Very little has been written about Dianne Heather Demler. What we do know is her birth date of 21 January 1942; she goes by her middle name of Heather; she went to school at Pukekawa then St Cuthbert’s; left school and became an air hostess in New Zealand, then her life changed . . .
Much to her mother’s dismay Heather became involved with a divorced American [Update: According to Ancestry.com Robert Burns Souter was b. NZ, 10 August 1933] named Bob Souter who had three children from a previous marriage.
According to other sources, Souter was also an undischarged bankrupt, a situation that must have gone down like a lead balloon with Maisie and we imagine, after much heated discussion and bitterness, she subsequently changed her will and disinherited her daughter, Dianne Heather.
David Yallop later made other serious claims that added to the stress but he initially wrote that Maisie was a very high-principled woman who, unlike many, apparently lived by her principles and expected her children to do the same:
“In July 1969 she changed her will, cutting her daughter Heather off from every single cent. Not even an item of her jewellery was to go to her younger daughter. The Reason? Heather had ‘married’ a divorced man named Robert Souter. As a father of three and an undischarged bankrupt, Maisie did not consider him the ideal husband for one of her children.”
Can you imagine how Heather felt? With one foul swoop of the pen Heather lost the bulk of her inheritance through her mother’s ruthless action of basically teaching her wayward daughter a bitter lesson.
Yallop went on to say that the favouring of children “burst into bitter acrimony” with Len subsequently changing his will by cutting Jeannette out and then leaving half of his property to Heather.
He continues: “So once again the two sisters were destined for half-share each in a superb farm, Len and Maisie Demler’s.” But these feelings went much deeper than that, so deep that anyone with a sense of getting her own back would surely want to get even.
That stark piece of reality could well lead to further bitterness of debate over the division of Maisie’s will.
KNOWN TO ALL FAMILY MEMBERS
Just think about it. Right from the start, the Chennell Estate business matters, in my opinion, would be known to all family members–Chennell, Demler, Hodgson, Sturrock and others–the others being people whose names are yet to be mentioned.
In the past I have tried to stay clear of Diane Heather Demler because of what appeared to be her non-involvement on related family matters. This is against all odds and could not be true.
Heather, born in January 1942, would have been 19 years of age in 1961 and would have been aware of her father’s IRD hassle over tax matters. Also in 1961 on the death of Alfred Hodgson (the special trustee to her and Jeannette’s estate), the legal processes would probably have given the girls full details of most, if not all, of the business dealings of the Chennells family.
At the age of 19, long distance communication would have occurred and would have been possible by Telex, Airmail and International toll calls. This basically means that all family members would have been aware of all business transactions, especially valuable as Len would have been looking for an alibi.
NEVER PUT IN THE HOT SEAT
In the past, the media and authors of a number of books printed before and after the year 2000, have pussyfooted around the issue of putting Heather Demler in the hot seat to ask awkward and perhaps embarrassing questions.
One has to be careful of what one says about underhand dealings, but one can be sure where there is money around (and lots of it) to think that Heather was totally ‘out of it’ is naive.
So why did Dianne Heather Demler fade into the background?
To be brutally honest, it suited her perfectly. She wasn’t really prepared to take any risks or put herself in a position of having to tell the truth. It is obvious to me that Heather wanted to keep a low profile.
Fortunately for her she was never officially asked to come forward on any matter so avoided having to give any information and if pressed I’m sure she would have given a “don’t know” answer–a reaction that was on par with her father’s later replies in court of “that is right” or “something like that”. This is what she told Police at the time she returned to New Zealand after the murders. Like her father, all she had to do was to keep her head down and to keep a still tongue.
FURTHER SCRUTINY NEEDED
As pointed out in previous chapters, there were a number of irregularities that need further scrutiny.
First the final transactions with Sections 67 & 68, the seemingly “forgotten” sections off Frost Road that Jeannette had inherited on 7 July 1965 as a mortgage. The same procedure was followed nearly 18 months later, on 23 February 1967, to transfer the remaining half share to Heather Demler as her entitlement upon reaching the age of 25 years.
It should be remembered that these sections were transferred from the joint interest of Colin Sturrock and Len Demler who were also trustees of the Chennells Estate.
The next action involving Dianne Heather Demler came on 18 August 1971 when her interest was transferred to Sturrock & Monteith Securities Ltd just 14 months after the murder of her sister Jeannette. More about that later.
Observant readers will have noticed that Heather was still using her maiden name on legal documents of 1967 and 1971. While this may be common nowadays, back then it probably meant that, at these points, she was yet to marry Robert Burns Souter. Have other investigators and writers jumped to conclusions by assuming that they were actually married, when they weren’t?
Greetings from South Africa again Dennis, I presume you are aware of
the fact that Robert Burns Souter was born 10 August 1933 in New
Zealand and died there 29 March 2007, son to William Burns Souter
(1898 – 1979), and Barbara Mary, nee Linell, (1902 – 1986), per the
undermentioned entry at Ancestry.com public trees – which also gives
photos of his parents? Where does the USA connection come in, but
it fits with the children mentioned including Mark (1961 – 2008),
presumably by 1st wife and 2 other children? Then 2 kids by 2nd wife,
Heather Is this the correct guy? Glad that the research continuing …
The 1940 US federal census is online and the 1950 census becoming
available from April this year.
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/117779990/person/220170187599/facts?_phsrc=wIK2&_phstart=successSource
Death certificate reference:
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/Search/Search?Path=querySubmit.m%3fReportName%3dDeathSearch%26recordsPP%3d30#SearchResults
I will be pleased to help with any future suggestions / research etc?
Kind regards, Neil + Shaggy (Old English Sheepdog, male, 6), South Africa.
Dennis, just located Heather’s California 12 July 1969
marriage in the indexes per hereunder, did you know of it?
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2214046:1144
US city directories:
1971, San Jose, California – with Heather attached:
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1449672366:2469
1973, ditto:
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1429632910:2469
and in 1993 was in Dallas:
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/31601647:1788
I see Heather had Tanya, 18 March 1971 – in June 1970
she’d have just been pregnant – California birth indexes
– can’t locate any other kids in birth indexes to 1995:
https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12002978:5247?_phsrc=wIK5&_phstart=successSource&gsln=Souter&ml_rpos=1&queryId=329241c1141fc1b840fd1e9c343209bf
Best regards, Neil + Shaggy.
Dennis, I see in IFTB it is stated Robert Souter as being American – no way, born 10 August 1933 New Zealand – also of course he was declared bankrupt 26 August 1966 per 1 September 1966 N.Z. Gov. Gazette: P.1422, top right of page, labourer, then resident of 12 Spencer St, Takapuna …I am sure he schlepped over to America shortly thereafter where he married Heather July 1969 in California as forementioned – as to how they met, well, a story for another day I suppose. Robert was variously in NZ per online electoral rolls, and per US directories, in California and Dallas for a bit. Unhappily there is a 75 year privacy rule to accessing US ships’ passenger lists (and doubtless by the 1960’s – airline entry lists), unless one brings a Freedom of Information application so …certainly Souter was resident in Ca. after 1 September 1966 and before marriage 12 July 1969 so a fairly narrow date range – it is likely they returned shortly after marriage to NZ to check out Heather’s family where Maisie would have met him and sized him up too …interesting that Souter’s father was an MBE and that “Ondine” now has the Souter public family tree complete with parent’s photos on Ancestry.com.
Still digging, Neil + Shaggy.
Dennis you might wish to add the fact that Heather and Robert married 12 July 1969 in San Jose, California, a mere 6 days before Maisie changed her will and that the police 2014 review even got THAT wrong and said 1968 – despite the fact that California marriage indexes 1960 -> 1985 were even then online and that it would have been simple to look it up, and Robert’s death date in NZ of 29 March 2007 as well per Ondine’s Ancestry.com public family tree.
Interesting, 1966 NZ Gazette cites him as labourer, 2014 police review car salesman, yet by the 1980’s on he’s suddenly a director of companies, together with his daughter – I wonder whether his father (d. 1979) or others helped him!
Trust you got the references with Ondine’s photo?
Additionally, Heather COULD have left NZ after Maisie’s funeral yet Robert stayed behind – certainly NZ seems to have been Robert’s preferred place despite being in the US from at least 1969 -> 1993 it seems!
But caveat here, as daur. Tanya born 18 March 1971, she would have been conceived almost exactly the time of death of the Crewes – assuming, that is, that specifically 9 months almost exactly the normal human gestation period! Relevant or not?
Great work Neil. Thanks!
:} :} :} :} :} Oh also found that US military records are released / available to
the public … 62 years later by their National Archives, sighs, so unless one
has high up contacts who could help, stuck there too for 10 more years …
even if the military recruit has croaked meantime. Hm, continuing thought
processes ….apparantly Robert’s father got his MBE for services to the
community only a couple of years before he died…best, Neil + Shaggy.
Thanks Neil
Military movements documented and released in only eight years? Woah! This makes it a drop in the ocean compared to the 50+ years so far. Fortunately there are other corroborating factors and the application of common sense. Why wait when you can put it all together now and the facts may never be released anyway? Corruption can go deep, as President Trump and his team are reputedly finding out as they try to tackle it!
Scary to think that Heathers daughter Tania was born almost to the day, 9 months after Jeannette and Harvey’s Murders.. Just 1 day over 9 months.
Thanks for chipping in here Laura. Funny too, if you compare the repeated Police position that they (actually he) was out of the country at the time with this birth date reality and more. Who got the loot at the end of the day? And which couple was never put on the stand ever while every other man and his dog were? One of John’s big questions was Bob’s real whereabouts at the time of the murders and what proof was it that the Police story was for real. My take, behind a .22 pistol at Pukekawa, and none. It seems evident to me that the plan was to get Bob back to the USA ASAP and hold off discovery until his alibi was strong. A mistake overlooking the milk bottles and underestimating the investigative skills they were up against put the kaibosh on that one but it all makes sense why Len made the phone call when he did – and when he let the balloon go up when Bob & Heather were safely back together in the USA, as you say making Tania! My understanding is that the US Military records will naturally come up for declassification in a few years . . . expect these records to be ‘missing’ for the relevant days just as were the photos of the Bader Drive pub that were hooked out of the Mangere Historical society by Andy Lovelock and his team in the first days of his review. Cheers!