"Moon Killer"
pp. 38-41 · Read in the full issue
Panic Over "Moon Killer"
From “PlM’s” Noumea Correspondent Noumea women who had been a panic stations since the discovery, oi October 27, of the naked, batterei body of Jocelyne Accarie in her smal suburban flat, quit them only when < 28-year-old man was detained in con nection with the case in earl ] November.
THERE were certain similarities ii the murder of 24-year-ok Jocelyne and that of a marriec woman two months previously, anc when someone discovered that hot! crimes had taken place at the time of the new moon, rumour took wing The assassin au claire de lune be came the chief topic of conversation Police were deluged with telephone calls reporting mysterious prowlers There was also an avalanche of re quests for pistol licences.
As soon as it was dark, women barred doors and windows and re fused to go out; and, whether by co incidence or not, a local newspapei ran an advertisement for automatic “protection pistols” with two clips of ammunition free.
To add to the general panic, the local TV station found nothing better to run than a thriller depicting the adventures of a mysterious killer with three strangulations to his credit.
After the worst of the tension had eased old residents began to com ment angrily on the fact that both the victim and the young man who was detained are new-comers to New Caledonia.
New Caledonians are still insular and are sometimes vocal on the pro portion of people entering this country who don’t measure up to what is regarded as desirable.
The Metropolitan Frenchman and the New Caledonian Frenchman don’t always agree on this, but certainly our stream of post-war migrants has included a few ugly customers—a few drug smugglers and at least one internationally known white-slave operator.
NO HELP. A New Guinean who stole a Supreme Court judge’s reading glasses because he thought they would help him to read was fined £lO at Port Moresby Police Court.
Naoni Morer, a Supreme Court cleaner, pleaded guilty to stealing the glasses from Mr. Justice Frost, who had left them on a desk in his chambers. Naoni can't read, police said.
PILOT. Miss Beryl Young, 28, of Sydney, is in the British Solomons for the next 12 months, flying her Avis Piper Aztec on a geophysical survey for the UN Special Fund. Two other Australian charter aircraft and pilots are taking part. The survey will help locate minerals.
MARRIED. Mr. and Mrs. H. L. R. Niall, photographed in Sydney in October following their recent marriage. Mr. Niall, of La[?] NG, is Speaker of the Papua-New Guinea House of Assembl[?]
MARRIED. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Oldehaver and their wedding group, following their marriage in Apia recently. The bride, Phoebe, is daughter of leading West Samoan businessman Emile Fabricius.—Photo: H. Straube.
People In Pictures
RABAUL ART SHOW. More than 200 entries were received for the Rabaul Art Show, [?]ow recognised as the Leading New Guinea [?]rt exhibition. A judge was flown from Sydney to decide the Here, Ines Best and Beverly Wetherall admire some of the work. —Photo: Max Hayes.
FIJI POLICE REVIEW. These police dogs and their handlers added to the colour when the Governor of Fiji, Sir Derek Jakeway, reviewed part of the Fiji Police Force in Suva in October. Colonial Long Service Medals were presented, at the review, to Inspector Narain Nair Panikar and Corporal Akuila Ravuci. —Photo: Rob Wright.