MANHUNT ENDS

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22354, 22 May 1944, Page 2

MANHUNT ENDS

SUSPECT FOUND DEAD TRAGEDY AT TOKOMARU BAY GISBORNE, Sunday With the finding of the body of Tal Matu, a Maori boy, aged 15, who had been missing from Bexhaven Station, Tokomaru Bay, since Thursday, the search by armed parties of police and settlers, which was instituted on the discovery of the body of Mrs Lois Rosamond Mill on Thursday night with her head battered and a belt tightly drawn about her neck came to an end late on Saturday. When discovered the boy had been dead some hours. He had a gunshot wound above the right eye. Beside the body was a shotgun containing an exploded cartridge and several live cartridges were in his hip pocket. The body was found in a scrubcovered gully 300 yards from the homestead. The boy was one of three cf the outside staff employed on the station. He was of big build and fairly tall for his age. Difficulties of Search More than 100 settlers, including many on horseback, assembled, concentrating in bush and scrub in a 15mile radius of the station. A glimpse of the quarry was seen on Friday near the station. The worst possible weather prevailed. Bexhaven Station, which is 25 miles inland from Tokomaru Bay, is on the end of a bad road which was blocked to carp, by the heavy rain, and police and settlers’ cars were marooned there. The only access was by packhorse. Some cars which did try to negotiate the road had to re- / ceive assistance. A search had been conducted for a weapon which migh* have caused the injuries to Mrs Mill’s head, but so far without result, the victim’s body was brought out before the road became impassable. An inquest was opened before Mr E. L. Walton, S.M Mr George Mill said he last saw his wife alive about 12.30 on the day of the tragedy. Tne inquest was adjourned. Alleged Confession A confession was alleged to have been made by Matu to another boy working on the Bexhaven station. This boy saw Matu about mid-day on Friday, and on being questioned, Matu was said to have thrown some light on the crime, saying that all he was looking for were cartridges for his shot gun, but when asked why he killed Mrs Mill he said he did not know. However, he indicated his intention of shooting himself and it was not long after that that a member of the police party thought he heard ihe discharge of a gun not far from, the homestead.

The gun found beside Matu was a double-barrelled gun but one of the barrels was useless. An exploded cartridge was found in the chamber of the other barrel. Nothing was found bearing signs of having been used as a weapon to batter Mrs Mills’ head, but it is thought that the butt of the shotgun could have inflicted those injuries.

An inquest into the death of Taia Matu was opened before Mr E. L. Walon, S.M. today when Richard Alfred Keeling, child welfare officer, identified Matu who had been under the guardianship of the child welfare branch. Matu, who was not quite 15 years old, had been placed in the service of George Mill on March 31 last. The inquest was adjourned.