KEY POINTS:
Name suppression has been granted to a 17-year-old accused of the murder of Opotiki man John Rowe.
The girl made a brief appearance at Auckland District Court this morning. Another girl, aged 15, is due before Tauranga Youth Court.
Mr Rowe's daughter was amongst those who showed up for the hearing. She told reporters she is disgusted about the young age of the accused.
The 17-year-old made no application for bail and has been remanded to Tauranga Youth Court on Monday.
A 21-year-old Opotiki man has been charged with being an accessory after the fact and attempting to defeat the course of justice.
The arrest of the two teenage girls has shocked the coastal town.
Police yesterday jointly charged the two girls with the murder of the 78-year-old, whose badly beaten body was found in his Windsor St home on November 26.
Inquiry head Detective Inspector Rob Jones said the 17-year-old was arrested in Auckland and the 15-year-old in Opotiki.
The 15-year-old was being interviewed by police as news of the first arrest broke.
Police initially said it was too early to say if she would face charges - but then laid the murder charge less than two hours later.
Mr Jones said he could not discuss the relationship between the girls or whether they knew Mr Rowe.
He also could not say whether any property from Mr Rowe's house had been found with the girls.
He said police could not give more details because the case was now before the courts.
The Weekend Herald understands the girls had been suspects for some time.
Opotiki Mayor John Forbes last night welcomed the news of the arrests.
But he said he was not surprised to hear the ages of the arrested girls.
"Not when you think about the dysfunction going on ... there are some young people going off the rails."
The problem existed in all communities, not just Opotiki, he said.
"We've got to try to get out and see what's happening with these people, and we have to be doing it when they're 10, 11 or 12," he said.
A 30-strong police team has been investigating since Mr Rowe was found dead by a neighbour.
The 85-year-old neighbour went to Mr Rowe's house to take him to a hospital appointment, and found him dead, lying in a pool of blood.
The house had been ransacked.
An autopsy found he died of extensive head injuries after being bashed with a blunt instrument.
Mr Jones said the age and sex of the accused was shocking and would be sad for the community.
Earlier this week, police appealed for Opotiki residents to break their "code of silence" over the murder.
Mr Jones said a misguided "honour among thieves" might be persuading someone not to call police.
"We're fairly sure that family members and friends were shielding those people who were suspects."
He said he could not discuss what led to yesterday's breakthrough, but the investigation was continuing.
He has been charged with being an accessory after the fact and with attempting to defeat the course of justice.
Mr Rowe taught mathematics at Opotiki College for 18 years until 1984. He was a widower with two adult children.
His children last night declined to comment on the arrests.
- with Newstalk ZB
