Murdered Tiensch was party to lawsuits
The former Plus SMS chief executive reportedly murdered in the US was embroiled in long-running lawsuits in the US.
The former Plus SMS chief executive reportedly murdered in the US was embroiled in long-running law suits in the US.
Forty-three-year-old Christopher Tiensch was found shot dead in the Texas town of Port Aransas, South Jetty News reported.
Local police chief Scott Burroughs said in a statement the gunshot wound did not appear to be self-inflicted.
“In order to preserve the integrity of the investigation, details about the location of the injuries, type of weapon, ammunition, and number of shots will not be released."
Mr Tiensch's body was found on Thursday (US time) after his wife reported him missing on Tuesday.
His car was found still in the parking lot of his motel, and many of his personal effects, including his wallet and cell phone, were still in his room.
Mr Tiensch was chief executive of Christchurch-based text messaging company Plus SMS from June 2006 until September 2008, when he was forced out along with chief financial officer Les Coats – a situation contested in the US courts.
Plus SMS was plagued by scandal until the NZX finally threw the company off the exchange last year.
Lawsuits involving Plus SMS and Mr Tiensch were still active in Texas when he went missing, KRIS-TV in South Texas has reported.
The legal fights were described as ugly with some unsavoury wording between parties.
NBR staff
Mon, 19 Sep 2011
Mon, 19 Sep 2011
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Murdered Tiensch was party to lawsuits
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