Her appeal follows police announcing a $100,000 reward in October for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for her father's death. The reward will last until Jan. 25, police said.
Easton grew up in Waitara, Taranaki, before his telecommunications career took him to Auckland with his wife and five children, police said in the statement.
Marie Easton said she remembers her father's smile and blue eyes.
“He was a good father and worked hard to give us what we needed,” she said
“The fun revolved around the simple things in life, going to the beach, barbecues, family and good friends.
“Dad was always interested in what we were doing and what was going on in our lives, he was always there to talk to.”
Patrick Easton is quoted as saying his father was intelligent with strong values and a great sense of humor.
“He instilled in all of us a strong belief that we can be successful at whatever we set our minds to.
“He taught us to always do the right thing, and he would have loved to have seen and participated in the lives of his eight grandchildren and soon to be five great-grandchildren.”
He said her father's death had “taken a lot of joy out of our lives.”
“Whoever came to our house that night doesn’t deserve anyone’s protection. My father did not deserve to die the way he did that night, and carrying that burden of knowledge on his shoulders is a huge thing.”
Three people, whose names and occupations were suppressed, were charged earlier this year with perverting the course of justice in connection with Hall's conviction. Judge Matthew Downs last month set a trial date for the trio of February 23, 2026.
Easton and his two teenage sons were attacked by an intruder with a bayonet in October 1985.
He was stabbed in the liver and died of blood loss after emergency responders arrived on the scene.
The murder weapon and a wool hat were all left at the scene by the suspected killer, described as a tall, broad Māori man.
Alan Hall, who was later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, was targeted by police two months later because he possessed a bayonet and cap similar to those found at the crime scene and was in the area at the time of the attack went for a walk in the area.
An extensive police interview of Hall followed and he was charged with murder.
The attacker's description and key witness statements from a man living in the area at the time were allegedly kept secret by police, and in 1986 a jury found Hall guilty.
In 2022, Hall's conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court, which found that key evidence in his trial had been “significantly altered.”
The next year, the government agreed to pay out $4,933,725.75 as compensation for Hall's time in prison.
After the compensation was resolved, four further separate investigations were underway, including two by police to determine whether anyone in the organization had committed a crime by tampering with evidence, and one by the Attorney General into the Crown's role in the significantly botched prosecution .
In August, police announced they were charging the trio, issuing search warrants and serving the men with citations.
“Three men have been summoned and will be charged with murder for their role in Mr Hall’s conviction,” said Assistant Police Commissioner (Investigations) Paul Basham.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact police via a dedicated telephone number on 0800 GROVE 1985 (0800 47683 1985) or by email at [email protected]
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