By MONIQUE DEVEREUX and NZPA
The family of murdered Arrowtown woman Maureen McKinnel were surprised by a sudden guilty plea yesterday, but were already confident Jarrod Allen Mangels would be convicted.
Mangels was 15 when he strangled his neighbour and family friend, 38-year-old Ms McKinnel, on Boxing Day in 1987.
He dumped her naked body over the Arrow River Junction Bridge, where it was discovered five days later.
The murder shocked the small South Island community and the case became one of New Zealand's great unsolved murders until Mangels was arrested and charged last year.
The 31-year-old last week pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial in the High Court at Invercargill. But yesterday morning, after lengthy conferring between lawyers in the judge's chambers, the charge was put to Mangels again.
He cleared his throat before answering "guilty".
Last night, Ms McKinnel's sister, Audrey Fergusson, said the family had not been warned of the development but were in court to hear the admission. It came as a great relief.
"We are delighted, elated, happy to finally have a closure. That's about it," she said.
"After the compelling evidence on Friday ... well, we were surprised he pleaded guilty but to us it was really a clear-cut case anyway."
Giving evidence on Friday, Robin Spencer, a friend of the Mangels family, said he had been concerned about long scratches he saw on the accused's arms in the days after the murder.
Mangels had told him the marks were made by a cat. But last month - almost a year after Mangels was arrested - Mr Spencer went to police and said he thought they may have been made by Ms McKinnel as she fought for her life.
He said he had not come forward earlier because he did not know Ms McKinnel had been strangled.
Mangels' lawyer, John Sandston, had been instructed by his client not to comment on the change of plea yesterday. He had earlier said the murder charge would be "strenuously defended".
The basis of the Crown's case was a DNA test that matched the material found under Ms McKinnel's fingernails with Mangels' DNA profile.
Since the murder, Mangels had carried on with a life of crime.
He was jailed in 1994 for committing aggravated robbery and grievous bodily harm in Invercargill.
He later moved to Nelson and also came to the attention of police, notably for turning his home into "one massive dope plot".
Since Ms McKinnel's death her parents have also died, as has Mangels' father.
Mrs Fergusson said the family were not doing anything special to celebrate last night, except "maybe we'll have a quiet drink".
Mangels was remanded for sentence in April.
The story so far
Boxing Day, 1987: Maureen McKinnel, 38, is strangled at Arrowtown and her body is dumped over the Arrow River Junction Bridge.
March 24, 2003: Jarrod Allen Mangels is arrested after his DNA profile matches material found under Miss McKinnel's fingernails.
February 9, 2004: Mangels goes on trial in the High Court at Invercargill for murder
Murder victim's family elated at plea change
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