Two men arrested and charged with the murder of Mitchell Paterson

Two people were arrested and charged with the murder of the man whose body was found in McLaren Falls last week.

Mitchell Paterson, Ngaruawahia man, was found dead on July 13 near Tauranga

Police arrested a 36-year-old man in Paeroa and charged him with murder and kidnapping, said Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley.

A 27-year-old man was also arrested and accused of being an accomplice after the fact.

He will appear in Hamilton District Court on July 31, while the 36-year-old man will appear Monday

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Paterson's death continues.

Police would like to thank the Pitkethley community: "For further information, contact the Hamilton Police Service at (07) 856 6200.

The Paterson family said in a police statement that He had a "heart of gold".

"He was a hard-working father, a son, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin and a dear friend. . "We are extremely grateful and we appreciate that the police investigation team worked swiftly to identify and hold the people responsible for Mitchell's death

" We ask that the public and media Please respect our privacy at this difficult time so that we can deal with our loss and grievance as a family for Mitchell. "