To a Memorial Website dedicated to

Tanya Jeanine Burr

Born at Palmerston North, New Zealand, 12 May 1981 - Murdered at Rotorua, New Zealand, 15 September 2002

** The Seventh Anniversary of Tanya's death was 15 September 2009 **

(Domain name: www.tanyaburr2002.net )

Rome, 1 September 2002

 

The primary purpose for creating this website was to enable Tanya's photos and others taken of her, to be shared with her friends and family around the world. This saved the hassle of lengthy email up/downloads. Tanya was stabbed to death by a 16-year-old stranger during a 'home invasion' of her small flat at 12/15 Hilda Street, Rotorua, New Zealand. He wanted the keys to her (fully insured) 1993 Honda Integra 1600cc car and killing her was the means he casually and indifferently chose to obtain them.

After seeing her car parked near her front door (a ranch slider), he took a forty-minute-plus walk in the dark to and from a flat he'd just been kicked out of, to get a carving knife. He told his former flatmates (who allegedly didn't know he took the knife with him) that he intended 'to steal a car' and other things. They did nothing but hope he would go away. He had then knocked on Tanya's door and asked if she knew the whereabouts of some of his relatives who lived in another flat in her block. She did not know them and therefore had no idea where they were. They were in Auckland for the weekend. He then waited near the flats for about fifteen minutes before returning to Tanya's flat. This time (about 9 pm) he asked her for a pen and paper to leave a note for his absent friends. 

Although annoyed that he had come back to her flat ("Oh no! Not you again! What do you want this time?" the two young male neighbours in the flat next door to hers told me they heard her say to someone), she obligingly got him the pen and paper.  When she returned to the door and reopened it, he immediately pulled the carving knife from up his sleeve and attacked her, stabbing her in the back as she turned to run from her doorway. He then followed her into the room and made absolutely sure she died. She was stabbed some fifteen times, including an array of defensive wounds gained in her last seconds of life as she lay stricken on the floor. She had been stabbed in the heart - but still attempted to fight him off. "What are you doing to me?" he claims, were the last words she ever spoke! The pen and paper were found about two metres from the door - on either side of her legs where she had dropped them as she collapsed.

Until that moment, she had been minding her own business watching TV with at least one of her cats (her beloved Puffball) and was barely 23 hours back to her home from a trip to Europe. She was only three days back into New Zealand. Her precious car was then stolen, along with a few other small items taken from the house and car. Starting with the broken down car near Lake Taupo, these were all subsequently recovered at various points between Rotorua and Wellington, where her killer was arrested two days later. After finally pleading guilty to a murder charge on 26 May 2003, the first day set for his trial, he was, on 22 August 2003, sentenced to life imprisonment. He is not eligible for parole for at least fourteen years - a term discounted from seventeen years (the home invasion sentence) as he had spoken openly to the police about everything he had done. However, the police said he had no remorse for Tanya's death. He certainly developed remorse a few months later - for himself. 

The month Tanya had spent in Europe had included attending her uncle's wedding in Norway followed by several days in London and a 16-day Contiki European Encounter bus trip through The Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. This website also looks at some of the other things that Tanya did during her life and at some of the memories her short life brought to others.

guestbook finally (1 April 2008)

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Tanya's life: The memories & reflections

Tanya's last month & beyond

Life since Tanya's Death

Miscellaneous

© 2009 Val Burr