Daughter's casket kept open so friends will 'think about choices'

Mairina Dunn

The mother of slain teenager Mairina Dunn made sure her daughter's casket was open as she lay at Otangarei Marae. Queenie Dunn wanted to make sure those who came to pay their respects saw the 17-year-old's battered and broken body.

Mairina's great-uncle, Jacob Dunn, said hundreds of people came to Otangarei Marae on Tuesday night, where Mairina's body lay for three hours.

"She was still a bit bad-looking, but my niece [Queenie] wanted her friends to see what she looked like," he said.

Mrs Dunn had wanted Mairina's friends to think about their own lives, the choices they made, and the people they associated with.

Mr Dunn said the marae was the first stop in Mairina's long journey home from Auckland after a post mortem examination.

From Otangarei, her body was taken to Mrs Dunn's Kamo home for about an hour, then, with a convoy of 21 cars, to the family marae at Waihou, west Hokianga, arriving about 2.30am on Wednesday.

Her tangi took place yesterday.

Police say Mairina was killed after being beaten with a blunt instrument for more than an hour and a half, early on Sunday morning in a house in Holmes Ave, Otangarei.

Her boyfriend of less than a month, Black Power member Nathan Fenton, is the focus of their investigation.

Whangarei Detective Senior Sergeant Marty Ruth expected police to finish their door-to-door canvassing of Otangarei and their examination of the Holmes Ave house today. About 50 staff were working on the investigation, including extra police staff from the Mid and Far North.

Mr Ruth said many people had contacted police after Mr Dunn made an emotional plea on Tuesday. The family had advised Mr Fenton to "be a man" and hand himself in.

Mr Ruth said police continued to receive reported sightings of Mr Fenton from "up and down the country".

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)