Crime author who helped murder her best friend's mum dies
The crime author whose role in a murder was the subject of Hollywood film Heavenly Creatures has died at the age of 84.
Anne Perry has died in hospital in Los Angeles, her agent Meg David confirmed.
Her health had been declining since she suffered a heart attack in December last year.
Anne's crime writing was shadowed by her role in a murder, which was later a focus for the 1994 film by Peter Jackson, starring Kate Winslet.
Her crime as a teen saw her spend five years in prison for her part in the death of her best friend's mum, Honorah Mary Parker. Due to their age, the teens escaped the death penalty.
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At the time of the killing, Anne was known as Juliet Hulme. She later took on her new name when she began her writing career.
Anne served almost six years in prison (Popperfoto via Getty Images)
She changed her name when she began her writing career (Getty Images)The crime took place in New Zealand in 1954, with Anne and her friend, Pauline Parker, being convicted for plotting the murder. Details of the killing were later discovered in journals found by police.
It included Honorah being hit with a brick approximately 20 times. It's said they concocted the plan to kill Honorah as she had been planning to send Pauline abroad.
The movie adaptation of events saw Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet make their feature film debuts as the teenage killers.
It focused on the relationship of the teenagers prior to the killings, with the film winning the Silver Lion film at the 1994 Venice International Film Festival.
Heavenly Creatures with Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey (SUNDAY MAIL)It was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Anne's writing career began in 1979 with her first novel titled The Cater Street Hangman. The book was followed by more than 100 more mystery and thriller books, with Anne selling over 26 million copies worldwide.
She was honoured with an Edgar Award in 2000 while also being named as one of the 100 Masters of Crime by the Times of London.
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