KEY POINTS:
Chris Kahui is enjoying his new-found freedom with a new woman in his life - the daughter of his church pastor.
Marcia Ngapera, the mother of an 8-year-old daughter, sat through every day of Kahui's six-week double murder trial in the High Court at Auckland until his acquittal on Thursday.
She cried when Kahui was found not guilty of murdering his 3-month-old sons Chris and Cru amid cries of "yes, yes, yes" from her brother Tom, who also broke down sobbing.
Parents Tom and Margaret Ngapera, the pastors of Faith Family Baptist Church in Auckland, led a karakia as the Ngapera and Kahui clans huddled together in the middle of the courtroom.
The strong bond between the families was clear as they presented a united front outside court - in stark contrast to the dysfunctional relationship between Kahui and the mother of the twins, Macsyna King.
Kahui and Marcia were yesterday helping pack up lighting and sound gear for a disco held for 70 teenagers at the church on Friday night. He shook hands firmly and was friendly but was not ready to talk publicly.
When asked if Kahui and Marcia were together, her father Tom Ngapera said: "Not yet. They're just good friends at the moment.
"Who knows what will happen in the future."
But a source close to the Kahuis said the Ngapera family wanted the couple to marry.
"Chris moved in and Marcia was quite taken with him. We counselled him against it; she was older and had a young daughter but he's so pliable. There's no doubt the Ngapera family want them to get married."
Kahui and Macsyna King - who also have a 3-year-old son, Shayne - broke up two months before he was charged in October 2006.
Well-respected in Panmure, Ngapera took Kahui into his home less than a year after the baby boys died in June 2006.
Charged with their murders, Kahui became a Christian - as has his sister Mona - and his lawyer Lorraine Smith arranged for him to be bailed to Ngapera's address.
There, he worked odd-jobs around the church - and met Marcia.
Tom Ngapera said he never asked Kahui if he was innocent or guilty.
"I just saw someone who needed the love of Jesus. He told me 'I didn't do it' but that didn't matter to me. His faith has changed him, helped him to get through this. Chris is more confident in himself now."
However, Kahui later had to change bail addresses, because the police spoke to him over his association with Marcia's daughter.
The birth father of the girl alerted police to Kahui's contact with his child because his bail conditions stated he was not allowed to be around children without adult supervision.
Police spoke to Kahui who denied he had been in breach of his bail, claiming an adult had always been present when he was with the girl. None of that matters now Kahui has been acquitted of the murders of his sons.
Kahui told the waiting scrum of reporters he wanted to start his life again and, shielded by Marcia's protective brother and friend, left to pray for several hours at the Faith Family church.
