David Bain’s arrest and charge for the five bain family murders. Despite his plea of not guilty, the first trial resulted in a conviction, and David Bain was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the case was far from closed. A long and arduous legal battle ensued, spearheaded by supporters who maintained David’s innocence and questioned the integrity of the evidence and initial police conclusions.
Years of appeals and tireless campaigning eventually led to a landmark decision by the Privy Council in London, which quashed David Bain’s convictions and ordered a retrial. This retrial, held in 2009, became a national spectacle, dividing public opinion and intensifying the scrutiny on every piece of evidence. In a dramatic turn of events, the second jury acquitted David Bain on all five charges, declaring him not guilty. The acquittal marked the end of David Bain’s legal ordeal, but the shadow of the bain family murders continued to linger.
Despite being cleared in court, the question of compensation for wrongful imprisonment became another protracted legal fight. Initially denied compensation, the government eventually agreed to an ex-gratia payment of $920,000 to David Bain, aiming to finally close the chapter on this deeply divisive case.
In the years since his acquittal, David Bain has deliberately sought to live a life away from the public eye. He adopted a new identity, Liam Davies, and married Elizabeth Davies, a school teacher and daughter of one of his staunch supporters during the retrial. Rumors of a move to Australia circulated, but it emerged that David and his family have quietly built a life in a rural area near Cambridge, New Zealand. They have two children, including a daughter named Arawa, in a poignant tribute to his murdered sister.
Recently, as the 30th anniversary of the bain family murders approached, a reporter visited David Bain, now Liam Davies, at his home. He confirmed his new name but politely declined to comment on the anniversary, stating he was unwell and wearing a surgical mask. This brief encounter offered a rare glimpse into the life he has painstakingly rebuilt away from the haunting legacy of the past.
While David Bain has moved forward, the memory of the bain family murders remains vivid for others connected to the tragedy. Michael Bain, Robin Bain’s brother, spoke of the enduring pain and loss, highlighting the stolen futures of Arawa, Laniet, and Stephen. The 30th anniversary serves as a somber reminder of the devastating impact of the bain family murders, a case that continues to be debated and analyzed, forever etched in New Zealand’s criminal history. The unanswered questions and conflicting narratives surrounding the bain family murders ensure that this case will remain a chilling and unforgettable chapter in the nation’s collective memory.
