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This is a summary of the information provided: Christy Marceau was a young woman whose life was tragically cut short. She had a close relationship with her family and was described as kind, compassionate, and active in her community. She had a troubled acquaintance named Akshay Chand, who became obsessed with her. Despite wanting to distance herself from him, Christy felt compelled to help him when he reached out for assistance. This led to a series of events that ultimately resulted in Christy being attacked by Akshay. Welcome to Serials and Schemes. I'm Sam. And I'm Sandy. This is a True Crime and Conspiracy podcast. Our podcast is intended for mature audiences. Listener discretion is advised. Hello everyone and welcome back to Serials and Schemes. If you're new here, hi, I'm Sandy. And I'm Sam. Today we're discussing the heartbreaking and tragic death of Christy Marceau, a young, beautiful woman whose life was taken far too soon. Christy Alexis Leslie Marceau was born on April 16th of 1993 at 1242 at National Women's Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. Christy was born to parents Tracy and Brian Marceau. Christy was their second daughter, a daughter they never thought they would get to have. According to the book Christy, written by Tracy, Christy's mum, Tracy and Brian were told that they would consider the fact that they would never have another child. And while they felt grateful to have one healthy little girl, they still longed for another child. So they didn't give up. This determination would soon pay off when they found out that they were having another baby. In her book, Tracy says, quote, needless to say, we were so intent on having another child that we endured endless tests and procedures. I clearly recall the day we found out that we were going to have Christy. The emotion was more powerful than winning a lotto. It was indescribable joy and happiness. Our biggest wish had been granted. The next hardest part was containing our joy and not sharing our news until we felt it was safe. We just didn't want to jinx our little miracle. End quote. Tracy described Christy as a princess from day one. Even when Christy was only little, she was definitely the type of kid people were drawn to when she would walk into a room. I don't mean she tried to garner attention from people, but Tracy said that Christy just had a natural charm that drew people in. In her book, Tracy described her beautiful daughter as a true Aries. She was fun and a delight to be around, but also could be very stubborn. But it never took long to talk her around, and you really couldn't stay mad at her. So like Sandy mentioned earlier, Christy had an older sister, and her name is Heather. There's a six-year age difference between them, and Tracy said this made for some interesting times in the Marceau home. However, even with their differences, with Heather being the strong and quiet type and Christy being a bubbly extrovert, they were besties and would do anything for one another. The girls had striking resemblances, both sharing the same big blue eyes and the same sparkling smile and gorgeous blonde hair. They may have looked similar, yet they were both so different. This was said to be why their relationship worked so well. Tracy was proud and loved her girls' relationship. Christy had a fun and family-oriented upbringing. She fought and bonded with her sister, enjoyed playing outside and on the trampoline. Tracy sharing a time where Christy was a human missile, on the trampoline landing in a pile of grass. Christy's parents made it a priority for them to spend time doing activities that involved the whole family. They always made sure at least one parent was there if there were any scheduling conflicts. Christy eventually went to high school at ACG Pardell College. She quickly made friends and became well-known and popular. ACG Pardell was a big school which allowed her to meet many students from different walks of life. This environment was said to nurture her caring attitude. Christy was said to show kindness at school and would even help more quiet and shy kids make friends. Christy loved being active and loved sports. She was a keen hockey player and while she didn't have a natural sporting ability and wasn't the most talented player, it didn't stop her from doing it at all. She played for North Shore United senior women's team for four years and it was noted that she got along with everyone and was always in a good mood and many thought that she was the ideal person to have on a team. Christy was also passionate about giving back to those less fortunate. In her last year of high school she helped organise a 40 hour salmon event and even managed to get a TV crew from TVNZ to come to their school and film the event. For those of you who don't know what 40 hour salmon is, it's a way to fundraise for an organisation called World Vision where many young Kiwis participate by taking part in the 40 hour challenge where you go without something for that time. You could forego speaking, using your phone, avoid single use plastics and so on and people would sponsor them to stick to their pledge. Anyway, Christy was passionate about many causes and one of them was animal welfare. She often volunteered for SAFE, also known as Save Animals From Exploitation. She would collect donations for them annually. Her mum Tracey fondly recalls in the year Christy had to dress up for collections for SAFE. Christy loved dressing up so this wasn't an issue. However, she didn't envisage that she would be wearing a tight white, like for a sheep costume. Not exactly the sort of outfit a 17 year old wants to be seen in on a bus, busy, tanker full of accessories and all that. But true to her nature, she wore it without a second thought. She was so excited when she came home and announced that she had collected the most money that day. So safe to say, Christy was shaping up to be an amazing and confident young woman. She was close with both her parents and her sister, making the effort to spend time with them. She was compassionate and cared about making a difference. Christy decided to further on her studies after high school and enrolled at Auckland University of Technology, also referred to as AUT, to study event management, which Tracey felt was an absolute perfect fit for her. She was good at organising, very social and had great communication skills with people and loved carrying fibres. Christy had also taken a part-time role at a supermarket in her first year of uni for extra money. Before we get into the event that led to the tragic loss of Christy, I really wanted to include this quote from Tracey. Quote, Christy was a beautiful baby who grew into a happy toddler, a mischievous and intelligent child, and a striking teenager with a huge heart and a smile that you couldn't help but be warmed by. Christy loved life. She loved her family, she loved her friends and she was looking forward to a bright future. She packed a lot into her 18 years of life and arrived as she intended to go on, with a burst of excitement and love. It breaks my heart each and every moment of each and every day that my beautiful princess had that life, so full of joy and promise taken from her. End quote. So as you can tell, Christy's life would soon change after receiving a phone call from a boy she had known since primary school, a boy named Akshay Chand. Akshay Anand Chand was born on December 11th of 1992 in Fiji. According to an NZ Herald article, when he was four years old, his father had moved their family to the UK. When Akshay was nine years old, his mum and sister then emigrated to Auckland, New Zealand, settling in the North Shore. His dad was meant to join them within a year, but soon after emigrating, his parents separated, which resulted in very little contact with his father, who was a university lecturer and decided to move back to Fiji to teach. His first language was Hindi, but Akshay would be well spoken with English when he got a bit older. He never really had a lot of friends, came from a broken family and troubled home life. Akshay and Christy knew each other in primary school, both of them having gone to Willow Park School. They met, but were never really friends. Chand would go on to attend Northcote College, where he was said to be a bright, articulate and intelligent student. But in Year 11, his grades declined quickly. He just managed to pass Year 12 before failing Year 13. While his grades declined, so did his social life, and he grew quiet and introverted. Christy and Akshay didn't have any contact with each other at all since primary school. They didn't share mutual friends and their worlds were very different. However, this would change when Akshay took up a job at a local supermarket. In a thick twist of fate, the same supermarket that Christy was working at. According to Tracy's book, at first Christy noticed Akshay's work, recognising him from her days at Willow Park School. But working with her meant that she was forced to be around him and he would often try to cross paths with her. He began to see Christy as a confidant. Akshay told her he suffered from depression and personal issues. Christy was kind and she listened, but didn't see him as a friend. According to Tracy's book, he was, quote, Tracy was like, as you go on as well, you don't see it. So like I said, Christy was a kind person. Even though his intrusion into her life annoyed her, she struggled to create distance from him. Akshay, however, was in deeper. He read too deeply into their interactions and wrote her a letter before he killed her. He spoke about how she was his best friend and how he loved her and became obsessed with her. Christy would leave her job at Countdown, but Akshay would not let her go. And on the 6th of September of 2011, he would attack her for the first time. Christy was asleep at home in bed when the landline rang at around 10am. The ring on the phone woke Christy up, but she didn't get to it before it stopped. However, seconds later it rang again, and this time she was able to answer. A male voice Christy recognised on the other end asked her if he could speak to Christy, to which she replied, This is Christy. The voice then replied, Now, even though Christy did not want Akshay in her life, she could not ignore this cry for help. She couldn't stand by and let someone hurt themselves like this, so Christy acted quickly. She got in her car and rushed to Akshay's house, which was only just a kilometre away. It took her only a few minutes to get there. Unbeknownst to her, Akshay would arm himself. In his mother's kitchen, he found a 20cm long kitchen knife with a black plastic handle, which he tucked into the waistband of his pants. When Christy got there, she knocked on the front door and was let in. There was no one else home, but at this point Christy had no reason to fear for her life or safety. She knew that Akshay had personal issues and that maybe he just needed a friend. That, however, changed within seconds. The following statements will be taken from a transcript with her police interview that she did two days after the incident. Quote, I obviously heard it because I knew you'd find it. Then he was talking to me about how he was planning, how he had some aims of his task. I told him that I thought he needed to get help because he hadn't been very well. He was talking to me about how I wasn't there and that I could have tried, but I said I'd been really busy with uni and work. He said even five minutes on Facebook would have been enough, and I said that I didn't really have much time for the computer. He shook his head and he said, let's face it. We both know that you haven't been very busy. Akshay continued to grill her about how she wasn't there for him and that he didn't need professional help, but he wanted her to be his full-time counselor. She also then confessed to Christy that he had cervical cancer, but when Christy told him that it was impossible for him to have cervical cancer, he got frustrated and changed his diagnosis to prostate cancer. Christy grew very frustrated as she had dealt with family members who had battled cancer. She didn't believe that this was something to joke about, and she made that clear to Akshay. According to Christy's statements with the police, quote, that was when he got really angry. He pulled a knife out of his back pocket. He got up and stood over me. His right hand was shaking as he was waving it. It was a kitchen knife like one of those ones that you pull out of a knife set. It was about 20 centimeters long, and it looked like he had sharpened it. It was a really sudden movement. He just pulled it out, and he's holding it. And in an instant, he was standing over me. He just held it with his fists clenched, and he said, this is how it's going to go. If you scream, I'm going to knife you. When he said that to me, I started crying because I thought he was going to kill me. I've never been so terrified in my life. And when he told me to shut up and compose myself, I wanted to text my friend because I wanted someone to help me. So I had my phone in my hand, and he got up and had the knife in his right hand. And he was standing there with his left hand in front of my face. And he was saying, give me your phone. He grabbed it out of my hand. I didn't want to give my phone. He was saying, we can either do this the hard way or the easy way. And he said, you'll know what you get if you don't hand it to me. Honestly, this must have been terrifying, because at this point Akshay had vaguely told Kristy certain goals he wanted to accomplish. Firstly, he wanted to scare her. Second, he wanted to get his revenge on her. And finally, third, he wanted to take his own life. Kristy scares through, because Akshay was so vague, she had no idea how he planned to scare her or get his revenge. But in just moments, Akshay would make it clear he would do both. He instructed her to take her clothes off. According to her statement with the police, quote, he told me to take off my jumper, and I had to throw it to him. He kicked all the pockets, and he told me to take my shirt off. And I said I wouldn't do it. He said, you know what will happen if you don't do it. So I had to take it off, and I had to throw it to him. I had to stand up and show him that I didn't have anything in my pockets, in my pants. Then he said, now take your pants off. I said, no, I won't do it. It's too far. I can't do it. I started crying more, because by then I was getting an idea of what he wanted to do. And I told him that I wouldn't do it. He held the knife out, and he said, you know what will happen. So I took them off, and I did throw them to him as well. He put all my clothes in a pile, and then he started talking. He was sitting on the armchair and had the knife in his hand. And every so often, he'd twirl it in his fingers, and then he'd look at his fingers, and he'd be like, ouch, like he cut himself. Because he's so much bigger than me, I knew that I couldn't overpower him. But at one point, I thought about just telling him to knife me, because I wanted to get out. I've never been so terrified in my life. I thought that looking around the room, that this would be the last thing that I was going to see before I die. And nobody even knew where I was. And then I thought about going to run to the door, but he'd locked the door. And if I got stuck at the door, he would have knifed me, probably tried to kill me. So I never felt like I could leave. I felt like I was stuck on that couch, and the only way I could leave the couch was if he told me I could go. I thought he was just going to stab me once, maybe in my arm or leg. And I thought that if he stabbed me once, he could probably do it multiple times. I was just trying to appease everything he was saying. I remember from... I was just trying to appease everything he was saying. I remember from watching Criminal Minds and stuff. A hostile person, you have to appease what they want and make it seem like it was you. So I was saying, no, it was me. I was selfish. I could have prevented this. I was trying to talk him around, because I just wanted to get out of there. That makes actual sense. She's nervous. She's sitting in a police room. She's been attacked two days before. She's not over it. Not that you ever get over it, but it's fresh. So we're just actually talking about how her statement, it seems a little bit all over the place that someone panicked and gave the statement. So we're also struggling a little bit to read it. But we're just saying it makes total sense that given the situation she was in. It was so terrifying, because all you're doing is being a nice person and doing someone the kind of day. That's what you're taught to do. It was just her natural self wants to be that person. She's so kind. I was obviously listening to her work. The way she rushed over there when he said he was going to kill himself. She was a decent person. And you could see that it was just in her nature to care. It's not like she thought she had a friend, but she saw him as someone who needed help. As Chrissy sat there wearing only her underwear, Archie began to spiral and rant, saying that he was sure that he'd been taken by the devil, who'd been trying to claim him for years. And he was now fighting against the devil inside him, that he was losing. He began ranting about capitalism, using fake words and terms, demanding Chrissy tell him what the words meant. Archie also told Chrissy that she was the kind of person who hurt others and who made others suffer. He verbally berated her and frantically flew from topic to topic, before telling Chrissy her efforts in showing up today had been too little too late. He told her to imagine that they were both in a fishing boat, but he had fallen out. He then told her to imagine that she sat there in the boat and watched him struggle in the water, only pulling him out and saving his life, just before he was about to drown. He told her, quote, this is what you're doing, right now. When I needed your help, you were too busy. And then when I finally make this desperate call, I'm here. End quote. After Archie explained why he was so unhappy, Chrissy only wanted to know one thing. If he was going to kill her. She asked Archie if killing her was his plan for revenge. And Archie did not say that he wanted to kill her, but simply said his plan was to rape her, at which point Chrissy began sobbing, her tears full of fear, instead of the raping man holding a knife. You'd be like, all of the images of like, when you worked with him, when you went to primary school with him, like all this would be just coming to the forefront of your mind and just going, this is not the person that I knew. 100%. Like, it'd be very, I'm sure, it'd be very surreal, like, sitting there like, what is even happening? Like, we wouldn't even fully be able to grasp it, eh? Like, if it was a stranger, you're like, I don't know this person from Barstow, like, whatever, but she knew this guy, but like, on a friendship level. Like, she may not have been friends, but on a friendship level. Friendly level. Yeah. Chrissy later told the police, quote, I thought if I cried enough, the neighbors in the house next door would hear me because the whole time I was there, I could hear them talking. I just wanted someone to hear me because I could hear people outside. He told me if I didn't compose myself, it would be worse for me. And so I tried, but at the same time, I just wanted to cry louder because I could hear the neighbor, and I thought he would be able to hear me and do something. End quote. Akshay appeared to have a change of heart. He was holding Chrissy's clothes but tossed them to her along with her cell phone and told her she could leave. Understandably, she thought this was a trick. She imagined that as soon as she had her back turned to go to the front door, he would stab her in the back, and she let him know as much. Akshay then put the knife down and said, I'm going to let you go, but I just want you to know that I'm going to drink the drink I made. Now, despite the terror he had caused Chrissy, this still made her pause. She let him know she didn't want him to do that and hurt himself, that it wasn't worth it. Akshay responded with, I don't care what you want. I'm going to do it anyway. It's my only option because my parents don't love me, so I just want to die. Chrissy was not going to push her luck, so she did not try to talk him out of it again. She also knew he was sick, and so she's like... Yeah, she obviously must have got a feeling about it, eh? Because I don't think he had a formal diagnosis at that time. No, but he had told her about... That he was feeling depression. Yeah, but this was like... This was like mania. Yeah. Do you think an 18-year-old would be able to distinguish between the two? Yeah. I don't know. Or like an episode of some kind? Because I don't know if I knew that much at 18 that I needed help, and I'm pretty sure Chrissy was around my age, I think. As much as we know now, if someone had us hostage in their house and making us do that, we're still not going to be like, I mean, he's sick. No, of course not. The motherfucker is sick. No, of course not. You know, like it's like... Yeah, I wouldn't be feeling sorry for him. No, no, no. I would just want to know if, like, yeah. If she was... Yeah, was she... Yeah, I don't know. Yeah. Because I mean, he wouldn't even know we were going through that moment, in that moment anyway. No. In his brain. Yeah. Chrissy ran out of his apartment, got in her car and locked the doors. She drove home sobbing, and when she got home, her mother Tracy was at work, but her grandmother Shirley was there. Shirley lived in a subcontained flat on the property and called Tracy, prompting her to leave work. Now, Chrissy's dad was barely ever home, and he spent a lot of time working in Australia. So, understandably, all three women felt really unsafe in their own home and actually only went down the road, so they decided to call the police. Meanwhile, back at Archie's home, he had started downing the drink he made. The glass of water filled with crushed pills, which were mostly made up of multivitamins, which he stole from his mother. Mate's just going to be really healthy. Good job, bro. He had read that if a person took too many multivitamins, it could have a toxic effect. But probably not enough to kill you, just maybe a little bit of organ failure. Just a pinch. So, when Archie's young sister got home, he calmly explained what had happened and asked her to call an ambulance. Archie was yet to finish the job. Start while you finish. Start while you finish. Don't threaten us with a good time. Sorry, that's not what he said. You know what, though? I mean... Full disrespect, actually. You don't have to full disrespect. I understand mental health is a thing, but when we get further into this, y'all are going to hear just, like, how much control he had still. Archie was brought to North Shore Hospital to be treated and then admitted so he'd get a mental health assessment. After Chrissy had informed the police about what happened, police went to Archie's home to question him, but found only his mother was home and she had no idea where Archie and his sister were. Eventually, the police were able to track him down at the hospital and went there to question him, at which point he confessed to everything very easily. He confirmed all of Chrissy's statement was true and responded affirmatively to all the questions. Detective James Watson said that Archie did not seem at all surprised when the police showed up. It was almost as if he was expecting them. He had told the nurses and doctors the same thing he told Chrissy, that his parents didn't love him and that he had mental health issues. But conveniently leaving out, he held a young woman against her will at knife point. He did, however, admit to the police that he had planned to rape Chrissy, but changed his mind at the last minute. Stand up. Stand up, mate. Isn't he? So, Archie was arrested and charged with kidnapping, assault with intent to commit sexual violation and threatening to do bodily harm. Archie told the police at the station that even though he had changed his mind about assaulting Chrissy, he was still very angry at her for abandoning him and he still wanted revenge. Detective Watson said, quote, at the initial interview, I was pleased that he was basically confessing to us what he had done. When we're looking at charging someone, we have to get better on the ingredients. For example, when he told Chrissy to take off her clothes, we asked him what his intention was and he admitted that he intended to rape her. They clearly widened the charges against him. The charge of assault with intent to rape really came from his admissions, which is good for the prosecutor's point of view. That gave us evidence to go forward and charge him with a view to getting a conviction in court, end quote. After hearing about what happened from Chrissy and from Archie, that he still wanted revenge, they knew it was of utmost importance to make sure that Archie stayed in custody while awaiting his trial. Detective Adam Eyemonger, who was there when Archie was arrested, he knew that it was imperative for the police to do all they could to keep Archie behind bars. And make sure that the judge and court were very aware of how terrified Chrissy was and how close to home was to Archie. The police had told the Marceau family that they would do everything in their power to make sure Archie didn't get bail. But in the end, it was up to the judge. At the time, there was a law here in New Zealand called the Bail Act. The Bail Act stated that if the offender had no prior convictions and that they were over the age of 17 and under the age of 20, they must be released on bail. Archie had no prior convictions. He didn't have a criminal record of any kind. And he's never been in trouble with the law. So he was the perfect candidate for the Bail Act. The day after the attack, September 7th, Archie Chand made his first court appearance in front of Judge Barbara Morris, who denied bail and ordered a full mental health evaluation to be done that same day. Judge Morris requested that Archie be sent to a mental health unit instead of prison, so he had to be assessed before that could happen. Archie was interviewed and examined by a nurse named Robin Burt, who concluded that Archie did not fulfill the Mental Health Act criteria, that he was not in need of acute psychiatric administration. Archie was not expressing an intent to hurt himself or others. He was talking about taking antidepressants. His effect was flat, but he was answering questions articulately and staying on topic. Burt said that Archie knew what he had done, he knew why he was in prison, and he knew what he had done was wrong. On September 9th, Archie was once again in court in front of Judge Barbara Morris, and again he was asking for a bail. At this hearing, Judge Morris said it was a sad case, a difficult case, and of course Mr Chand has the presumption of innocence. Chand has seen a doctor in prison and one in custody overnight, and he's been prescribed, although not commenced, taking antidepressant medication. He's also helpfully been seen by the forensic nurse. He's not exhibiting any of the classic symptoms of a mental health issue. I mean, to them. Because a couple of people saw him in the space of a few hours. Like, after the high with high, now he's in the low section of his mania, obviously. And I'm not a medical professional, but that is something that is a telltale... Yeah. Not to mention, she's like, oh, he's been prescribed antidepressants. But he hasn't taken them. He hasn't. He's not. He hasn't started. Why hasn't he started? Why haven't you made sure he's taken... he's actually been weaned onto them? Yeah. And then you go, OK, you stay on them, and then you can go home. So family members spoke on Archie's behalf, hoping to get him released. I mean, why? Tell me why. They said that he would take his medication and promised that he would attend a psychiatric programme within a week of his release. They said he would be staying with his mother, who would make sure that he would be monitored at all times. Detective James Watson prepared a document titled Grounds for Opposing Bail. This document detailed how Archie admitted to the kidnapping and his attempt to sexually harm Christy. Detective Watson also went into detail about the fear Christy felt living so close to Archie's mother's home. It was made clear having Archie back at his mum's so close to Christy's house was just not viable, to which Judge Morris agreed, saying, quote, this is a difficult matter, but nothing has changed at the moment from when these allegations rose. There is no question that Mr Chand is certainly depressed. From public safety concerns, however, and the complainant who is exceedingly fearful, I do not consider it prudent or wise to grant bail until at least a full forensic report can be obtained. In the meantime, Mr Chand can hopefully commence on the medication, end quote. For the month following, Archie spoke to several mental health professionals confessing he'd been struggling with mental health issues for about five years but received no support from his family at home. Archie's little sister was interviewed by Dr Ian Goodwin, who obtained Archie and his family's medical history. It turns out that mental illness runs in the family. Dr Goodwin wrote in his report that Archie displayed symptoms of mild to moderate depression and that he did not fulfill the criteria for a mental disorder. He said Archie had a good understanding of the charges he was facing and he would be capable of working with his attorneys to build a defense for himself. On October 5th, Archie was seen by a nurse, who said, quote, the defendant told me that he feels well and is pleased to be on antidepressant medication. Mood appears to be stable today. The defendant denies any risk issues to himself or to others. There is no evidence of thought disorder or disorganization in the defendant's thinking. There are no psychotic features and no concerns from custodial staff, end quote. The same day, Archie was back in court for another bail hearing, but this time the court was presented with two letters, one that Archie Chant had written and one that Christy Marceau had written. And this time, Archie was not appearing in front of level-headed Barbara Morris, but a different judge would be hearing the details, Judge David McMorton. In his letter, Archie said, quote, I am incredibly sorry for the ordeal I put Christy through. I am only remorseful for my actions. I know she will sooner forgive me than I will forgive myself, given the chance. I will apologize to her, her parents, and anyone else affected. Ironically, the last thing she said to me was that she was sorry. It's only after the events of the day that she realized how much pain depression cost me and how much I needed her, and vice versa. She was my emotional outlet, and there was nothing that I couldn't tell her, and vice versa. She's really adamant, and I'm sure she feels she's the one to blame. She acknowledges that her absence led to escalation and the impending events that occurred, but as modest as she is, truthfully, the blame is on my shoulders. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept the consequences of my wrongdoings. In my defense, what I did was aided by great psychological pressure, and in your head, you believe that no one cares if you live or die. I was desperate, vulnerable, and exploited my own weakness. I will do everything in my power to get the help I need. I've been on antidepressants, and I'm willing to receive counseling. I wish I had only asked for help earlier." I love that, I'm willing to receive counseling. Why is that not... Also, you will be receiving counseling, because... Because you're cooked. But also... What kind of apology is that? I take responsibility for holding a girl at knife point, but also, don't forget that I met her, and also, she said that she was sorry because she wasn't there for me. But, you know, it's not her... And, you know, I do take full responsibility, but she did feel some responsibility, and she should have, because I was sick. She knew that. I don't even know how the court allowed that. Like, you know, like as in a... You know, you can see he's remorseful. No. You can't. You can't see that he's remorseful. Yeah. Like, it's giving, I'm sorry, but I won't take accountability. I'm sorry, but... That's it. I'm sorry, but... I'm sorry, but... Oh, well then, you're not sorry. Because sorry doesn't come with... Like, oh, I'm mentally ill, and she wasn't there for me. Yeah. Fuck off. Also, like, I really don't understand how this judge... I'm going to do this because I don't feel like this is his man's real judge. He's like a Timu judge. In your order of judge, but that's what turns out. Also, don't hate on Timu. Let's do Wish. Sorry, Wish. When you think you're going to get justice, and then you get judgmental sometimes. Burn. The only reason she would have apologized, obviously, is because she was healthy and still well. Not because she was actually sorry about anything, because she was not culpable to any of it. So, like Sam said before, Christy had also written a letter to the judge. Her letter listed several bullet points, one being that their houses were too close to one another, that she felt fearful to live in her house, where he could show up at any time. She wanted to know how 24-7 monitoring for Akshay would work, and how authorities would know if he was to leave, stating, quote, if he's treating this like a game, he could come after me and do it again, as he has nothing more to lose, and has been sitting in custody thinking of ways to get revenge, end quote. Now, the police understood this. However, for the judge, this went right over his puny little head. Also said in Christy's letter, quote, I wish to oppose Akshay's receiving bail, as the events have made me wary of his intentions. Fair enough. I worry for my safety because of this, and particularly as my father is currently on a job in Australia, which reduces the support I can rely on. Akshay's family, his mother and auntie, live close to my home, so I feel that that may play on my thoughts, as he knows my father's away. He also knows my routine traveling to uni and where I work in the city. I am worried he may still try to get revenge on me, as he is already in trouble and has nothing to lose. If he tries again, this causes me to worry for my safety. I catch the bus to uni or work every day, so I'm worried that living close by, he'd be able to follow me and get on the bus. I also have exams for university coming up, and wish to be able to concentrate on my studies and not have to constantly have this on my mind, that he is out and has the possibility of getting me again. I would like to get on with my life, but at present I need to know that I don't have to encounter him, as I try to restore my faith in people. This has caused me a lot of distrust, end quote. Unfortunately, Judge McNaughton would disagree and grant bail to Akshay, with the condition that Akshay would live at his mother's house and only allowed to leave if he had an appointment with his lawyer or doctor, and he had to be accompanied by his aunt or mother. Akshay was also forbidden from making any contact with Christy or the Mossow family. He also was not allowed to go anywhere near the Christy house. How devastating that the judge really let it down, eh? I just love his, you're not allowed to go anywhere near Christy's house. You're literally not there yet. It is so fucking stupid. To put things into perspective, Christy Mossow's home was just 350 metres away from where her attacker, Akshay Chand, was released. A mere four minute walk, a chilling reminder of the proximity that led to her tragic fate. Akshay Chand was released on bail despite having attacked Christy just weeks earlier. The decision to release him highlights significant shortcomings in New Zealand's justice system. I mean, yeah, the fact that, like, with no priors, I mean, like, her life was literally in the balance that day. Like, for some reason, he always had a change of heart when he got there, but the reality is, because he had no priors, like, it didn't matter that he attempted to actually, like, rape and murder her, really. Purely because he's between... 17 and 20. Oh. If you're between 17 and 20, you'd never kill somebody. What are those three years really for your father? I have no idea. No, but, like, if we're talking about it from, like, a neurological perspective, we're talking about a three year development period. What really is those three years when he's already done this? Yeah. At 18. It's that one year over the line. It's so frustrating. Like, the whole... That whole system. The thing is, right, my issue with this is why didn't no one snap an ankle on Adonim? Yeah. I can't understand that. Surely that would have been more helpful for the police that were supposed to be in charge of watching him 24 hours a day. Like, for them to be able to see where he is. Well, they were in charge of looking after him all day, though. That was up to the mother and aunt, you know. Yeah. They were the ones who said, in their statements, that they would make sure he was at home 24-7 and they put McNaughton, or whatever the fuck he's called, they'd basically agree to. Yeah. Which is insane. Why was there no police surveillance? A cop car stationed outside. Yeah. The cops did come in. Like, they did drive past. I think it was, like, it was intermittent. They would go, they'd knock on the door, make sure he was home. So they did do that. But, well, okay, so they turn up, they knock, he goes, cool, he knows that they're leaving now. I've got 20 minutes, maybe, now, between the last time. Yeah. Like you say, there should have been a car out. If you're going to promise that you're going to take care of the Marceau family, then you take care of them. 100%. And that's not on the police. No. But on the judge, if you're going to promise something, how are you going to make that work? How are you going to make that promise work? And for how long? And isn't the judge the one who actually orders what the police kind of do from there as well? If there's two or four hours available, do the ankle monitor, any of that shit. That's what the judge does, right? Yeah. So what the fuck? So Judge David McMorton, who made the call to grant bail, focused solely on ensuring Chant had a resident and appropriate supervision. He assumed that all necessary precautions were in place, including medication management. Assumed being the operative word here. Assumed. You didn't make sure. You just assumed. Your job is not to assume that. The thing is that if this dude was into medication and didn't trust him to take it, and didn't trust his family to provide the school he needed, why was he not in a facility? He doesn't need to go to jail. He doesn't need to have a criminal record. But why was he not reminded of custody? Some shape or form. Yeah. Yeah. Alarmingly, he failed to discuss the level of supervision required with Chant's mother. So Chant's sister, whom the judge mistakenly believed was of university age, was actually just 16 years old. Dude, you're fucking wrong, Romina. Yeah. Again, assuming... Are you going to say? Is our taxpayer money, which is what pays him, are we paying that to him to assume shit or to actually do his job? Honestly, this is on his hands. You know what? This is on his hands. Yeah. The judge did not address the critical issue of how close Chant's bail address was to Christy's home. His superficial examination of Christy's concerns, expressed in a letter, was wholly inadequate. Yeah, no shit. As these judicial oversights unfolded, Christy's family was left in a precarious state, unaware of the impending danger. It's just disappointing. After his release on October 5th of 2011, actually Chant was required to adhere to strict bail conditions. However, just 32 days later, he violated those terms. Chant was supposed to live at his mother's house under a 24-hour curfew, only allowed to leave for legal or medical appointments, and he was to be accompanied by a family member. Most importantly, he was ordered not to associate with Christy or attempt to contact her, yet their reality was starkly different. Even Chant's sister felt unsafe at home with him around, frequently opting to stay with friends instead of facing the risk of his presence. The failures of the system left Christy's family living on the edge. Christy's parents were deeply concerned for her safety. They felt the weight of the system's failures bearing down on them. Christy's father, Brian, considered leaving his job in Australia permanently to protect his family after hearing that Chant had been released. However, police assured him that everything was under control and that they would keep Christy safe. In the meantime, Christy and her mother, Tracy, had been planning to move to Adelaide to be closer to Brian. Christy was looking forward to transferring to a local university, eager to start a new chapter in her life. Despite the police checks on Chant, 23 times in total, there were no red flags. Detective Sergeant Watson opposed Chant's bail but had to abide by the court's decision. Like I said, it wasn't the police fault. But also, 23 times in total over 33 days. That's not a daily check. It's not a daily. And I know some days they would have gone twice or whatever, but that's not an everyday thing. When are you not going? He's switched on. He's watching. Also, that's the thing. Why wouldn't you have it mandated to be twice a day at random times in the day? Yes. Even on the weekend, guys. Yeah. You work 24-7. The police work 24-7. So, tragically, the sense of security was an illusion, as events would soon reveal. On November 7, 2011, just two months after Akshay Chant had attacked Kristy and a month after being released on bail, he woke up with a chilling intention. Chant had been biding his time, waiting for the right moment. He had a kitchen knife stashed in his backpack, a weapon he had taken from his mother's house. Chant's mother had been hiding all the knives under the kitchen benches behind the kickboards every day and didn't think he had noticed. And he had managed to procure one without anyone noticing. He also packed a hammer, just in case. That morning, he calmly dressed and brushed his hair, listening to radio head-on repeat as he prepared to leave the house, his intentions clear. As he walked down the Maslow driveway, the clock was ticking toward an unimaginable confrontation. It was around 6.30am when Akshay rang the doorbell at Kristy's home. Tracy, Kristy's mother, was getting ready for work, unaware of the horror that was about to unfold. Tracy initially assumed that the doorbell was a delivery, as Kristy had often ordered packages online. When she opened the door, the sight of Akshay was a jarring shock. Not recognising him at first, it took a moment for her to process who he was, which gave him the opportunity to push his way into their home, brandishing his knife. Tracy screamed in a desperate attempt to alert her neighbours and warn Kristy, hoping she could escape. She tried to deceive Chand, claiming Brian was home, but he had clearly been watching their movements. He knew Brian wasn't there. The ensuing chaos was terrifying, as Kristy awoke to her mother's screams. Kristy rushed down the stairs, only to be confronted with the unimaginable. Chand kept Kristy in the chest, while simultaneously fending off Tracy with the knife. Kristy stumbled down the stairs, trying to escape through her grandmother's flat, as Chand pursued her. Tracy believed and hoped that Chand would just frighten Kristy like he'd done the first time, and that the police would arrive in time to get him out. In the midst of the chaos, Tracy managed to call 111, desperate to get help. As she relayed their address, she heard Kristy scream, the last sound she would ever hear from her daughter. Akshay Chand stabbed Kristy also a total of 15 times. This caused the knife's blade to bend at a 90 degree angle. After taking Kristy's life, Akshay put his headphones in and made no attempt to flee when the police arrived. According to an NZ Herald article, police noticed Akshay's hands shaking, and asked if he was alright, to which he responded, quote, It isn't easy killing someone, is it? unquote. This moment marked the culmination of a series of tragic misjudgments by the justice system, leading to an irreversible loss. The reality of that, the knife, like, that's not easy to do. Well, he stabbed her from the back, I believe. Well, if she's right, yeah. I think she rushed towards the gate or something, to unlock the gate, and then he just leaves her. It's just such a letdown, because it took one ruling. It literally was the one ruling, and that's why I said it was on the judge's hands. Like, I understand that she lost her life at the hands of Akshay, but if that judge had done the right thing, and put stricter boundaries in, something... Stop assuming shit, and actually do your job. Do your homework, figure everything out. Don't come to... Like, he knew what the judgement was going to be before he turned up to court that day. He had seen all the letters, he knew the story, he had his time to figure it out. And he came in and went, mm, that's too hard, that's it. It was a previous judge's ruling. Like, it was much tighter borders for men as well. Yeah. I mean, he was in a facility for quite some time, but not quite long enough, right? Yeah. Well, he was away for a month before he was seen on there. Yeah. Chand was tried and found not guilty by reason of insanity. The aftermath of Christy's murder was devastating for her family, friends, and the entire community. Christy's death prompted widespread outrage over the failures of the justice system. Advocacy groups began to push for changes in laws surrounding stalking and harassment, aiming to protect potential victims better. The Marceau family became vocal advocates for reform, sharing their story to raise awareness about the importance of taking threats seriously. The tragedy underscored the urgent need for systemic changes to prevent such incidents from happening again, as Christy's life was a powerful reminder of the consequences of inaction. This tragedy and a petition of Tracey Marceau on behalf of Christy's law group with 58,000 signatures prompted bail laws to tighten. Christy Marceau's story is one of heartbreak and loss, a reflection of a dire need for vigilance in our communities, and a call to action for change. Thank you for tuning into today's episode. If you or anyone you know is suffering from mental health issues or mental illness and needs help, please check out mentalhealth.org.nz forward slash helplines. This will contain national helplines across New Zealand. Stay safe and look after each other. We'll see you next time. Thank you for listening to our telling of this horrific case. We would love to hear what you thought of it on our socials, and if you haven't yet reviewed our podcast, we would really appreciate that. If you like listening to us, don't review it until you actually like listening to us. And if you like us, then hit follow. Or I'll see if you don't like us, then hit follow. We'd appreciate any support. And we'll have a new case next week, but until then, catch us on our socials at Sarah's and Skene's pod. See you next time. See ya. Bye.
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