Fourth person charged in Piper case

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A fourth person is facing charges in relation to the murder of Raymond "Son" Piper.

Mr Piper's body has never been found. He went missing from Paraparaumu Beach on May 15.

A 17 year-old has been charged with being a party to murder and will appear in the Porirua District Court this afternoon.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Oxnam said the 17 year-old is from Paraparaumu.

"The focus of this investigation remains on locating Mr Piper's body and returning it to his whanau, to be able to give him a final resting place," Mr Oxnam said.

He said police would not be making further comment because the case is before the courts.

Susan Bragger, 44, of Paraparaumu and Sean Hawke, 50, of Tauranga, face charges of intent to cause grievous bodily harm and causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Piper between May 15 and June 8.

Mr Piper was last seen at his former partner Hanna Lark's house.

Bragger is Ms Lark's mother and Hawke is her uncle.

Ainsley Brent Anderson, 51, unemployed, has also been charged with being a party to the murder.

- NZ Herald staff