New tests on Ristevski car

Mercedes may hold key to murder

POLICE have been seen performing tests on the black Mercedes that belonged to murdered woman Karen Ristevski around Melbourne for the second time this week.

Investigators were yesterday seen driving the car from the Ristevski Avondale Heights home towards the Calder Freeway.

The car was then seen moving on to the Melton Highway.

Ms Ristevski’s Mercedes is a crucial piece of evidence as a vehicle of the same make and colour was seen at Diggers Rest and Mt Macedon on the day she disappeared.

Her decomposed body was found between two logs off a dirt track in the Macedon Regional Park on February 20.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Hannah Rowlands said: “Missing Persons Squad detectives continue to investigate the of death Avondale Heights woman Karen Ristevski.

“As part of their investigation, detectives were out (yesterday) in the Avondale Heights and Watergardens areas where testing of a vehicle was conducted.

“This investigation remains ongoing and at this stage it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Neighbours on Monday reported seeing the car back in the Avondale Heights street she disappeared from on June 29 last year.

It was later loaded on to a tow truck. The car has already been painstakingly forensically tested for clues.

Borce Ristevski, 53, remains a key suspect in the murder of his 47-year-old wife.

Mr Ristevski has claimed his wife walked out of their home to “clear her head” after they argued about money.

News Corp understands one theory police are working on is that Ms Ristevski’s black Mercedes-Benz SLK coupe was being driven by her husband, and that her body was in the vehicle, when CCTV recorded it going over the Diggers Rest railway crossing on the day she went missing.

Detectives have spent months tracking down the owners of almost every similar car in Victoria and have eliminated all as being the driver of the vehicle in CCTV footage.

They have not been able to eliminate Mr Ristevski as the driver they are seeking.

He denies he had anything to do with his wife’s death.

Last week News Corp revealed Mr Ristevski could not explain to police what he was doing for almost 100 minutes on the day she vanished.

Detectives have been trying to pin down his movements on the day he said his wife went missing.

He told police he took his wife’s car for a drive on the Calder Freeway that day.

But when pressed by detectives, Mr Ristevski could not account for his actions for a period of almost an hour and 40 minutes.