Onehunga homicide: Man accused of killing 77-year-old Maria Brown appears in court

The man accused of killing 77-year-old grandmother Maria Brown in her suburban Auckland home two months ago made his first appearance in the High Court at Auckland today via audio-visual feed from the Mason Clinic psychiatric facility.

However, the 49-year-old Onehunga resident has not yet entered a plea and name suppression remains in place pending psychological reports on his fitness to stand trial.

Justice Sally Fitzgerald set a trial date for February 2024.

Brown was found dead at her Moana Ave home in Onehunga on June 5 - her birthday- after calls from a family member went unanswered.

"It was ... a day where we should have been celebrating her life," one of her daughters said on a Givealittle post which has raised over $6500 to transport her body back to Samoa and for services in New Zealand and abroad. "Instead, we find ourselves grieving and devastated [over] the loss of a treasured loved one from our lives."

Maria Brown, 77, was found dead in her home in June. Photo / Supplied

The defendant was arrested a month after the grisly discovery and charged with both murder and arson, which police believe to have occurred the day before Brown's body was discovered.

A widow who lived alone, Brown was described by her family as a treasured grandmother who "helped so many people", including funding the education of many children. She volunteered with Onehunga Primary School culture groups.

"She had so much to give to those around her, even though she didn't have much," her family said. "She was a selfless person who would do the utmost for anyone in need."

Brown was raised in Samoa but had lived in New Zealand for 27 years. She is survived by a twin sister, who lives in American Samoa, as well as five children and many grandchildren.

Justice Fitzgerald today granted defence lawyer Marie Dyhrberg's request that name suppression remain in place at least until the defendant's next scheduled appearance in October, at which point the matter will be considered again.