Parole denied for man who killed estranged wife

File photo / NZ Herald

A man convicted of the murder of his estranged wife, whose body has never been found, has again been denied parole.

James Herbert Dahlberg, now in his 19th year in prison, maintains his innocence and has refused to say where the body of his estranged wife Ann Urquhart lies.

Ms Urquhart was thought to have been killed in October 1991.

In 1992, Dahlberg was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.

The conviction was made largely on circumstantial evidence, after police saw Dahlberg in the area where Ms Urquhart's bloodstained clothes were found in the Golden Downs Forest, south of Nelson.

He became eligible for parole in October 2001, and has appeared before the Parole Board on numerous occasions.

Dahlberg, 69, appeared before the board on May 31 at an undisclosed location.

In its report on the hearing, issued today, the board said its members began their discussion with Dahlberg by telling him the views of the family of his victim.

"Their views remain unchanged. They have pleaded for information about where the body of his victim lies so that this can be recovered and buried thereby bringing closure to family members who still grieve for her.

"This was put very strongly to him... He said he was unable to help us. He was not aware of where she was buried or what had happened to her. He maintains his innocence."

The board said it had passed on to him the concerns of the family: they were concerned about his ability to access guns, about his temper and vindictiveness and they worry about him and his behaviour were he to be released.

Dahlberg told the board he would like parole to be reconsidered in six months' time.

The board said it said the latest psychological report assessed Dahlberg as being at low/moderate risk of re-offending.

"The risk, it is said, still hovers around domestic issues for him were he to form new relationships. That is a reminder to ourselves the care that is needed in thinking about release for this man."

The latest report had also talked about Dahlberg's "lack of insight, tangential thought processes, inflexible thinking style and apparent impression management".

"All those things are apparent to us today," the board said. "Mr Dahlberg has difficulty in answering a straight question and tends to follow his thought processes wherever they might lead him."

The board said it would support continuing temporary releases, and would see him again in six months to reassess his position.

It also said it appeared there was nothing to be gained by pressing Dahlberg to either admit his guilt or to indicate where the body of the victim may be found.

"Those are matters of very great distress to family members and we understand that. We do not think we can take that any further however."

- NZPA