The man accused of murdering Hamilton woman Rae Portman has pleaded not guilty and will go to trial.
Paraire Hori Te Awa appeared in the High Court in Auckland on Wednesday charged with murder and kidnapping.
Ms Portman, who was 33, went missing in June last year and her body was found in a south Auckland rural suburb in September.
Two other men have been charged with kidnapping. One of them, Lee Rigby, has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on 24 April.
Mr Te Awa's trial is due to take place in October.
