Murder charge in Napier inner-city homicide inquiry

Napier man Colin Blithe, who was found dead in his Napier flat on Sunday. A man has now been charged with murder. Photo / Supplied

A man has been charged with the murder of Napier man Colin Blithe who was found dead in his Napier CBD flat on Sunday afternoon.

Having awaited details of a post mortem examination of the deceased undertaken in Palmerston North on Tuesday, police announced the arrest late Wednesday.

The man is expected to appear in the Napier District Court on 3 February, charged with murder.

Police thanked members of the community who had come forward to assist police with the investigation and acknowledged it had been a traumatic event for those involved.

Police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the investigation and believe that the 68-year-old Blithe and the arrested man were known to each other, but added that because the matter is now before the courts no further comment can be made.

Blithe, who had at least one daughter and one son, helped manage room-to-rent accommodation upstairs in a two-storey building fronting the Emerson St shopping precinct and off the Theatre Lane access from Tennyson St.

He was discovered deceased after two fellow members of the Bay City Club investigated when they became concerned that he had not been seen for a few days and could not be contacted.

Club members say the arrested man had health problems which Blithe was trying over recent weeks to help resolve, while becoming increasingly concerned about his own safety.

Hawke’s Bay Today understands that when they were unable to raise their friend the landlord was contacted and the discovery made, and that it is believed the deceased had been alive at least as late as mid-evening on Saturday.