NZ Woman Accused of Killing Mother After Stealing Cash for Crypto Investment

[cryptoenthusiast]

Wild and tragic case out of New Zealand.

Julia DeLuney, 53, is currently on trial, accused of murdering her 79-year-old mother, Helen Gregory, after allegedly stealing over NZD $50K (~$30K USD) of hidden cash to fund crypto investments.
🧾 Background:

Gregory reportedly didn’t trust banks, hiding money in plastic packets around her home.

In Sept 2023, she was hospitalized after a fall. During that time, Julia and her husband stayed at the house.

When Gregory returned, she noticed the house in poor shape and money missing — specifically $51K NZD.

The Crypto Angle:

When confronted, Julia allegedly admitted she had invested the money in cryptocurrency.

She later emailed her mother saying the investment had “profited” over $160K — but she now needed $18K in fees to withdraw.

Experts testified this was likely part of a common crypto scam playbook, with fake withdrawal fees and fake returns.

Financial Trail:

Analyst Eric Huang testified Julia had spent $93K on crypto between Jan 2023–Jan 2024, while only earning ~$55K, mostly from family.

By early 2024, her investments were reportedly $41K in the red.

🩸 The Death & Investigation:

Gregory was found dead at home in Jan 2024, two days after the email.

Julia claims Gregory fell from the attic.

But forensic details didn’t line up: police found blood on walls/floor, clumps of hair, and multiple inconsistencies in Julia’s timeline and clothing changes.

Prosecutors allege she staged the scene to look like an accident.

🧠 Takeaways:

This goes beyond a typical scam story. It's a chilling reminder of how crypto-fueled desperation, financial mismanagement, and fraud can lead to unthinkable consequences.

Also highlights the scam tactics still circulating — fake profits, fake fees, false urgency — often targeting the vulnerable or misinformed.

Anyone else seeing more of these high-stakes personal cases tied to crypto losses? The human cost behind some of these numbers is becoming harder to ignore.
#crypto #scam #coin #cryptocurrency