She is best-known for her investigation into the wrongful conviction of Auckland man Teina Pora for murder and rape.
[4] She then moved to TV3 in 2003 and spent the next 13 years working in current affairs across 60 Minutes, 3rd Degree and 3D.
Her stories contributed significantly to the eventual quashing of his conviction and a $2.5 million dollar payout from the Crown.
[5][6] 3D was cancelled by TV3 in 2016 and Penfold moved to Fairfax, establishing the long-form documentary investigative unit Stuff Circuit with two of her former colleagues.
[9] Penfold was married to TV3 anchor and journalist Mike McRoberts for more than 20 years.