A Moment In Crime: The tragic and twisted killing of Auckland man Javed Mills

Javed Mills, from a Facebook tribute page. Photo / Supplied

In 2011 an incomplete skeleton was found at a derelict property in Auckland by a demolition crew tasked with dismantling the buildings on site.

It took police months to work out who the remains belonged to - and then they had to work out who had killed the young man, and why.

In this episode of A Moment In Crime, senior journalist and host Anna Leask looks back at the grisly case and how the police finally got the man responsible.

It would take police months to identify the remains as Javed Mills and what they revealed next was shocking and twisted.

The man Mills had been living with in Auckland had killed him and dumped his body parts around an Auckland property.

He then made significant efforts to try and convince Mills’ family he was still alive.

A Moment In Crime is an NZME podcast produced monthly by Leask, who has been a specialist crime and justice reporter for almost two decades.

Some of Leask’s more notable work includes coverage of the murder of British tourist Grace Millane, the killing of Auckland teenager Christie Marceau and countless high-profile stories in her specialist areas of family violence, child abuse and crimes against women.

Leask has also reported on most of the major incidents and events in New Zealand during that period including the Christchurch quakes, Pike River mine disaster, March 15 terror attack and the White Island eruption.

“Each month I’ll take you inside some of our most infamous incidents, notorious offenders and behind the scenes of high-profile trials and events to show you what’s really happening in your backyard,” she said.

“Heroes and villains battle for justice to be done, and it seems no matter how horrifying the story, we always want to know more.”

A Moment In Crime is a NZ Herald true crime podcast. New episodes are available monthly on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode was written and produced by Anna Leask and edited by James Irwin, with executive producer Ethan Sills.

If there is a case you would like Leask to consider covering, please email anna.leask@nzme.co.nz