Ben Smart & Olivia Hope : The Case That Divided New Zealand

On New Year’s Day 1998, Ben Smart and Olivia Hope disappeared from a Marlborough Sounds boat party and were never seen again. Scott Watson was convicted of their murders despite no bodies ever being found, and the case has remained deeply controversial. This episode revisits how the investigation unfolded, the key points of dispute over evidence and witness accounts, and the ongoing debate over whether justice was served. Sources: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/doubt-the-scott-watson-case https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/doubt-the-scott-watson-case-2016 https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/murder-on-the-blade-2003 https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Olivia-What-Really-Happened-ebook/dp/B00MCYTOGI https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Silent-evidence-Inside-police-search/dp/1869413865 https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Marlborough_Mystery.html?id=TNkqAAAACAAJ https://natlib.govt.nz/records/21724557 https://books.google.com/books/about/Trial_by_Trickery.html?id=jhCJtgAACAAJ https://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Explosive-Watson-Disappearance-Olivia/dp/0994106467 https://www.amazon.com/Elementary-2-0-Unreleased-Police-Evidence/dp/0994106475 https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/572644/scott-watson-loses-bid-to-quash-convictions-as-court-rules-he-had-a-fair-trial https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/519245/scott-watson-appeal-forensic-scientist-s-technique-personal-preferences-questioned https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/519697/decision-on-scott-watson-appeal-could-take-months-judge https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/06/14/crown-says-watson-is-the-only-one-who-could-have-killed-pair/ https://tvnz-1-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/2024/06/13/scott-watson-appeal-photo-influenced-witness-lawyer-says/ This Week’s Episode Brought To You By: Boxie - Odor Control Probiotic Cat Litter - 30% off with code LOVEMURDER at boxiecat.com/LOVEMURDER Find LOVE MURDER online: Website: lovemurder.love Instagram: @lovemurderpod Twitter: @lovemurderpod Facebook: LoveMrdrPod TikTok: @LoveMurderPod Patreon: /LoveMurderPod Credits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-Hoffman See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .