Warning: potentially offensive content
Details of the Christchurch ‘house of horrors’ murders have emerged in court today, with Jason Paul Somerville found to have killed two women before having sex with them.
Somerville, 33, today pleaded guilty to the murder of the women, whose bodies were found underneath his Wainoni Rd house.
In the Christchurch District Court, he admitted killing his wife Rebecca Sara Somerville on August 30, and neighbour Tisha Lowry on September 25 last year.
He stood impassively as he entered early guilty pleas at an unscheduled appearance before Judge Graeme Noble.
Ms Lowry, who was known to him, had visited his home and was invited in by Somerville. Once inside, a struggle broke out.
In his anger, Somerville was said to have strangled her, despite her attempts to escape his clutches.
Once sure she was no longer breathing, he grabbed a loose pair of his wife's underwear, lodging them deep into her throat.
He stripped her and had sexual intercourse with Ms Lowry, then left the house to attend a pre-arranged meeting, leaving the body in an understairs cupboard.
Upon his return, about an hour later, he dragged Ms Lowry’s body into the crawl space beneath his house, cleaning thoroughly before his wife returned.
The following day, when home alone, he again violated Ms Lowry, before burying her in a shallow grave under the house.
A week later he gave a statement to police, saying Ms Lowry had knocked on his door looking for someone else.
They had begun chatting and he had invited her inside to discuss real estate agents working on the sale of his house.
He said she had gone to use the bathroom and when he found her rifling through bedroom cupboards, he asked her to leave.
Mrs Somerville was killed after she rejected numerous sexual advances. After being spurned, Somerville put her into a headlock and strangled her.
As in his previous attack, he thrust her underwear into her throat and committed sexual acts on her. He buried her under the house, next to Ms Lowry.
He contacted police, saying his wife was missing and he had contacted her friends and family, to no avail.
Four days after the murder, he contacted police to say he had found his wife's glasses and wedding ring in the letterbox, saying someone had placed them there overnight.
Under questioning, he admitted both murders.
A search of the house found two bodies, later identified as Ms Lowry and Mrs Somerville.
Somerville was remanded in custody until November 27 when he will appear for sentencing.
Pre-sentence and victim impact reports will be completed.
NZPA
source: newshub archive
