Yesterday (27 August), Police began working with friends and acquaintances of Trevor Waite and Glenys Stanton, who were murdered in the bedroom of Trevor Waite in Ponga Rd, Opaheke. The people to be interviewed included recent ex-boyfriends of Glenys, one of which could not be located at the time.
Around 9:00pm on Tuesday 27 August, Police received a phone call from the family of this man, revealing they believed he was unstable. A phone call from a friend of the man confirmed that he was in possession of a firearm.
Later in the evening on a routine patrol, Waitemata Police staff spotted a vehicle near the perimeter of the Woodhill Forest. Police working on the investigation linked the vehicle to the man they were looking for and, knowing he was in possession of a firearm, made their way to the forest with AOS and Eagle.
Eagle located the man in the forest. AOS members had cordoned him about 50m away and were about to attempt to contact him by phone to negotiate with him to remove him from the forest when they heard a gunshot. AOS found him a short time later deceased. Police fired no shots.
Police have recovered a firearm with the deceased at the scene in Woodhill.
The man is a 51 year old Caucasian male, currently unemployed. His most recent address is showing as Waimauku. Police have confirmed the man held a firearms license.
District Commander Superintendent John Tims says that while there is a strong inference that he was connected with the homicide at Ponga Road, there is still a lot of investigative work to be done to cement the inference into evidence.
"The investigation at both the Woodhill and Ponga Road scenes will continue for a number of days. There is a lot of forensic work still to be completed."
The car found at the Woodhill Forest scene, belonging to the deceased man, has been seized by Police for forensic examination in connection with Ponga Road.
A post mortem will be conducted on the man today, with formal identification to follow. His name will not be released until after this time.
The bodies of the two deceased from Ponga Road will be released to their families today.
ENDS
Issued by Kimberley Mathews/Communications Manager, Counties Manukau Police
027 4432 218