Christchurch police have confirmed the attack which left a Kenyan man dead and his female friend seriously injured happened as they lay in bed.
The dead man, Steven Mwangi, was a freezing worker from Ashburton. The injured woman, Lydia Munene, a nurse, is in Christchurch Hospital in an induced coma, and police want to talk to her estranged husband who has fled to Kenya.
The police manhunt has spread to Kenya, but locally they combed gardens next door for a murder weapon.
Police believe the victims were attacked as they lay in bed, probably in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Ms Munene is in a serious but stable condition.
"Steven's mother told us that it's the third son that she's lost," says Detective Inspector Greg Williams.
Wanted for questioning is Ms Munene's estranged husband Samuel Njuguna. Acquaintances said it was a violent relationship.
Njuguna spent Saturday night with friends in a town just outside Christchurch. They were worried about his mental state and called the authorities that night, but he caught a plane before they could reach him the next morning.
Police are appealing for any sightings of his red Peugeot saloon.
New Zealand does not have a specific extradition treaty with his Kenya, but both countries are part of a Commonwealth agreement allowing for cases like this.
"The difficulty is the attorney general's responsibility is to look out for the constitutional rights of Kenyan citizens," says Mike Pflanz, Nairobi journalist.
Police here must convince Kenyan authorities there is a case to answer.
3 News
source: newshub archive
