Photo: RNZScott Watson has been in prison since 1999 for the murders of Olivia Hope, 17, and Ben Smart, 21, who disappeared in the Marlborough Sounds on New Year's Day 1998. Here is a timeline of the events since Ben and Olivia were last seen alive:Ben Smart and Olivia HopeFriends Ben Smart, 21, and Olivia Hope, 17, travel to Furneaux Lodge in the Marlborough Sounds for a New Years Eve Party. Ben and Olivia plan to sleep on the chartered yacht Tamarack, which Smart had arrived on, but find the berths full. June 2020Justice Minister Andrew Little announces Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy has referred Watson's case back to the Court of Appeal. This will be the fourth time Watson has challenged his convictions for the murders of Ben and Olivia.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 28, 2020 05:03 UTC