Lead on murder

Press, 25 January 1989, Page 4

Lead on murder

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL

The police are investigating new information in the inquiry into the Maureen McKinnel murder. Miss McKinnel was murdered on Boxing Day, 1987. Detective Sergeant Brian Hewett, of the Invercargill police, said some information had come in after the extensive publicity the case received last week, sparked by a television programme, “Midweek with Holmes.” “We’re following it up at this stage. We should know the outcome of the new information in about a week,” he said. Detective Hewett declined to comment on what the new information was..

The police have not eliminated two suspects from the inquiry, one of whom was the subject of the television programtne. Another suspect had. since moved to Australia. “We know where he is but we are not trying to contact him,” he said. It was possible those supects would never be eliminated, he said. It was also possible the person responsible had not yet been identified by police.

“I don’t believe there is too much in this new information but we are looking into it,” Detective Hewett said. A detective based in Queenstown was also working on the case when new evidence or information was discovered.