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Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 201, 23 May 1944, Page 4

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Finding Of Boy’s Body CONFESSION OF KILLING ALLEGED (By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

GISBORNE, May 22,

It is thought that the boy Taia Matu bad been dead for more than 24 hours when found late on Saturday by armed parties of police and settlers in the vicinity of Bexhaven Station, near Tokoniaru Bay. The patrols organized by the police had been searching for the boy since the finding on Thursday of the body of Mrs. Lois Rosamond Mill, aged 39, whose head had been battered and about whose neck two leather belts had been tightly drawn, not one. as was previous reported. One of the belts is said to have been the property of the boy; the other belonged to Mrs. Mill. A confession is alleged to have been made by Matu to another boy working on the station. This boy saw Matu about midday Friday, and on being questioned. Matu is said to have thrown some light on the crime -by saying that all he was looking for was cartridges for his shot-gun. When asked why he killed Mrs. Mill he said he did not know. However, he indicated his intentoon of shooting himself. and it was not long after that that a member of the police party thought he heard the discharge of a gun not far from the homestead. The body of Matu was found in a serub’-covered gully about 300 yards from the homestead. There was a shotgun wound above the right eye. and a shotgun alongside the body contained an exploded cartridge. In his hip pocket were four live cartridges. The discovery was made about 3.45 p.m. on Saturday. The gully was so steep that it required several men and much time and patience to get the body out. The finding of the body brought to an end one of the most exhausting searches made by the Gisborne police, for many years, the cold and rain being particularly trying on the last day. One of the most difficult tasks was in getting the body and the police cars out from Bexhaven station yesterday. Darkness had almost fallen by the time the body was brought to the homestead and it took six hours to get the police over the seven miles of mud road. Roadmen vrith their teams pulled the cars' through. The first of the police party did not reach Gisborne till after 7 o’clock last night, bringing the first full story of the tragedy.

An inquest into the death of Taia Matu was opened before Mr. E. L. Walton. S.M., today, when Richard Alfred Keeling, child welfare officer, identified Matu, -who had been under the guardianship of the child welfare branch. Matu. who was not quite 15 years of age, had been placed in the service of Mr. George Mill on March 31 last. The inquest was adjourned.