Portrait of a killer
Quinn Patterson, the gunman who killed mother and daughter Wendy and Natanya Campbell in a shootout at his Whangarei property, was a troubled loner. As a young boy he was forced to help his father dig graves and he had a conviction for stabbing a policem
Natanya Campbell lived for her children — four girls who are now completely devastated following the loss of their “fun, loving and helpful” mother.
The 37-year-old trainee property manager was carrying out an inspection with her mother, Wendy Campbell, on Wednesday when they were both shot dead by tenant Quinn Patterson.
Contractor and friend Jeff Pipe, who was with them, was also shot but escaped and is in hospital in a stable condition.
Natanya’s cousin Victoria Martin tearfully spoke to the Herald yesterday, describing a “fun, loving and helpful” woman who lived for her daughters.
The girls were aged between 3 and 19.
“The youngest one probably can’t comprehend yet, but the older ones . . . What can you say? It’s just shocking, unbelievable and we just want to awhi [support] them.
“She was very proud of her eldest daughter at Waikato University. That was her biggest accomplishment — getting the eldest to university and the others through school.
“She was just all about her children.”
Natanya lived in Whangarei for three years. Before that she lived in remote Mitimiti, north of Hokianga, caring for her elderly grandparents.
She had recently started working with her mother, a property manager at Seek n Find in Whangarei.
“She was helping her mum. Her mum was really well known and loved. They were as close as any mum and daughter can be.”
Natanya and Wendy’s bodies were removed from the scene yesterday afternoon. Up to 100 devastated friends and family gathered at the driveway of the Mt Tiger Rd property. They were visibly upset and many were wailing and embracing each other as the hearse drove away.
Martin remembered Natanya’s love for sport, especially netball. She had played competitively and encouraged her daughters to play. Two of them were in rep teams.
“She’s just a super girl and she’ll be missed forever.”
Earlier in the day family, including Natanya’s partner Peter Penney and her dad Jim Campbell, were grieving and gathering at the family home.
Wendy’s husband, Tony Rodgers, has also been supported by friends, family and a community pastor.
Good friend Julie Pepper, who owns her own property management company, said she’d been friends with Wendy for many years. “I met Wendy as an employee, she came to work for me a number of years ago and in recent years has been out on her own.”
Pepper has maintained a very close friendship with Campbell and her family.
She said Natanya had only recently joined Seek n Find as a trainee property manager and was enjoying the role.
Dozens of Wendy’s tenants and clients have paid tribute on social media describing her as a “helpful, kind” woman who was “amazing at what she did”.
Pepper said the tragedy had been widely felt in Whangarei.
“It’s going to leave a big gap in a lot of people’s lives and it’s certainly created a shock wave in the community.
“In Whangarei everybody knows everybody; the property managers are all in contact with each other on a semi-regular basis so it’s a huge shock to a lot of people.”
It’s going to leave a big gap in a lot of people’s lives and it’s certainly created a shock wave in the community. Julie Pepper, friend and property manager