Teenager Charged With Murder in Fatal Stabbing of Daniel Te Mataku in Wainuiomata

A 17-year-old has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of Daniel Te Mataku in Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, on April 2, 2026.

The victim was found unresponsive on Wainuiomata Road around 9 a.m. On April 2 and was pronounced dead at the scene. Initially, a “young person” was charged with assault with a weapon, but police later upgraded the charge to murder following further investigation.

Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard confirmed the murder charge in an update on April 24, stating that the teenager would make their first appearance in the Hutt Valley Youth Court on that day.

Police had initially treated the death as unexplained but reclassified it as a homicide after determining the circumstances surrounding the stabbing. The case remains before the youth court as proceedings continue.