KEY POINTS:
The victim of a stabbing in Tokoroa has been named as Shayne Pita Walker, also known as Shayne Stark.
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of Mr Walker, 22, and is due to appear in the Rotorua Youth Court tomorrow.
Mr Walker was found wounded on a roadside by a woman walking home at 2.15am on Saturday and was taken to Tokoroa Hospital, where he died shortly afterwards.
An autopsy found he died as a result of a stab wound that penetrated his chest wall and lung.
Inquiry head Inspector Rob Jones said a knife had been used in the attack and Mr Walker was stabbed in the right, rear torso.
"It was through the side as opposed to a front-on stab wound."
He would not comment on a possible motive, saying the case was now before the courts, but said it was not believed to be gang-related.
Mr Jones said police had recovered "items of interest" from the crime scene, on the corner of St Andrews Drive and Fife Place.
Officers continued to gather evidence at a nearby house yesterday.
Neighbours said a single man lived there and in recent months had been joined by several youths, understood to be his children. They said there were sometimes parties at the house, but they were not loud and there had been no trouble.
"They weren't talkative and they stuck to themselves," said one man, who did not want to be named.
The 14-year-old suspect was found at home and arrested after being questioned at the Tokoroa police station. Mr Jones would not say whether there was a connection with the victim.
Mr Walker's family, who are from Hawkes Bay, travelled to Tokoroa yesterday to formally identify his body. The group were said to be devastated at his death, which came less than a year after he had moved to Tokoroa.
Mr Walker was found only a few streets away from where Strathmore School teacher Lois Dear was murdered in July 2006.
