Attributable to Detective Inspector Haley Ryan:
Hutt Valley Police have arrested three men in connection to the murder of a man in his 80s and the arson of his residential property last year.
A homicide investigation was launched in November 2024, after one of three arsons at the Hanson Grove, Stokes Valley residential property resulted in the death of 82-year-old Ian David Moller.
This morning, Police executed multiple search warrants within the Hutt Valley area, targeting the three men aged in their 20s and 30s. Two of the men have been charged with murder, arson and conspiring to commit arson and the third male has been charged with arson and conspiring to commit arson. All three men have also been charged with participating in a in a criminal group.
All were due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court this afternoon. Four others were arrested during the course of today’s warrants on unrelated matters.
This has been a long and protracted enquiry, which has culminated in today’s arrests through the dedicated work of a team of detectives in the Hutt Valley and wider Wellington District.
I have spoken with the Moller family who were relieved to hear the news, in what is a further step forward in coming to terms with what happened.
Police would like to thank the Stokes Valley community who their continual support throughout this enquiry.
We are confident there are further witnesses who may now feel comfortable coming forward and speaking with us and I would like to take this opportunity to urge them to do so.
The three incidents occurred on Tuesday 5 November, Thursday 10 November, and Monday 14 November on Hanson Grove all occurring during the early hours of the morning.
If you have information that may assist in our continued enquiry, please contact Police.
You can report information to us on 105 either online or over the phone. Please reference file number 241105/2249 and quote Operation Sove.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre