Murder charge after Hamilton woman found dead

A 35-year-old Hamilton man was to appear in Hamilton District Court today charged with murder after a woman was found dead in her Hamilton home.

Hamilton crime services manager Detective Inspector Pete Devoy said the body of 28-year-old woman Karen Synthia Oakes was found by ambulance officers at her Ashurst Ave home, in suburban Pukete, early on Saturday.

Ms Oakes was a mother of three children, aged five, three and five months. She was studying sports and exercise science at Wintec.

Police are still waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination carried out on Saturday but said Ms Oakes' injuries were consistent with a fall or a punch.

Mr Devoy said a scene examination had been completed and police were trying to track Ms Oakes' movements before her death.

"We know she was in the central city bar area around Alexandra St on Friday night, early Saturday morning. We're certainly interested to hear from anyone who was in contact with her or knew her and was in contact with her while she was in town."

A 35-year-old Hamilton man has been charged with murder, Mr Devoy said.

Police were not sure what the relationship was between Ms Oakes and the arrested man.

Ms Oakes' children were being cared for by family members, Mr Devoy said.

Neighbours were today shocked at her death.

Reon Parker said he awoke to see an ambulance across the street, "which freaked me out".

"When I saw police in paper overalls photographing numbers they'd laid out over there I knew something bad had happened," he said.

Mr Parker said he did not know the people who lived at the address but there was nothing unusual about it.

"You'd just hear the normal sounds of a family going about their business," he said.

- nzpa