Third person charged with murder of Palmiro MacDonald

A third person has been charged with the murder of Palmiro George MacDonald.

A third person has been arrested and charged with the murder of Palmiro George MacDonald.

William Maaky Oj Hines, 41, appeared in the Palmerston North District Court on Friday morning.

He made no plea and was remanded in custody, to reappear later this month.

A 28-year-old with interim name suppression and Chea Paratene Charles Brattle-Hemara, 27, have also been charged with his murder.

MacDonald, a Nomad gang member, was last seen near Levin on March 23 last year. He was the subject of an extensive police investigation, with his remains eventually found in the Mangahao Dam area of the Tararua Foothills last October.

In a statement, police said they remained focused on the case, dubbed Operation Palm, and were committed to finding answers for his loved ones.

"This further arrest is a credit to the dedicated investigation team who have worked tirelessly over the past year-and-a-half. We would like to thank the members of the community who contacted police and provided information which assisted with our inquiry."

They would like anyone who has information on the case to call 0800 OP PALM (0800 677 256), or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 to pass on their information anonymously.