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More than three years after the headless torso of a Canterbury man was found in a car boot, his murderer has been sentenced.
Michael Scott Rodger, 49, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the High Court at Christchurch on Friday for murdering Richard Leman, 41, in Rangiora on April 11, 2023.
Rodger will not be eligible for parole for 17 years. At his trial in March, the jury accepted Rodger had fatally shot Leman at a friend’s home. The jurors took two days to reach the unanimous guilty verdict following a four-week trial.
The Crown argued Rodger shot Leman twice — once in the thigh and once in the chest — at a property on Andrew St in Rangiora.
Leman’s torso was found in the car boot at an abandoned house on Tyler St, Rangiora, about a week after he disappeared. Only the torso has been recovered.
After being found guilty, Rodger’s criminal past was revealed, including one case in which he introduced a 14-year-old girl to prostitution, took her money, gave her morphine and had sex with her.
On Friday, Justice Jonathan Eaton deemed Rodger was the one who dismembered Leman, The Press reported.
The Press reported more than 10 victim impact statements were made explaining the impact the murder had on Leman’s family.
One of Leman’s sons, who was 8 at the time of his death, provided a statement.
“I was only 8 when my dad died. It’s not fair and I’m really angry,” Leman’s son said.
“I can’t do anything with my dad now, not even talk to him. I’ve been texting him for three years hoping he will text back.
Police also issued a statement on Friday afternoon on behalf of Leman’s family.
“There are no words that can truly describe the pain our family has lived with since Richard was taken from us,” it read.
“Over the years, we have tried to come to terms with an unimaginable loss, but one of the hardest realities is that Richard is still not fully home. We are still missing parts of him. How do you say goodbye when you are still waiting for your loved one to be returned to you? How do you find peace knowing part of the person you love is still missing? That is a burden our family will carry forever.
“Today brings a court process to an end, but it does not end our grief. No sentence can bring Richard back. No punishment can undo what happened. Nothing can restore the future that was stolen from him or the years of memories our family has lost. When we leave this courtroom, Richard will still be gone.
“We will still face birthdays, Christmases and family gatherings without him. There will always be an empty place where he should be.
Richard’s death has left deep scars on every member of our family. We have carried grief, trauma, sadness, anger and unanswered questions for years. There have been days when simply getting through was all we could manage.
“Yet through all of this, one thing has never changed: our love for Richard.
“He was far more than a court case or a headline. He was a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a family member and a friend. He was loved, he mattered, and he deserved so much more.
“His children were robbed of years with their dad. Our family was robbed of years with Richard. He was robbed of the future he should have had. Instead, we have all been left with a loss that can never be replaced.
“Throughout this process, there has also been another source of enormous frustration and hurt for our family. The man accused, and ultimately convicted, of Richard’s murder was granted name suppression and significant legal protections around information about his extensive criminal history.
“We understand that the justice system has rules designed to protect the fairness of a trial. But from the perspective of Richard’s family, it was incredibly difficult to watch so much care being taken to protect the rights of the man accused of taking Richard’s life.
“At times, it felt as though the person accused of Richard’s murder was being protected while Richard and our family were left to carry the consequences. Richard had no protection from what was done to him. Richard had no opportunity to defend himself afterwards. And Richard had no voice in that courtroom except through the evidence, the Crown, and the people who loved him.”
The family thanked the jury, who they say “saw through the lies and ultimately convicted him (Rodger) of Richard’s murder”.
“Despite those protections, and despite the lies and explanations put before them, the jury listened carefully to the evidence. They saw through the lies and ultimately convicted him of Richard’s murder. For our family, that verdict mattered enormously.
“Twelve members of the community heard the evidence, rejected his account, and held him accountable for taking Richard’s life. He entered that courtroom as the accused. He left it a convicted murderer.
“After years of waiting, Richard finally had justice. But justice does not make our family whole.
“There is something our family feels very strongly about, and we want it placed clearly on the record. Richard’s missing remains have never been returned to us. We have had to live knowing that parts of someone we love are still missing. That is a cruelty that did not end with Richard’s murder. It continues every single day. How can a family truly lay someone to rest when all of them has not been returned? Until every part of Richard that can be recovered is brought home to his family, we do not believe the person convicted of murdering him should ever be granted parole.
“Our family has been given a life sentence. We will live for the rest of our lives without Richard and with the knowledge that parts of him are still somewhere out there. There should be no freedom while Richard is still not fully home.
“It would be extraordinarily difficult for our family to accept that the person who took Richard’s life could one day walk free while we are still waiting to bring the rest of Richard home.
“Parole would allow him to move forward with his life. Richard never got that opportunity. His children never got their father back. His parents never got their son back. His siblings never got their brother back. And our family still has not been given the dignity of having all of Richard returned to us so that he can finally, completely, be laid to rest.
“We ask that whenever parole is considered in the future, Richard’s missing remains and the continuing suffering their absence causes our family are never forgotten.
“To the Canterbury Police, especially Tania, Dan, James and Peggy, and everyone involved in the investigation, thank you for never giving up on Richard and for supporting our family through the darkest period of our lives.
“You carried out an incredibly difficult investigation and continued searching for answers when our family desperately needed them. We will never forget what you did for Richard and for us.
“To Sean, Barnaby and the Crown team, thank you for giving Richard a voice when he could no longer speak for himself. Thank you for the work, commitment and care that went into bringing this case before the jury and seeking justice for Richard.
“To His Honour Judge Eaton and the jury, thank you for listening and for recognising that behind all of the evidence was a person who was loved and who should still be here.
“To the jury in particular, thank you for the responsibility you carried. You listened to the evidence, saw through the lies and returned the verdict that finally held Richard’s murderer accountable.
“To everyone who supported our family, thank you.
“Every message, phone call, hug and act of kindness mattered more than you will ever know. Your support helped carry us when we didn’t have the strength to carry ourselves. There is no neat ending to this story. The court case may be over. The headlines will eventually fade. But our family will never stop missing Richard.
“We cannot bring him back. We cannot recover the years that were taken from him. And until Richard’s missing remains are returned, our family cannot even have the small comfort of knowing that all of him is finally home. What we can do is ensure he is never forgotten.
“While this chapter may be closing, our commitment to Richard’s memory never will.
“We will continue to honour him by speaking his name, sharing his stories, and remembering the man he was.
“He was a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a family member and a friend.
“We cannot change what happened to Richard, but we can ensure that what happened does not define who he was.
“He will remain in our hearts, in our conversations and in our lives for as long as we are here.”
-Allied Media