Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Tauranga doctor accused of murder

Cherie Howie
By Cherie Howie
Reporter·NZ Herald·
24 Oct, 2015 08:17 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Police say Maureen Boyce died from a single stab wound to her abdomen.

Police say Maureen Boyce died from a single stab wound to her abdomen.

Woman died of a single stab wound.

A Tauranga doctor has been charged with the murder of his lover, Brisbane socialite and former model Maureen Boyce.

Tom Lang, a 63-year-old American who called New Zealand home, was arrested on Friday night and charged with the murder of the well-known Brisbane identity.

Lang had been staying with Boyce, 68, who he had told people was a decades-old flame to whom he was now engaged.

On Thursday morning he called emergency services to say he had discovered her dead in her bed at her Kangaroo Pt, Brisbane, penthouse.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He had been staying with Boyce, a mother of two who was married to a Cairns doctor, for two weeks - apparently in a separate room.

Police say Boyce died from a single stab wound to her abdomen.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Lang worked as a "physician at Welcome Bay Medical Centre/Central Med Tauranga".

No one from Welcome Bay Medical Centre could be contacted for comment yesterday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He had lived in New Zealand for six years, leaving Tauranga to visit his lover just two weeks ago. He was due home on Tuesday.

Lang's son Chris lives in Texas. Chris' partner, Jade Unpingco, was distraught when contacted by the Herald on Sunday yesterday.

Chris Lang was not available but Unpingco said he was in regular contact with his dad who spoke often of Boyce.

"[He said they] had a thing back in college and they rekindled their love from a long time ago and they were happy," she said.

"He told me all about her and how she was in the fashion industry. He said that we would get to meet and we would bond over fashion."

Dr Tom Lang brought into Dutton Park police station in regards to the death of Maureen Boyce at Kangaroo Point. Photo / Darren England.
Dr Tom Lang brought into Dutton Park police station in regards to the death of Maureen Boyce at Kangaroo Point. Photo / Darren England.

Lang and Boyce were to marry last year but the wedding was postponed, Unpingco said.

She did not know why the nuptials had been delayed.

Lang was a loving father who was "ecstatic" to become a grandfather last August.

"He was so happy to be a grandpa. It was his first grandbaby. He was in the delivery room, he wanted to experience the whole thing," Unpingco said.

"He was taking notes on my vitals, being a doctor and making sure me and the baby were being taken care of right. It was very special."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Lang had planned for the family of three to visit him in New Zealand in February, Unpingco said.

Moving to New Zealand about six years ago was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream, and he couldn't wait to show off his new home, she said.

"He planned for us to tour around the country. He wanted his grandson Isaiah to experience different cultures."

The family knew nothing of Lang's arrest, she said.

Lang lived in a modest home in the Tauranga suburb of Welcome Bay.

His neighbour, Elizabeth Brader, said Lang also told her about his engagement to Boyce.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"He was just happy and excited. She used to come over here and he used to go there."

Two weeks ago Lang asked her to feed his cat, Scooter, because he was going to Australia to see Boyce.

"He was a really nice man. It's just hard to comprehend."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Donations save school from brink of closure

13 Jul 12:01 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

12 Jul 06:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Donations save school from brink of closure

Donations save school from brink of closure

13 Jul 12:01 AM

Matahui School will stay open into 2025 and beyond.

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

Second venomous sea snake washes ashore in Coromandel

12 Jul 06:00 AM
'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

'My moment': NZ-born boxer becomes first Māori to be crowned undisputed world champ

12 Jul 03:58 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP