Murdered couple raced to their deaths

Mikaere (Michael) Douglas O'Sullivan and Toni-Anne Nathan were found dead on Monday.

Police have revealed that a man and woman left Auckland less than two hours before they were murdered under a bridge near Tauranga in the early hours of Monday.

The identities of the pair, who were shot under the Wairoa Bridge on State Highway 2 at Te Puna, were released yesterday.

They were Mikaere (Michael) Douglas O'Sullivan, 42, and Toni-Anne Nathan, 39.

Witnesses heard shots at 2.46am.

Police said the pair lived together at Omokoroa, about 20km north of Tauranga, after moving there earlier this year.

A car belonging to Mr O'Sullivan is registered to an address in the West Auckland suburb of Henderson, where police say the couple stopped to buy something just hours before residents near the Wairoa Bridge reported hearing gunshots.

"I believe that our two victims were in Henderson at 12.54am on Monday morning and they've completed what would be a fairly high-speed trip to Te Puna," inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner said yesterday.

Mr Turner said police did not know why Mr O'Sullivan and Ms Nathan were in Henderson or why they made the journey.

He would not say whether the couple were known to police, but said they were anxious to find out if they had travelled alone.

Their bodies were found next to Ms Nathan's car.

Mr Turner urged anyone who saw the silver Nissan Skyline, registration SS2388, on roads between Auckland and Tauranga early Monday to contact police. The journey of just over 200km usually takes between 2 1/2 and 3 hours.

The rural property where the couple lived is also the subject of scrutiny.

A police forensics team examined a white cottage and tin shed on the 2ha property yesterday.

Mr Turner would not reveal if anything was found, but said police were also interested in several vehicles parked by the buildings, including a black BMW owned by Mr O'Sullivan and a Toyota Hilux registered to a Whakatane man.

"We want to ensure that there have been no outside persons at that address," Mr Turner said.

Residents near the murder scene have speculated that the crime was drug-related but a neighbour of the couple said they were good people.

The man, who did not want to be named, said Mr O'Sullivan had introduced himself to neighbours when he moved there about five months ago.

"He was hard case, bubbly," the man said.

He disagreed with a television report that quoted another neighbour as saying Mr O'Sullivan had something to hide.

"I find that very hard to believe," the man said.

He described Ms Nathan as "lovely".

He said there was no trouble at the property, saying the couple led a quiet life.

But another neighbour told a different story.

"There was a lot of people coming and going," she said.

The woman had complained to the council about cars being dumped at the property.

Police will not say if they believe the crime is drug-related, but have attempted to allay fears that the person or persons responsible pose a threat to the community.

"At this stage you can never be 100 per cent but I'm reasonably confident that the residents of Te Puna, Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty are safe," Mr Turner said.

A police dive squad spent yesterday afternoon searching the Wairoa River for the gun used in the murder.

Forensic examinations of the murder scene also continued.

Ms Nathan's Nissan Skyline remained where it was but the cars belonging to the two young male kayakers who found the bodies were moved, their kayaks still strapped to the roofs.

Police would not say if anything of interest was found in the Skyline.

About 40 officers are working on the case, including the dive squad from Wellington and fingerprint technicians from Waikato.

Six specialist search officers from Auckland join the team today to conduct a wider search of the river area.