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Reporoa Murder
On December 1, 1998, a small Bay of Plenty farming community woke to the news that one of its residents had been murdered. She was Beverly Bouma, a Reporoa farmer, keen gardener and mother of three.
The Reporoa Killing
On Monday, 30 November 1998,at around 10pm, four armed men burst into a farmhouse in Reporoa (30 kilometers south of Rotorua), owned by Beverly and Henk Bouma.
Mrs Bouma was taken to a separate room by two of the intruders while her husband was bound and gagged. Two of the men left the house for approximately two hours and were later spotted in Taupo at a National Bank ATM around 11.34pm where they withdrew $2000, and then at a Mobil Service Station around 11.42pm, followed by a stop at another service station owned by Caltex at 12.30am Tuesday, 1 December 1998.
When they returned to the Bouma House early Tuesday morning, they picked up their other two companions and drove off in the couple's car, a 1984 Gold Ford Laser Registration No LG 993.
They also took with them property belonging to the couple including a shotgun and credit cards. Mrs Bouma was found dead of a gunshot wound to the neck, by her husband after he freed himself.
Police were alerted and an investigation team was formed. It carried out an extensive search of the crimescene and through the media the public were asked to keep a look out for the Bouma's Gold Laser car.
Police charged four men in Kaiangaroa Village in relation to the murder on December 5, 1998. Earlier it had been thought that the Bouma's car that the men had taken was as far south as the Wellington area.
About 25 Reporoa people stood vigil outside the courtroom while Mr Bouma testified in a depositions hearing that saw four young men committed to stand trial for the murder.
David Tuhua Poumako, 24, unemployed of Kaiangaroa Village appeared in the Rotorua Court on December 18, 1998, accused of killing Beverly Bouma in her home at Reporoa on November 30, 1998. He is currently serving a life sentence for the murder in addition to a 9 and a half year term for his role in the robbery. The judge imposed a 13 year minimum non-parole period.
Three others, Luke Reihana, aged 16, Mark Reihana, 17, and Dillon Hitaua, 23, appeared in the Rotorua Youth Court on December 21, 1998, charged with manslaughter and aggravated robbery over the same incident.
Hitaua received a 10-year sentence for Mrs Bouma's manslaughter and eight years for the robbery, while the Reihana brothers received eight-year manslaughter sentences and seven years for robbery. All are to be served concurrently.
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The murder of Beverly Bouma |
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