Sensing Murder Psychics in Hot Demand

Controversial hit show Sensing Murder is returning soon to TV2. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the show has made its ‘psychic detectives’ household names with people queuing up to see their shows or get private readings.

• Sue Nicholson told TV Guide she has a waiting list of 3,500 people waiting for private readings


• Scott Russell Hill is fully booked for for the remainder of 2008, although he does offer email readings (with answers to three specific questions) for $AUD145.00 with a five week waiting list


• Deb Webber claims to have a five year waiting list for personal readings, and


• Kelvin Cruickshank has closed his waiting list to all but the most urgent appointments.

So, if you want to know what the future holds for you or commune with the dead, it may be quicker to wait until you arrive at the pearly gates.


Photos: TVNZ

Kelvin Cruickshank: Free Psychic Readings

If you don’t want to pay big bucks for a psychic reading from blonde babe magnet Kelvin Cruickshank you’re in luck.

The Sensing Murder psychic detective is now offering free readings to New Idea readers. All you have to do is grab a copy of the latest mag and post in your letter. Sceptics will insist that the readings are general and not worth a penny anyway, but the Editor of the gossip mags seems to disagree. She got herself a free reading from the man who is married to his motorbike, and swears that he provided information that he couldn’t possibly have found by googling.

As for the man himself, well it turns out, the blonde giant is a sensitive wee soul and finds the psychic detection business takes a toll on his spirit. Or more accurately spirits, given that he was so upset after some of the work he did on Sensing Murder that he found himself delving into the liquor cabinet to calm his soul. Funny, Miss Prozac imagined psychics calmed themselves with lovely healing crystals and natural therapies, but it seems Kelvin is a fan of getting pished for a few days to make his troubles go away. Hope he doesn’t get too cosy with his “wife” (his pet name for his black Superbike) during these drinking binges, as that could be a dangerous combination.

Meanwhile Kelvin finds he is still troubled by the voices in his head, that won’t go away, and it seems son Javan is a chip off the old block. But, Kelvin is encouraging him to embrace his psychic skills (and the money earning potential).

Kelvin is convinced that Sensing Murder makes a positive difference to people’s lives and will one day play an instrumental role in convicting someone of a murder, although to date it’s Murderers 15: Psychics Nil.

One day we’ll get an arrest and that will be the happiest day of my life, because for those victims justice is served

We’ve got our fingers crossed Kelvin.

For your free reading from Kelvin:
Write to: Kelvin Cruickshank, c/- New Idea, CPO Box 1467, Auckland. You are asked to include at least one good quality photograph of the person you want to reach, and tell New Idea why they are important to you and include your contact details. Kelvin will not be told anything about the person. New Idea will then contact you to get your feedback. By writing to New Idea you agree to the reading being published


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Sensing Murder Psychics Private Lives Revealed

Sensing Murder Psychics Revealed is a fascinating look into the lives of the four psychics from the Sensing Murder program, how they deal with sceptics, and the events that have shaped their lives. Unfortunately it also includes tame sceptic Nigel Latta commenting on the “psychology” of the individuals and his theories on psychic phenomenon. Expect another book from him any day.

High point
Scott Russell Hill’s interview included footage of predictions made in 1996 that later came true. Superb!

Low point
Nigel Latta pontificating about psychics and being compared to Albert Einstein.


Nigel Latta
Clinical Psychologist Nigel Latta is touted as an expert at detecting lying and we're told that he was firmly in the sceptics camp until viewing the filming of a segment for the Sensing Murder show. At Nigel's own website he tells a slightly different story, but continues to maintain that the psychics came up with information that he could not explain.

• There was no cold reading on the day. I know what cold reading is because I use many of the same techniques myself when interviewing various criminals over the last 17 or so years. If it was happening I would have seen it.
• The psychic's information was specific and not general. She was not making a bunch of guesses and then fine tuning her statements based on responses from the crew.
• That means either she was told by the production company prior to the reading, or she was getting her information that day from people the rest of us couldn't see, or picking up some crazy quantum mechanical vibe, or whatever.
• Because of all this I am at a loss to explain what I saw that day. I thought it was freaky then and I still think it's freaky now.

The television episode compares Nigel to Albert Einstein who apparently had the same problem understanding telepathic communication. Hmmmm. According to Nigel, Einstein called telepathic communication spooky attraction at a distance. Not quite sure that the parallels apply. Nigel Latta and Albert Einstein, the two great thinkers of their time?

Nigel goes on to say hearing voices is pretty normal, and estimates that 10% of people hear voices, but don’t necessarily have psychosis. Miss Prozac is feeling lonely. Why don't the voices talk to her?

All the psychics described difficult childhoods psychics saying they were physically and or emotionally abused as children. Nigel speculates that children who have experienced trauma develop a radar that is tuned into the bad things in life and may link to the development of psychic abilities.

He says that according to recent research 80-85% of people will experience the voice of their loved one around the time of their death. Miss Prozac searched online but was unable to find any reference to this research. If anyone has a link to this research please post it in the comments.

Nigel goes on to say that all the psychics were “weird from the get go” and were always a bit different as children. He suspects psychics can take background white noise and “stuff” and make meaningful pictures out of them. Okay, sure Nigel.

Nigel Latta works as a clinical psychologist and is the author of Before Your Kids Drive You Crazy and Into the Darklands which includes Nigel's comments on the Sensing Murder show

Talking about the problems some of the psychics have experienced in their lives, Nigel Latta says it’s not surprising that people who give advice to others might have issues in their own lives, saying financial advisers go broke and psychologists may have problems in their lives. Could he perhaps be talking about himself? Is he hinting that all is not right in his life? Whatever the case it’s hardly ideal when financial advisers go broke, and certainly not the gold standard for advisers of any description to not have their own house in order so these inane comments proved of little value.

He comes up with gems like

“It isn’t just the psychics who are saying man it’s a wacky universe. The physicists are also saying there’s some strange and bizarre stuff that we are just kind of starting to get our heads around. So just like Columbus being told the world is flat, maybe these people are kind of the modern day equivalent of Columbus. We’re all saying the world is flat, and they’re saying, no, no, I’m pretty sure it’s round.”

At this point, Miss Prozac suspects that Nigel’s credibility among psychologists and scientists is zip, although lovers of Sensing Murder will no doubt applaud him for his “insights’. Miss Prozac wishes that the producers had edited out the entire Nigel Latta segment, as she was on the fence up until this point. She quite enjoys watching the show and getting updates on the hunt for murderers. While she hasn’t seen any definitive proof that the psychics are coming up with new information, they do make for an interesting show, and it’s a heck of an entertaining show to watch.


Scott Russell Hill
Scott Russell Hill is described as a psychic to the stars, including doing several readings for Princess Diana. Interestingly, she dreamed about danger thinking her sons were in danger and spoke to Scott about it. He told her the children were safe, immediately before she died in the Paris car crash. After this he sunk into a deep funk and did no readings for two years. However, this story has a happy ending as other predictions have been spot on.

Scott worked as a DJ before becoming a full-time psychic in 1996 when he accurately predicted a series of events years before they happened. On 28 September 1996 on Radio 5AA Adelaide’s Psychic Saturday Night Scott predicted:

• John F Kennedy Jnr disaster around him to do with a plane crash, a light plane
• Bomb or an earthquake going off in Bali, buildings on fire and devastation
• Key times of danger for the World Trade Centre and New York are the months of September, October and November 2001. It’s like a missile strike or something striking the building from the air
• Princess Diana will be in the wrong place at the wrong time and she could be involved in an accident in a car

He goes on to say that he dreamed about a Woman’s Day magazine cover, Eiffel tower and knowing she died in a car crash. This is impressive stuff. Miss Prozac feels like booking a seat on a plane to Adelaide to see this guy perform live! If only he had had that insight on the day Princess Di telephoned for advice…

Adelaide based Scott found being on Sensing Murder bad for his health. At the end of one show his blood pressure was 210/60 and it became too much for him which is why we don’t see much of him in the second series of the show.

When Scott was seven, he fell into the sea. He believes he died and went to heaven, saw a white light, and then returned to life. After this experience his psychic experiences intensified and he started having visions. He went to his local priest for help and received more attention than he wanted when the priest sexually abused him.

As a 12 or 13 year old he was brutalised by teens who physically abused him while trying to make Scott perform fellatio on them. Yikes, this guy has been through some horrific experiences. Scott is now a trained martial artist.

Scott currently lives with his girlfriend of five years Kerstin who handles all his bookings. He says the worst customers for private readings are the ones that only want you to tell them what they want to hear and don’t want to hear the truth.


Sue Nicholson
In addition to working as a psychic, Sue Nicholson also holds workshops to help people develop their psychic powers and exorcises spirits from homes and offices. She has been married to hubby Steve for 30 years, whom she met before moving to NZ from Birmingham. She reckons spirit told her she would meet him and that it was a soul mate connection. Steve proposed four weeks after meeting.

As a child spirits would sit on her bed and chat to her. She said they told her she was a good person when her mother was abusing her making comments such as:

You’re so ugly, nobody’ll ever like you.
You’ll never do any good in this lifetime.
Get away from me, you make me feel sick.

Nasty stuff.

At the age of 10 years Sue was overwhelmed she thought about attempting suicide by jumping off the window ledge. Her mother found her and vowed to make things even worse for her after this time. In her late teens Sue again planned to commit suicide, and swallowed all the pills she could find. When she woke she was on “the other side” where she was told she had a job to do and go back.

Her youngest daughter Sarah is a professional golfer and uses her psychic ability to help her find golf balls! How strange is that? You can read more about Sue’s psychic family here.

Take note. Sue gets very nervous before the Sensing Murder shows and doesn’t like it when people come for readings just to “test” her. She says

“I’m not a side show. You know, this is real for me. This is a job for me.”

Kelvin Cruickshank
Kelvin Cruickshank works full-time as a psychic medium. After one Sensing Murder episode he found it hard to break the link to Angela Blackmore, who he said would turn up at his home after filming ended, but for the most part Kelvin appears to enjoy working with spirits.

Kelvin is best mates with his 13 year old son Javan, who likes hunting, fishing and going on Dad’s motorbike. Javan also appears to have psychic visions and says it’s “really cool” that he can see things in his head or his dreams before they happen. You can read more about Kelvin here and find out about his T-Shirt being auctioned here. Or at least we're told it's Kelvin's T-shirt complete with "orb".

Kelvin’s mum Rev. Heather Butcher is a hospital chaplain. She said that when he was little Kelvin was always very clingy at night and fearful. Kelvin attributes this to seeing spirits that no one else could see. He says he had difficulty distinguishing between live people and spirits.

“Sometimes I have to touch people to make sure they’re real or not.”

Kelvin said he found it difficult as a child to concentrate with the spirits yabbering to him all the time, and as someone with dyslexia he found it difficult to learn new recipes from books when he worked as a chef.

One day he told his ex-wife that he could see her dead great grandparents standing next to her. She freaked out. Tearfully Kelvin says it cost him his marriage, and that she would only take him back if he would get psychiatric help for the voices he was hearing in his head. He was diagnosed with ADHD and told him to take Ritalin or be “locked up”, so he took the drugs. He overdosed on Ritalin and died in his mother’s arms, before coming back to life, and kicking Ritalin for good.

A million Kiwi women rejoiced at the news that Kelvin is currently single. He apparently has quite a fan club with women emailing him proposals and cosying up to him after his shows.


Deb Webber
Deb Webber lives deep in the Queensland rainforest with her two children, and her father, Arthur, who has a heart condition. She tells him he was “pretty much bad at everything” but they loved her for it. She goes on to say he was the sort of man that shouldn’t have children and that she hated him as a child. Ummm, that’s a strange thing to say on national television. Miss Prozac thinks Deb needs to call on one of the spirits to give her a wee bit of counselling, as she sounds a tad bitter. However, you only have to look at her skirmish with Eating Media Lunch's host Jeremy Wells to see that Deb finds it hard to get past being hurt - which means she won't have enjoyed EML's final episode of 2007.

Mind you her father Arthur, who is a believer in spare the rod and spoil the child, says Deb was a show off as a child, so perhaps Deb has a point about him not being very supportive.

Describing her spiritual experiences, Deb says at one stage she spoke to Jesus Christ who gave her a piece of paper that opened up to a list of all the questions she ever had as a child, but he didn’t let her keep the piece of paper. Apparently this was a huge revelation that convinced her about spirit.

Before working as a psychic Deb worked as a nursing assistant, chattering to spirits. She now believes that the Aboriginal spirits chose her to guard over the forest in her backyard and loves spending time in the bush. It did look very peaceful…

Deb was married for 13 years, and says her ex taught her hate and that this teaches her love. Sounds like a bunch of cockamamie to Miss Prozac, but Nigel Latta says the hate makes her more human. Huh? After the relationship break up Deb started drinking heavily to try and dull the sounds of the voices in his head. Honestly, given the choice between having to listen to voices in her head or having to listen to Nigel, Miss Prozac would choose the voices every time.

Deb is currently single and seeks advice from other psychics to get help for her own love life.


Watch Sensing Murder online
Sensing Murder is now available on TVNZ ondemand for a small charge. You can watch this episode for 12 play points, which you have to purchase from the website. TVNZ currently offers 20 free points on registration, so you can register to download this episode for free and still have a few points left over.

Buy Kelvin Cruickshank's T-Shirt

You can get close to psychic Kelvin Cruickshank, or at least to his T-Shirt in an auction on Trade Me. A woman who purports to be Kelvin's sister-in-law, is selling the autographed "I see dead people" T-Shirt with proceeds to go to an unnamed charity. Hmmm, Kelvin may see dead people, but all Miss Prozac sees is an unauthenticated auction and a lot of money being bid on someone's sweaty used tee shirt.

If you look (and believe) there is also an orb in the picture of front of the shirt.

Clearly Miss Prozac is not a believer, or perhaps she needs her beer goggles to see this "orb".

This little gem was apparently worn twice - once at a fancy dress function and again at home - which goes to show Kelvin really goes to town when he gets dressed up. Pity the trader couldn't have included a picture of popular Kelvin wearing the T-Shirt to prove it's authenticity.

Bidding currently stands at $153 and the auction closes next Saturday 22nd December in the evening.

Added: The T-Shirt was sold to 'skatie42' for the princely sum of $160.

Kelvin Cruickshank's Life

This week’s Womans’ Day profiles psychic 36 year old who has been making a name for himself on TV2’s popular Sensing Murder program.

Kelvin saw his first spirit at the age of three years, but says he denied his psychic ability for many years. On the preview to this week’s TV show a tearful Kelvin can be seen talking about how this was the cause of his marriage break up. Kelvin also talks about his new wife (his black Superbike) and the light of his life, 13 year old son Javan.

Psychic Kelvin Cruickshank describes his childhood as impoverished although his parents apparently scraped enough money together to send him to a private school where he says he was physically abused by other boys. Alone and unable to make friends he describes himself as a withdrawn child who spent his time talking to his invisible friends (in the spirit realm).

Kelvin first started working as an aluminium joiner before training as a chef and reckons he has had visions or prior knowledge of much of his own life as well as that of others. He now works full-time as a psychic and medium from his Parnell premises, as well as running psychic development workshops. He has an “extremely long” waiting list for private readings.

Photos: TVNZ

Sensing Murder: At Home With The Psychics

TV2’s Sensing Murder psychics have delved into the lives of murder victims, now the viewers get to take a look at the lives of the psychics themselves.

In Sensing Murder: Psychics Revealed we get up-close-and-personal with the four main Sensing Murder psychics; New Zealanders Kelvin Cruickshank and Sue Nicholson, and Australians Deb Webber and Scott Russell-Hill; turning the tables on those who examine us…

For the first time, the psychics open their homes and their hearts to candidly share the highs and lows of their dramatic lives. They discuss their spiritual awakening in childhood, struggles with learning difficulties, conflict with abusive parents, near-death experiences, suicide attempts, relationship troubles and their own personal and terrifying violent encounters with violence.

They also talk about how they deal with the sceptics who question both their gift itself and their motives, and clinical psychologist Nigel Latta shares his impressions of the psychic's experiences.

Nigel says, "in some of the cases that the psychics have looked at they have come up with specific information about the cases that was known only to the Police. They have also come up with specific names that were persons of interest to the Police but were never made public. I know this for a fact."

Also in Sensing Murder: Psychics Revealed; Deb, Kelvin, Sue and Scott's loved ones discuss what life is like for them living with a psychic; while the psychics explain for fans of the hit show how their gift works, as well as the reasons why they do what they do. They offer an insight into the afterlife - a world most of us simply don't understand, and Nigel gives his professional opinion on how the trauma and tragedy the psychics have experienced in their lives may have influenced their psychic awareness.

Sensing Murder: Psychics Revealed screens this Tuesday 13 November at 8.30pm on TV2.


Photos: TVNZ
Source: TVNZ Press Release

Sensing Murder Judy Yorke

Judith Ann Yorke (Judy) disappeared October the 21st 1992 after attending a party at a packing shed in Matapihi and is believed to be murdered.

She left her daughter with her parents so she could go to a pub in Mount Maunganui. When the pub closed at 11pm she travelled with friends in her car to a packing shed at a Matapihi orchard to continue the party.

Some time between 1 and 2am her friends noticed she was missing and had a search for her in the orchard. When they didn’t find her they searched her car, and finding her car keys under the mat decided to drive themselves home.

Her family wondered what happened to her, but strangely didn’t raise the alarm until a week later when Judy didn’t turn up for her daughter’s 4th birthday celebration. Retired Detective Inspector Alan Collin said he immediately suspected foul play and initiated a murder inquiry as well as conducting searches of surrounding areas.

Spooky Stuff
Sister Tira swears she woke at around 2am thinking she heard her sister yelling for help but could see or hear nothing outside. Could she have somehow heard her sister’s final screams?

Her sister usually phoned her at 7 each morning, when even the sparrows are still yawning, but Tira heard nothing from her. Concerned, she went to her place later that day but couldn’t see her and could find no trace of her.

Deb Webber
Kelvin Cruickshank and Sue Nicholson were the psychics assigned to the investigation, however psychic detective Deb Webber was called in to investigate the case in June 2006.

Her reading is completely different to that given by Kelvin and Sue.

They had been lying in wait, watching from across the road in the van in what was probably the early morning hours of October 22.

Immediately, Judith was scared and did not like the look of the pair, one of whom was from Te Puke, while the other was from outside the town. The men had a lot of associates and may have had gang connections.

One, a big, dark man, she did not know. The other was known to her and her family.
Judith was told there was an emergency and that she must go with them.

She resisted, repeatedly saying no. But she was bundled into the van and the vehicle was seen by a witness.

By the time it reached its intended destination - Lake Rerewhakaaitu, near Rotorua - Judith was dead.

She was alive in the van for 30 or 45 minutes. She was then told to be quiet, her mouth covered with a cloth and everything went black. Smothered most likely, or strangled. She did not suffer, she simply went to sleep and could not wake up.

Her grave is close to the lake's edge, just six or seven metres from the water.
Her body is buried in sandy soil not far from the bank in a patch of sand.

It is near where rivers or streams flow into the lake and there may be warm water nearby.

Deb also identified specific detail about who was responsible for Judith's disappearance, that confirmed what her family have always thought.

For legal reasons, we cannot reveal that detail. Deb also mentioned a "shivery sort of feeling" in relation to the two men on the driveway.

She is almost certain of the method of Judith's death. When Tira Yorke asks what actually happened to her elder sister, Deb pauses then says baldly "she was smothered".

During the show, Judy's mother spoke scathingly about some "dick" of a psychic that didn't know what they were talking about. Sensing Murder producers say that the mother was not referring to Deb Webber.

Police feedback
The producers of Sensing Murder were reluctant to investigate this case, given that psychic Deb Webber had already given a reading on the murder. However, they said that after being approached by the original investigating officer they decided to undertake the enquiry, but use different psychics for the investigation.

During the filming retired Detective Inspector Alan Collin said that he doesn’t believe in psychics so it seems surprising that he would approach Sensing Murder, but perhaps he felt that renewed media coverage may uncover new information.

Alan Collin confirmed that much of the information produced by the psychics matched the assumptions that the police had made.

Judy Yorke’s story
Judy Yorke met the father of her children when she was in Intermediate school and set up house with him. Her parents clearly didn’t like her partner talking describing him as being an unemployed drunk however Judy was smitten.

The de facto relationship produced two children, Joseph and Shanelle, but was not a happy union. Her partner became violent after drinking but Judy defended him and wouldn’t let her family interfere.

Things changed when her partner went to prison for armed robbery. She became close again to her family, especially her mother, and started to go out socially and enjoyed drinking and partying.

On the night in question she left her daughter with her parents so she could go out drinking. A week later when she didn’t turn up for her daughter’s birthday the family went to her home. Seeing a small window open in the bathroom, they lifted four year old Shanelle through the window so she could let them into the house. They could find no sign of her, and found her car keys on the bathroom floor. They checked her car and noticed that it was tidy. Knowing that Judy was a neat freak they knew something was wrong and telephoned the police.

Retired Detective Inspector Alan Collin said he was advised on 4th November 1992 that Judy was missing and cranked up the search.

Judy’s secret life
Much was made of the fact that Judy had a secret life that her family didn’t know about. She was said to be having a sexual relationship with a man while her partner was in jail, and also some occasional prostitution. Psychics Kelvin Cruickshank and Sue Nicholson also believed she may be pregnant.

Detective Collin confirmed that Judy was seeing a man and was known to sometimes have sex for money.

Judy’s family were adamant that she was not pregnant.

Psychic Reading
One interesting point during this episode. Each week Rebecca Gibney runs through the criteria for the readings, but this week there was a subtle difference. In past weeks it has been mentioned that only correct information is confirmed. This week, the point was made that correct statements can be but are not always confirmed. This should satisfy some of the skeptics who commented that confirmed correct statements, would by deduction, also let people know which statements were incorrect.

Sue and Kelvin gave remarkably similar readings. We are told that they do the readings on separate days and have no contact with each other and are supervised to ensure that they do not do any additional research on the case.

Both described Judy as a Maori lass with large eyes who has two children and is close to her mother. Kelvin believes that her mother’s heart was broken by the loss of her daughter and will never be fixed. They both describe a partner who is in jail and believe she is seeing someone else while he’s in the big house. They see the new man as possessive, and Sue says she has let go of one man but attached herself to another man that is very similar in temperament i.e. violent.

Both believe Judy was murdered in her own car and that it was an unplanned murder. They think that Judy revealed that she was pregnant and he flew into a rage, not wanting a child and possibly not believing he was the father. Both psychics think Judy was strangled and both stated that her body has not been recovered, that it was dumped nearby with the man returning to the party. They think the murderer returned the next day or possibly a couple of days later to dispose of the body, possibly with mates to help move the body. They think the body was disposed of in or near water, possibly the Kaituna River. Both psychics state that Judy’s shoes were found in grass, and Sue says that an item belonging to her was found near a railway line. Investigators confirm that a savings passbook was found by the railway but the young boy who found it threw it away so they can not be certain it belonged to Judy

One of the unanswered questions was… why would Judy leave without her car? Police had a possible sighting of her walking on the road back to Te Puke however it was too far for her to walk home from Matapihi. Sue Nicholson believes that a man took the keys off her telling her she couldn’t drive home and then later drove the car down the road and picked her up while she was walking.

Subsequent Investigation
The psychics believe that she fought and scratched the man and gave a physical description. Naturally, all the good bits were bleeped out due to legal concerns. Both believed it was a man that she was sexually involved with and give similar but bleeped descriptions of a Maori man.

Interestingly the investigators reveal that a key suspect was absent from the party and returned with a jersey around his arm. The next day he was seen with scratches on his arm.

The car was searched but police could not find any blood or other evidence that would assist in solving the crime.

The psychics say that the man who murdered Judy is in Australia and will have to come back to NZ to answer for his crimes. Investigators confirm that the prime suspect is living in Australia. The general impression that comes through is that police believe they know who committed the crime, but do not have enough evidence to take it further. They need an eyewitness or forensic evidence to make an arrest.

Duncan Holland’s investigators tracked down several of the party goers and state that they have “stunning” new information, including one individual that is prepared to give a statement to the police. Great news! It would seem that the breakthrough, if it comes, will be from the work of the private investigators, and not from any leads provided by the psychics, as this individual was already under suspicion.

If you have any new information you would like to pass on to the police contact Detective Sergeant Lew Warner on 07-577-43200 or 0800 SPEAKUP.

Related Stories:
Deb Webber Exposed as a sham?
Psychics issued with $2 million paranormal challenge
A physicist says psychics are bunk
Sensing Murder responds to $2 million psychic challenge
Episode Recap Simon Buis
Episode Recap Jayne Furlong
Episode Recap Amber-Lee Cruickshank

Photos: TVNZ

Amber-Lee Cruickshank Dead or Alive?

After saying in last week's Jayne Furlong recap that the first half hour of Sensing Murder is tres boring, Miss Prozac was excited to find that tonight’s episode of Sensing Murder, A Mother's Worst Nightmare, kicked off with predictions that stated that a clairvoyant provided advance warnings that the family, and in particular the daughter, was facing danger.

Nikki Cruickshank (click here to read about latest drug charges) lost her daughter Amber-Lee on October 17, 1992. Nikki, partner James and children moved to Kingston at the southern tip of Lake Wakatipu in the hopes of starting a new life and turning their backs on drugs and a turbulent home life and constant fighting.

Psychic Warning?
Prior to moving they received information from a clairvoyant that they would have car trouble, that the letter K is significant, that Nikki’s partner James would break his arm and gave warnings to watch her little girl.

James did break his arm, and the letter K became very significant when Amber-Lee went missing from Kingston. Intriguing. Miss Prozac wonders why this gem of a psychic was not contacted as s/he sounds amazing.

Amber-Lee goes missing
The family and friends had a good old kiwi barbeque by the Lake for dinner and then took Amber-Lee for a ride on a boat after dinner. There was a lot of activity, cleaning up the housebus and beach, and hunting for drugs. As it is explained to us everyone’s attention was divided and each thought someone else was minding the three children.

In what can only be a move that she would later regret, Nikki goes back on her promise to turn her back on drugs and was picking wild poppies in the hopes of scoring drugs. Partner James came out to talk with her, and see how the drug score was coming. At this point they suddenly realise no one is watching Amber-Lee and start calling for her. Miss Prozac was very impressed with Nikki’s openness in fully disclosing the circumstances of the disappearance. This must be heartbreaking for her.

Nikki raises the alarm about 45 minutes after Amber-Lee was last sighted. Family and friends swing into action and start hunting for Amber-Lee. At around 9pm they contacted the police who organised further searching. Kingston is a small area and Nikki had high hopes her daughter would be found.

When the search team couldn’t find her, the police thought she may have drowned, but mother Nikki was adamant that she wasn’t comfortable with water and unlikely to be in there. Police explored many possibilities including abduction, hit and run, being lost or drowned. Police divers checked the lake and ruled out drowning. There was one person that they were suspicious of, but could find no evidence linking Amber-Lee’s disappearance.

Police believe they are dealing with an unsolved murder, but Nikki is convinced her little girl is alive somewhere, and hopes that she is living a happy life.

Psychic reading
Tonight ‘psychic detectives’ Kelvin Cruickshank (who is not related to mother Nikki) and Deb Webber start with a downturned photograph and both say they are getting female energy, probably a child. This phase is observed by a retired detective who worked the case (His feedback is at the bottom of this post).

Deb comes up with letters and forms the name Amber. Later comes up with Lee and the name Amber-Lee. She picks up on her favourite toy, a pink bike. Kelvin says the name Cruickshank is coming strong and that her name is the same as his. He also picks up that she is one of three children.

Deb says she feels Amber-Lee being taken away from her mother and has picked up that the mother was out of it on drugs a lot of the time. Both sense that Amber-Lee’s biological father is not around (they split when Amber-Lee was a baby) and pick her age as 2½ years.

Deb picks up that Nikki wasn’t watching Amber-Lee at the time she disappeared, although this is probably obvious.

Deb and Kelvin feels she was grabbed or abducted and not returned. Police considered this possibility but could not see how this could have happened.

Kelvin believes she was scooped up from under everyone’s nose. He says she did not wander off. Both believe she was taken by someone she knew and was covered in the vehicle which they describe as an older van or 4 wheel drive.

Both feel that she has a sore or broken neck or a pain at the back of the head. Kelvin says her passing was swift and she didn’t suffer.

Kelvin says the person who took her was on drugs or chemicals and can also smell cigarette smoke. Deb sees jeans and a winter jacket, a youngish man of around 5’8” or 5’9”. They both feel Amber-Lee was taken for a reason connected to someone else in the house. Kelvin says it is some sort of payback.

Kelvin is convinced there is some sort of family history provoking this payback, possibly hurting the family because of something the father did, although it’s not clear if this is the biological father or Nikki’s partner. He believes it is a vendetta against the family.

Psychic Numerologist
A psychic numerologist is consulted. This is a new one on Miss Prozac. She has heard of numerologists. These are people that reduce dates, names and places to numbers and analyse them. After frenzied googling it turns out that a psychic applies their intuition or psychic skills to the resulting numbers.

Australian Scott Russell Hill was apparently so traumatised by the last case he investigated that he quit working murder investigations and asks to do the reading from the safety of his home.

Based solely on her date of birth he suggests that she was abducted and believes the culprit is a fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) and is familiar or known to the mother. He is a married man, who is fit, athletic and strong, but also grows dope and is involved in drugs. He is convinced that it is someone who knows Amber-Lee and the mother, and is aged late 30s to early 40s.

Kelvin confronts the mother
Kelvin tells Nikki that the abductor/murderer is someone she knows and it may be someone that she ripped off or did a bad deal with who wants revenge. He asks her to search her memory for who it may be. Nikki asks if it is someone with facial hair and Kelvin says he may have a moustache.

Nikki wants to know how he can be certain that she is ‘on the other side’. Kelvin tells her that she was strangled and died quickly without being sexually insulted. Amazingly he says some pretty blunt stuff but manages to sound sensitive at the same time. That’s quite a talent.

The follow-up investigation
As usual Duncan Holland investigates the leads provided by the psychics. According to Duncan, Nikki had already raised the possibility that she may have upset someone who had taken revenge. A few days after her discussion with Kelvin, Nikki recalled that there had been a major falling out with someone that they grew mary-jane with. He accused them of stealing the plants from the plot only a few days before they left for Kingston.

Duncan says the man is a Sagittarian who drove a 4 wheel drive, and was in his late 30s at the time of the abduction. Each of the details match the man that Nikki and James had the falling out with including the letter K which is the first initial of one of this man’s names. The height, age, physical description and smell of ciggies on the man all match.

Duncan’s investigations reveal that the man travelled out of town at the same period that Amber-Lee was abducted and has never been interviewed by the police. This information has now been passed on to the police.

This appears to be the most promising investigation to date with a promising lead coughed up by Nikki after prompting from Kelvin.


If you have any relevant information contact:
Det Sgt John Kean
Invercargill Police
Ph 03 211 0400


Police Feedback
Click here for the latest news on the Amber Cruickshank disappearance

There was no feedback from the detectives currently handling this case but, retired Detective Senior Sergeant Warwick Walker, who sat in on both readings, stated that both psychics independently gave the same readings.

He went on to say that both psychics mentioned that Amber-Lee abducted from behind the house, put in the front seat and covered with something. Both said he had dark hair and an association with hunting. This was something that police had previously investigated. He did not comment on the new leads that came about a few days after the psychics did their readings, and Duncan Holland's team investigated the man who argued with Nikki and James.

It would have been great at this point to get comment from both the retired police detective and the current team investigating the murder/disappearance.

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Photos: TVNZ