19 Jul 2018

Māngere homicide: Second person charged over teenager's death

10:31 am on 19 July 2018

A second person has been arrested and charged in relation to the death of a 17-year-old girl in Māngere.

Police are conducting a homicide investigation after a teenager's death at Buckland Road, Mangere.

Police conducting a scene examination after a teenager was found dead at Buckland Road, Māngere. Photo: RNZ

A 24-year-old man was arrested and charged with the murder of Dimetrius Pairama, whose body was found at an empty house on Buckland Road in Māngere on 8 July.

Police said a post mortem examination indicated Ms Pairama died the day before her body was found.

They said she was a vulnerable female.

The man will appear in the Manukau District Court this morning.

A 27-year-old woman, granted interim name suppression, appeared in the Manukau District Court on Monday also charged with the teenager's murder.

Her lawyer, Matthew Goodwin, argued for name suppression on the grounds of safety for his client and others.

After robust discussion Judge Couch granted interim suppression and remanded the woman in custody.

She has been bailed to appear in the Auckland High Court on 8 August.

Police said they would continue the investigation to establish whether any others were involved.

A Housing New Zealand spokesperson said the house where the teenager's body was found was one of its properties, and that the long-term tenants moved out on 28 June.

A former tenant of the property, who had lived there for the past 10 years, said she and her mother moved to a new house five days before the body was found.

Since they left, her neighbours had seen people going inside, the former tenant said.