Israel Te Rangitihi Edwin Te Apatu-Aporo Smith

Brian Desmond Aporo, otherwise known as Smith, was found not guilty of three murder and two attempted murder charges on the grounds of insanity. On December 10, 1999, Aporo cut his tiny children's throats with a butcher's knife, fatally stabbed a neighbour in the heart, and tried to stab his de facto wife and another neighbour. He admitted the actions but denied that he was guilty of murdering Israel Aporo, aged 3, Keziah Te Huia Smith, 11 months, and Trevor Francis Mokaraka, 47. He had also denied attempting to murder partner Te Huia Hape and neighbour John Fenton. After the verdict, Justice Colin Nicholson placed Aporo into institutional care as a special patient under the Mental Health Act. Source: 4theKidz.

KUTARERE - Driving rain poured down as two tiny white coffins were passed through the window of a meeting house on the Kutarere Marae, near Opotiki, yesterday. The coffins bore the bodies of 3-year-old Israel Te Rangitihi Edwin Te Apatu-Aporo and his 11 month-old sister, Keziah Te Huia Smith, stabbed to death at their home in Rawene on Friday. Trevor Mokaraka from a neighbouring house was also stabbed to death. Whanau and friends of the children were yesterday welcomed on to the marae, the family home of the children's mother, Te Huia Hape. The family have asked to be left alone during the tangi but Te Huia Hape's sister said the 27-year-old mother was "deeply in grief" and it was up to the whanau to begin picking her up again. Te Huia Hape was discharged from hospital on Sunday after surgery to cuts on her hands which she received during the tragedy. That afternoon, she accompanied her children's bodies back to Kutarere, where she and her husband lived briefly before settling in Rawene. The funeral of the two children will be held on the marae tomorrow and they will be buried nearby. Police expect to finish tomorrow their examination of the Rawene waterfront where the stabbings happened. Detective Sergeant Rob Hubbard said the team had been reduced to 10 police officers from Kaikohe, Whangarei and Kaitaia. A campaign is under way in Northland to posthumously recognise the heroic action of Mr Mokaraka, the third victim. Police credit the 47-year-old with helping to save the life of Te Huia Hape. Community, police and church leaders have called for Mr Mokaraka's sacrifice to be recognised. Far North Mayor Yvonne Sharp said their call warranted further investigation. "I think we have got a community that does care for one another and this is demonstrated by his [Mr Mokaraka's] selflessness. "I think anyone who goes to help his neighbour is a role model." Rawene locals will hold a memorial service on Thursday in the town hall. A 31-year-old man appeared in the Whangarei District Court on Saturday charged with murdering the children and Mr Mokaraka, and with attempting to murder the children's mother. He was remanded in custody for a psychiatric assessment to reappear on December 22. He was granted interim name suppression. Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tiny-white-coffins-greeted-by-deluge/...