The former wife of Arthur Allan Thomas has died, having endured nearly 40 years' speculation that she was somehow involved in one of the country's most enduring murder mysteries.
Vivien Harrison, who divorced Mr Thomas while he was in jail for the murders of south Auckland farmers Harvey and Jeanette Crewe, lost her battle with cancer in Queensland yesterday, One News reported.
Mr Thomas was twice convicted of killing the Crewes at their South Auckland farm in 1970. He was pardoned 10 years later and compensated for his time in prison.
No one else has ever been charged over the deaths.
Mrs Harrison last year wrote to Justice Minister Simon Power, asking that he reopen the case to clear her name.
Her uncle Pat Vesey told One News she never got over the false accusation against her former husband.
"For 40 years people whispered that she must have been the mystery woman in the case. And of course she wasn't. And the police knew it too.
"It had a lot to do with her illness. I'm sure the stress of trying to get listened to and trying to clear her name had a lot to do with it," Mr Vesey said.
