Ladies, be careful when you’re on a Tinder date. Grace Millane’s story could happen to anyone.
CCTV footage shows Grace Millane entering a hotel with her date. She smiles as the tall young man wraps his arms around her shoulders in a protective, loving manner. The two ride the elevator to their destination.
Sometime later, the man gets back on the elevator alone with a trolley of luggage. Grace is gone.
The Date
Grace Millane had her entire life ahead of her. Just 22, the British woman had recently graduated from the University of Lincoln. She took some time off to travel like many college grads do. She started in South America and eventually made her way to Auckland, New Zealand.
At some point in her travels, Grace set up a Tinder date with 26-year-old Jesse Shane Kempson. They met up on December 2, 2018, a day that would go down in infamy with the Millane family.
The full details of the date have not been disclosed, but CCTV footage caught the couple entering the CityLife Hotel on Queen Street at 9:41 PM. Subsequent footage shows them going up the elevator together.
Her Parents Become Concerned
Grace’s parents became concerned when Grace did not respond to the birthday wishes they sent her the day of her disappearance. They reported her missing three days later. Police began investigating and gathered evidence that she was “no longer alive”.
They found her body on Dec. 9 off Scenic Drive in the Waitakere Ranges.
Kempson’s Arrest and Trial
It wasn’t long before officers connected Kempson to the murder. He was arrested and brought to trial on November 4, 2019. Solicitor Brian Dicky, who represented the defendant, claimed Kempson had strangled Millane while they were on a Tinder date.
He revealed evidence that Kempson had done internet research on how to dispose of a body and viewed pornography online. He also stated the young man had created a web of tales to cover his tracks.
Three female witnesses came forward to say they had also dated Kempson through Tinder and testified that he liked sadomasochism, bondage, and choking. The man, who worked as a bartender and builder/laborer, also had a criminal record for drinking and driving and disorderly behavior.
Verdict and Sentencing
Kempson initially pleaded not guilty, but his defense team later revealed that Millane’s murder was the outcome of consensual sex. They explained that Millane had asked her date to choke her during a consensual sex game gone wrong. They acknowledged that Kempson panicked and hid the body instead of going to the police.
An autopsy report backed Kempson’s claims that the murder was caused by consensual sex. It also noted that Grace had been intoxicated during the murder which may have contributed to her death.
Although the murder seemed to be accidental, Kempson was sentenced to life imprisonment. He has had two appeals hearings since the conviction, but both were overturned. He now has no more options to overturn his conviction.
He is up for parole in 2037.
