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Hilary Nathan, born Pauline Parker, is a reclusive hermit who lives in south-east England. In 1954 she was convicted of the murder of her mother Honorah Rieper, which she committed with the help of her then best friend, Juliet Marion Hulme, at the age of 15. After Pauline's release from prison, she disappeared from public view, becoming a reclusive hermit, and living out a quiet life in a rural village in south-east England under the name Hilary Nathan.
Murder of Honorah Rieper
The incident
In June 1954 while they were 15, Pauline and her best Juliet murdered Parker's mother, Honorah Rieper. Juliet's parents were in the process of moving to South Africa to stay with a relative. The two teenage friends, who had created a fantasy life together with famous actors, did not want to be separated.
The girls went for a walk with Honorah Rieper in Victoria Park in their hometown of Christchurch. Pauline hit her mother with half a brick wrapped in a stocking. The pair had assumed that a single blow would kill Honorah, but it took over 20.
Trial
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Pauline and Juliet stood trial in that same year and were found guilty on 29 August. They were too young to be considered for the death penalty, so were convicted and sentenced to be "detained at Her Majesty's pleasure". They were released separately five years later. Juliet and Pauline are not believed to have had any contact since the trial.
Later life & legacy
What happened to Pauline after her release from prison remained a mystery for many years until around 2007, when the media was able to track her down. Pauline was discovered to have changed her name to Hilary Nathan. She now lives in a rural town in the south-east of England.
Unlike her partner in crime, who has since made peace with her past and used it to better her life, Hilary appears to have never truly gotten over her past, and lives a damaged life as a reclusive hermit, away from others. She is, however, a devout catholic and apparently spends much of her time devoted to prayer. A movie based on her and Juliet's lives and crime called Heavenly Creatures was made in 1994.
Trivia
- There are many who speculate that Anne and Juliet's obsessive relationship was in some way sexual. However Anne Perry herself has come out and said outright, "we were not lesbians".