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Stephen Thomas Hudson - Source: ONE News -
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The jury in the bodyless murder trial has retired to consider its verdict.
Stephen Hudson has pleaded not guilty in the High Court at Wellington to the murder of Palmerston North man Nicholas Pike on March 18, 2002 near the Desert Road in the central North Island.
His body has never been recovered.
Justice Ronald Young told the jurors on Wednesday morning to convict they must decide three vital questions.
The Crown needed to have proven beyond reasonable doubt that Pike was dead, that Hudson killed him, and if so, that it was with murderous intent.
If the jury answered yes to all three questions, then they should convict, Justice Young said.
If the answer was no, then Hudson should be found not guilty of murder.
The jury retired shortly before 11.30am.
