Trio on trial over double murder mystery

William TaikatoDarrell Crawford Three Western Bay men charged with the murders of Tauranga men Darrell Crawford and William Taikato go on trial today in the High Court at Rotorua despite the bodies of the two men never being found.
Mark Puata, 52, of Te Puke, is charged with killing Mr Crawford, 35, (pictured top- on or about August 12, 2007 - the date he was last seen in Tauranga.
Puata is also jointly charged with David Anderson, 42, of Ohauiti, and John Aitken, 34, of Welcome Bay, with killing Mr Taikato (pictured) on or about December 19, 2007, the date the 40-year-old father of two went missing.
Police launched homicide investigations in relation to the missing men in March 2008 and, despite finding no bodies, charged the trio with the murders in September that year.
The trial is set to take 15 days but the length of the trial will depend upon whether the accused elect to respond to the Crown evidence and call defence witnesses to give evidence.