Newtown woman killed but drowning unrelated

Friday, 30 July 2010, 3:24 pm
Article: Rory MacKinnon

Newtown woman “died violently” but drowning unrelated - police

Wellington police are seeking information on Allison McPhee, 42, who was found dead in her Newown flat Thursday.

Scoop Audio:

Wellington police are investigating two unnatural deaths in the city in the past week, but say the cases are unrelated.

Police today announced a homicide inquiry into the killing of a woman in a Newtown flat, just hours after a man’s body was found in the waters off Miramar wharf early this morning.

Police said the female victim was Allison McPhee, 47, a resident at the Newtown Park Flats apartment complex, while the man was Ranchhod Patel, 57, of the eastern suburbs.

Acting Detective Inspector Scott Miller said McPhee died violently and witnesses reported an altercation at her home a week prior.

Miller said McPhee was known to police, was unemployed and had a transient history.

McPhee was last seen at 3:30pm on Thursday 22 July and Miller urged anyone with information or other sightings of McPhee to call their case hotline 0800 2 782.

Detective Inspector Paul Basham said the Patel post-mortem and scene investigations were continuing but indicated drowning.

There was no sign of a third party involved, Basham said.

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