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A beneficiary (50), Mark Pakenham, pleaded guilty
to the manslaughter of Sara Niethe, a mother of three,
who went missing 10 years ago after leaving his Kerepehi home.
Despite intensive police searches in the area,
her car and body have never been found.
For close to 10 years, there's been no plea, but today...
He was to stand trial in May for ***,
but not any more.
Instead he has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter
by administering the drug P.
Pakenham, who is of Te Arawa and Ngapuhi descent,
was the last man to see her alive.
He told the police they drank almost half a bottle of bourbon,
had two cannabis cigarettes,
and Pakenham was also coming down from methamphetamine.
Three days later, Niethe's family reported her disappearance to police
after she missed her daughter's 10th birthday.
To this day, her vehicle or body have not been found.
Pakenham continues to withhold the location of Niethe's body.
He will be sentenced in June.
Tini Molyneux, Te Karere.