A large crowd gathered in Napier High Court today for the appearance of two men charged in connection with Ariki Rigby’s death.
A 32-year-old man was charged with murder and arson, and a 29-year-old man was charged with being a party to arson.
Both men have interim name suppression and appeared in court today via audio visual link (AVL).
Justice Karen Grau, who appeared via video link from the Wellington High Court, asked members of the public in the court to remain calm for what would be a short administration appearance. A three-week trial was set for next year.
The pair will appear again later this month regarding name suppression.
Body in a burnt-out car
Rigby was 18 when she died.
Her body was found in a burnt-out car in a Havelock North reserve in September 2022. She was on an unplanned holiday to see her father and stepmother.
Police failed to realise there was a dead body in the car when they first checked on it.
Officers visited the car after a caller told police on September 3 that they thought they had seen the body of an animal on the floor in the back of the vehicle.
Rigby’s body was not discovered until September 5.
The murder accused was arrested last month, more than two years after Rigby’s death, while the second man was charged last week.
A trial has been set down for November next year. Both men are being held in custody without plea.