Taranaki shooting victim named as semi-retired farmer Maurice John Riddle

Maurice John Riddle, a semi-retired farmer, was killed in a shooting in rural Taranaki. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Police have named the 78-year-old man killed in rural Taranaki, allegedly after being shot.

Maurice John Riddle, a semi-retired farmer, died at the scene in Normanby on Tuesday.

A 68-year-old man has been charged with murder. He was remanded in custody by consent in the New Plymouth District Court earlier this week and will appear in the New Plymouth High Court on February 28.

The crime scene in rural Taranaki still had a police presence today, with police tape cordoning off the gate of a long tidy driveway.

In the backdrop is a weatherworn house and a shed that appears to have a lot of rusty machinery near it.

On the roadside lay a couple of discarded empty beer bottles.

Detective Senior Sergeant Philip Skoglund said the scene examination was expected to finish yesterday afternoon.

"The weapon used was a firearm and we have located a number of firearms at the offender's address," he said.

"The person charged with the murder was known to the victim."