Police are now treating a fatal motorcycle crash in Bay of Plenty last month as a homicide.
Police are seeking any sighting of the burnt out vehicle found near the banks of the Raukokore River, not far from where Don Henry Turei died. Photo: NZ Police
Police believe Don Henry Turei Junior, 38, was purposefully hit and killed by a white Honda Odyssey-type van in the Raukokore River near Te Kaha in late November.
A burnt-out vehicle was found not far from where Mr Turei died.
Mr Turei and his brother, who was travelling on another motorbike, were on their way to a wedding reception when the crash happened.
Detective Inspector Lew Warner said witness accounts and forensic examination results clearly showed it was a deliberate act.
He said they would like to speak to anyone who saw a white Honda Odyssey in the area that weekend and for information about the driver and or passengers inside it.