Media Release – Embargoed until Thursday 26 October 2017

Chasing Ghosts: NZ Herald Delves into Cold Case in New Podcast Series

26 October 2017 – NZME today releases its first true crime podcast series, Chasing Ghosts, about the investigation into the cold case disappearance of Amber-Lee Cruickshank in 1992.

Amber-Lee was just two and a half years old when she went missing from a house in Kingston, a small South Island town on the shore of lake Wakatipu. This month marks 25 years since her disappearance.

The most in-depth look at the case ever, Chasing Ghosts retraces the steps of the police investigation and provides exclusive new insights. It also contains interviews with people of interest to the police who have never spoken about the case before.

The six-part series is presented by the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB. It is available through nzherald.co.nz, newstalkzb.co.nz, iHeartRadio and iTunes.

Senior crime reporter Anna Leask is the lead journalist on the project. She researched and wrote it, and is the presenter. She approached Nicola Cruickshank, Amber-Lee’s mother, with the idea of reviewing the ongoing, open case in a podcast. She agreed.

Leask says the reason for putting this case under the microscope above others is simple. “We want to bring Amber-Lee home. She has been missing for 25 years and we hope that by bringing fresh attention, views and angles to this case, someone with information comes forward.”

The podcast series will be supported by a short documentary produced and directed by NZME multiple award-winning visual journalist Mike Scott, and a long-form feature piece across multiple New Zealand Herald platforms. Scott is also responsible for the powerful still photography and field recording of the podcast episodes.

NZME planning editor Chris Reed, who executive produced the project, says Chasing Ghosts is an example of how NZME is integrating platforms to provide the most in-depth journalism to New Zealand. “True crime podcasts are by no means a new method of delving deep into a case, but bringing together digital, radio, print and podcast components means we can reach a new level of storytelling, allowing New Zealanders to immerse themselves and follow along as Anna examines new perspectives.”

For more information visit the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB websites.

ENDS

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