Puzzle for police

Press, 30 December 1976, Page 4

Puzzle for police

PA Auckland! Auckland detectives are; almost certain that a rest < home worker, Ena Rose Vio-j let Pike, aged 39, died acci-' dentally last Thursday, but are puzzled by the dis-' appearance of one of her I shoes, and the trousers shei wore. Detective Inspector L. D.| Sinton, who heads, the investigation into Mrs Pike’s! death, said yesterday that her! left shoe and the trousers she' was wearing on the day she plunged down a cliff in the, grounds of Auckland Gram-, mar School could not be! found. He said the area round the: foot of the 50ft cliff where Mrs Pike's body was discovered last Thursday, had been! searched several times, but the items were atfll missing, and the police were anxious! to trace them. “We are satisfied that; r*eath was caused by a fall!

IJ down the cliff face, for her i injuries were consistent with that,” Mr Sinton said. The police also believe that Mrs Pike was alive when, I she fell. ; "There was no evidence of, ‘anyone else being connected! (with her death, and robbery' land sexual assault have been' I ruled out,” he said. I Mr Sinton said that de-; tectives were still trying to[ i establish the time of Mrs I Pike's death, and trace her movements before she died. It was believed she took a ijbus to Symonds Street, after i leaving the Ranfurly Veter'ins' Hom* in Mount Roskill I cm Saturdav evening, Decem:ber 18. A bus-driver remem- ■ leered seeing her. [ Mr Sinton said it also (appeared, from a statement j made by the man who discovered the body last Thurs-! I day, that it might have been (lying at the bottom of the [cliff on the previous night? I The man’s dog had appar-

ently sniffed at the foot of the cliff while being exercised last Wednesday evening, but its owner did not I investigate.