Richard S. Burgess (14 February 1829 – 5 October 1866) was a notorious murderer known for the "Maungatapu murders" which occurred on the Maungatapu track, south-east of Nelson, New Zealand. Born Richard Hill in west London in 1829, reputedly the illegitimate son of a guards officer and a lady's companion, he became involved in petty street crime at age 14 and was soon jailed and flogged for pickpocketing. Two years later he was sentenced to 15 years' transportation for burglary. After 20 months of solitary confinement he was shipped to Melbourne, Australia, arriving in September 1847.