Melanie Reid Investigates

11/02/2024

New episode of Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me is up today! In this special bonus episode, we bring you my keynote speech to the annual NZ Law Society Conference in Invercargill, a candid behind-the-scenes insight into what it was really like to be at the coalface of this extraordinary case. Find it on Apple, Spotify or your favourite podcast platform by searching Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me.

24/01/2024

Five years ago we exposed the desecration of a pristine Fijian coral reef by Chinese developers Freesoul. Our crew of three ended up being arrested and detained by the Fiji police for criminal trespass. The destruction was halted, but the reef, beach and land have sat in ruins ever since. Now Freesoul want to restart their attempts to create a resort on the island, a project described as an environmental disaster. We went back to Fiji to find out what's happening. Visit Newsroom.co.nz to watch the video. https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/24/reef-wreckers-want-another-go-in-fiji/

31/12/2023

2023 has been a big year for us - we launched our chart-topping podcast The Boy in the Water, won some cool awards, covered Cyclone Gabrielle on the ground in Piha and Napier, kept the pressure on the powers that be, and got to tell the stories of some of the most incredible New Zealanders. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Paul Enticott, Judith Curran, Age Pryor, the Newsroom team, NZ on Air and everyone who has supported us - especially those who shared their stories. We’re looking forward to bringing you more great podcasts and investigations in 2024 and wish everyone a Happy New Year.

28/12/2023

Podcast update: 12 months on from the launch of our ground-breaking podcast, Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, we speak with Peter's sister, Tania, about what has happened since the Supreme Court quashed her brother’s convictions. A year on, has his family received an apology from the government for the miscarriage of justice? And what about Peter’s four women co-workers whose lives were turned upside down for decades when they were also charged with child abuse and then discharged in the early 1990s? Up now on Apple and Spotify, and you can also watch the video version and read about it here: https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/12/29/a-year-on-and-peter-ellis-family-still-waits/

24/12/2023

Me and my number one, Bonnie. Thanks so much to our listeners for all your support this year - we have a lot in store for you in 2024! If you're looking for something to listen to over the break and you haven't heard our podcasts yet, you can find The Boy in the Water and Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me on Apple and Spotify. Our video series version of Peter Ellis has also just been selected as a Hot Pick by international film magazine Realscreen in the US, so get listening! Happy holidays from our team.

02/12/2023

Two silvers for our first podcast, Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me, at this year's NZ Podcast Awards!

https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/12/02/peter-ellis-series-scoops-two-more-awards/

29/11/2023

The Boy in the Water is one of only 10 podcasts hand-picked by Apple as their Shows We Love for this year – and the only NZ show! “It takes a lot of intense work to create an investigative podcast and it’s very gratifying to have this recognition,” says Melanie Reid.

And don’t forget to vote for your favourite podcast in the NZ Podcast Awards - voting closes on Friday: Link in our profile

28/11/2023

We’re so excited to be featured by as a Show We Love pick for 2023!

Listen to the first season now.

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-boy-in-the-water/id1691056155

30/10/2023

Voting for the NZ Podcast Awards 2023 Listener's Choice Nomination is open! You can vote for The Boy in the Water or Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me on the link below

https://www.nzpodcastawards.com/nominate

08/09/2023

Update: Great news for our listeners and for Lachie’s family - listen to our update, the coroner has called an inquest. Plus a bonus interview with Melanie Reid on RNZ/Newsroom.co.nz radio show The Detail. https://tinyurl.com/28dfnvxj

The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link to our bio. https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

30/08/2023

BREAKING NEWS

The formal court hearing is set down for three weeks in Invercargill – with the coroner himself intending to trace Lachie Jones' supposed steps to the oxidation pond where it was ruled he drowned. This comes following an extensive years-long Newsroom investigation into the case.

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/coroner-orders-inquest-into-controversial-gore-death

24/08/2023

For more than three years we have been requesting answers to numerous criticisms raised over police practice in this case, in particular quite a few we put to them while making this podcast.

Those questions were met with either redirection or silence by police – until now.

View MelanieReidInvestigates’s Linktree. Listen to their music on Spotify here.

19/08/2023

The podcast everyone is talking about. Listen to The Boy in the Water on your favourite podcast app now.

Available on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link below:
https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

14/08/2023

Listen to the number one Apple podcast in NZ!

There has also been a huge amount of interest in our video version of our final episode of the season. For those who haven’t seen it, we have created an abridged video story of episode nine, The American Detective, where you can see the key locations and all the main players, including Paul Jones and the American former forensic detective herself, Karen Smith. Watch the video now on www.newsroom.co.nz/us-detective-calls-nz-police-investigation-pathetic

14/08/2023

If you were hooked on The Boy in the Water, you will love our award-winning 8-part podcast Peter Ellis, the Creche Case & Me. Described as one of the greatest true crime stories about a crime that never happened, it delves into the Satanic Panic that arrived in early 1990s Christchurch, NZ, that would spur a 30-year quest for justice.

Listen now on your favourite podcast app or via the link below:

https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

08/08/2023

In the gripping final episode, we interview former American CSI detective, Karen Smith.

Smith has more than 500 homicide investigations under belt and now lectures in forensics. Her deep analysis into the case has left her gasping at the inadequacies of the New Zealand police investigation.

The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link: https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

08/08/2023

A former CSI detective from America is scathing of the NZ police investigation into the death of a Gore toddler…and now she’s on the case.

01/08/2023

Paul, Karen, Kevin and Verna all visited Lachie’s grave to celebrate his 8th birthday.

They had cake, brought flowers and remembered the bright, sweet-natured little boy they lost on 29 January, 2019.

They’re still searching for answers about what really happened that day.

The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link here: https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

25/07/2023

Lachie was meant to have reached the two Gore sewage oxidation ponds by climbing over fencing at the entrance to the vast area.

In the latest episode, we take you inside the small town courtroom and hear the disappointment, the heartache - and Paul Jones telling it like it is.

Listen to the podcast everyone is talking about. The Boy in the Water is available on your favourite podcast app now. https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

New episode out every Wednesday.

21/07/2023

The podcast everyone is talking about. Listen to The Boy in the Water on your favourite podcast app now. New episode out every Wednesday.

Available on Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link below:

https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

18/07/2023

What really happened to little Lachie Jones? Listen to the podcast that’s topping the charts in Australia and NZ, The Boy in the Water.

Episode 6 out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link below:

https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

New episode out every Wednesday.

11/07/2023

Mysterious and tragic circumstances surround the night Lachie’s body was found in the latest episode of The Boy in the Water. The distance he was meant to have walked the night he died was roughly 1.2km, over a rough wooden fence and long, prickly, thistle-covered grass to near the end of the second pond.

Episode 5 out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link below:

https://linktr.ee/MelanieReidInvestigates

New episode out every Wednesday.

07/07/2023

This is where Lachie Jones was laid to rest - his death is the centre of our latest investigation.

His headstone is adorned with flowers, a toy dump truck and a floral windmill.

His loved ones, like father Paul Jones - who are still fighting for the truth about his death, often visit him.

In this week’s episode Melanie Reid speaks to Paul Jones’ friend Kevin McCartney about Lachie.

Episode 4 out now - and new episode out every Wednesday.

Hit the link in our bio to listen. Or head to newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, or where ever you get your podcasts.

04/07/2023

This is Kevin McCartney, his “lady friend” Verna and Melanie Reid.

Lachie’s father Paul would often stay at Kevin’s house when the going got rough.

Kevin tells Melanie about Lachie, and Paul’s concerns about his little boy in the latest episode of The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Episode 4 out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link in our bio podcasts.

New episode out every Wednesday.

04/07/2023

OUT TOMORROW: The long-awaited episode 4 of The Boy in the Water.

This episode takes a surprising turn when Melanie Reid speaks to one of Paul Jones’ close friends about Lachie, and what was going on in the months leading up to his death.

There’s volatile dynamics, police call-outs and the rocky relationship between his parents.

Episodes 1-3 already out on newsroom.co.nz, Spotify. Apple, or whenever you get your podcasts.

New episode out every Wednesday.

03/07/2023

Paul Jones’ good friend Karen McGuire has stood by him every step of the way after Lachie’s death.

Karen also believes the details don’t stack up and says it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out.

The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Episodes 1-3 out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link in our bio podcasts

02/07/2023

In January 2019 Lachie Jones’ body was found face up in the oxidation ponds on the outskirts of Gore.

Police concluded it an accidental drowning - but their investigation was substandard.

Melanie Reid engaged private investigator Glynn Rigby. He analysed the police report and revealed numerous gaps in the case.

There was no timeline, no scene examination, delayed witness interviews, conflicting witness statements, lack of cellphone data and no marks on the boy’s feet are just some of the disturbing revelations

The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Episodes 1-3 out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link in our bio podcasts

01/07/2023

After concerns were raised about the circumstances surrounding Lachie Jones’ death, investigative journalist Melanie Reid sought the opinion of an independent expert pathologist in the UK.

His findings raise serious concerns about the boy’s post mortem, saying there wasn’t enough pathological evidence to say he died from drowning.

The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Episodes 1-3 out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link in our bio podcasts.

30/06/2023

Paul Jones and his friend Karen McGuire say it’s only a matter of time before the truth about Lachie’s death comes out.

They don’t believe he walked out to the ponds on his own.

He was found face up in the water, his body was stone cold, and he had no marks on his feet.

The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Episodes 1-3 out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link in our bio podcasts.

30/06/2023

These are the oxidation ponds Lachie Jones’ stone cold body was found in.

Police ruled the preschooler’s death an accident, concluding the 3-year-old walked barefoot with a full nappy for more than a kilometre.

Officially, they say he climbed a fence and made his way over long prickly grass before falling into the pond and drowning.

But now that official story is starting to unravel.

The Boy in the Water - a new podcast from Melanie Reid Investigates.

Episodes 1-3 out now on Newsroom.co.nz, Apple, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts, or hit the link in our bio podcasts.