Two teenagers charged with murder after body found near Tutira

Police were called to Matahourua Rd near Tutira in northern Hawke's Bay on Monday morning after a man's body was found in a shallow, grassy ditch. Photo/Warren Buckland.

Two teenagers will spend Christmas in jail after being jointly charged with murder following the discovery of a man's body on a rural roadside near Tutira.

Since the man's body was found on Matahourua Rd on Monday morning a male and female, both aged 17, have been charged with robbery and murder.

Police were called to a grassy roadside, about 7km from the road's junction with State Highway 2 south of Tutira, about 9.30am after the deceased was spotted by a passing motorist.

A scene examination was carried out and overnight they arrested and charged a 17-year-old male with murder.

He briefly appeared in the Hastings District Court about midday on Tuesday, where Judge Tony Adeane granted interim name suppression for the defendant and the deceased, and was remanded in custody to next appear in the High Court at Napier on January 29.

By this time police were confident they knew who the victim was and were liaising with his family while the scene examination continued late into the night.

Yesterday morning police arrested and jointly charged a second 17-year-old, a female, with murder and robbery.

She was accused of jointly robbing the deceased of his car and two cellphones, immediately after causing grievous bodily harm to him, and murder.

Judge Adeane granted interim name suppression and remanded her in custody to appear again in the High Court at Napier on January 29.

Forensic work was also being conducted at a toilet block, "a place of interest", next to the Bluewater Hotel in Ahuriri this week, Eastern District Field Crime Manager Detective Inspector Mike Foster said.

The deceased was understood to have been discovered by a milk tanker driver who could see into roadside ditch from an elevated height, unlike drivers of cars.

The sealed road is the route to the popular Shine Falls but relatively quiet, according to those in the area.

Ben MacDonald, the manager of a nearby dairy farm, said he called police to the scene after tanker driver spotted the body and approached the milking shed for help.

"It's quiet. Everybody knows who everybody is. It was quite surprising. There's a few rough people out here but you wouldn't think anyone would dump a body or that sort of thing."

A neighbouring farmer, who did not want to be publically identified, said Matahourua Rd had been typically calm that morning until police sirens pierced the quiet area.

"It was a bit surreal really. I was at home by myself that night. I'd been up late watching TV and was up early that morning."

He was sure the body would have been passed by numerous vehicles, including a school bus, before it was found.

"The road is quiet enough but there's Shine Falls which gets quite busy at this time of the year and there's tankers and school buses."

In the days that followed police set up forensic tents and cordoned off the area as they worked on the scene examination, he said.

The farmer had seen the body from a distance and was baffled as to how it had come to be in the rural area just a hands' stretch away from the road.

"There's a million places, probably a hundred yards from here, that would be a better place to leave a body."

Mr MacDonald said the area had returned to normality following the hive of police activity earlier in the week.

Those that lived and worked on the road didn't seem to have any safety concerns, he said.

"No one seems to be nervous or scared for their safety. It's a cool spot. It's a shame this has happened right here."

Yesterday Inspector Foster was still appealing to the public for any sightings of a gold Toyota Passo – registration JGQ144 - which was driven between Hastings and Tutira on Sunday evening and around the Hawke's Bay area throughout Monday.

People with information were urged to contact Hawke's Bay Police 06 873 0531 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.