A body is removed from Alpha Apartments yesterday afternoon, more than 24 hours after the double killing. Photo / Richard Robinson
A body is removed from Alpha Apartments yesterday afternoon, more than 24 hours after the double killing. Photo / Richard Robinson
KEY POINTS:
A single charge of possession of an offensive weapon has been upgraded to double murder and aggravated burglary charges for a man allegedly at the centre of a double killing in downtown Auckland.
The 30-year-old Iraqi will appear in the Auckland District Court today after police - includingarmed offenders squad members - rushed to the Alpha Apartments, in Vogel Lane, about 10.40am on Saturday.
Two men were found dead in an apartment on the ground floor.
The manager of the 14-storey tower, David Roberts, lives in apartment 101 where the bodies were found, but has not been seen since earlier on Saturday. One Alpha Apartments resident has spent an anxious weekend waiting to hear if his friend, Mr Roberts, was a victim of Saturday's double killing.
Dave Hughan says he has been frustrated in his attempts to find out what has happened to Mr Roberts."I asked police what happened and they won't tell me. It's just got me upset all the time."Police said 'We are not allowed to tell you, we are still working it out'."
Mr Hughan said he often spoke to Mr Roberts as the building supervisor was doing his rounds.
Mr Hughan said he was at home on Saturday morning, but did not want to discuss what happened at the apartments, as he had been told by police not to repeat his story.
Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Scott yesterday said a domestic incident was the catalyst to a dispute that ended in an armed stand-off as a man stood on an 11th-floor balcony holding a large knife to his own throat.
Police negotiators talked for more than two hours to the man, who threatened to harm himself and others.
He was eventually arrested, and charged with possession of an offensive weapon. Police said at the time other charges were likely.
An autopsy was begun late yesterday of one of the dead men removed from the apartments yesterday afternoon, and an autopsy on the second was expected to be done today.
Mr Scott said delay in identifying the sex of the second victim had nothing to do with the body's condition. He said last night the investigation was progressing well.
