New Zealand

Police investigating five North Island homicides

20:30 pm on 7 June 2020

Five homicides in the North Island in the past six days are being investigated by the police.

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On Monday, Clifford Umuhuri of Whakatāne was found dead in the Auckland suburb of Grafton following reports that shots had been heard in Saint Johns on Monday morning.

Police launched a homicide inquiry and said they had assembled a large team to work on the case and were continuing to analyse CCTV footage.

The 47-year-old's body was returned to his whānau after a karakia near the site of his death on Wednesday, which was attended by family and members of the police team.

Anyone with information was urged to contact the Auckland City Crime Squad on (09) 302 6557 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The same day, a 56-year-old man was charged with murder after a body was found at Waihau Bay in eastern Bay of Plenty.

The man appeared in the Whakatāne District Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on 24 June.

Police said on Tuesday they were making a forensic examination of a rural property in Waihau Bay and were not looking for anyone else in relation to the death.

A 37-year-old man was charged with murder after the death of a man at a house in Northcote, Auckland, on Thursday. He was due to appear in the North Shore District Court yesterday. Police said they expected to lay another charge against the man in relation to another person who had suffered minor injuries at the property.

Police are seeking public help in a murder investigation after a man died in Hamilton on Friday.

Detective Senior Sergeant William Loughrin said a man died at a property in Slim St in the suburb of Bader, after reports of an assault.

Police expect to spend several days examining the property and are working to identify and locate the offender.

Police are seeking information from anyone who saw people or vehicles coming or going from 8 Slim St between 5.30pm and 5.45pm on Friday.

And an 18-year-old man was fatally stabbed at a house in the Far North town of Moerewa in the early hours of this morning.

Police and ambulance were called to an address on Snowdon Ave at around 12.20am, where local man Krillan Koni Brown was found unresponsive. Despite attempts to revive him, he died at the scene.

Police said they have arrested and charged another 18-year-old male with Male Assaults Female following Brown's death and are talking to a number of people who were at the address when the incident occurred.