Merivale murder victim named, details revealed
The 27-year-old woman allegedly murdered in Merivale can finally be named.
A tradesman found Nicole Marie Tuxford’s body at an Exeter St house about lunchtime on Saturday, April 7.
A 54-year-old Aranui man, whose name is suppressed, is accused of her murder. It can also be revealed he is facing charges of sexually violating her and taking her car. He appeared before Justice Gerald Nation in the High Court at Christchurch yesterday where he was further remanded in custody and suppression of Tuxford’s name was lifted.
Tuxford’s family said in a statement they were ‘‘broken’’ by the loss of their beloved daughter, sister and partner. ‘‘Nicky was a funny, bubbly character who lit up a room with her personality and made other people laugh. She loved people and had ambitions to work as a counsellor so she could help others.’’
Tuxford, born and bred in Dunedin, moved to Christchurch to work after finishing high school. She had been working as an accounts manager for an international logistics company based in Christchurch, the family said.
‘‘She was highly thought of and considered to have a bright future with the company.’’
Tuxford left her job about seven weeks before her death to pursue her ambition of being a life coach with The Phoenix Light Foundation. In a post on the website, which has since been deleted, she said she was ‘‘passionate about what I do’’.
‘‘Through my own journey I have discovered there is a way through the other side, even with the highs and lows life hits you.
‘‘I have become a teacher to share my knowledge, experience and skills, so you too can find direction on your path, explore within yourself to understand and be freed.’’
Phoenix Light Foundation founder Phyllis Brown said Tuxford started attending classes about four years ago. She then became a qualified soul journey teacher and was in the process of qualifying as a psychic development teacher when she was killed.
‘‘She just so wanted to become a teacher and inspire people the way she had been inspired. She was such a loving, kind soul. There was this real deep spiritual desire for anyone to actually realise they could be something better, something different.’’
Tuxford was ‘‘really bubbly and quietly confident’’ and had ‘‘the most amazing giggle’’, Brown said.
‘‘She had a lot of depth to her character. She was extremely private, she would happily talk about her ambition etc, but her private life was definitely her thing.’’
Brown said Tuxford had recently started her own business called Veda, running clinics on healing and self development in Merivale. In a post on the website, Tuxford wrote the name meant ‘‘stand in your light and shine’’.
‘‘That absolutely sums her up to an absolute tee,’’ Brown said. ‘‘She found her own light.’’ Brown said the foundation would hold a private ceremony for Tuxford next week and hoped to set up a scholarship in her name.
Tuxford’s name can be published after suppression orders were lifted by the High Court in Christchurch on Friday at the request of her family.
The date of May 6, 2019, was set for the man’s trial at the pre-trial call-over. The nature of the suppression orders cannot be reported, but they include the man’s name.
After the trial date was set, Justice Nation remanded the case for another pre-trial call-over on June 29.