Woman found dead in Tauranga farewelled

A woman found dead after a domestic incident in Tauranga has been farewelled in Auckland.

Mother of two, Jessielee Booth, was the partner of Anthony John Fane, the man killed after a shootout during a police chase on Thursday.

Her body was found on Friday when police were called to a Tauranga home, District Commander Superintendent Andy McGregor said in a statement.

Police believed she had been dead for several days and was likely the victim of a domestic incident. They were not seeking anyone else in relation to the death.

Stuff understands Booth had recently had a baby and also has a

5-year-old child. Her funeral was held in Auckland yesterday.

Fane, 33, died after being shot by police on Thursday, February

13. Police said at the time they had attempted to stop his vehicle as part of their investigation into a double homicide in McLaren Falls.

Fane carried on driving, then leaned out of the car door and fired a volley of shots at the police vehicle.

At least 12 people have died in suspicious or homicidal circumstances in New Zealand so far in 2020.

At the same time last year there had been nine suspected homicides.

Last year’s toll closed at 128, according to provisional data compiled by the Homicide Report, an ongoing Stuff investigation into why New Zealanders kill.

That number includes the 51 people killed in the March Christchurch terror attack.

The 2018 toll was 77, the worst since 2009 when 94 people were killed.