David Tamihere's bid for freedom up in the air

David Tamihere. File photo / NZ Herald

Convicted killer David Tamihere's latest bid for freedom is up in the air following his appearance before the Parole Board.

Tamihere made his 14th appearance before the board at Auckland Prison in Paremoremo, north of Auckland.

The board has reserved its decision, which will be released in about two weeks.

A written report following his last parole hearing showed he had quite serious health problems.

Tamihere was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1990 for the murders of Urban Hoglin and Heidi Paakkonen in the Coromandel in 1989.

He had skipped bail for a 1986 rape and was on the run when the murders were committed, and had a manslaughter conviction for the 1972 death of an Auckland prostitute.

He has maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment and made a number of appeals against the conviction.

Mr Hoglin's body was found by pig hunters in Coromandel bush two years after he went missing but Ms Paakkonen's body was never found.

An article in Investigate magazine last week suggested Ms Paakkonen was still alive when police began searching for her, and in the company of a man who was not Tamihere.

However, Mr Hoglin's brother Stefan Hoglin told the Sunday Star-Times he considered the article's claims absurd.

The Parole Board, a panel of six members, includes two judges and a forensic psychiatrist.

Tamihere first appeared before the board in 2000.

- NZPA