Bridget Stephens, widow of Nelson Maori leader Keri Stephens, is aware of rumours that she was involved in his murder but says she did not do it.
Mr Stephens, aged 56, a former gang member with a long list of convictions, was shot dead at his Delaware Bay home on February 14.
He had been chairman of two Maori trusts since January last year and was known to have raised the ire of local boaties over a trust claim on an estuary.
Mrs Stephens, 36, was home at the time of the shooting, and told police that an armed man wearing a balaclava entered their house around midnight and shot her husband in their bedroom while a second man waited outside.
She does not want to talk about the killing because police are still investigating, and will not speculate on who was responsible.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from New Zealand
Senior A&P figures hopeful of salvaging this year's NZ Ag Show
Last week, organisers cancelled the 2024 event, saying it wasn't financially viable.