Teen, 17, charged with murder weeks after stabbing in Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt

A teenager has been charged with murder three weeks after a body was found in a Lower Hutt suburb.

Police investigating the fatal stabbing of Daniel Te Mataku in Wainuiomata on April 2 have charged a 17-year-old with murder. The teen had earlier been charged with assault with a weapon.

The person was due to appear in the Hutt Valley Youth Court this morning, Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard said.

Police were called to a Wainuiomata Rd address about 9am on April 2 after the victim was found unresponsive.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

While his death was initially treated as unexplained, police upgraded the investigation to homicide.

“We would like to reassure the community that this was an isolated incident involving parties known to each other,” Pritchard said at the time.