HOLIDAY SPECIAL: The New Year's Murders 1 with Vanessa Richardson

Summary

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Murder: True Crime Stories

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: The New Year's Murders 1 with Vanessa Richardson

Release Date: December 30, 2025
Host: Carter Roy
Guest: Vanessa Richardson

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Episode Overview

This gripping holiday special of Murder: True Crime Stories delves into one of New Zealand’s most notorious unsolved cases—the disappearance of 17-year-old Olivia Hope and 21-year-old Ben Smart on New Year's Day 1998. Through first-hand accounts, witness testimonies, and host analysis, the episode reconstructs their final night, explores the immediate search and investigation, and introduces the prime suspect, Scott Watson. The episode artfully weaves fact, speculation, and emotion, emphasizing the enduring impact of this mystery and setting up for a deeper exploration in part two.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Excitement and Promise of New Year’s Eve

• Setting the Tone: Carter and Vanessa discuss the significance of New Year’s as a symbol of fresh starts and celebration.
  • Carter: “New Year's Eve is supposed to be a time for new beginnings... But by the end of the night, Ben and Olivia had vanished.” (01:01)
  • Vanessa shares her fondness for the holiday and the sense of adventure it symbolizes.

Backgrounds of Olivia Hope and Ben Smart

• Olivia Hope: Bright, ambitious, about to start college with plans to become a lawyer; her family, including her mayoral-candidate father and winery-owner mother, embodied optimism for the coming year.
  • “Olivia was about to start college at Otago University. Her goal was to become a lawyer. So this celebration marked her transition into adulthood...” (05:14)
• Ben Smart: Aspiring engineer, talented musician in a rock band, exhausted from academic and creative pressures, ready to unwind with friends.
  • “Not only was he in his last year of college at Christchurch Polytech, but his rock band Exit was doing well too.” (08:12)

The Night of the Party: December 31, 1997

• The Setting: A massive New Year’s celebration at Furneaux Lodge in New Zealand’s remote Marlborough Sounds, accessible only by boat.
• Highlight Events:
  • Olivia and her sister Amelia charter a yacht (the Tamarack) for the adventure. (06:17)
  • Olivia hopes for romance with Ben, who is also attending the party. (06:17, 07:14)
  • Olivia connects first with another acquaintance, Hamish Rose, and shares a midnight kiss but later finds Ben. She and Ben share a significant, mutually anticipated moment as the new year begins.
  • “According to Amelia, the two put their arms around each other and kissed.” (09:07)

The Disappearance (Midnight – 5am, January 1, 1998)

• After a night of festivities, Olivia and Ben attempt to sleep on the Tamarack but find it overcrowded with party crashers. (10:26)
• They seek another place to sleep and encounter Guy Wallace, the water taxi driver, and a mysterious "scruffy man" who offers them a place on his boat—a large, double-masted vessel with a blue stripe.
  • “He said he had a boat and wouldn't mind letting the young couple sleep there, especially Olivia. He definitely sounded kind of creepy. But Ben and Olivia were desperate...” (12:08)
• Telling Detail: The water taxi pulls up around 5am; Olivia and Ben board the stranger’s boat and are never seen again.
  • “Ben and Olivia climbed on board with the stranger and wished Guy Wallace a good night. He waved them as he sailed his water taxi back toward the lodge.” (12:08)

The Aftermath and Search

• Discovery of Disappearance: Amelia, Olivia’s sister, realizes Olivia is missing; initially, family and friends suspect the couple simply extended their celebration. (13:16)
• Escalating Concern: With no contact, both families grow worried and then frantic, alerting the police.
  • “By the following morning, January 3, the police were convinced they had a real missing persons case on their hands.” (16:10)
• Police Investigation:
  • Focus on witness recollections, especially that of Guy Wallace.
  • Composite sketches and descriptions of the mystery boat and its owner released publicly.
  • “Guy explained that he'd dropped Ben and Olivia off at a 40-foot-long two-masted boat. He even drew them a picture of it which showed a prominent blue stripe along the side.” (17:39)

The Case Turns: Media Frenzy and Suspect Emerges

• The case becomes front-page news; community and family pleas add urgency. (19:14)
• A Lead Surfaces: Reports of an unsettling man, “Scott”, at the party—identified as Scott Watson.
  • “Scott was drunk, obnoxious, and a major jerk... Another witness identified the rude man as 26-year-old Scott Watson.” (20:06)
• Scott Watson interviewed: denies seeing Olivia and Ben, recounts his movements, admits to drinking and harassing partygoers, and describes his return to his small, single-masted boat, the Blade. (21:56, 23:19)
• Police are suspicious due to his criminal record and personality, but his physical description and the details of his boat don’t match Guy Wallace’s memory. (23:19, 34:40)
  • “Guy said the stranger was long-haired, unshaven, and wearing a khaki shirt. But police had photos of Scott from the party. He looked clean-shaven, had short hair, and was wearing a blue shirt. Plus his boat, the Blade, didn’t match what Guy had described.” (23:19)
• Ongoing Search & Forensic Analysis: Police rigorously search all 100+ boats in the harbor; so far, the mystery boat remains elusive. (25:14)
• Forensic Red Flags:
  • Watson’s boat is found to be unusually clean—“even his cassette tapes had been wiped down.” (34:40)
  • The hull had been repainted shortly after the disappearances, though in a way that made it stand out more. (36:20)

Police Theory and Frustrations

• Detectives struggle with inconsistencies: the mystery boat is never found, physical descriptions remain unconfirmed, and timelines are tight.
• Police speculate Scott Watson is hiding evidence, but without direct physical proof, the case hangs on witness testimony and circumstantial findings. (36:58)
  • Carter: “If they could find a single hair that belonged to Ben Smart or Olivia Hope on Scott's boat, then they knew they had their man and nothing would convince them otherwise.” (36:58)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Carter Roy:
  • “People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon, and we don't always get to know the real ending.” (01:01)
• Vanessa Richardson:
  • “It was going to be a night to remember, especially because Olivia already had a New Year's kiss in mind.” (06:17)
• On the Scruffy Stranger:
  • “He definitely sounded kind of creepy. But Ben and Olivia were desperate, and besides, they'd be together.” (12:08)
• Regarding Witness Guy Wallace:
  • “Guy became understandably aggravated over the course of the interview, which lasted nearly three hours. In the end, though, his story never wavered.” (28:02)
• On the Investigative Dead-ends:
  • “It seemed like nothing about the case made sense. But without any other leads, detectives started to wonder if maybe Guy Wallace was wrong about what he'd seen that morning.” (36:58)

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Timeline & Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:06–02:27: Opening, introductions, and establishing New Year’s as a theme.
• 05:14–09:07: Introduction to Olivia and Ben; their individual backgrounds and life before the party.
• 09:07–10:26: The party at Furneaux Lodge; Olivia and Ben’s encounter, first kiss, and plans.
• 10:26–12:08: After the party, failed attempt to sleep on the yacht; encounter with Guy Wallace and the scruffy stranger.
• 12:08–13:16: Olivia and Ben are last seen boarding the mystery vessel.
• 13:16–16:10: Discovery of missing teens; initial family reactions.
• 16:10–21:23: The early phase of the police investigation, role of witness Guy Wallace, media involvement.
• 20:06–23:19: Emergence of Scott Watson as a person of interest; his background, interview, and inconsistencies.
• 25:14–26:01: Search for the mystery vessel, tracking leads, and community tips.
• 34:40–36:20: Forensic scrutiny of Watson’s boat, the Blade, and the significance of his deep cleaning and repainting activities.
• 36:58–38:12: Investigative impasse and setting up for the next episode.

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Tone and Atmosphere

The hosts maintain a balance of empathy and suspense, emphasizing not only the procedural intrigue but also the enduring trauma for the families and the community. Vanessa brings warmth and human interest, while Carter focuses on investigative details and narrative flow.

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Conclusion & Lead-In

The episode ends with the investigation at a crossroads—no hard evidence, a suspect but no clear match, and a community desperate for answers.
Carter Roy:
“If they could find a single hair that belonged to Ben Smart or Olivia Hope on Scott's boat, then they knew they had their man and nothing would convince them otherwise.” (36:58)
Vanessa Richardson:
“Come back next time for part two of this New Year’s special...” (38:12)

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For Listeners

This episode offers a detailed yet compassionate look at the Ben and Olivia case, blending personal stories with the mechanics of real-world investigation. The story’s unresolved nature heightens the intrigue, while the focus remains on the young victims and the questions still haunting a nation.

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Next episode: Part two—covering the investigation’s twists, public controversy, and the aftermath of the trial.

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Transcript

[Carter Roy]

This is crime house. New Year's Eve is supposed to be a time for new beginnings. A chance to turn the page on our calendars and start fresh. It's the perfect opportunity to make a positive change and commit to doing better in the future. And there's no better way to celebrate all the exciting things we have to look forward to than surrounded by friends.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Or your favorite Crime House host.

[Carter Roy]

Yeah, well, that's right. We have a guest for this special New Year's episode of True Crime Stories. None other than Vanessa Richardson, host of Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes. It's so great to have you here, Vanessa.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Thanks, Carter. I can't wait to dig in, especially because New Year's is one of my favorite holidays. I just really enjoy the idea of a clean slate. Plus, who doesn't love a good party?

[Carter Roy]

Well, on New year's Eve in 1997, 17 year old Olivia Hope and 21 year old Ben Smart planned to do exactly that. They joined over 1500 other people at the Furneaux Lodge in New Zealand for a party like no other. But by the end of the night, Ben and Olivia had had vanished. And decades later, their disappearance has become one of New Zealand's biggest mysteries. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios that comes out every Tuesday and Thursday.

[Vanessa Richardson]

And I'm Vanessa Richardson, host of Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes. Crime House is made possible by you follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes and Murder True Crime Stories wherever you listen and subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts for ad free early access to each two part series.

[Carter Roy]

This is the first of two episodes on the disappearances of 17 year old Olivia Hope and 21 year old Ben Smart on New Year's Day 1998. Today we'll introduce you to Ben and Olivia and take you through their last moments. The pair rang in the new year at a wild party in the Marlborough Sounds, a network of islands and inlets in New Zealand. The but the next morning they were nowhere to be found. Next time we'll cover the controversial investigation and the trial that followed. In 1999, it looked like Ben and Olivia would finally get justice. Instead, the public was only left with more questions. And to this day, the people of New Zealand are still wondering what really happened to Ben and Olivia. All that and more coming up. With the holidays coming up and the mornings getting colder, I have been leaning on Quint to keep my wardrobe simple, stylish and stress free. They're Mongolian cashmere sweaters. Yeah, only $50, incredibly soft and look way more expensive. I have a couple of them and they're Italian wool coats, struct warm and just feel right. I have to say the down jacket I grabbed from Quint has been my go to this season. Keeps me cozy, looks sharp and holds up through everything. By cutting out the middlemen they give you that luxury quality at a fraction of the price and the gifting they have got it covered. Beyond clothing too. Home bath, kitchen travel perfect for giving or keeping for yourself. Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with quints and don't wait. Go to quint.com crimehouse for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N c e.com crimehouse free shipping and 365 day returns. Quints.com crimehouse hey Ryan Reynolds here wishing.

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[Carter Roy]

See mint mobile.com On December 30, 1997, 17 year old Olivia Hope spent the morning prepar for the celebration of a lifetime. She and her older sister Amelia had chartered a private boat to ferry them and some friends to the biggest party of the year. It wasn't cheap, but the girls wanted to ring in the new year with a bang. Olivia was about to start college at Otago University. Her goal was to become a lawyer. So this celebration marked her transition into adulthood. And and she wasn't the only one with something to look forward to. Her father, a researcher named Gerald, was running for mayor of their small town. Meanwhile, her mom ran a successful winery not far from the water. It seemed like the entire Hope family had a bright year ahead of them, and Olivia and Amelia couldn't wait to get their adventure started.

[Vanessa Richardson]

The boat wasn't going to be traveling very far. The Hope Girls lived in Marboro, near the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island. Over the course of two days, they would travel about 40 miles through the Queen Charlotte Sound. It was more of a pleasure cruise than direct transportation, so the girls had purposely chosen a slow and winding path. Their final destination was Ferno Lodge, a hotel and bar that was accessible only by boat. That's where Olivia and Amelia planned to join over a thousand other young people for a big bash. It was going to be a night to remember, especially because Olivia already had a New Year's kiss in mind. She told Amelia about 21 year old Ben Smart, who would be at the party. The two had met in February through mutual friends and instantly clicked. The relationship wasn't romantic yet, but Olivia hoped that night things would change.

[Carter Roy]

On December 30, she and Amelia traveled to Wango Bay where where they met up with three of their friends at the dock. By 5pm they all got on a yacht called the Tamarack. Four strangers had also paid to charter the yacht, so counting Olivia, there were nine people on board. Luckily, the two groups got along almost immediately. Olivia was an extrovert who had a way of making those around her feel instantly at ease. She and Amelia shared drinks and jokes with old and new friends as they watched the sun set over the water. That night, the Tamarack made its first stop about four and a half miles northeast of where they boarded the yacht. Olivia and Amelia went to bed late after a long evening of drinking and chatting. But they bounced back the next morning on December 31, ready to party. The yacht picked up three more passengers that afternoon, then set sail for the lodge.

[Vanessa Richardson]

While Olivia was on the water, her crush, 21 year old Ben Smart, was staying with a group of friends at a beach house close to the lodge. And they didn't wait for the big bash to start drinking. They cracked open their first beers at around 10am on the morning of Dec. 31. They spent the rest of the day relaxing and lounging on the beach. Ben felt like he definitely earned a vacation. Not only was he in his last year of college at Christchurch Polytech, but his rock band Exit was doing well too. While he and his friends hung out that afternoon, he whipped out his guitar and played a couple of tunes. Around that same time, the Tamarack reached Furneaux Lodge. It was so packed that there were no open spots on the dock. The yacht was forced to anchor a couple of hundred yards away. Amelia, Olivia and the others had to hitch a ride on a passing motorboat to make it to dry land.

[Carter Roy]

Though it was only the late afternoon, there were hundreds of people at the lodge already. Olivia couldn't find Ben at first, so she looked for other familiar faces. Before long, she parted ways with Amelia and lost herself in the crowd, ready for an adventure. Soon she ran into a young man named Hamish Rose. Hamish's parents owned a winery where Olivia worked, so they knew each other pretty well. They spent a couple of hours together that night, talking and walking along the shoreline. After a few close dances, they parted with a kiss not long before midnight. That's when Olivia finally spotted Ben by the bar. By that point, he'd been drinking for hours. Olivia had a few too, but not nearly as many as Ben. According to friends, she was more tipsy than drunk. Amelia spotted her sister going out to the end of a jetty with Ben before the final countdown. Despite her run in with Hamish, it was clear that Olivia only had eyes for Ben. This was her big moment, her chance to take things to the next level. And it seemed like Ben felt the same way. According to Amelia, the two put their arms around each other and kissed.

[Vanessa Richardson]

At midnight, the pair stayed at the lodge for a few more hours, chatting until early in the morning. It wasn't until around 4am on New Year's Day that they decided to find somewhere to sleep. Olivia suggested they go back to the Tamarack, so the two of them caught a ride with a friend out to where it was moored. Swaying from the liquor and the motion of the sea, they staggered into the cabins, but all the beds were already taken. In the chaos of the party, a bunch of drunken freeloaders had hopped on the yacht and made themselves comfortable in Olivia's chartered bedroom. Ben and Olivia didn't want to hassle the sleeping passengers. One of their friends, who was still awake, overheard them whispering about what to do next. In the end, they decided to go back to the lodge and try to find somewhere else to hit the hay. Olivia grabbed her backpack, a sleeping bag and a bag of her personal belongings. Then she and Ben went back to the deck of the boat. Luckily, Amelia was just getting back to the yacht on a water taxi. Even though she wouldn't have a place to sleep either, she decided to just wait on the boat until morning. So Ben and Olivia took her spot in the taxi and wished her Good night. Around 4:30am the person driving the taxi was a 32 year old man named Guy Wallace. Along with him, Ben and Olivia, there were three other passengers on board. One was a man named Hayden Morrissey, who was there with a woman named Sarah Dyer. Both were around Olivia and Ben's age. Then there was an anonymous scruffy man with long hair who was a bit older, somewhere between 25 and 30. He was sitting apart from the others and seemed very drunk.

[Carter Roy]

Olivia and Ben told Guy Wallace about their predicament and asked if he knew where they could spend the night. Just as Guy was telling them the lodge was full, the scruffy man spoke up. He said he had a boat and wouldn't mind letting the young couple sleep there, especially Olivia. He definitely sounded kind of creepy. But Ben and Olivia were desperate, and besides, they'd be together. After thinking it over, they accepted his offer. Around 5am the water taxi pulled up to the man's boat. Guy remembered it was a pretty big sailboat with two masts. It was white with a thick blue stripe painted on the side and had round portholes. The it was one of more than 150 boats tied up in the water that night. Ben and Olivia climbed on board with the stranger and wished Guy Wallace a good night. He waved them as he sailed his water taxi back toward the lodge.

[Vanessa Richardson]

The next day, Amelia woke up to find the Tamarack in chaos. The freeloaders from the previous night woke up, hung over and had to be chased off the boat. But once they were gone, Amelia realized her sister still wasn't back yet. She and her friends headed down to the beach to look for her and Ben. But with the lodge still crowded with hundreds of partiers, they couldn't find a trace of the pair. These were the days before cell phones were widespread, so Amelia didn't have a reliable way to get in touch with her sister. She figured Olivia must have gone with Ben back to his beach house. She was sure she'd see her soon. And so Amelia got back on the Tamarack and the yacht started its journey home. On the way back, the boat took a more direct path. It only took a few hours to reach what a Mango Bay. When Amelia arrived back home that evening, she was surprised to hear Olivia hadn't contacted her parents. That wasn't like her. But their parents tried not to worry. They figured Olivia and Ben were enjoying a romantic day together and that she would be home soon. But by the next morning, they weren't so sure. And they would soon discover Olivia, Hope and Ben Smart's dream holiday had turned into a nightmare.

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[Carter Roy]

By January 2, 1998, 17 year old Olivia Hope and 21 year old Ben Smart had been missing for 24 hours. That's when Olivia's dad got in touch with Ben's parents. He asked if they'd seen Ben since New Year's. They hadn't. When Olivia's dad heard that, he immediately called the police. At first, authorities thought Olivia and Ben might have gone off on a romantic trip together or suddenly decided to elope. But after talking to their parents, that idea seemed unlikely. Ben and Olivia were both responsible. Olivia told her sister and multiple friends how excited she was to start college. Ben also had a lot to look forward to. He was supposed to start working at his father's engineering firm soon. There were absolutely no signs that either of them had any plans to run away. By the following morning, January 3, the police were convinced they had a real missing persons case on their hands. One of the first things the authorities did was get in touch with Ben and Olivia's banks to watch their accounts for unusual charges. Then they started calling hotels around Furneaux Lodge, posting flyers and searching for witnesses. That's how they met the water taxi driver, 32 year old guy Wallace.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Guy explained that he'd dropped Ben and Olivia off at a 40 foot long two masted boat. He even drew them a picture of it which showed a prominent blue stripe along the side. Guy described the owner as a young man around 5 foot 9, unshaven and reeking of bourbon. He was in his late 20s and wore a short sleeved Levi shirt that was khaki or pale green. Gaia admitted that his memory wasn't the strongest. He'd worked the bar at the lodge for most of the night. After that, he was driving the water taxi. By the time Ben and Olivia got off his boat, it was 5am and Guy had been working for 20 hours straight. But he was pretty sure he remembered serving the scruffy man drinks before he took the water taxi. For the most part, the man kept to himself, but he definitely had a skeevy vibe. Guy witnessed a group of women tell him off for trying to look up their skirts. For police, this information was huge. It confirmed what they already believed, that Ben and Olivia hadn't simply run off. Chances were Guy was one of the last people to see them alive. After that, something must have happened on that sailboat. The next step was finding the boat and the man who owned it. But that was easier said than done. There were over 150 boats moored near the lodge that night and no organized record of them. That left the authorities no choice. They had to rely on witnesses to guide the investigation, which meant getting the word out.

[Carter Roy]

By January 4th, Olivia and Ben had been missing for more than three days. The story was plastered all over the local news. That day, the police took advantage of the surge in attention and released Guy's sketch of the sailboat. They also organized a search. With the help of the Navy and the Air Force, planes took to the skies to scan the waters for any signs of the vessel. Meanwhile, local fishermen searched the docks. The Hope and smart families did TV interviews. At this point, it seemed like the owner of the boat was keeping Ben and Olivia hostage. Their loved ones begged the abductor to come forward, but they didn't hear anything. And they didn't receive a ransom note either. All they could do was wait.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Luckily, all the media attention did move the case forward. Dozens of concerned citizens started reaching out to the police with tips. And on January 6, the authorities got a major break in the case. That day, investigators spoke to two friends who attended the party at the lodge. They remembered a man in his mid-20s named Scott who made them seriously uncomfortable. According to them, Scott was drunk, obnoxious and a major jerk. He Came up and started mocking one of the men, Oliver Perkins, for wearing a necklace. Oliver told him that the necklace belonged to his sister who had cancer. Instead of backing off, Scott escalated the situation. He responded that Oliver's sister would likely be dead within two years. Oliver and his friends walked away in disgust, but they the exchange stuck in their minds. Another witness identified the rude man as 26 year old Scott Watson. Scott was known around town as a free spirit. He was originally from the area, but spent most of his time out on the water on his boat. He wasn't the type who held down a job for very long. The police reached out to Scott and he agreed to come in for an interview on January 7.

[Carter Roy]

By then, Olivia and Ben had been missing for almost a week and the authorities were losing hope that they would be found alive. That's why they called in an experienced team of detectives led by Rob Pope, who was part of New Zealand's Criminal Investigations Branch, or cib. One of the first things Detective Pope did was officially upgrade it from a missing person's case to a homicide investigation. Now it was time for Pope to find a solid suspect.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Detective Pope listened as Scott Watson gave his account of the New Year's party. He said he arrived at the lodge in the afternoon, sailing in his single masted sailboat, christened the Blade. Scott had built the ship over the course of several years, even teaching himself to weld during the job. It wasn't a large boat, but it was big enough for him to live on by himself. He spent his time taking it around New Zealand, fishing and partying. When he arrived at the Furneaux Lodge on New Year's Eve, he was ready for a wild night. Practically from the moment he stepped on shore, he was drinking and aggressively hitting on women. But things didn't go his way. It turned out that none of the women he'd talked to were interested. So after the spat with the young man wearing the necklace, Scott had a couple more beers and took a water taxi back to the Blade. That was sometime after 2am But Scott wasn't ready to turn in yet. The Blade was tied to a couple of other charter boats, which by that point were filled with passengers. Winding down for the night, Scott paraded through the decks, shaking people awake and trying to convince them to stay up and drink with him. Unsurprisingly, no one wanted anything to do with him. So Scott reluctantly went back to his own boat and passed out for the night. He claimed he never, never saw Olivia or Ben.

[Carter Roy]

Detective Pope wasn't sure if he believed Scott. But at the moment, there was no evidence tying him to Ben or Olivia. So after the interview, Pope was forced to let him go. However, that didn't mean Scott Watson was off the hook. And when detective Pope looked into him some more, he only became more convinced that Scott was capable of violence. It turned out Scott had a whopping 48 criminal convictions. Most of them were for burglary, theft, and possessing marijuana. As a teenager, he'd been to prison twice, but had mostly stayed out of trouble since he was 18. While it was suspicious, none of this meant that Scott was guilty, especially because he didn't really match guy Wallace's physical description of the mystery man. Guy said the stranger was long haired, unshaven, and wearing a khaki shirt. But police had photos of Scott from the party. He looked clean shaven, had short hair, and was wearing a blue shirt. Plus his boat. The blade didn't match what guy had described. It had one mast, not two, and was much smaller than the one guy remembered. Finally, Scott was adamant that he returned to his ship sometime around 2am A couple of hours before Ben and Olivia had disappeared. All that said, Scott was a fit personality, wise like the man guy had described. Scott was confrontational, rude, and pushy towards women, not to mention he had a previous conviction for assault. It was enough for detective Pope to want to speak to him again. He scheduled a second interview for a few days later.

[Vanessa Richardson]

In the meantime, police continued to work on finding the boat guy Wallace had seen. They obtained several pictures of the party taken from a nearby cliff, which showed the harbor was dotted with more than 100 ships. During these photographs, officers tediously tracked down every boat. By January 8, they had made it through about 60 of the vessels without finding the one they were searching for. None of the photos featured a double masted sailboat with a bright blue stripe with. But the police weren't giving up. They interviewed at least 300 people who had been at the lodge. A few of them, including the water taxi passengers who were with Ben and Olivia, recalled the blue and white boat. But none of them knew who owned it or where it might have gone.

[Carter Roy]

Without any stronger leads, Detective Pope turned his attention back to Scott Watson. He had a bad attitude, a criminal record, and he'd come to the Freneau lodge that day all alone. In a lot of ways, Scott fit the profile of a potential killer. But there was a lot more work to do if Pope wanted to be sure. And he would soon discover there were a lot of things that didn't add up when it came to Scott Watson.

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Some cases fade from headlines, some never made it there to begin with. I'm Ashley Flowers and on my podcast the Deck, I tell you the stories of cold cases featured on playing cards distributed in prisons designed to spark new leads and bring long overdue justice. Because these stories deserve to be heard and the loved ones of these victims still deserve answers. Are you ready to be dealt in? Listen to the Deck now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Carter Roy]

By January 11, 1998, 17 year old Olivia Hope and 21 year old Ben Smart had been missing for 10 days. There were 44 people working full time to find them. On top of that, 60 volunteers combed the beaches in dense brush around the Freneau Lodge looking for their bodies. So far, they hadn't found any sign of Ben or Olivia, but the police were convinced the young couple had been murdered. The officer in charge of the case, Detective Pope, believed 26 year old Scott Watson was the prime suspect. However, he didn't match the physical description given by their best witness, 32 year old guy Wallace. Even more troubling, they still hadn't located the boat that Guy had seen Olivia and Ben get into that afternoon.

[Vanessa Richardson]

On January 11, police interviewed Guy again and told him they couldn't find the double masted sailboat. They claimed they'd spoken with everyone who was at the lodge that night and no one else recalled seeing it either. That wasn't true. There were 1500 people at the lodge last night and they'd only talked to 300 of them. But officers were hoping to pressure him and test his memory. When Guy stuck to his story, interrogators switched tactics, accusing him of having something to do with Ben and Olivia's deaths. Guy became understandably aggravated over the course of the interview, which lasted nearly three hours. In the end, though, his story never wavered. He was adamant that he had last seen Olivia and Ben with a scruffy man who owned a 40 foot double masted boat. At that point, Detective Pope had to make an important decision, because if Guy was telling the truth, that meant Scott was lying. And based on everything Pope knew about Scott, that seemed like a distinct possibility.

[Carter Roy]

The next day, on January 12, Scott was scheduled to come in for another interview. Detectives also planned to interview his sister Sandy. But before either of them arrived, investigators got a call about a new lead. The Coast Guard told police they received a distressed call a day after Olivia and Ben went missing. It allegedly came from a woman who said she was on board a boat called the Mad Dog. Two boys who were playing by the Water near the lodge accidentally overheard the same call on their toy walkie talkies. They happened to be tuned to the same frequency. According to the boys, they heard a male voice and then a female's. The woman claimed a ship called the Mad Dog was sinking into Tarangi Bay. After learning about the call, police wondered if Ben and Olivia had been the two voices those boys had heard. It would make sense. Ben and Olivia were last seen in the early morning hours of January 1. Tatarangi Bay was located about a day's boat ride from Furneaux Lodge. It certainly seemed possible that Ben and Olivia had gotten onto the Mad Dog, then placed that distress call when they were apparently sinking in Tidarangi Bay.

[Vanessa Richardson]

For some reason, the Coast Guard wasn't able to follow up on the report, which meant the authorities didn't have much to go on. So for the moment, they filed this information away and focused on what they had in front of them them, which was an interview with Scott's sister, Sandy. Sandy had the same dark hair and blunt honesty as her brother, and it didn't take long for her to make a shocking comment. At some point, Sandy mentioned that Scott should have named his ship the Mad Dog. It was a bizarre thing to say. The detectives instantly wondered if there was a connection between Scott and the Coast Guard report. But there was just no way the Blade could have been the ship mentioned in the mayday call. For one, Scott's boat hadn't sunk, and as far as the detectives knew, it didn't have the right kind of radio to transmit that distress call. Most importantly, witness testimony confirmed that Scott sailed to a different bay after leaving Furneaux Lodge. In the end, neither the police nor the Coast Guard could figure out what the distress call was all about. They decided that despite the coincidence, it probably wasn't related to Olivia and Ben. And so they turned their attention back to Scott.

[Carter Roy]

They spoke to him the same day as Sandy, and this time the authorities wanted him to start on the morning of January 1st, the day Ben and Olivia went missing. He told the police that he woke up early, hungover from the previous night. He left for no around 7am and sailed to a spot called Erie Bay. He didn't have a working clock on his boat, but he estimated he arrived there around 10am and despite his uncertainty about the timeline, detectives were able to confirm that he did leave the lodge around seven. Like many other partygoers, Scott was moored a few hundred yards away from the dock, tied to two other boats. He had bothered his neighbors the night before. By waking them up and asking them to party with him. And he bothered them again that morning. Multiple witnesses remembered being woken up by Scott around 7am as he untied his boats from theirs and sailed away. They didn't hear any voices from other people on board his ship and definitely no sounds of violence. As for the time he arrived in Erie Bay, that was a little less certain. A caretaker at the bay spoke to Scott that morning. He initially told authorities that he spotted the blade sometime between 10 and noon, in line with what Scott said. But the caretaker's children, a 13 year old girl and a 10 year old boy, put the time a little later. The boy said it was at lunchtime and the girl told detectives Scott arrived around 1pm all three were positive that Scott was alone when he got there. So detectives theorized that if he was the killer, there were two possibilities.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Well, option one was that he murdered Ben and Olivia sometime on New Year's morning by the lodge, then disposed of their bodies on the way to Eerie Bay. The second scenario was that he killed Ben and Olivia later, after he left for no lodge, but before he got to the bay. Timing wise, either scenario would have been a pretty tight squeeze. Erie Bay was only about 12 miles away from Furnow, but because of the tides that morning, police estimated that the trip would have taken Scott around five or six hours. That was already roughly in line with the caretaker's later estimate and the statements from his kids. And that left practically no time for Scott to commit the murders and find a secluded spot to dump the bodies. Even so, detectives were convinced that Scott fit their profile. So after interviewing him on January 12, they took his boat, which was also his home, into custody. Scott was forced to stay with his parents while the cops went over it with a fine toothed comb.

[Carter Roy]

Taking a closer look at the blade, detectives realized just how small it was. Guy Wallace was certain that the boat Ben and Olivia got into was around 40ft long. But Scott's was only 26. There was barely enough room for his bed, let alone two unexpected guests. Beyond that, the authorities noticed the blade was really tidy. It looked like it had been deep cleaned in the last month or so. And around a third of the hard surfaces inside looked like they had been polished even more recently than that. When asked about it, Scott told investigators that he and his sister had gone sailing down the coast in December, weeks before the party. Afterward, they made sure to clean everything thoroughly. As for the hard surfaces, he said he tended to them sometime after New Year's. He insisted that he tried to keep things as hygienic as possible. Possible. After all, it was a small vessel and he lived there full time. Investigators weren't buying it. To them, it seemed like things were a little too clean. They were amazed to find that even his cassette tapes had been wiped down. Scott said he paid them special care because the salty air could damage his music player. But detectives theorized he was trying to get rid of of forensic evidence like fingerprints or blood. And that wasn't the only suspicious detail the authorities noticed.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Based on witness testimony, the exterior of the blade was painted red during the New Year's party. But looking at the boat now, it was painted blue. Scott said he decided to repaint it on January 2nd as part of his regular maintenance. Police interpreted this as a possible sign that he was concealing evidence. If that was true, though, it ended up working against him. The last people who saw Olivia and Ben alive claimed they were dropped off at a boat with a broad blue stripe on the side. By changing the blade's color from red to blue, Scott actually drew more attention to himself.

[Carter Roy]

It seemed like nothing about the case made sense. Sense. But without any other leads, detectives started to wonder if maybe Guy Wallace was wrong about what he'd seen that morning. Despite clearing over 100 boats that were at the lodge that night, the authorities couldn't find a single one that matched Guy's description. On the other hand, Scott's boat looked suspiciously clean. More than that, he just seemed like he was hiding something. In the end, the authorities decided forensic evidence would be the deciding factor. If they could find a single hair that belonged to Ben Smart or Olivia Hope on Scott's boat, then they knew they had their man and nothing would convince them otherwise. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories. Come back next time for part two of this new year's special featuring Vanessa Richardson.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Thanks Carter. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. Support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, Rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow Murder True Crime Stories. Wherever you get your podcasts, your feedback truly makes a difference.

[Carter Roy]

And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad free and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two part series, you'll get access to both at once. Plus exciting bonus content. We'll be back on Thursday. True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter, Roy and my special guest, Vanessa Richardson and is a Crime House original. Powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benidon, Natalie Perchovsky, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Tara Wells, Molly Quinlan, Artwick, Hania Said and Russell Nash. Thank you for listening.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

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[Carter Roy]

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