Auckland police are reportedly expanding their investigation into the sudden death of Auckland woman Pauline Hanna by interviewing a masseuse and barber known to her husband.
Hanna, also known as Pauline Polkinghorne, was found dead on April 5 in her home on Upland Rd, Remuera. A post-mortem was conducted two days later, while a scene examination of the 63-year-old's property lasted more than 10 days.
More than five weeks on from Hanna's mysterious death, Stuff reports police are broadening their search and interviewing people from her husband, Philip Polkinghorne's social circle.
Hanna was a top health director with Counties Manukau DHB. She held several roles with the organisation she joined in 1998, and most recently led Auckland's COVID-19 supply chain work.
Det Insp Aaron Pascoe told Newshub on Saturday police are "continuing to investigate the circumstances of Pauline Hanna's sudden death" which they are still treating as "unexplained".
It's been revealed a detective visited the home of a Remuera barber, who was reportedly friends with Polkinghorne, on Thursday. The barber was asked to go to a police interview the following day.
According to Stuff, detectives have also spoken to a female North Shore masseuse who Polkinghorne regularly visited.
Neighbours of the masseuse told both the NZ Herald and Stuff, that Polkinghorne's white Mercedes, with an easily recognisable number plate, was frequently seen parked outside her house.
Polkinghorne is also reported to have acted as her proxy at a body corporate meeting for the block of flats she lives in, just days before Hanna died.
Newshub contacted police regarding the reports but Pascoe would not confirm any specifics of the investigation.
"Our enquiries remain ongoing and police will not be commenting on specifics of our ongoing investigation."
On Thursday a fire, believed to be due to a gas bottle, broke out at Polkinghorne's Upland Rd property. Firefighters and police rushed to the incident, there were no injuries.
The last update released publicly by police was on April 16 when Pascoe said police were "continuing with a number of enquiries and are also still awaiting various results and analysis".
Last week it was revealed Hanna hired a private investigator prior to her death.
Hanna was laid to rest at a funeral at Parnell's Holy Trinity Cathedral in mid-April.
It was attended by a large number of friends and family, including Polkinghorne, an eye specialist, who told NZ Herald in April that he was being treated as a "person of suspect".
He described Hanna as a "magnificent woman" and said their relationship was "perfect".
"Pauline was a beautiful, lovely, lovely, lovely lady. I failed her. I failed her. I don't want to have to remember anything about her, I just want her to come back into my life."
