Bain family murders

Uncommon card · No. 153391

On 20 June 1994, Robin and Margaret Bain and three of their four children – Arawa, Laniet, and Stephen – were shot to death in Dunedin, New Zealand. The only suspects were David Cullen Bain, the eldest son and only survivor, and Robin Bain, the father. David Bain, aged 22, was charged with five counts of murder. In May 1995, he was convicted on each of the five counts and sentenced to mandatory life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of sixteen years. David's case was taken up by businessman and former rugby player Joe Karam. In 2007, his legal team, guided by Karam, successfully appealed to the Privy Council, arguing that Robin Bain was involved in an incestuous relationship with one of his daughters. When this was about to be disclosed, he killed everyone in his family except David and then committed suicide. The Privy Council declared there had been a 'substantial miscarriage of justice'. Bain was released on bail in May 2007. The retrial in June 2009 ended with his acquittal...

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