1934 Rangitoto - Five .32" Colt Revolver Murders:

The Evening Post of October 21, 1934 reported a sixth and final shooting death at the hands of 20 year old Henare (Henry) Hona - who used a small stolen Colt .32" caliber revolver to kill four victims, a Police Constable, - and finally ended the affair by shooting himself in the head.

A .32" Colt New Police Revolver

Made Between 1896 - 1907

Hona was recognized by a local taxi driver as being the man sought by police for the unexplained murder two weeks earlier of four members of the Davenport family - despite now calling himself 'Laurie King' - but when then being detained he grabbed the small revolver from his case in his bedroom and shot the Scottish born arresting officer:

"The next moment the Maori bent down and pulled a .32" revolver from the suitcase, turned around quickly, and fired two shots. One hit Constable Heaps over  the left temple and the other lodged in his arm. Constable Heaps dropped where he had been standing."

Hona escaped across the farmland but was hunted by a posse of 90 armed locals and police and when trapped in a ditch about five miles away he placed the revolver to his own head and died from this self-inflicted shot.

To this day it is not known why Hona shot and killed the Davenport family - but the evidence suggests that he may have been surprised when breaking-in to their farm house and used the revolver that he had stolen there to attack them .. then waited outside to shoot the family's two sons when they returned.

A 3 1/2" 1914 Colt Pocket Positive - Marked .32 Colt Ctg.
Produced 1907 - 1947.

1905 Colt .32" Caliber Advert.

Marty K.

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