Who Killed Scott Guy? by Mike White Read Free Book Online

Macdonald remained in touch and continued hunting. They also worked at a tourist attraction, a maze near Marton, where they were employed to scare visitors. In March 2010 Boe shifted to Queenstown to be closer to his brother, Reon, and take up a building job.
    Armed with Crutchley’s information, police began investigating Boe’s movements around the time of the arson and vandalism, and especially how they fitted in with those of Macdonald. While both Macdonald and Boe had admitted poaching deer on a farm near Himatangi owned by Graham Sexton and on one occasion near Taihape, they denied having anything to do with the crimes against Scott and Kylee—and their alibi for the time of the vandalism seemed particularly convincing: they were driving up the North Island to deliver a load of furniture for a former farm worker.
    But when police went back and checked Macdonald’s and Boe’s bank and phone records, it raised doubts about their story. At the time they claimed to have been heading to Ruakaka in Northland, EFTPOS transactions actually showed they were still in Feilding—around the time the vandalism was believed to have occurred. Moreover, phone records showed a call between the two just before the arson of the old house was noticed—a time when Macdonald had insisted he was at home in bed.
    But even if suspicion fell on the two for the arson and vandalism, it provided police with no clear connection to Scott’s death. Being firebugs and hooligans didn’t mean they were murderers. The fact that Boe was in Queenstown at the time of Scott’s death ruled out his involvement and just left them with 30-year-old Macdonald. But why would Macdonald—who’d flatted with Scott, chosen him to be his best man and managed the farm with him—have murdered him?
    On the surface it seemed unlikely, but as things clearly began to point in this direction, police delved back into Macdonald’s past, into the pair’s relationship, and began discovering disturbing undercurrents at the farm.

    Born on 5 June 1980, Macdonald was a typical Manawatu kid, loving the country and all the activities that took place there. ‘Looking back on my life now,’ Macdonald wrote later, ‘I couldn’t have asked for a better upbringing from my parents. Mum and Dad both worked and worked hard. I’d say that’s where my work ethics have come from.’
    Macdonald said the outdoors was in his blood because his father had such a passion for it. ‘As a child I don’t remember watching a lot of TV. I would rather be outside helping Dad. I think I would have been his shadow. We would dig the vege garden together or I would do the edges while he mowed the lawns. In the weekends we would often be found chasing pheasants around the countryside, walking up and down rivers or across farmland. Wherever Dad thought they might be hiding we were there to check it out. “Secret spot X” was the reply when Mum would ask where we were heading.’
    Due to his father’s patient teaching, Macdonald also learnt how to turn his hands to most jobs that needed to be done, in the way that seems to come naturally to rural guys. He got used to working from an early age, with jobs in a supermarket butchery and as a milk boy.
    Despite having asthma and suffering several broken bones along the way, Macdonald was good at sport—running, learning karate and making Feilding rugby teams through the age groups as a tough number 8. Later, a dislocated shoulder and other injuries would force him to give up the game, but he coached his children’s team.
    His parents were always strong sideline supporters and did anything to help their kids’ activities. ‘I recall being at high school and the running team was fundraising to head down south,’ Macdonald wrote. ‘We decided we would make pizzas and sell them. At the time, Dad was working at the local freezing works, so off he went with my pizza order form and after a week, I think he had sold 103 of the damn things. Then came