Jesse Kempson: Shattered mother of slain British backpacker Grace Millane strangled to death in New Zealand on a Tinder date breaks her silence with a powerful message to the cold-blooded killer and his horrific excuse
The mother of a British backpacker who was brutally murdered during what her killer claimed was “rough sex” has revealed she never pronounces the man’s name.
Grace Millane, 21, was strangled in Auckland, New Zealand, in December 2018 by Tinder date Jesse Shane Kempson, who hid her body in the forested Waitākere Ranges in West Auckland, where it lay undiscovered for eight days.
Kempson, who was given a life sentence with a non-parole period of 17 years in 2020, said he strangled Grace in a CBD hotel while the pair engaged in consensual “rough sex”.
Grace’s mother Gillian Millane has told The Extraordinary Ordinary podcast that she has pushed Kempson out of her mind as she painfully puts her shattered life back together.
“I don’t think about him, I don’t care what happens to him,” she said.
“He came into our lives and destroyed our family. I don’t care about his name, I don’t care about him.’
Grace Millane was 21 when she died and had only spent two weeks in New Zealand while backpacking
Gillian Millane (pictured left with husband David Millane) has opened up about her backpacker daughter’s death from a Tinder date in New Zealand
Gillian described the trial as ‘horrendous’ and said she had to sit in court day in and day out ‘while they destroy your daughter’.
She said her daughter, who had only recently graduated from a marketing and advertising course, had always dreamed of traveling to places like New Zealand.
Grace spent just two weeks in New Zealand after a six-week stint in South America.
During an initial three-week trial with Kempson in 2019, Grace’s father David Millane was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that spread to his brain and the condition claimed his life in November the following year.
“That was another disastrous Christmas and New Year,” Gillian, who had survived a battle with breast cancer shortly before Grace’s murder.
After the double death, Gillian told the podcast that she was “in such a dark, lonely place and I was pushing everyone away.”
Trying to find your path on this road of grief is very difficult,” she said.
“You get to a point where you realize you’re the only one who can get you out of there.”
Gillian is now heavily involved with charities such as White Ribbon which ‘raise awareness of the importance of respecting and protecting the rights and safety of individuals’.
Jesse Kempson had his sentence commuted for the death of Grace Millane, who he strangled in an Auckland motel before hiding the body in bushland.
Grace Millane, 21, was strangled in Auckland, New Zealand, in December 2018 by Tinder date Jesse Shane Kempson (pictured together), who hid her body in the forested Waitākere Ranges in West Auckland, where it remained undiscovered for eight days lie.
“I can say my toes are always in the dark and sometimes my feet and waist, but my head is probably in the sun more now,” she said.
In October 2020, Kempson was also convicted on eight charges relating to trespassing against a former partner.
The charges included sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, threats to kill, assault with a weapon and male assaults on women.
In November 2020, he was convicted on charges of sexually assaulting another woman, another British tourist, in an unrelated incident.
Kempson was given a total prison sentence of 11 years on the new charges, to be served concurrently with his life sentence.
“You have no reason to convict me,” Kempson shouted at Judge Geoffrey Venning from the dock after his sentence was completed.
Grace’s mother Gillian Millane has told The Extraordinary Ordinary podcast that she has pushed Kempson out of her mind as she painfully puts her shattered life back together. Pictured: Grace Millane
“I can’t wait for the Court of Appeals to overturn you, buddy. You’re full of nonsense.’
The 31-year-old appealed his sentence last year, but the case was dismissed by the New Zealand Court of Appeal
In March, Judge David Gendall’s judgment was released, setting out the reasons for overturning the appeal.
“We are of the opinion that none of the individual sentences imposed contained any error, nor is the total cumulative sentence of eleven years’ imprisonment manifestly excessive,” Judge Gendall ruled.
‘Both appeals against the sentence are also rejected.’