Thames homicide inquiry: Well-known musician ‘devastated’ by news of relative’s death

Police cordoned off a street in Thames this week after a man who was found with moderate injuries later died in hospital.

A 60-year-old man who died in Thames this week has been remembered by a well-known musician who says he is devastated by the news and knows very little about the man’s demise.

Police arrested and charged a 28-year-old with murder after they were called to Rolleston St about 3.40pm on Monday where Maxwell Connor was found with moderate injuries.

Connor was taken to Thames Hospital where his condition deteriorated and he died.

A 28-year-old man appeared in Kaitāia District Court today charged with murder. The accused was granted interim name suppression and remanded in custody.

The accused will next appear in the High Court at Hamilton on February 4.

Singer/guitarist Mark Taipari.

Singer/guitarist Mark Taipari said he was related to Connor through iwi.

“I can tell you I’m pretty devastated by the news and know very little of his demise.

“What I can tell you about Max is that he was always a very quiet, unassuming man, always very pleasant and good to talk to.

“To me everyone seemed to like Max, he was just a good person,” Taipari said.

“I knew Max reasonably well, I wouldn’t say we hung out together.

“Just knew him a little through school, he loved a laugh but was generally very quiet.

“Just a guy we all liked.”

A Givealittle has been set up to help with Connor’s funeral costs.

A street in Thames was cordoned off by police on Tuesday with a gazebo erected outside a property as they conducted a homicide investigation.

On Tuesday, a section of Rolleston St was cordoned off by police with a gazebo erected outside a property.

A nearby resident said his neighbour told him he heard foul language on Monday afternoon and threats, including the words, “I’m going to rape you”.

The resident said the house police were investigating had been renovated “a couple of months ago”.

“It’s not a rough area, it’s just the odd house which gets rough people,” he said.

The daughter of a woman living near the property being investigated said her mum heard “loud yelling” from about 4pm on Monday.

The woman didn’t hear anything specific about the yelling, but she told her daughter it was a shared driveway with new tenants, who played their music “very loudly”.

“That’s not unusual for that place though, there’s a couple of state houses down there that are all as bad as each other, and the police are always there.”

After the yelling, her mum saw police cars soon after, and then officers went around the street to let residents know they would be staying overnight.

On Tuesday morning, her mum said detectives were seen “looking over fences and making sure nothing was chucked in people’s front or backyards”.

Police are continuing to appeal to anyone with information to come forward.

“In particular we would like to hear from anyone who witnessed an altercation in Rolleston St at around 3.40pm on Monday afternoon,” Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke said in a statement.

“If you have any information, please contact police via 105 either online or over the phone referencing file number: 250113/5723″