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Kelvin Teixeira / Things
John Wharekura, photographed in 2003, was 16 when he murdered Tanya Burr.
A woman whose daughter was murdered by a teenager asking for a pencil and paper is glad the killer is left behind bars.
John Michael Wharekura is serving a life sentence for murdering Tanya Burr, 21, in Rotorua in 2002, stabbing her multiple times.
Wharekura was 16 when he knocked on Burr’s door, asking for a pencil and paper before launching his attack.
He did not know Burr and, according to a 2018 Board of Parole decision, murdered her for no apparent reason.
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Supplied
Tanya Burr was murdered in 2002 by 16-year-old John Wharekura.
He was sentenced in 2003 to life in prison for the murder, with a minimum probation period of 14 years.
He was granted parole in 2018, only to be removed the next year after problems with meeting the conditions of parole and his mental health.
He remains in prison after the board rejected his release after a hearing in late November, with the board’s decision given to Stuff in December.
Tanya Burr’s mother Val Burr, who lives in Manawatū, said she was relieved that Wharekura was still inside.
He “got drunk” during his 15 months on probation.
“I don’t trust him not to hurt anyone else.”
David Unwin / Stuff
Val Burr is glad that John Wharekura, who murdered his daughter Tanya Burr, is left behind bars.
One positive side of his brief release was that he or someone close to him created a social media profile with photos of him, he said.
“At least we can get an idea of how he looks now as an adult.
“So many families whose relatives have been murdered by teenagers have no idea what [the killers] it seems when they are released. “
In the latest parole decision, the board said he was called after “a series of poor decisions” and that medication for his mental health problems may not have suited him.
While he had a place to go when he was released, and the community support teams there knew of his mental health issues, he had work to do prior to release, the board said.
She needed therapy for “grief problems”, while a psychologist found that a slow reintegration into the community would be best.
Things like living in personal care units and working outside the network would help with that slow reintegration, the board said.
“Given Mr. Wharekura’s past failure while on probation, we believe it is not important that he be given a more thorough test.
He will appear before the board in August 2021.
