Mystery remains in cold case murder
A police investigation into the unsolved murder of Auckland 13-year-old Tracey Patient is being wound down after officers failed to find a suspect.
This despite a new witness coming forward in the case, in July, who said he saw a man leading a young girl that matched the description of Tracey on the night she disappeared.
She disappeared on the night of January 29, 1976 after setting off for home from her friend’s house in Henderson. She never made it.
Her body was found in a bush area on Scenic Drive, Titirangi, the following morning.
The coroner recorded that her death was ‘‘due to homicide by strangulation by a ligature’’. She had been strangled to death with her own stockings, wound tight with a twig at the back of her neck.
In November 2015, a team of detectives resumed work on the case fulltime and pursued new lines of inquiry.
‘‘Hundreds of theories and a number of leads have been explored across many thousands of hours,’’ police said.
Officers spoke to more than 200 people and, on several occasions, detectives travelled to Australia to carry out further investigative work.
But despite that there had been no breakthrough.
‘‘The investigation has been progressed, but unfortunately it has not resulted in anyone being arrested and charged with Tracey’s murder,’’ a police spokesman said.
‘‘It is disappointing that we have not been able to provide Tracey’s family with the news we wanted to give them.’’
Police said Tracey’s family had been told the investigation was to be wound down and ‘‘whilst they share our disappointment, they are appreciative of our efforts’’.
The case will remain open but will no longer be actively investigated, unless new information comes to light. - Fairfax NZ