Police arrest man linked to Piper killing

Raymond Piper was last seen on May 15. Photo / Supplied

Armed police swooped on a State Highway 1 layby in Horowhenua today to help arrest a man wanted in their investigation into the homicide of Paraparaumu man Raymond Piper.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Oxnam said a 51-year-old Paraparaumu man was in police custody after the arrest just south of Otaki bridge and would appear in Porirua District Court tomorrow charged with being party to murder.

Mr Oxnam told reporters that the armed offenders squad helped arrest the man, who had been driving north on SH1 and co-operated when confronted by police.

Raymond "Son" Piper, 23, was last seen on May 15 when he disappeared from the home of his former partner, Hanna Lark, in Eatwell Avenue, Paraparaumu.

Mr Oxnam said the police were appealing for public sightings of three vehicles, including a grey 1988 Toyota Corolla saloon which may have travelled as far as Wanganui on the weekend of May 15-16, when Mr Piper went missing. The man was arrested today from that car.

But Mr Oxnam said the "key" vehicle in the investigation was a dark green Mazda Marvie 4WD, registration number WC9996, that police seized in Turakina, south of Wanganui, on June 8.

"We know that Raymond was in the 4WD on Saturday May 15 and then that vehicle has gone to Turakina," he said.

"Once we recovered that vehicle and carried out a forensic examination we were able to say this was no long a missing persons inquiry, it was a homicide inquiry. But I can't go into the reasons for that."

The Toyota Corolla or a red to maroon-coloured 1993 Nissan Bluebird, registration number RZ2075, seized on June 16, may have been used by "a person or persons" to drive away from Turakina, Mr Piper said.

Police were still trying to find Mr Piper's body and Mr Oxnam said the main focus of the police inquiry was to return his body to his family.

"I am actually quite pleased we have made this progress, but the important thing is to get their son back to them," he said.

People who knew where the body was would be talking among themselves, or to others, following today's arrest, Mr Oxnam said. He called on them to come forward with that information to the police.

Police had advised his family and former partner of today's arrest and they had asked for privacy.

In a statement, the family said they could not rest until Son was brought home.

- NZPA