“There will be people in the community who know who killed Arthur Easton.”

Arthur Easton was murdered in 1985, but the search for his killer continues.
Photo: Supplied / Police

The private investigator who helped prove Alan Hall’s innocence believes others know the identity of Arthur Easton’s real killer.

The nearly 40-year-old case was reopened after Hall, originally convicted of murder, had his conviction overturned.

Easton, 52, was stabbed to death by an intruder who broke into his Papakura home in October 1985.

Police are now offering a $100,000 reward to anyone with information leading to a conviction, as well as immunity for anyone who helped or protected the killer.

Tim McKinnel
Photo: RNZ/Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Tim McKinnell, a private investigator who worked on the Hall case, believed there were people in the Papakura community who knew the killer’s identity.

“It is certainly true that there will be people in the community who know who killed Arthur Easton,” he said.

“In our work in reviewing and executing Alan’s wrongful conviction case, we have formed our own views about what may have happened and, of course, there is the possibility that other people were involved with the main offender.”

He said police are keeping Hall and his family informed as the investigation continues.

“Alan is very aware of what is going on, he and his family have had a good relationship with the police over the last 12 or 18 months and have been kept up to date and informed of what the police are doing,” he said. .

“Alan really wants Arthur Easton’s killer to be caught. It’s an incredibly painful situation to be in prison for a murder you didn’t commit, knowing that the person who did will not be held accountable. This is an opportunity to find who killed Arthur and bring him to justice.”

But McKinnell said it would be difficult for police to investigate the murder so long after it was committed.

“When you’re trying to solve a murder that happened almost 40 years ago, it’s a complex investigation by its very nature,” he said.

“It won’t be easy, but it is possible, and police obviously believe offering a reward is an appropriate tactic.”