SunLive – Rotorua homicide: police provide update on couple

“Any new updates will be proactively released when available given the widespread interest in this incident,” the spokesperson said.

Police revealed last week that a third person at the elderly couple’s home was slightly injured but did not require hospital treatment. The cases were linked because the three alleged victims were known to the arrested man.

“She didn’t deserve to die this way.”

A neighbor of the murdered woman said police told him she died a “terrible, violent death.”

A neighbor from Old Taupo Rd, who did not wish to be named, said she became acquainted with the deceased woman through chats on the other side of the fence over the past two years.

Police at an address on Old Taupo Rd in Rotorua where a woman was found dead on Monday, sparking a homicide investigation. Photo / Ben Fraser.

She said they would talk often. A topic of conversation would be how she would leave her windows and curtains wide open day and night.

“I would tell him ‘gosh, don’t do that here, you need to watch out for break-ins and whatnot,'” the woman said.

She said she told police she found it strange when she woke up the previous Thursday morning and looked toward the woman’s house and first noticed the windows were closed and the curtains fired. She said it crossed her mind, she must have someone staying because it wasn’t like her.

She said police spoke to all the neighbors and, although they did not reveal any details about how or why the woman was killed, she said police told her she “died of ‘a terrible and violent death’.

“I said ‘she didn’t deserve to die that way’.”

The neighbor said the deceased woman was a loner who didn’t have many visitors. She had been saddened recently after losing her mother and father within a week of each other 18 months ago.

Even though there weren’t many people there, the neighbor noticed over the past month that there was sometimes a vehicle in her apartment. She passed this information on to the police.

52-year-old man appears in court

A 52-year-old man appeared in the Rotorua District Court last week charged with the woman’s murder.

Judge Anna Skellern granted interim suppression of the man’s name as well as interim suppression of the deceased woman’s name.

The barefoot man appeared in the dock, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and wearing a large bandage on his head.

Judge Skellern remanded him in custody to reappear in the Rotorua High Court on October 18.

Attorney Andy Hill asked that the man’s name be temporarily suppressed because he had only just been charged and there were issues to be resolved.

Crown lawyer Amanda Gordon asked that the deceased’s name be suppressed because police had not yet released it and the court could not be sure all immediate family members had been informed.

A neighbor said police told him the murdered woman had “died a violent and terrible death.” Photo / Ben Fraser.

Retired couple seriously injured in attack

A Russell Cres resident said the retired couple attacked in their home were in their 70s and belonged to a church.

The resident had handed over CCTV footage of his driveway to the police.

“I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I asked the cops what happened, but all is quiet.

He said the couple’s nephew lived “out back” and he knew all three who to say hello to, but didn’t know them well.

Another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said it was a “horrible, horrible thing”.

“It’s hard to understand this… I feel so bad, they are a lovely couple and the fact that they were hurt in this way is so hard to accept.”

Police and forensic staff were at the Russell Cres property last week.

A large tent was erected in the alley and police officers, some in scrubs, worked inside.

The curtains in the house were drawn and there were two vehicles in the driveway.

Neighbors interviewed by the Rotorua Daily Postwho did not want to be named, was in shock over what had happened.

The elderly man and woman knew the husband and wife well and had been their neighbors for three years. They described them as a couple of retired professionals who were previously business owners.

The elderly man said the couple were on life support and the family was traveling from Australia.

The elderly woman described them as a “beautiful and caring couple”.

They said police kept them informed to stop them worrying and informed them early that someone would appear in court.

They both said they had no idea what happened.

Anyone with information about either incident that may be helpful can contact police via the 105 telephone service or online by reference to file number 240923/0552.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

-Rotorua daily post.