New Zealand woman accused of stealing from elderly mother to invest in crypto, then allegedly killing her: report

A New Zealand woman accused of killing her elderly mother and making it look like she died from a fall, allegedly stole thousands of dollars from the victim in the months leading up to her death to invest in cryptocurrencies, according to local media.

Prosecutors said defendant Julia DeLuney, a 53-year-old former teacher, was in financial trouble at the time of her mother's death and spent her time trading cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. Analysis of DeLuney's bank accounts indicated she could not meet her expenses without tens of thousands of dollars in cash deposits, The New Zealand Herald reported on Tuesday.

The court previously heard that the alleged 79-year-old victim, Helen Gregory, told friends before her death that two large sums of money, including up to NZD 85,000 ($50,930) her daughter later admitted to investing in crypto, had gone missing.

Friend Cheryl Thomson testified that Gregory told her the money hidden at home had vanished. "She told me categorically, without any doubt, that the only person who knew that the money was there was Julia," Thomson said, adding that Gregory was upset her daughter took it without asking and claimed she invested it in crypto. "It's all safe mum, don't worry," Thomson recalled Gregory had told her when confronting DeLuney about it.

Another friend, Elizabeth Askin, estimated the amount taken was between NZD 75,000 and NZD 76,000 ($44,940 to $45,539).

Forensic analysis

On Tuesday, forensic accountant Eric Huang testified that DeLuney had transferred NZD 156,555 ($93,840) from her bank accounts to cryptocurrency platforms between January 2023 and January 2024, with only NZD 88,173 ($52,851) returned, leaving a NZD 68,382 ($40,989) shortfall. His report showed her main income came from crypto withdrawals, NZD 74,850 ($47,028) in cash deposits, and NZD 45,000 ($26,972) in bank transfers from Gregory.

For several months, "[DeLuney] did not have sufficient funds to support her spending without cash deposits," Huang said. However, he acknowledged under cross-examination that his analysis only covered DeLuney's bank transactions and didn't assess how her crypto investments performed.

The alleged murder happened on January 24, 2024, at Gregory's Khandallah home near Wellington. DeLuney's defense argues police had "tunnel vision" when focusing on her as the suspect and claims someone else killed Gregory while DeLuney left the home for 90 minutes to seek help after her mother fell from the attic. 

DeLuney's trial in Wellington continues.