Unlock all articles by subscribing to this international offer

All Access Weekly

Herald Premium, Viva Premium, The Listener & BusinessDesk
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
See all offers
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Helensville 'whodunnit' investigation continues

NZPA
4 Aug, 2011 02:22 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Police work at an address on SH16 near Helensville, where a homicide investigation was launched. Photo / NZ Herald
Police work at an address on SH16 near Helensville, where a homicide investigation was launched. Photo / NZ Herald

Police work at an address on SH16 near Helensville, where a homicide investigation was launched. Photo / NZ Herald

A major "whodunnit" investigation is continuing into the homicide of Lee Ross McMurdo, which has stunned the small community of Helensville northwest of Auckland.

More than 30 police officers are involved, with teams continuing to forensically examine Mr McMurdo's large property, with its glasshouse and numerous outhouses, and others trying to reconstruct his actions in the week of his death, inquiry head Detective Inspector Greg Cramer said.

"Also, trying to piece together a man's life takes quite a lot of time and resources.

"In homicide investigations we often have the luxury of a named suspect. We have a situation here where we have no suspects at the moment so we have to leave no stone unturned.

"There are still some still some very big gaps in the puzzle at this point - it is very much a whodunnit."

Unlock all articles by subscribing to this international offer

All Access Weekly

Herald Premium, Viva Premium, The Listener & BusinessDesk
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
See all offers
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr McMurdo's body was found outside his home on Friday but police are not saying when they think he died or how.

Police launched the homicide inquiry because "it is clear another person was involved in his death", Mr Cramer said.

Mr McMurdo, 32, had lived in Helensville for much of his life and was well known in the small semi-rural community.

He worked as a truck driver and was involved in transporting flowers.

He had three children, aged 12, 3 and a few months.

Discover more

New Zealand

Body discovered north of Auckland

29 Jul 06:42 AM
New Zealand

Murder inquiry into man's death

31 Jul 03:29 AM
New Zealand|crime

Police ask public for help on dead man's movements

01 Aug 05:30 PM
New Zealand|crime

Police hunt for clues in 'whodunnit' homicide

01 Aug 10:45 PM

"Any small community reels at the prospect of someone having possibly been murdered in their midst," Mr Cramer said.

"There are a lot of people stunned by this. His family are obviously devastated."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Close family members, including his daughter, found his body.

Mr Cramer appealed to anyone who had been in contact with Mr McMurdo recently to contact police.

"Any information we can get, no matter how small it may seem, could help up us find out what happened."

- NZPA

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Auckland nurse finished shift with fractured ankle because of short-staffing

08 Jul 07:51 PM
Herald NOW

Ministry of Health fails to provide evidence its strategy to prevent gambling harm is working

New Zealand

NZ Herald News Update: July 9, 2025

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Speeding likely cause of Diogo Jota car crash: Police
Football

Speeding likely cause of Diogo Jota car crash: Police

08 Jul 07:28 PM
Mt Eden prison murder-accused, victim both known to mental health services
Crime

Mt Eden prison murder-accused, victim both known to mental health services

08 Jul 07:15 PM
Wimbledon line technology fails again; seeds move into semifinals
Tennis

Wimbledon line technology fails again; seeds move into semifinals

08 Jul 07:04 PM
How an engineer's introduction to underworld poker games led to $1m Watercare fraud
Crime

How an engineer's introduction to underworld poker games led to $1m Watercare fraud

08 Jul 07:00 PM
'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup
Basketball

'Frustrating': Junior Tall Blacks' $5000 barrier to compete at World Cup

08 Jul 07:00 PM

Latest from New Zealand

Auckland nurse finished shift with fractured ankle because of short-staffing

Auckland nurse finished shift with fractured ankle because of short-staffing

08 Jul 07:51 PM

District nurses have written to the Health NZ CEO about severe understaffing issues.

Ministry of Health fails to provide evidence its strategy to prevent gambling harm is working

Ministry of Health fails to provide evidence its strategy to prevent gambling harm is working

NZ Herald News Update: July 9, 2025

NZ Herald News Update: July 9, 2025

Herald Now Panel with Chlöe Swarbrick, Green Party Co-Leader, and Nicole McKee, ACT Party Minister

Herald Now Panel with Chlöe Swarbrick, Green Party Co-Leader, and Nicole McKee, ACT Party Minister

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
Unlock all articles by subscribing to this international offer

All Access Weekly

Herald Premium, Viva Premium, The Listener & BusinessDesk
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
See all offers
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search