Please attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Baskett:
Police have today arrested a third man in relation to the murder of Palmiro MacDonald.
A 41-year-old man has been charged with murder and has today appeared in Palmerston North District Court. He is due to reappear on September 28.
MacDonald was last seen on March 23rd 2016 in Levin. His remains were later discovered in the Mangahao Dam area of the Tararua Foothills on Sunday 9 October 2016.
In the 17 months since, Police have arrested and charged two other men, age 27 & 28, with his murder.
The Operation Palm investigation team is continuing to make enquiries into Mr MacDonald’s death and are focused on getting answers for his whanau.
This further arrest is a credit to the dedicated investigation team who have worked tirelessly over the past year and a half.
We would like to thank the members of the community who contacted Police and provided information which assisted with our inquiry.
Police are still welcoming any further information relating to the case, and would like to hear from anyone with information that may assist.
Please call 0800 OP PALM (0800 677 256), or CrimeStoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
As the matter is now before the Court, Police is unable to provide any further comment.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre