Police pleased with kidnapping outcome

Kidnapping is an abhorrent crime, particularly when a defenceless child’s life is at stake, says Detective Superintendent Larry Reid, who headed the overall police investigation for baby Kahurautete Durie.

&#34It’s great that we found baby Kahu and returned her safely to parents Justice Eddie Durie and Donna Hall,&#34 Mr Reid said. &#34But the bottom line is that no-one should be put through the trauma of a kidnapping – particularly when it involves the life of a child snatched at gunpoint.&#34

Commenting after today’s sentencing of kidnapper Terence Traynor in the Wellington District Court, Mr Reid said that finding Kahu alive and well was the police investigation team’s primary focus.

&#34That goal remains as true today as it was on 13 April when Kahu was kidnapped. While locating the offender was a secondary consideration we are of course very happy with what we have achieved on both those fronts.

&#34The fact that Traynor entered a guilty plea has certainly spared Kahu’s family from the extra ordeal of a defended court trial.

&#34The degree of public support shown to police and Kahu’s family both during and after the kidnapping continues to be very gratifying.&#34

&#34This was a memorable case for all of us who worked on it,&#34 he said. &#34It was solved through sheer investigative effort and determination. We seized on every bit of information, no matter how insignificant, and followed it through to this successful conclusion.&#34

He said Traynor had gone to extraordinary lengths in his planning, preparation and executing of the kidnapping. This included hiring a storage facility for the Magna used in St Alban’s Grove, swopping vehicles, using stolen plates, creating a prison-like environment in his Taumarunui house, and sending a ransom note in which he warned Kahu’s mother she wouldn’t see her baby again if police were contacted.

But it was all to no avail.

&#34Traynor says himself during the video interview that he thought he was being ultra careful,&#34 Mr Reid!
said. &#34He expressed some surprise that we were able to track him down.

&#34Clearly he underestimated our response to what constitutes a violent crime.&#34

Mr Reid said Traynor:

- was motivated by $3 million in ransom money
- cooked up what he thought to be an elaborate plan
- cut down a .22 Ruger semi automatic and practised firing it in the hallway of his home
- changed his target from Donna Hall to baby Kahu
- terrorised his victims with a loaded firearm when he snatched the baby
- thought he’d remain undetected
- watched with interest media reporting of the kidnapping and investigation.

&#34We threw all the resources we needed into finding Kahu and followed up on every opportunity.

&#34Offenders should get the message that police don’t treat kidnappings lightly.&#34

Mr Reid said investigators used a range of tools and techniques to find Kahu and track Traynor down.

&#34Some steps were quite simple, others more complex,&#34 he said. &#34As much as I’d like to I can’t provide a step by step run down on how the case was put together.

&#34I have to remain mindful of some legal, privacy and investigative requirements.

&#34I can tell you however that the investigation involved a lot of time and effort with both overt and covert aspects.&#34