Mystery Vehicle Driver May be Local
Levin (New Zealand):
The vehicle police dragged out of the Ohau River yesterday, with possible links to the death of German tourist Birgit Brauer, may have been dumped there as early as Sunday afternoon.
The finding of the grey Toyota Hilux at Ohau, near Levin, yesterday morning could mean that the killer is hiding in the area, but there have been no sightings of a stranger on or near the lonely country road where the Toyota was found.
Investigation head Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward said he was not convinced the person who dumped the Hilux is from Horowhenua.
"However ... the fact that he has been in this area suggests that he does know some of the roads and so it could well be that he is a local." The discovery of the four-wheel drive has kick-started a third phase of the homicide investigation. Earlier investigations centred on the area in Taranaki where the body was found and in Wanganui where Ms Brauer stayed for a short time before her death.
Ms Brauer was found dead in Lucy's Gully last Tuesday after she was seen getting into a vehicle that matches the description of the car found down the no-exit rural road yesterday. She got in the vehicle at Waitotara, 34km north-west of Wanganui, about 9.30am on the day her body was found. Detective Inspector Doug Brew said last night police have recovered two other cars of the description, but the fact this particular one has been abandoned in such a concealed area has escalated police interest. "There is no explanation for it to have been found where it was. "But at this point in time, there is no evidence which links this particular vehicle to the homicide, but for obvious reasons, until we can eliminate it, it remains important.
" A newspaper reported today the vehicle is registered to Palmerston North man Brent Cleverley, who said he had been asked by police not to talk to the media. The newspaper said, without sourcing the information, that a worker of his had stolen the vehicle. The worker, who used the vehicle in his job cutting firewood, failed to turn up to work one day last month. He had not been seen since.
The worker is understood to have grown up in the Himatangi/Foxton area but has recently spent time in the South Island before moving back to Levin. He is known by various names. Jenny Burnell, who lives across the road from where the vehicle was found, said her nephews went to check when they saw car lights on Monday night. The pilot who lifted the vehicle out said he doubted the police would spend $8000 on a specialist heavy lifting helicopter if they were not "fairly certain" it was the right vehicle.
Sept.29, 2005
Sheryl Brown, Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand
Levin (New Zealand):
The vehicle police dragged out of the Ohau River yesterday, with possible links to the death of German tourist Birgit Brauer, may have been dumped there as early as Sunday afternoon.
The finding of the grey Toyota Hilux at Ohau, near Levin, yesterday morning could mean that the killer is hiding in the area, but there have been no sightings of a stranger on or near the lonely country road where the Toyota was found.
Investigation head Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward said he was not convinced the person who dumped the Hilux is from Horowhenua.
"However ... the fact that he has been in this area suggests that he does know some of the roads and so it could well be that he is a local." The discovery of the four-wheel drive has kick-started a third phase of the homicide investigation. Earlier investigations centred on the area in Taranaki where the body was found and in Wanganui where Ms Brauer stayed for a short time before her death.
Ms Brauer was found dead in Lucy's Gully last Tuesday after she was seen getting into a vehicle that matches the description of the car found down the no-exit rural road yesterday. She got in the vehicle at Waitotara, 34km north-west of Wanganui, about 9.30am on the day her body was found. Detective Inspector Doug Brew said last night police have recovered two other cars of the description, but the fact this particular one has been abandoned in such a concealed area has escalated police interest. "There is no explanation for it to have been found where it was. "But at this point in time, there is no evidence which links this particular vehicle to the homicide, but for obvious reasons, until we can eliminate it, it remains important.
" A newspaper reported today the vehicle is registered to Palmerston North man Brent Cleverley, who said he had been asked by police not to talk to the media. The newspaper said, without sourcing the information, that a worker of his had stolen the vehicle. The worker, who used the vehicle in his job cutting firewood, failed to turn up to work one day last month. He had not been seen since.
The worker is understood to have grown up in the Himatangi/Foxton area but has recently spent time in the South Island before moving back to Levin. He is known by various names. Jenny Burnell, who lives across the road from where the vehicle was found, said her nephews went to check when they saw car lights on Monday night. The pilot who lifted the vehicle out said he doubted the police would spend $8000 on a specialist heavy lifting helicopter if they were not "fairly certain" it was the right vehicle.
Sept.29, 2005
Sheryl Brown, Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand
