Detective Inspector Callum McNeill, of Waitematā CIB speaks to media in relation to the investigation to locate missing man Jayden Mamfredos-Nair.
Three men accused of killing Jayden Mamfredos-Nair have appeared in court charged with murder the week after his body was found.
The trio appeared one by one late on Monday morning in North Shore District Court, where there was a heightened police presence ahead of the hearing.
Supporters of the defendants and the family of Mamfredos-Nair were present in the packed public gallery alongside several police officers.
Court documents state the men are all jointly charged with murdering the 19-year-old on April 21 at Orewa, the day he was reported missing. One defendant is aged 20, while the other two are 26.
Judge Anna Fitzgibbon declined applications from a large media contingent to film the defendants in the dock, citing the early stage of proceedings in the high-profile case.
Lawyers representing the trio were Brandyn Gloyn, Annabel Ives and Justin Harder, who all opposed the media applications and sought interim name suppression.
Gloyn and Ives cited fair trial rights. Harder said his client had overseas family members who were yet to be informed of the charge.
None of the men sought bail or entered a plea. They were all granted interim name suppression by Judge Fitzgibbon and remanded in custody by consent ahead of their next appearance in the High Court at Auckland on February 7 at 9am.
Family of one of the men called out “love you my bro” as he was taken back to the cells.
At the weekend, police announced they had found the teenager’s body at a Dairy Flat Property and charged two men with his murder. A third was arrested and charged about a day later.
Mamfredos-Nair was reported missing from West Auckland on April 24 last year. The police investigation officially became a homicide inquiry in August.
He was last seen with two others at Birdwood Reserve in Rānui three days before he was reported missing, Detective Inspector Callum McNeill said.
The teenager was seen entering a black 2022 Toyota Hilux, later searched by police.
As part of the investigation- dubbed Operation Violin - a Dairy Flat property in North Auckland was scoured by police in October.
They were seen using a ground-scanning device and examining a driveway and grassed area. Police said they had also sought the help of a body deposition expert who had previously worked with the Australian Federal Police.
West Auckland teenager Jayden Mamfredos-Nair was missing for the better part of a year before his body was found last week. Photo / NZ Police
On Wednesday, a further search at a Dairy Flat property uncovered the teenager’s body.
“This now brings an end to the search for Jayden, which has been ongoing for more than eight months,” McNeill said.
“I would like to acknowledge the absolute determination of the investigation team, who from day one have never given up in their work to locate Jayden and to bring about answers for his whānau.”
