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Murder of Teresa Cormack

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180:, with her mother, Kelly Piggot, and her younger sister Sara. Although reluctant to go to school on Friday 19 June 1987, the day after her sixth birthday, Cormack departed home on her normal walking route to Richmond Primary School, which was a short distance from where she lived. However, she did not go to school and instead wandered the streets in the suburb of Maraenui for around an hour. She was reported missing to Police that evening after she failed to return home and inquiries revealed she had not arrived at school. 25: 213: 288:
Despite having this profile, an arrest was not immediate. A public television broadcast by the detective in charge and seen by Mikus provoked a reaction in front of the people with whom he lived but they did not contact police. Eight-hundred and forty-five blood samples had been taken, of these, four
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On 26 February 2002, fifteen years after Cormack's death, police arrested Mikus for the murder. Although Mikus pleaded not guilty, a jury found him guilty for kidnapping, rape, sexual assault and murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, preventative detention for rape, and 14 years
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Jules Mikus (born 28 September 1958), who committed many sex crimes as a teenager, was questioned by police and provided samples of his saliva and blood. Mikus provided an alibi for the time the abduction was believed to have occurred. Afterwards, he was excluded as a suspect.
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each for the sexual assault and abduction, all served concurrently, with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years. Mikus died while serving a life sentence for the death of 6-year-old Teresa Cormack. It was reported he was dying from a brain tumour and died 9 December 2019.
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On the morning of Saturday 27 June 1987, Cormack's body was discovered at the base of a tree on Whirinaki Beach by a woman walking her dog. An autopsy revealed that she had been raped and suffocated.
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were of insufficient quality to make a profile. After nearly a year of testing the blood (taking until 22 February 2002), only one blood profile matched the semen and it came from Mikus.
168:(28 September 1958 – 6 December 2019) for the crime. He had been identified as a potential suspect early in the investigation, but had offered an alibi that was accepted at the time. 526: 277:. Due to advances in genetic fingerprinting, a minute sample of semen stored sealed between two microscope slides was able to be profiled in 2001 by technicians at ESR ( 304:
In 2004, Rowene Marsh-Potaka (who had campaigned to stop her brother from being paroled for murder) collaborated with Cormack's mother Kelly Piggot to write an anti-
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Three male pubic hairs were found orally and in her underwear, and semen was found vaginally on Cormack's body. However,
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song. They wanted the song to let people know that offenders such as Mikus should serve their full sentences.
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The Cormack murder case was re-opened in 1998 and new testing was done at a crime lab in the
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https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/118052123/teresa-cormacks-killer-jules-mikus-dies
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at the time was not advanced enough to find her killer.
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The case attracted widespread interest in New Zealand.
350:"Teresa Cormack's killer Jules Mikus dies in prison" 521:
Advances in DNA testing bring Cormack Case to Court
375:"Fond memories of the girl who became a sad symbol" 133: 104: 85: 475:Alison Horwood and Paula Oliver (9 October 2002). 555:Fond memories of the girl who became a sad symbol 319:in early 2006, was inspired by the Cormack case. 285:owned wholly by the New Zealand government). 8: 241:. Unsourced material may be challenged and 93: 82: 261:Learn how and when to remove this message 69:Learn how and when to remove this message 32:This article includes a list of general 404:"Police fear for life of missing child" 340: 442: 440: 527:Teresa Cormack homicide, 19 June 1987 7: 512:A mother's lament for Teresa Cormack 448:"The making of predator Jules Mikus" 425:"Girl sexually attacked, suffocated" 279:Environmental Science & Research 239:adding citations to reliable sources 614:Missing person cases in New Zealand 609:Incidents of violence against girls 329:List of solved missing person cases 38:it lacks sufficient corresponding 14: 211: 23: 604:June 1987 events in New Zealand 423:Clarkson, Neil (29 June 1987). 348:Leask, Anna (9 December 2019). 16:1987 New Zealand murder victim 1: 402:Wilson, Dave (22 June 1987). 619:Child murder in New Zealand 599:1987 murders in New Zealand 536:In Memory Of Teresa Cormack 635: 574:1980s missing person cases 514:13 March 2004 Anne Beston 92: 283:Crown Research Institute 594:2002 in New Zealand law 584:Formerly missing people 53:more precise citations. 482:The New Zealand Herald 453:The New Zealand Herald 380:The New Zealand Herald 193:genetic fingerprinting 589:Murder in New Zealand 579:Female murder victims 538:(In conjunction with 311:Paul Rothwell's play 546:Teresa Maida Cormack 477:"Justice for Teresa" 235:improve this section 158:Teresa Maida Cormack 109:Teresa Maida Cormack 87:Teresa Maida Cormack 178:Napier, New Zealand 162:Napier, New Zealand 530:New Zealand Police 516:New Zealand Herald 542:memorial website) 456:. 12 October 2002 271: 270: 263: 155: 154: 79: 78: 71: 626: 494: 493: 491: 489: 472: 466: 465: 463: 461: 444: 435: 434: 420: 414: 413: 399: 393: 392: 390: 388: 383:. 9 October 2002 371: 365: 364: 362: 360: 345: 266: 259: 255: 252: 246: 215: 207: 176:Teresa lived in 172:Murder and death 140: 118: 116: 97: 83: 74: 67: 63: 60: 54: 49:this article by 40:inline citations 27: 26: 19: 634: 633: 629: 628: 627: 625: 624: 623: 564: 563: 540:JonBenét Ramsey 508: 498: 497: 487: 485: 474: 473: 469: 459: 457: 446: 445: 438: 422: 421: 417: 401: 400: 396: 386: 384: 373: 372: 368: 358: 356: 347: 346: 342: 337: 325: 315:, which ran at 299: 267: 256: 250: 247: 232: 216: 205: 189: 174: 151: 142: 138: 129: 120: 114: 112: 111: 110: 100: 88: 75: 64: 58: 55: 45:Please help to 44: 28: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 632: 630: 622: 621: 616: 611: 606: 601: 596: 591: 586: 581: 576: 566: 565: 562: 561: 557: 552: 543: 533: 524: 518: 507: 506:External links 504: 496: 495: 467: 436: 415: 394: 366: 339: 338: 336: 333: 332: 331: 324: 321: 298: 295: 269: 268: 219: 217: 210: 204: 201: 188: 185: 173: 170: 153: 152: 143: 135: 131: 130: 121: 108: 106: 102: 101: 99:Teresa Cormack 98: 90: 89: 86: 77: 76: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 631: 620: 617: 615: 612: 610: 607: 605: 602: 600: 597: 595: 592: 590: 587: 585: 582: 580: 577: 575: 572: 571: 569: 560: 558: 556: 553: 551: 547: 544: 541: 537: 534: 531: 528: 525: 522: 519: 517: 513: 510: 509: 505: 503: 502: 484: 483: 478: 471: 468: 455: 454: 449: 443: 441: 437: 432: 431: 426: 419: 416: 411: 410: 405: 398: 395: 382: 381: 376: 370: 367: 355: 351: 344: 341: 334: 330: 327: 326: 322: 320: 318: 317:Circa Theatre 314: 309: 307: 302: 296: 294: 290: 286: 284: 280: 276: 275:United States 265: 262: 254: 244: 240: 236: 230: 229: 225: 220:This section 218: 214: 209: 208: 202: 200: 196: 194: 187:Investigation 186: 184: 181: 179: 171: 169: 167: 163: 159: 150: 146: 141:(aged 6) 136: 132: 128: 124: 107: 103: 96: 91: 84: 81: 73: 70: 62: 52: 48: 42: 41: 35: 30: 21: 20: 550:Find a Grave 499: 486:. Retrieved 480: 470: 458:. Retrieved 451: 433:. p. 1. 428: 418: 412:. p. 1. 407: 397: 385:. Retrieved 378: 369: 357:. Retrieved 353: 343: 312: 310: 303: 300: 291: 287: 272: 257: 248: 233:Please help 221: 203:Breakthrough 197: 190: 182: 175: 165: 157: 156: 139:(1987-06-19) 137:19 June 1987 119:18 June 1981 80: 65: 56: 37: 523:Crime.co.nz 488:19 November 460:19 November 387:19 November 313:Golden Boys 166:Jules Mikus 149:New Zealand 127:New Zealand 51:introducing 568:Categories 359:9 December 335:References 251:April 2023 115:1981-06-18 34:references 430:The Press 409:The Press 354:NZ Herald 297:Aftermath 222:does not 59:July 2020 323:See also 532:website 243:removed 228:sources 47:improve 306:parole 145:Napier 123:Napier 36:, but 490:2011 462:2011 389:2011 361:2019 281:, a 226:any 224:cite 134:Died 105:Born 548:at 237:by 570:: 479:. 450:. 439:^ 427:. 406:. 377:. 352:. 147:, 125:, 492:. 464:. 391:. 363:. 264:) 258:( 253:) 249:( 245:. 231:. 117:) 113:( 72:) 66:( 61:) 57:( 43:.

Index

references
inline citations
improve
introducing
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Napier
New Zealand
Napier
New Zealand
Napier, New Zealand
Napier, New Zealand
genetic fingerprinting

cite
sources
improve this section
adding citations to reliable sources
removed
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United States
Environmental Science & Research
Crown Research Institute
parole
Circa Theatre
List of solved missing person cases
"Teresa Cormack's killer Jules Mikus dies in prison"
"Fond memories of the girl who became a sad symbol"
The New Zealand Herald
"Police fear for life of missing child"

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