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A 37-year-old man from Palmerston North has been arrested and charged with the murder of Nicholas Pike who went missing six years ago.
The man appeared in Upper Hutt District Court today and was remanded to Palmerston North District Court.
Mr Pike disappeared and no body has been found. He was last seen on March 15, 2002, in Mount Maunganui.
Police believe he was murdered at an area north of Waiouru on or about March 17.
"I am appealing to anyone with further information to come forward," detective sergeant David Clifford said.
A reward of $50,000 has been offered for information in this case and to date it has not been claimed.
Mr Pike was 22 when he vanished.
He had been spoken to by police in the early hours of March 15, 2002, at the Mt Maunganui wharf.
He was on a night out with an 18-year-old woman and two men, all local residents, and was the sober driver for the evening.
Police said Mr Pike and the three associates then went to a Tauranga house, which is where he was last seen.
- NZPA
