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On Tuesday, at the High Court in Wellington New Zealand, Ewen Macdonald was found not guilty of murdering his brother-in-law, Scott Guy. Rural Dean of the Anglican parish of Oroua, David van Oeveren, is one of the church leaders who have been giving both the Guy and Macdonald families spiritual guidance and comfort during their long draw-out public ordeal.
He said both families have at times worshiped together.
“For the families it’s been of great comfort that many people in this community have stopped at ten o’clock every morning and prayed for them,” van Oeveren said.
Feilding community leaders including van Oeveren are organising a special gathering for the two families and residents to help them heal.
It’s about understanding that the only people who heard every bit of evidence were the jurors who made the decision, so it’s not for us now to make any further decisions. The verdict was not guilty,” van Oeveren said.
The Archdeacon said now is a time for the Guys, the Macdonalds and the rest of the community to grieve and begin the process of rebuilding their lives.
After the trial Bryan Guy asked for privacy for his family after such a public ordeal.
He also took the opportunity to thank people for their support.
“We’ve been overwhelmed and touched by the love and caring of New Zealanders.
“The support and prayers of friends and strangers alike in our local community and through the country have given us strength and courage”.
Kerry and Marlene Macdonald said a jury was right to find their son not guilty of murdering Guy. They spoke of their “support and unconditional love for Ewen” and they said that support and love had got them all through the ordeal.
The Macdonalds said the murder trial had been brutal for Kylee Guy and the rest of the Guy family. They thought the tragedy of Guy’s death had been lost amid coverage of the aftermath of his murder.
Helen Warboys, a Feilding promotions manager, said the community is still wondering how this could have happened to such a nice local family.
“This is like a horror movie. It’s something that you would never imagine in anybody’s lifetime let alone in a small community like ours.”
Rangitikei MP Ian McKelvie said people in the Feilding district were not surprised by the verdict, and in the last week had come to the conclusion there was unlikely to be a solution provided by the court.
Manawatu mayor Margaret Kouvelis hoped the Guy and Macdonald families will now return home and be given space and privacy.
“We are going to continue to support both families, as we have done for the past two years.”
“We hope that now they can come home, retreat and find some solace in being back within this community, which has been upholding them throughout the whole process.”
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