The three men accused of murdering Jayden Mamfredos-Nair have been granted name suppression at their first court appearance today.
The two 26 year olds and a 20-year-old were all remanded in custody until their next appearance at the Auckland High Court next month.
Nineteen-year-old Mamfredos-Nair disappeared last April in West Auckland.
A body believed to be his was found in Dairy Flat, police announced on Saturday.
Police maintained a high presence inside and outside the North Shore District Court this morning.
Investigators had previously reported that Mamfredos-Naira had last been seen with associates of the Head Hunters gang.
Police are not ruling out the possibility of further arrests.
The case so far
Jayden Mamfredos-Nair was reported missing from West Auckland on April 24 last year.
Police said there were “serious concerns for his welfare” and in August announced “foul play” was suspected.
His last known sighting was at Birdwood Reserve in Auckland’s Rānui on Friday, April 21.
Police said he was spotted leaving the reserve with two Head Hunters gang associates in a black ute, and a Head Hunters gang pad in Dairy Flat was the subject of police scrutiny during the investigation.
Over the weekend, the discovery of the body and the arrests were announced.