Six men charged in connection with James Butler homicide in Whanganui

The National Dive Squad searched the Whanganui River as part of the James Butler homicide inquiry earlier this year. Photo / Stuart Munro

Six men have been charged in connection with the James Butler homicide in Whanganui in April.

Detective Senior Sergeant Neil Forlong said seven people had been arrested today in relation to Butler's death.

The six men were charged with a variety of offences, he said.

A seventh man also faces charges.

Details of the charges were suppressed by the judge when all seven appeared in court in Whanganui today.

Butler, 53, was found dead at a Wikitoria Rd property on April 22.

Another man in his 50s was found seriously injured at the property and taken to Whanganui Hospital.

The police dive squad searched the Whanganui River a few days after Butler's death in the hope of finding discarded weapons.

Police earlier said Butler's death was not the result of a random attack and the people involved in the incident were known to each other.

After an Official Information Act request by NZME, Corrections confirmed on Tuesday that Butler had been on a community-based sentence.

It is believed Butler had been on home detention.