Police have found a machete in an Auckland reserve five months after the killing of student Kyle Whorrall at a bus stop in April.
Whorrall, 33, was struck with a “large, bladed weapon” at a bus stop in the suburb of St Johns on April 19, sustaining “unsurvivable injuries” and later dying in hospital.
Police said two assailants were involved in the attack.
Police also said a black SUV with other people inside had been “circling for a period of minutes” prior.
That vehicle had been seized and forensically examined.
‘This is not over’: Police warn as Kyle Whorrall murder investigation continues – Watch on TVNZ+
In late April, a 16-year-old was charged with his murder, while a 33-year-old woman was charged with being an accessory to murder. Both pleaded not guilty with a trial date set for August 2026.
Speaking to media in central Auckland, Detective Sergeant Glenn Baldwin appealed to those with knowledge about what occurred to come forward and “do the right thing”.
“There are people within the community who know what occurred and have intimate knowledge of this awful crime.”
Baldwin said while police were “pleased” to have an early arrest, “our understanding of the events has developed significantly”.
On Monday, detectives went to Maybury Reserve in Glen Innes supported by a specialist search team and police dog handler. The reserve is around 4km from the site of Whorrall’s death.
“As a consequence of that search, I can advise that a machete was recovered concealed within the vegetation at the reserve.”
Baldwin said it had been submitted for forensic testing and that police could not be conclusive that it was the weapon used in the attack.
“We remain open minded in relation to this weapon. What I can say is it’s a large bladed weapon. We are looking for a large bladed weapon. We are not in the Maybury reserve by accident, so the relevance of it has yet to be determined.”
He said he had spoken with Whorrall’s mother about the discovery.
“It’s an incredibly tough thing for her to deal with. We just want to find out what happened to Kyle. He did nothing wrong.”
More than 50 people, including Whorrall’s mother, gathered for a vigil at the bus stop in May.
Whorrall, originally from Los Angeles, was in the final stages of a doctorate in entomology at the University of Auckland.
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