The last ‘Heavenly Creature’ takes her secrets to the grave
Hilary Nathan has died aged 88 on South Ronaldsay in Orkney, ending the life of Pauline Parker, who was convicted of murdering her mother in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1954. Her quiet death contrasts with the intense attention the case drew and the later public fascination with Parker and her accomplice, Juliet Hulme.
Parker and Hulme, then 16 and 15, killed Honorah Parker with a half-brick wrapped in a stocking and were each jailed for five-and-a-half years. After their release, both moved to Britain and changed their names: Hulme became crime writer Anne Perry, while Parker lived privately as Nathan, eventually settling in Orkney after journalists identified her. The case later inspired Peter Jackson’s 1994 film *Heavenly Creatures*.
In short
- Pauline Parker, later known as Hilary Nathan, has died aged 88.
- She and Juliet Hulme were convicted of killing Parker’s mother in 1954.
- Parker chose a private life after the case returned to public attention.
Explained simply
In 1954, Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme were teenagers in Christchurch, New Zealand. They killed Parker’s mother, Honorah, and were convicted of murder; both served five-and-a-half years in prison.
The case drew lasting attention partly because of the girls’ ages and the close friendship between them. It later inspired Peter Jackson’s film Heavenly Creatures, while Hulme went on to write crime novels under the name Anne Perry.
After prison, both women moved to Britain and changed their names. Parker became Hilary Nathan and lived privately in Orkney, while Hulme’s identity and writing career brought renewed public interest to the case.