A woman whose home has been raided in relation to a homicide inquiry is “friends” with a man who has been missing for a week, and had no part in his disappearance, her mother says.
Richard Leman, 41, has been missing for more than a week and multiple social media posts had been shared by his family seeking sightings and information.
On Monday evening a man’s body was found inside a car linked to Leman parked in a garage on Tyler St.
Now, police are searching a property on Andrews St - a short distance from where the body had been discovered.
The armed offenders squad are at the scene of the property as the raid is carried out.
Police have confirmed a search warrant is being executed at the home, however, did not confirm if the raid is connected to the homicide.
Police tape is blocking the entrance to the Andrew St property.
A resident near the scene said Armed Offenders had arrived to commence the search warrant about 8am.
A police photographer can be seen taking photographs around the property. It appears no one was home when police arrived.
The owner of the property told the Herald he was yet to be contacted by police regarding the raid, but was aware police were at his home. He said his daughter lived at the address.
He last drove past the property on Tuesday and said it looked like “Fort Knox”.
The woman’s mother told the Herald she had spoken with her daughter on Thursday morning. She said she was doing okay. She said her daughter was not involved in what had happened.
“No, she was friends with him, but no, definitely not.”
The phone call ended when she was asked why her daughter was not at home.
A neighbour said he saw a white van and two cars parked outside the woman’s house late on Monday night after the man’s body was found around the corner.
By 6am the next morning they were gone.
He said he had previously seen Leman at the property.
A couple who live nearby the home police were searching said they had seen the white Nissan Fuga at the property on several occasions.
“I had seen it around here a few times, different times of night,” the man said.
Detective Inspector Joel Syme earlier confirmed police had begun a homicide inquiry.
On Wednesday evening, Syme said police were seeking any sightings of the white Nissan Fuga the body was found in over the last week.
“Canterbury Police are conducting extensive enquiries to determine what led to the man’s death, including his movements and that of the Nissan in the week leading up to 17 April.
“We are committed to establishing what has occurred and locate those responsible for this man’s death.”
Work is continuing to formally identify the body.
A white car that Leman’s family and friends have shared widely on social media, that they believe he was driving, is parked at the property the body was found at.
Before the body was found, Leman’s sister Kim Leman Bennett posted on Facebook that he was last seen at a shopping centre in Rangiora at 8.20pm on April 11.
Three days ago, she said there had been “no new sightings”.
Leman had been staying in the Sefton and Rangiora area.
“Police have been notified … We have grave concerns for his safety and mental health,” his sister posted.
“Someone out there must know something, we just need to know and want him home.”
On Tuesday, Leman Bennett declined to comment.
She said in her earlier post that Leman “may look rough and tough” but he was “a big baby at heart and a mummy’s boy”.
The fact he had not called his mother in more than a week was concerning because he usually spoke to her every day.
“Our little brother has the kindest heart, loves his children, loves his family and would do anything to help others,” Leman Bennett said.
“We just want him home.”
The house where the body was found is owned by Kāinga Ora and appears to be unoccupied.
It is unkempt and overgrown, with smashed windows and others boarded up.
A Tyler Street resident said the house was sold a couple of months ago.
He said he had never seen the car before and the garage door was shut on Monday.
Another resident who walks her dog past the house every day said a woman and a young boy were on the grass on the property on Monday afternoon.
Another neighbour told the Herald that a young man spoke to his mother-in-law on Monday and asked if she knew anything about a stolen vehicle that was parked in the garage where the body was found. The garage door was shut at the time.
Just before midday on Tuesday, police were seen leaving a property across the road from where the body was found with hard drives that appeared to have come from CCTV cameras.
A second teen is missing in the Upper Hutt area, police say.