Kaikohe homicide: Community plea for people with information to come forward

Kaikohe’s Linda Woods, who died in a home invasion, will be farewelled tomorrow. Photo / File

The Kaikohe community will tomorrow farewell “a beautiful lady” who was killed during a home invasion and are pleading for the offender to “do the right thing” and hand himself in.

Community leaders of the tight-knit town in the Far North say residents – especially the elderly – are on edge following the death of 71-year-old Linda Woods who was killed in her home by an intruder on the night of June 1.

Police investigating the incident believe it started as a “sexually motivated burglary”. Officers this morning executed a search warrant at an address in Taraire St in relation to the ongoing investigation and are speaking to a person of interest.

Community leader Jay Hepi, who lives nearby and knows Woods’ family, said the funeral would be held tomorrow and would be followed by “marches and events to really highlight the incident”.

Kaikohe community leader Jay Hepi said elderly residents are terrified because the killer is still out there. Photo / Peter de Graaf

“A lot of the community is waiting for the funeral.

“It’s a big shock for our town, especially in the manner of the crime itself.

“It was a predator, a sexual charge and it was a murder. That doesn’t sit right with a lot of people in this town.”

Hepi said he has been checking in on elderly residents in Kaikohe, especially women living by themselves. Other whānau are also checking on residents, he said.

“They watch the news, they listen to the radio, and they know he’s still out there and it terrifies them.

“The community has really come together...Police are doing their bit, other organisations are doing theirs, I’m trying to find information on who it is.

“We’re trying to get a message to do the right thing and turn himself in for the integrity of this family.

“The best thing he can do is hand himself in and let the family heal.”

Woods, a dialysis patient, died in a struggle with the intruder. Her niece and her two daughters witnessed the home invasion at the Taraire St property.

Police have discovered DNA they believe is linked to the man they are seeking over the homicide and will begin to test suspects, along with going door-to-door in the community.

Kaikohe leader and businesswoman Rhonda Zielinski said the community “needed to be vigilant and proactive” to help police catch the offender.

She urged business owners to go through their security cameras to see if anyone matches the description of the offender, an older man aged 40-60, with short, grey-speckled, possibly curly hair, of Māori or Polynesian descent with a solid build.

He left behind a pair of cut-off jean shorts which came off during a struggle with the house occupants as he tried to flee, along with a pair of size US13 dark grey and black New Balance sneakers.

“If they know him, they need to come forward.

“Everyone is so disgusted with the person because she [Linda Woods] was such a beautiful lady.

“Somebody will know. You don’t protect people like that, you’ve got to be bold and come forward because he could attack somebody else.”

Kaikohe community leader and businesswoman Rhonda Zielinski said the community needed to be proactive to help police catch the offender. Photo / Michael Cunningham

But Zielinski, the owner of a women’s gym which was badly damaged in an alleged arson attack this month, said people may be reluctant to deal with the police as they have “lost confidence” in them due to under-staffing.

“Where they might have rung up and reported something, people don’t bother now because you don’t get a response.

“We should trust that the police will put some more resources into catching this person.”

Community chaplain Monte Tito, who has lived in Kaikohe for 55 years, said the fact the offender was still at large was “alarming”.

“The town is on edge, but we really need to stand together as a community and look after each other.

“Someone knows, so do the right thing and come forward and put this through the right channels.”

The homicide brought back memories of the murder of Rev. Frank Coulthard, an Anglican priest who conducted the marriage ceremony of Tito and his wife in the 1970s, he said.

Reginald Broughton was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.

“Similar things have happened in the town,” Tito said.

“It took them a while to find the perpetrator, but they did eventually find him.”