In 2018, 22-year-old British traveler Grace Millane set off on a dream world tour that ended in a nightmare in Auckland, New Zealand. In this documentary series, we explore the heartbreaking story of Grace’s life, the chilling details of her Tinder date with Jesse Kempson, and the intensive police investigation that followed. Watch how CCTV footage exposed a web of lies and how a community came together to seek justice. We analyze the criminal profile of the perpetrator, the harrowing trial details, and the legacy of the "Love Grace" campaign. This is a comprehensive look at one of the most high-profile true crime cases of recent years, examining safety, justice, and the resilience of a grieving family.
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grace millane, jesse kempson, true crime documentary, murder mystery, criminal investigation, tinder murder, new zealand crime, missing person case, cctv evidence, strangulation case, court trial, life imprisonment, crime file, police procedural, unsolved mysteries, chilling stories, biography, watch documentary, mysterious disappearances, fight for justice, homicide squad, detective stories, killer profile, narcissistic killers, online dating dangers, shocking crimes, grace millane trial, violence against women, crime and punishment
#gracemillane, #truecrime, #jessekempson, #murdercase, #documentary, #tinderdate gonewrong, #newzealand, #criminalinvestigation, #justiceforgrace, #coldcase, #crimestory, #mystery, #cctvfootage, #lovegrace, #ukcrime, #backpacking, #safetyawareness, #crimeanalysis, #truecrimecommunity, #policefiles
grace millane, jesse kempson, true crime documentary, murder mystery, criminal investigation, tinder murder, new zealand crime, missing person case, cctv evidence, strangulation case, court trial, life imprisonment, crime file, police procedural, unsolved mysteries, chilling stories, biography, watch documentary, mysterious disappearances, fight for justice, homicide squad, detective stories, killer profile, narcissistic killers, online dating dangers, shocking crimes, grace millane trial, violence against women, crime and punishment
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NewsTranscript
00:00I sincerely apologize to Grace's family. She was a guest who deserved to be safe here.
00:05Yet we failed to protect her. This reality pains us deeply, and I am truly sorry.
00:11Grace Mill Lane. The youngest daughter of her family. A curious, creative, and energetic young
00:18woman. She was born in 1996 in Essex, England. She was the apple of her parents' eyes, David and
00:26Jillian. She was also the constant source of joy for her two older brothers, Michael and Declan.
00:31The home environment was filled with love, and Grace was someone who gave back that love every
00:36day. She was sociable. She loved connecting with people. She had a kind heart. She saw beauty even
00:44in the smallest things. She studied advertising and marketing in college. Upon graduation, she was
00:51ready for a new chapter in her life. She had saved money for a year to take the world tour
00:55she had long dreamed of. She wanted to see every place she visited, meet people, and discover
01:01herself. Grace's travel plan wasn't just a trip. It was a desire to grow as a person. One thing
01:08she did before setting off made her even more special. She cut her long hair and donated it
01:13to a foundation that makes wigs for children with cancer. She didn't do it to boast for a
01:18single moment. Everyone who knew her already knew why she did it. Because Grace was always
01:23someone who thought of others' well-being. In October 2018, she was excited as she stepped
01:29out the front door of her home. She said goodbye to her family, but it didn't feel like a farewell,
01:34it felt like a new beginning. First, she headed to South America. When she arrived in Peru,
01:40she immediately sent the first photo to her family. From that day on, she shared a new landscape,
01:46a new story, and a new laugh every day. Sharing every step of her journey with her family put
01:52their minds at ease. Because Grace wasn't far away. Her voice and messages always carried
01:58the warmth of home. Then she moved on to New Zealand. On November 19th, she stepped into
02:04the country alone. For a young woman eager to explore the world, this was an exciting stop.
02:09New people, new cities, new plans. Everything was going smoothly for Grace. Life was flowing
02:16exactly as it should. Grace loved the energy of the days she spent in Auckland. The streets were
02:23lively. People were friendly. She enjoyed the cafes, the beach, and the evening lights. That day,
02:30the evening of December 1st, she felt the same warmth as she got ready. She put on a black,
02:36knee-length dress. She slipped on her white shoes. She grabbed her small bag. When she looked in the
02:42mirror, there was a hint of excitement on her face. Because that night, she was going to meet
02:47someone. It was someone she'd met on Tinder. Just a few brief messages, but she'd felt a nice
02:53connection. That's why she'd texted her friend, we hit it off. She left the hostel around 6 o'clock.
03:00The air was crisp. As she walked toward the city, even the surrounding crowd felt good to her.
03:06Sky City was a suitable spot for the meeting. It was bustling with restaurants, bars, and bright
03:12lights. When Grace arrived, she met the man face to face for the first time. First impressions were
03:19calm. They began talking with a smile. They had a drink. The atmosphere was relaxed. Grace sent a
03:26message saying, he lives at the hotel and said he works in the oil industry. Sharing such details was
03:32normal for her. Because she was the kind of person who loved to share everything she experienced with
03:38her family and friends. Then the two moved to the Bluestone room. The atmosphere was quieter.
03:44They continued chatting. The footage captured by the cameras showed the two of them sitting side by side,
03:50seemingly content with each other. Still, a fleeting movement caught the eye.
03:54Jesse opened Grace's bag and rummaged through it. It was unclear why he did it.
03:59We don't know if Grace noticed when she turned back to the table. But the overall atmosphere of the night
04:05seemed trouble-free to an outside observer. The clock ticked on. The city grew even more crowded.
04:12When they stepped out of the bar's door onto the streets, they walked arm in arm. Perhaps they were
04:17heading to a new spot. Perhaps they were just strolling around. Grace's face bore that same serene
04:23expression again. Looking at the camera footage from that moment, no one would have suspected anything
04:28bad was about to happen. Because she was smiling, chatting, and seemed to be enjoying the night.
04:34Those moments would be the last recorded moments of Grace's life. But no one knew that that night.
04:39The morning of December 2nd, Grace's birthday, would normally have been as bustling as ever for her family.
04:46That's because every year on her birthday, Grace would always send a message. It would start with
04:51good morning, today is my day, and always include a little joke. That morning, no such message arrived.
04:58At first, her family chalked it up to her still being asleep. She was in a different time zone.
05:04Maybe she'd turned off her phone. Maybe she'd gone out on an early morning hike. As the hours passed,
05:11the silence grew. Her family checked again and again. They sent messages on WhatsApp.
05:16They messaged her on Facebook. They called. The phone was off. Not even a voicemail went through.
05:24Grace had two phones, and neither was reachable. This was unusual for anyone who knew her.
05:30Because even while traveling, Grace would send messages several times a day. She'd send photos.
05:36She'd say, I'm passing by here. Seeing her so quiet just didn't feel right. Her older brother
05:43Declan grew even more worried. Because Grace had been sending photos constantly over the past few
05:48weeks. She'd even share the tiniest details. Silence just wasn't like her at all. So as the
05:55hours passed, that silence grew like a void. The family began to realize the situation was serious.
06:02Their mother Jillian, felt the same way. Something must have gone wrong somewhere.
06:07On December 5th, three days later, waiting any longer made no sense. The family contacted the
06:13police. Grace's disappearance was reported to the Auckland Police Station in New Zealand.
06:19The police sprang into action immediately. First, they called the base backpackers' hostel where
06:25Grace had been staying. The staff member at the hostel said Grace hadn't returned to her room since
06:30the night of December 1st. Her suitcase, clothes, and personal belongings were still in the room.
06:36This piqued the police's interest as well. After all, it's rare for a traveler to disappear for a
06:42long time while leaving their belongings behind. Especially not someone as organized as Grace.
06:48Still at first, the police thought, maybe she's staying with new friends, maybe she just forgot
06:53to check in. Such things happened from time to time. But as they began reviewing the CCTV footage,
07:00the picture slowly grew darker. Her movements that night could be tracked hour by hour.
07:04And there before them was a clear face, the last person Grace was seen with. From that moment on,
07:11the question was no longer where is Grace. But what happened to Grace? Because Grace's silence was
07:17no longer something that could be explained. The anxiety weighing on her family's hearts grew
07:22heavier with every passing hour. As the CCTV footage was examined, the face of the man seen with Grace
07:28became clear. The person walking with her that night, riding the same elevator,
07:32and standing on the same floor was Jesse Kempson. As soon as the police obtained this name,
07:38they began investigating his background. Because Grace's disappearance no longer seemed like a simple
07:43loss of contact. Who Jesse was and what kind of person he was became crucial at this point.
07:49On the surface, Jesse's life seemed ordinary, but digging deeper revealed a past filled with chaos.
07:55He was 26 years old. Born in Wellington, he had moved around frequently after his parents' divorce.
08:02He had mostly been raised by his grandparents. His family ties were weak. He had a strained relationship
08:09even with those closest to him. He had stories he loved to tell people, but most of them weren't
08:14based on reality. Because Jesse was the kind of person everyone who knew him described with the same
08:19phrase, a chronic liar. He would cast himself in all sorts of different roles. One day he'd claim to
08:26be the cousin of a rugby star, another day he'd insist he was undergoing cancer treatment. If he had a
08:31job,
08:32a few weeks later he'd say, I've been promoted. When he couldn't pay his rent, he'd tell his landlord,
08:38I'm waiting for a payment from the national sports team. His lies often reached such absurd extremes that
08:44they inevitably came to light, and Jesse could never recover. He'd get evicted, fired, and his
08:50relationships would end. Eventually, he'd be left alone and start a new life with a new lie.
08:56He had told a similar story at the City Life Hotel in New Zealand where he was staying.
09:01He introduced himself as a high-level executive and claimed to work for an important company.
09:06The reality, however, was very different. His income was practically non-existent.
09:11His hotel expenses were covered by government assistance. But an outsider wouldn't have known
09:17that. Because Jesse always portrayed himself as a bit more glamorous than he actually was.
09:23When the police summoned Jesse for questioning on December 5th, he maintained this nonchalant
09:28demeanor. He described meeting Grace, having a good time, parting ways at the end of the night,
09:33sending her a message the next day, but Grace had deleted him from Tinder. He spoke as if it were
09:38just an ordinary encounter. He even answered the police's questions with confidence.
09:43I didn't do anything, I'll provide a DNA sample, and if necessary, I'll come back and talk again,
09:49he said. But the police hadn't reviewed all the footage yet. The significant discrepancy between
09:54what Jesse had described and what the cameras showed hadn't come to light yet. However, it wasn't
10:00long before this discrepancy became so obvious that Jesse's statements began to crumble one by one.
10:05And the name at the center of Grace's disappearance was now crystal clear,
10:09Jesse Kempson. From that point on, the situation grew even more dire. Because Grace's trail went
10:16cold after Jesse. She was last seen with him. And for anyone familiar with Jesse's past,
10:22this did not bode well. After taking Jesse's initial statement, the police began examining the
10:27footage more closely. This was because what he had described did not match what the cameras showed.
10:32Jesse had said he'd said goodbye to Grace on the street at the end of the night.
10:37We hugged, she kissed me on the cheek. Then we went our separate ways, he'd said.
10:41It sounded like a calm, ordinary encounter. But the CCTV footage painted a completely different picture.
10:48The cameras had followed the two of them after they left the Bluestone room.
10:52They were seen walking arm in arm. They were heading toward the direction of Jesse's hotel.
10:57Then they entered the City Life Hotel and headed for the elevator. They stood side by side in the
11:03elevator. And the cameras showed the two of them getting off on Jesse's floor. Jesse was leaving
11:09the hotel. Grace, however, never came out again. This point became a turning point in the investigation.
11:16Because these recordings undermine Jesse's entire story. If he truly claimed they'd parted ways on the
11:22street, why were the two of them together in the hotel elevator? Why hadn't Grace ever left that
11:27hotel again? And why had Jesse walked out the next morning as if nothing had happened? The footage
11:33continued. Jesse had left the hotel early that morning. There was no sign of panic on his face.
11:39Cameras caught him picking out a suitcase in a store. It looked like an ordinary shopping trip,
11:45but the timing was highly suspicious. He then went to a grocery store and bought cleaning supplies,
11:50bleach, cleaning sprays, gloves. As if he were preparing to clean the room from top to bottom.
11:56Then he got into a taxi and went to a car rental company. He rented a red Toyota Corolla. That
12:03day,
12:03he drove that car to and from many places. In the afternoon, he even went on another Tinder date.
12:09That woman would later tell the police. His comments made me uncomfortable. He was talking about
12:14the bodies he'd buried. The woman didn't get into the car as Jesse had suggested. She said
12:20she didn't feel safe. Meanwhile, Jesse had returned to his hotel room and rented a carpet
12:25cleaner to clean the carpet. Supposedly, wine had been spilled. But according to the police,
12:31what happened in the room wasn't something that could be explained by a wine stain.
12:35Later that night, security cameras recorded Jesse pushing heavy suitcases down the hotel hallway.
12:41He was seen loading the suitcases into the rental car. The next morning, he went to a hardware store
12:47and bought a large shovel. He then washed the rental car, trying to leave no traces.
12:53These images were now telling a story. And this story bore no resemblance to the simple
12:58we met up and parted ways account Jesse had given. The footage revealed a methodical,
13:02planned, and cold-blooded sequence of actions. The police thus began to ask the question aloud
13:08for the first time. What had happened to Grace in that hotel room? The answer was taking on a darker
13:13form with every passing hour. As the police tracked Jesse's movements hour by hour and gathered the
13:18clues he left behind, the time had come to question him again. The ease he'd shown in his first statement
13:24was gone, but Jesse was still trying to appear confident. When he was brought into the room,
13:29he was still saying, nothing happened to him, I left and he went on his way. But the police now
13:34knew
13:35they had strong evidence. Jesse's behavior, his purchases, his attempts to clean up. It was all right
13:43So when the police sat down with Jesse for the second time, the questions were much clearer.
13:48This time, Jesse's face showed expressions that shifted in quick succession. First a tense smile,
13:54then a brief silence, then a deep breath. And finally, a new narrative emerged that completely
14:00discarded his first story. Jesse suddenly switched to a different scenario. We went to the hotel together,
14:06yes, he said. Then we chatted, had a drink, got close. Then his voice softened a bit.
14:13Grace mentioned she wanted a rough relationship. She even brought up 50 shades of gray.
14:19Jesse was now trying to make everything seem like it happened by accident. This time,
14:24the word accident was at the center of his story. I lost control all of a sudden,
14:29I panicked in that moment, he said. But the police weren't going to accept that.
14:33Because the investigation in the hotel room had already begun. The stains Jesse called wine,
14:39were actually traces of Grace's blood. There were small but distinct marks on the carpet fibers,
14:45on the floor of the room, and extending under the bed. He had tried to clean them up,
14:49but they hadn't been completely removed. At this point, the police pressed the question even harder.
14:55What did you do when Grace died? Jesse held his breath. He looked away.
15:01I was in shock, he said. I didn't know what to do. I took a shower, sat there, then fell
15:07asleep.
15:08The story was so disjointed that it didn't even make sense to him. But Jesse was trying his best
15:14to stick to the line of I panicked, I was scared, I hit it. The police knew about the cleaning
15:19supplies
15:19in Jesse's room, the rental car, the suitcases he'd bought, and especially the shovel. That's why
15:25they decided to take him to the crime scene. Jesse reluctantly agreed. The confident man from his
15:31initial statement was no longer standing before them. There was something else on his face. A
15:36quiet weariness. An expression that accepted that something had ended. The police marked the spot
15:42he indicated. Jesse identified the wooded area he had driven to. The tracks of the red car were still
15:49visible in the dirt. And shortly afterward, Grace's body was found just a few meters beyond the road.
15:55That moment changed everything, for the police and for the family. It was now clear that the night
16:00Jesse had tried to call an accident, was actually a much darker story. The investigation wasn't over,
16:07but the truth was now plain to see. Grace had been silenced forever. And no story Jesse made up could
16:13ever cover up that truth. When Grace's body was found in the forest, the atmosphere in New Zealand
16:19suddenly grew heavy. Until that day, it had been assumed that young travelers visiting the country
16:24could move about safely. What had happened to Grace deeply shook both the police force and the
16:29public. As the news spread, the expressions on people's faces changed. It shifted from shock to
16:35anger, and then to a profound sense of grief. Grace's father David, had come from England to New Zealand
16:41to find his daughter. That day's press conference is still fresh in everyone's memory. His voice was
16:48trembling. He struggled to find the right words. Grace would text us every day, send us photos.
16:54This silence didn't feel like us at all he said, his eyes staring into the distance. It was a scene
17:00that touched the hearts of parents everywhere, no matter where they were in the world. A father's
17:05helplessness, fear, hope, and then his collapse in that same place. As the police conducted their
17:11investigation, a wave of solidarity swept across the country. People began lighting candles in the
17:17streets. Hundreds gathered in parks and squares. Photos, flowers, little notes. All were for grace.
17:25It was as if the country had become a single heart. Everyone seemed to be leaning on one another's
17:31shoulders. Even the country's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, stepped before the cameras and spoke with
17:37tears in her eyes. Addressing her family, she said, your daughter should have been safe here, but she
17:42wasn't. I'm sorry for that. These words resonated deeply not only across the country, but around the
17:49world. Because this wasn't just a prime minister's statement. It was a heartfelt apology from one human
17:55being to another. Warm, honest, sincere. Grace's mother Jillian, was in England at the time. She had to
18:03watch those moments from afar. Not only was her family torn apart, but she couldn't even touch upon any
18:08details regarding her daughter's funeral. The warm messages, memories, and Grace's laughter she had
18:14left behind. All of it had turned to pain in an instant. People across the country held marches for
18:21Grace. Some carried flowers, others held signs reading women deserve to live in safety. Grace was no
18:28longer just a tourist. She had become a symbol. A symbol reminding us that a young woman deserves a safe
18:34world. The solidarity shown by the people of New Zealand during that time gave Grace's family a
18:39little strength. Because even though the pain was immense, they weren't alone. A nation stood by them.
18:45And this was at least a small measure of support to help them bear a loss that nothing could ever
18:50make
18:50up for. This chapter carries both a nation's grief and the moment a family's heart was shattered.
18:55Grace's name now resonated with a much greater significance. Following Grace's discovery,
19:01Jesse Kempson was officially taken into custody. From that point on, the incident was no longer just
19:07a missing person case. The truth lay before everyone with a weight that hit them in the face.
19:12Jesse's first statements, his second statements, each contradicted the other. As the police,
19:18the prosecution, and experts pieced together all the evidence, the picture became clear.
19:24Grace's death did not appear to be an accident. Because the traces in the room, Jesse's behavior,
19:29and every step he took after that night pointed to something very different. When the trial began,
19:35the courtroom was packed. Grace's family was there. Police officers, members of the press,
19:41lawyers. Jesse, however, sat with a blank expression. He showed no remorse and offered no
19:47clarity about what had happened. It was as if there was a man sitting before us who was even distant
19:53from
19:53himself. The defense argued that the death was an accident. They repeated Jesse's words,
19:59a demand for rough sex, loss of control, a moment that went wrong. But the prosecution presented such
20:04strong evidence that this defense fell flat. The duration of Grace's suffocation, the pressure marks,
20:10the bruises on her body, the bloodstains in the room, the calculated steps Jesse took after the
20:15incident. When all these pieces came together, it became clear that this was not an accident,
20:20but a deliberate act. The prosecutor spoke very plainly before the jury. He stated that Grace's
20:27breathing had been cut off for minutes, and that this could not be explained as an accident.
20:31Jesse's calm demeanor only made this reality even more damning. Carrying a suitcase to the car,
20:37buying cleaning supplies, renting a carpet cleaner, going into the woods to hide the body.
20:42None of these were acts of panic. The jury deliberated for just five hours. Finally,
20:48the verdict was announced, guilty. Jesse Kempson was responsible for Grace's death. The court
20:54sentenced him to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. When Grace's family heard
21:00the verdict, they could not hold back their tears. Because no punishment would bring Grace back,
21:05but at least justice had been served. Grace's name now lived on not just in a court file,
21:10but within a struggle for justice. The information that emerged after Jesse Kempson's trial concluded,
21:16made the situation even more dire. Because after Grace's death, two different women immediately
21:22contacted the police upon seeing Jesse's face in the news. Both recognized him. Both wanted to
21:28recount the terrible things that had happened to them. Thus, it became clear that Jesse had a past
21:33filled not only with lies but also with violence. The first case involved a former partner. That woman
21:39detailed, step by step, what she had endured during her relationship with Jesse. Emotional,
21:45physical, and sexual abuse. Threats. Money being withdrawn from her account. The woman said that
21:52alongside Jesse's constant lies, he suffered from frequent outbursts of rage. She even recounted an
21:58instance where he held a knife to her throat. In the end, Jesse received a total sentence of seven and
22:04a
22:04half years in prison on eight separate charges. Then came the second case. This time, it involved
22:11a tourist, a young woman from England. She had met Jesse months earlier. Her account was equally
22:17horrifying. She claimed Jesse had forced himself on her under threat, saying, if you don't do it,
22:23I'll kill you and your family. The court found Jesse guilty in this case as well and sentenced him to
22:29an additional three and a half years in prison. These sentences were to run concurrently with a life
22:34sentence handed down to Grace. But the picture that emerged made one thing abundantly clear.
22:38Jesse had been dangerous for a long time. Behind his lies lay a far darker character.
22:44During this process, life had become even more difficult for Grace's family. Especially her
22:50father David, was battling his own health issues right in the middle of all these court proceedings.
22:55By the end of 2020, he lost his battle with cancer. He passed away without being able to share in
23:01his daughter's pain. The publication ban on Jesse's identity was also lifted by the end of that year.
23:07Now the whole world could see him clearly and learn about all the crimes he had committed.
23:12After that day, it was reported that Jesse was still preparing new appeals, trying to reduce his
23:17sentences. But in the eyes of society, the verdict had already been handed down. Grace's name now lived on
23:24not just in a court file, but within a broader social consciousness. She had become a symbol reminding
23:29everyone of the immense destruction that violence against a woman can cause. And her family, even
23:35though justice had been served, was searching for ways to keep her legacy alive. When Grace's story
23:40spread around the world, people saw not only immense pain but also a powerful sense of solidarity.
23:46Her family and friends did not want to leave her name buried in a dark news story. They wanted to
23:51keep alive her kindness, her warmth, and the trust she gave to others. So they took action in her name.
23:57One of Grace's most well-known traits was her desire to touch the lives of others. Even before she began
24:03her journey, she had cut her hair and donated it to children with cancer. She was someone who did good
24:09deeds without ever putting herself in the spotlight. Her family followed the same path. They began raising
24:15funds for the White Ribbon Campaign. This campaign was a major movement working against male violence,
24:21specifically aimed at raising awareness among men. The fundraising appeal launched and Grace's name
24:26quickly gained momentum. People from all over the world offered their support. The amount raised reached
24:33record levels. Every donation became a voice saying, Grace has not been forgotten. Another initiative launched
24:40by the family was the Love Grace campaign. The idea behind this campaign was simple, but its impact was
24:46immense. Bags containing basic necessities were prepared for women heading to shelters. Perfumes, hygiene
24:53products, little notes, sometimes a book, sometimes a hairpin. A small gesture of support, a small source of
25:00comfort, designed so that women wouldn't feel alone during difficult times. A gesture carrying Grace's vibrant
25:06energy. Most of those who prepared these bags didn't know Grace. But upon hearing her story, they wanted to do
25:13something in her name. For everyone standing against violence against women, this campaign became a symbol. The pain
25:20grace endured was transforming into an act of kindness touching the lives of other women. Even today,
25:26Love Grace bags are being prepared in many countries. Each bag represents a hope, that small sense of
25:32security a woman feels when she opens her door. Though Grace's story ended in tragedy, her name has become
25:38something else in people's hearts.
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