Ana Iongi often worries about the day her son will ask the one question she can't answer - "what happened to dad?"

Iongi's partner and the father to her young son, Reginald Sharma, died in August 2017 after a single punch at an Auckland party. The man accused of causing his death was found not guilty by a jury earlier this month.

Sharma was 25 years old when he died and Iongi was seven months pregnant with his child.

"It's tough raising a baby without him," Iongi said, "I still don't know how I'm going to explain to my son what happened, it's hard to explain because I feel like I still don't have answers."

READ MORE:

* Reginald Sharma named as victim of fatal party

* Witness gives evidence of seeing blow that killed Sharma

* Man pleads not guilty to manslaughter of Sharma

* One fatal punch delivered at party, court told

The details of what happened the night Sharma died are still a mystery to Iongi and his family.

Sharma had been at a house party on Haughey Ave, Mt Roskill, in the early hours of August 19 last year.

There were reports of rowdiness and fighting and when police arrived around 3am, they found Sharma lying in the driveway in a critical condition.

"I knew he was going to a party that night," Iongi said "but I thought he meant clubbing not a house party, Reg was a very private person, so even though I was his partner there was a lot I didn't know about him."

Carlos Pula, 23, was charged with manslaughter less than a week after Sharma's death and was accused of delivering a single, fatal blow.

The Crown claimed the punch swung Sharma's head around and split an artery, while the defence argued it was a case of mistaken identity as Pula could not have thrown the punch due to a wrist injury.

Pula was found not guilty just five days before the one year anniversary of Sharma's death.

Iongi said she was "absolutely shattered" when she heard the verdict read out at Auckland High Court.

"I was there every single day, I wanted to punch the walls and scream, if Carlos wasn't the one who hit him I want to know who did. Even if they didn't mean to kill him they meant to hurt him and whoever did that needs to be held accountable for what they did.

"My son will never be able to see his dad, we can't just put him back together, he's gone, and I'll fight hell and heaven to find out who did it so we can be at ease."

Iongi keeps a memorial for Sharma and her son, who died in the same year, in the lounge of her home. It's adorned with pictures of Sharma as well as a t-shirt and possessions.

"He's gone but he's not forgotten in our home, I'm very protective of the memorial," Iongi said.

Supplied Sharma and Iongi's son Reg is now almost a year old.

Iongi believes the truth will eventually come out but she wants it to be before her son is old enough to start asking questions.

"Someone who knows what happened will eventually slip up but I don't want to have to wait until my son is an adult to find out, he's almost one now and I need answers for him soon."

The resemblance between Sharma and his son, who Iongi calls "lil Reg" after his dad, is uncanny and the memories of Sharma often come flooding back when Iongi looks at their son.

"He looks so much like his dad, he calls out for him sometimes and it's heartbreaking."

CATRIN OWEN/STUFF Reginald Sharma died at a 21st birthday party.

The morning after the house party Iongi was with her children when she noticed she'd missed multiple calls and texts from Sharma's sister.

"She said it was about Reg and I just started freaking out, I called her and she told me Reg had been killed and he was gone.

"I was so shocked, I'd been messaging him just last night, she started crying and I didn't know how to cope with it all. I just went quiet and stopped connecting with anyone. I rang Reg's dad and he said the police had come to my house to try and tell me but I'd moved so I found out from family instead."

Iongi was heavily pregnant at the time of Sharma's death and she found the next few months "frustrating and stressful".

"It hurt so much but I had to not only think about myself but also my child. At first I wasn't eating, I couldn't think, my emotions were just all over the place, no-one knew how I was going to be day to day or minute to minute, I was so stressed."

SUPPLIED Reginald Sharma was 25 years old when he was killed at an Auckland house party. Ana Iongi wants answers to Sharma's death for their young son, Reginald.

Victim support reached out to Iongi which she said has been a massive help, along with support both their families.

"I talk to his [Sharma's] family a lot, they're very supportive and humble. I love them like they're my own family, my baby is very blessed to have them in his life, the love I have for them is unexplainable.

"They could have just left and had nothing to do with me and lil Reg but they stayed and are always in contact with me seeing how he's going and how I am.

"Reg was a good person, he took on kids that weren't his and raised them as his own, he was a man with a heart of gold and always put others first. He would often go without to give others what they needed and my kids called him dad, he was so good with them."

CATRIN OWEN/STUFF The street where Sharma died was described as "relatively quiet" by a neighbour.

Iongi said while the support from everyone around her, including her new partner had been amazing, she still wanted to know who was responsible for Sharma's death.

"I want the person who did it, or anyone who knows what happened, to come forward and not think about themselves, but think about the family they've affected.

"It's not fair, and I want my son to know who did this to his dad, I want him to have answers. If you're a true friend of Reg please come forward and let us know what happened."