Murray Oscar Kannewischer died while serving an eight-year prison term for two decades of sexual offending. Photo / RNZ
Murray Oscar Kannewischer died while serving an eight-year prison term for two decades of sexual offending. Photo / RNZ
Attempts were made to have an 89-year-old convicted of the “grave” sexual offending against six girls, some as young as 8, released from prison on compassionate grounds due to his declining health. But the man died while still locked up.
Today, Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame published her findings into the death of rapist Murray Oscar Kannewischer, ruling he died of natural causes.
Kannewischer was jailed in 2017 for 18 counts of indecency, two of rape, and one of indecent assault.
His offending began in 1963 and continued until 1983. It involved victims aged between 8 and 15 and was only revealed when one of those victims came forward in early 2015.
Kannewischer was 85 when he was jailed for eight years after being found guilty at trial. Despite the guilty verdicts, he maintained his innocence while incarcerated.
The coroner found he died on May 4 last year in the Emergency Department at Dunedin Hospital after a long period of ill health.
He had been transferred to hospital that day from the Otago Corrections Facility (OCF), where he was serving his sentence.
Kannewischer was serving his time at Otago Corrections Facility near Milton in the South Island. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery
ED clinicians recorded his cause of death was “likely mesenteric ischemia, atrial fibrillation (not anticoagulated)”, which the coroner accepted.
Previously, his case manager had attempted to apply for compassionate release in recognition of the difficulties in providing appropriate care to Kannewischer while he was in prison.
But because of the nature of his offending and the level of rest home care he required, a suitable residence could not be found, the findings detailed.
Kannewischer had chronic health conditions including congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, gout, osteoarthritis, hypertensive disease, anaemia, and Padget’s disease of the bone.
In February 2021, he was moved to the Intervention Support Unit (ISU) at OCF which provides accommodation for a small number of prisoners who have high and complex needs.
The transfer was in lieu of his suffering falls, his increased fragility, and general deterioration.
That same month he had an indwelling urinary catheter placed and the OCF health team made a referral for him to be transferred to the Rimutaka Correctional Facility High Dependency Unit (HDU).
Kannewischer was booked for surgery to have the catheter balloon removed on May 7, 2021, but on May 1 it was noted he had lost weight and was at high risk of falls and of pressure sores. He was not eating and was assisted with showering.
On May 3, he was accepted for transfer to the Rimutaka HDU and arrangements were made for him to travel after his surgery.
But the following day, he was vomiting blood, was pale, hypothermic, and had sunken eyes. A nurse discussed his end-of-life wishes with him, during which he instructed he did not want to be resuscitated.
He left OCF by ambulance that afternoon and was transported to Dunedin Hospital.
There, it was determined Kannewischer was in atrial fibrillation, which was treated with medication. An abdominal x-ray was done later that night and showed a small bowel obstruction.
A surgical consultant recorded Kannewischer had an ischaemic bowel and was not a candidate for surgical intervention of any sort, given his underlying respiratory comorbidity and the advanced state of his condition.
Palliative care was commenced and he died at 11pm.
Coroner Cunninghame said the Office of the Inspectorate investigated Kannewischer’s death and produced a comprehensive report.
Some recommendations were made regarding the management of elderly prisoners with complex health needs, but she said they were not relevant to the matters she was required to determine.
“I am satisfied that Corrections staff and the medical staff who attended Mr Kannewischer during his time in custody gave him appropriate care and medical attention,” she found.
