Police hunt 'hunchback' for murder of Mangere father shot in the head

A young father killed on the side of a road in Mangere was shot at least once in the head in a slaying police say appears "sinister."

Epalahame Tu'uheava, 28, was found on Greenwood Rd on about 6am Tuesday morning, beside a 25-year-old woman with gunshot wounds.

The woman had serious injuries. She remains in Auckland Hospital in a stable condition and is recovering from surgery for gunshot wounds.

Police say that the pair were both shot more than once. The woman was shot at least once in the upper-torso, and Tu'uheava at least once in the head.

The relationship between the victims has not yet been released, but it is believed the woman is Yolanda Tu'uheava - the dead man's wife. The couple have a young son.

Detective Inspector Faa Va'aelua said that at this stage police knew little about the circumstances of the shooting.

Va'aelua could not say if the incident was gang-related and that police did not know why those involved in the incident were on Greenwood Rd.

Police did not know whether the offenders were known to the victims, but Va'aelua said it appeared the offenders weren't random shooters.

"We believe there might be something a lot more sinister with the offenders. The way they have shot and killed a victim and shot and injured another victim, we believe there is a lot more to it."

He said police were looking for two Tongan men in relation to the murder and appealed to the public for assistance in locating the offenders.

"We are looking for two males, believed to be Tongans. At this stage they are only described as one being older than the other, and one being taller than the other. The taller one possibly has a little bit of a hunchback.

"Once we learn their identities we will be in a better position to profile who they are, and piece together why they were there."