Ariki Rigby homicide: Second man charged in relation to death of Hawke’s Bay teen

Ariki Rigby's body was discovered in a burned-out car in the car park of a Havelock North river reserve.

A second man has been arrested in relation to the death of Hawke’s Bay teenager Ariki Rigby in 2022.

Hawke’s Bay police said a 29-year-old Havelock North man had been charged with being a party to arson.

He is due to appear in Hastings District Court tomorrow and police are expected to oppose his bail.

Rigby was killed in September 2022, about four weeks short of what would have been her 19th birthday, in a case that shocked the region and the country.

Her badly beaten and burned body – which her sister says had its hands and feet cut off – was discovered in a burned-out car in the car park of a Havelock North river reserve.

Today’s arrest follows the earlier arrest of a 32-year-old man in Auckland in September.

The man, who was charged with murder and arson, appeared in Manukau District Court on September 18. He was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody.

He is due to appear in Napier High Court on October 11.