Ngatai Lynette Manning was murdered in Christchurch, New Zealand on 18 December 2008. Manning was picked up from Manchester Street and presumably taken to a property in Avonside and brutally killed by stabbing, strangling and assault with a metal pole. Her body was then dumped in the nearby Avon River and found the next morning by a kayaker. In March 2012, Mauha Huatahi Fawcett, a 24-year-old, unemployed man was arrested and charged with the murder and abduction of Manning. Previously, the case's severity and longevity had led police to fear of a repeat killer, and a reward on information was issued. Following the arrest police acknowledged there were more people involved than the man in custody and the investigation would be ongoing.
Victim
Manning had a difficult upbringing that saw her father run out on her family and a difficult step father. At the age of 14 Manning went into foster care after playing up, and began to take drugs. She subsequently had been working as a prostitute since 15. In 1999, she was sentenced to 18 months jail for stabbing a shop assistant with a blood-filled syringe during a robbery. Manning spent several stints behind bars and had a sister, Jasmine, who ran in similar circles. Manning lost contact with Jasmine in 2008 when she entered witness protection and in July, Jasmine killed herself. Manning decided to give up on prostitution and drugs, as she feared she would die young like her sister. Clean from drugs, Manning went to a polytechnic and studied art. She and her partner decided to start a family and have children. However, Manning's poverty and unemployment made her unable to afford Christmas presents for her family, and she decided to return to prostitution for "just one night". In mid 2008 the Mongrel Mob gang began to overrun central Christchurch sex workers by demanding 20 dollar tax from each job as they "owned the street". Because of this, Manning fell into bad relationships with the gang due to either not paying the forced taxes on street workers or for drug debts. Being back on the streets also caused Manning to relapse and in the days or hours before her death, she took methadone, morphine, diazepam, possibly temazepam, and THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.
Homicide
On 18 December 2008 Manning was walking down Blenheim Road and was picked up by a client at 9:17 pm. She was dropped off at her usual corner of Manchester and Peterborough Streets in Christchurch's central city. She was picked up again at 9:30 from this area and dropped back there. Manning then had another client which lasted until 10:20 pm. She was then picked up at 10:35 or 10:40, by Mauha Huatahi Fawcett, a 21-year-old unemployed man, who went by the gang name "Muck Dog" and was known to the street workers of Manchester Street. Fawcett had not yet received entry into the Mongrel Mob gang and had been ordered to take part in the killing of Manning for her debts to receive his patch. Fawcett coerced Manning into the car by showing her a threatening text from another gang member. Manning sent a text message at 10:43 before being driven to Galbraith Avenue in Avonside. The drive would have taken around 10 minutes. As part of earning his patch, Fawcett was ordered to stab Manning but backed out, before loud music was turned on and she was strangled, stabbed, raped and beaten with a metal pole, whilst gang members "barked like dogs" and gave Nazi salutes. Manning died from her injuries and Fawcett dropped her body at the nearby Avon river.
Investigation
Manning's body was discovered the next morning by a kayaker. Her watch had stopped at 11 o'clock, due to water damage. Police suggested they may have found items of interest in the river. The investigation was conducted by 30 officers, however it was constantly interrupted due to bad weather and rain. Police confirmed that more than one weapon was behind Manning's death. The police interviewed more than 900 people and learned of a dark Ford Falcon that may have been involved. They also obtained Manning's client list, receiving a list of 40 people they were eager to speak to. The police took DNA evidence from a carpark where Manning was known to take her clients. There were numerous people of interest, namely men who lived in Christchurch and regularly used prostitutes. The police dismissed the theory that the murder had been a robbery gone wrong as her handbag with all her belongings was still over her shoulder when she was discovered. After security footage was examined at the time of Manning's disappearance, it was declared that police were looking for an Indian man who may have been a client of Manning's and a driver of a blue 4 wheel drive. After talking to another prostitute about the murder, police interviewed a man and vital information was recorded. Seeds were found on the cardigan Manning was wearing, suggesting numerous places at which the murder could have taken place. In October 2009 a man who had lived with Manning was approached by police to identify a voice that he recognised as highup in the "criminal underworld". Other persons of interest included a man in a singlet with brown curly hair, two men standing by a 4WD and the driver of a white saloon vehicle all located within metres of the location Manning's body was found on the night of her death. In December 2010 it was announced that the location where Manning was murdered had been identified due to the seeds found on her body; it was close to where the body had been dumped in a property on Galbraith Avenue in Avonside. A warehouse at the site was a Mongrel Mob hangout at the time and they were known to work prostitutes; however it was not ruled out that the property could have been accessed by others as well. In September 2011 it was announced police had discovered semen on Manning's body that was not matched to any of her partners that night. Despite the fact she was possibly sexually assaulted, the police did not rule out the possibility Manning had an unknown sexual partner or client. It was announced they were focusing the investigation on gang members as a result of the discovery of her death site.
Arrest
On 29 March 2012, police arrested and charged 24-year-old, unemployed, Mauha Huatahi Fawcett with the murder and kidnap of Manning. The man was not associated with the semen sample found at the scene but was living in Christchurch at the time and was definitely associated with the crime scene. The man was a suspect early in the investigation but police went on to state; "From evidence gathered it is clear that a number of people have been involved in either the kidnapping or murder of Ms Manning. The inquiry is continuing to identify all persons who were responsible for her death, or were accessories after the fact, so that they can be brought to justice." The family of Manning was pleased, with her brother stating; "It's great news. I definitely wasn't expecting it. I thought it might take a bit longer. It's been well over three years."
Trial
Fawcett's trial began in the High Court in February 2014 and was expected to last 6 weeks. Fawcett carried out his own defense and claimed police had coerced him into making a confession. In March 2014, a jury of 6 men and 6 women found Fawcett guilty of murdering Manning. In May, Fawcett was sentenced life imprisonment with possibility of parole after 20 years. Police acknowledged that Fawcett's sentencing was not the end of the investigation as other gang members were involved in Manning's death. A person of interest labelled "Male B" has not yet been identified but is likely connected to Fawcett and the murder.
Appeal and retrial
On 7 August 2017, the Court of Appealset aside Fawcett's conviction and ordered a retrial. The reasons for the appeal were not publicly disclosed to preserve the right to a fair trial.
Aftermath
Due to the high profile of the case, several other murder cases were instantly linked. However no links have been subsequently established. These included the murder of Vanessa Pickering and the murder of Tisha Lowry.
