Juliana Herrera murder: Coroner to probe post-prison handling of violent sex offender who killed neighbour

• An inquest into the murder of Juliana Herrera by Joseph Brider, released on parole, begins today.
• Brider, a convicted rapist, was released with conditions but became obsessed and killed Herrera.
• Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame will examine Brider’s release and management to prevent future tragedies.

An inquest into the brutal murder of a Colombian woman in her Christchurch flat by a man released on parole just 72 days earlier will begin today.

Juliana Herrera, 37, was found dead in her Addington home in January 2022.

She had been murdered after a prolonged physical and sexual attack by her neighbour Joseph Brider.

Brider was a convicted rapist who had been granted parole – after being refused five times – just 72 days earlier.

He was released from prison on strict conditions, including GPS monitoring and a curfew.

Almost immediately after moving into the unit beside Herrera, he became obsessed with her.

Juliana Herrera was killed in January 2022 in her Christchurch home. Photo / Supplied

Brider later broke into her home while she was asleep, physically and sexually assaulted her and stabbed her to death.

He was sentenced to life in prison with preventive detention.

Both the Parole Board and Corrections reviewed Brider’s case.

The Parole Board only agreed to release Brider – shortly before his sentence end date – so they could impose conditions and put monitoring in place.

That monitoring, including GPS tracking and a curfew, fell to Corrections once Brider was living outside the wire.

A review of the board decision concluded that the decision to release Brider was “reasonable” based on the information available at the time.

The Corrections review determined the actions of department staff “neither caused nor could have prevented this offending”.

However, “a number of steps” have been taken to strengthen its processes.

Joseph James Brider (left) with family members. His family have not spoken about his offending. Photo / Supplied

The Pathway Trust was the organisation that took Brider on when was released.

Pathway is a registered charity that delivers reintegration services to prisoners as part of its philosophy of “supporting the most vulnerable in the community”.

The Supreme Court has ruled there is “legitimate public interest” in naming Pathway, pointing out there was no “wrongdoing” by the organisation in relation to the recidivist offender.

It had been working with Brider – known to be “a high-risk offender with complex needs” – in prison since June 2021 as part of an intensive rehabilitation programme.

The organisation was granted permanent suppression in the High Court at Christchurch but the Herald successfully appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal and the details were published in 2024.

“Pathway has no connection with Mr Brider’s offending,” said Justice Forrest Miller.

“We accept that decisions about Mr Brider’s accommodation, his release conditions and public notification ultimately rested with Corrections and the Parole Board.

“There may very well be nothing for which Pathway should be held accountable. But there is still a clear public interest in Pathway’s role, arising from its involvement in Corrections processes and its work with Mr Brider.”

Juliana Herrera was 37 when she died. She had moved to New Zealand from Colombia. Photo / Supplied

Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame will today begin the last of the investigations into Herrera’s death.

The inquest in the Christchurch District Court is set to run for two weeks, during which time the coroner will hear evidence from witnesses on about 20 issues.

The issues relate to Brider’s pre-release period, release, post-release accommodation and management.

Coroner Cunninghame will look closely at the requirement for Brider to disclose to his probation officer as early as possible “details of any intimate relationship which commenced, resumed or terminated”.

She will canvass how that was monitored and whether the requirement of Brider to self-report was “misplaced in that it left unknowing women exposed to undue risk”.

She will also probe his electronic monitoring and “why was there no urgent response when Brider left his property on the night of the murder”, and whether the community should have been informed of his presence and previous offending.

Coroner Cunninghame will then consider whether comments or recommendations should be made in relation to any of the issues that could prevent similar tragedies from happening in future.

Herrera was born and raised in Colombia but moved to New Zealand about 10 years before her death, looking for a safer, calmer life.

Her sister Saray Bonilla earlier told the Herald that their home area was rife with assaults, robberies and violent crime, and Herrera wanted a future free from danger.

Juliana moved to Christchurch for a safer life. Photo / Facebook

She chose Christchurch, and her dream came true – she was happy and secure, not scared or worried.

“Juliana was a woman with a great heart – always looking after her mum and very proud to be an aunty,” said Bonilla.

“It didn’t matter how her mood was, she always gave people a big smile.

“Juliana was a gentle, considerate and kind person. She could seem introverted and reserved, but once you got to know her, you realised she was very cheerful and kind-hearted.

“She was always willing to help. Her love filled our hearts.”

Bonilla said talking about her slain sister was “really hard”.

“It has been one of the most difficult moments of our lives,” she said.

Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 19 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz