Detectives investigating the fatal shooting of George Taiaroa are appealing to the public of Benneydale after the discovery of items of interest in the area.
The discovery was made in an area of bush on privately owned land late last week. Police will not disclose what the items are, but believe they were discarded in the bush on Tuesday, 19 March, the day of the murder. They are now being sent off for forensic analysis.
Following the shooting there was a cluster of sightings of the offender's blue Jeep Cherokee driving at speed and erratically up through the Pureora Forest. The last sighting in that cluster was on Barryville Road a road from which you could head to a number of locations including Benneydale. Recent enquiries suggest the murderer was likely to have passed through or even stopped in Benneydale and this led to a small number of officers heading to the area last week and making the discovery.
"We have established that the suspect is familiar with the Benneydale area and may have considered it a bit of a safe haven to lie low in the bush until he felt calm enough and confident enough to be back out on the road," said Detective Inspector Tim Anderson. "This recent discovery reinforces that the clock will never stop until George's killer is held accountable."
Police are asking the Benneydale community to cast their minds back the day of the murder and consider any sightings or information that might prove useful.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigation team directly on 0800 Kingswood (0800 546 479). Alternatively information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Kim Perks on 027 234 8256.