'They've taken a wonderful father away from his son'

A grieving Kylee Guy, with 2-year-old Hunter, speaks out yesterday. Picture / Mark Mitchell

On the last night of his life, Scott Guy cuddled his wife Kylee and told her he loved her.

When the 31-year-old Manawatu farmer rose at first light to go milking, she didn't stir. Neither did 2-year-old Hunter, tucked up in his bedroom nearby.

Later, the toddler woke and climbed into bed with his mummy. When daddy came home for breakfast, he would join them, before going out to work again.

That was the family's daily ritual.

But on that morning, Thursday, July 8, the sound of quad-bike engines sent Hunter scurrying to the window.

"Daddy, daddy," he said excitedly.

But daddy didn't come.

Mrs Guy didn't hear the gun when her husband was shot in the throat. A passing stock truck driver found him dead at the end of their Aorangi Rd driveway.

Neighbours rushed in - some on the quad bikes that Hunter heard - and the pregnant farm wife's nightmare began.

The execution-style murder has had detectives running in circles.

More than six weeks on, with no motive, weapon or firm vehicle sighting, a team of 40 police is trying to put an end to the plentiful but unsubstantiated speculation.

A graffiti attack on the couple's old home, a cannabis patch on the property, a bunch of stolen puppies ... none of the theories has produced any answers.

Terrified and knowing a killer is running free, Mrs Guy has been hiding in Hawkes Bay, where she was raised, taking one day at a time.

Yesterday, in desperation, the 27-year-old widow told her story in the hope of drawing out a clue that might identify the killer.

Arriving to talk to reporters at the Central Districts police headquarters in Palmerston North, Mrs Guy held Hunter awkwardly on her hip, to the side of her pink-sweatered pregnant belly - "another little Scotty" due to arrive in a few weeks.

She had avoided interviews after losing "the love of my life" - but was doing this "for Scott".

"I want everyone to know that what's happened is so horrible, so disgusting, especially living in New Zealand and to such a beautiful person," she said, wiping away tears.

"He wouldn't hurt anyone, he's just so kind, he so doesn't deserve this, we don't deserve it, Hunter doesn't deserve it - or the baby ... It's just so horrible."

Wearing his treasured cowboy hat, the toddler sucked on a lollipop and clutched a tiny water bottle.

As Mrs Guy urged his father's killer to surrender, he slipped off her knee to play.

"Do the right thing and come forward," Mrs Guy pleaded. "What they've done is ruined our life ... They've taken a wonderful father away from his son, who was lucky enough to have that time with him, but our baby will never ever meet his daddy ...

"It's just so gutless, they shouldn't be able to live with themselves for doing something so horrible."

Hunter asked about his father often, as "Scotty did everything with him".

"It's hard, it always upsets me, but I just tell him that daddy's still with us, he's here," Mrs Guy said.

"In the mornings it's hard, because the first thing he asks for is Scotty ... In the mornings, he used to always wait for his truck to come home and run and meet him at the door."

Mrs Guy said she lived in fear the killer would strike again.

"I'd hate for someone else to go through what we've gone through ... The fact that they're still out there, you don't know what they could do, the fact that they could do it again - they need to be stopped."

Can you help?
Anyone with information on Scott Guy's death should phone police on 0800-808-585 or Crime Stoppers on 0800-555-111.