Police make push to solve cold case
Police are taking a fresh look at the unsolved slaying of Nelson father Kevin James O’Loughlin in the hope of finally finding his killer.
It’s been 29 years since the 30-year-old carpenter was stabbed six times and killed at the entrance to Montgomery Square carpark in central Nelson in the early hours of May 2, 1993.
It is believed the father of three had been dead for close to 30 minutes in the public thoroughfare before police were alerted about 3.30am that day. His body was found lying face down, with many people who saw him – after spilling out of bars in the city – assuming he was drunk and sleeping. His wallet, containing a small amount of cash, was found on him.
He had last been seen leaving Horatios Nightclub in Halifax St, alone, about 3am, after heading out on the town hours earlier with a friend who was visiting from O’Loughlin’s hometown Te Anau.
Over the years police have interviewed hundreds of people to try and solve the case and made many appeals for information, but have been left stumped with no eyewitnesses, no murder weapon and no known motive.
Now they are taking a fresh look at the case, said Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy, the relieving Nelson Bays Police area manager of investigations.
Police have a number of DNA samples taken from the body or clothing of O’Loughlin, which were built into DNA profiles by Environmental Science and Research in 2004. They are still trying to link the profiles to people, to determine if they are connected to O’Loughlin’s death.
Police have also started looking into familial DNA to help try and solve the case. Familial
DNA could potentially provide a family link to any one of the DNA profiles police have.
Detectives have had some reports run by Environmental Science and Research around familial DNA and possible links to the O’Loughlin case but so far the results have not led to any conclusions to help solve the crime, McCoy said.
Over the coming months police also have other inquiries they intend to make, which were identified by police reviewing the file and putting the case details into their latest investigative management tool, he said.
O’Loughlin’s killing remained Nelson’s only unsolved homicide until this year. A new case – the death of 56-year-old Simon Bevers at a Hope orchard in March – is currently under investigation, while charges have been laid in relation to the shooting of 22-year-old Lake
Takimoana in Washington Rd, Nelson in February.
McCoy said police could not rule out whether more than one person was involved in O’Loughlin’s killing. He appealed for anyone who had information on O’Loughlin’s death to contact Nelson police.
A former police officer who worked on the homicide inquiry, Chris Gladstone, said he could still recall the scene vividly and to this day stepped around the area where O’Loughlin’s body was lying as a mark of respect.
He said after 29 years some might think the killer had got away with it. But in a Stuff video he had a different message for the murderer, saying developments in familial DNA or other new techniques could provide the breakthrough.
‘‘We have got evidence from this scene, and that evidence will, I hope, eventually lead to you.
‘‘So you haven’t got away with it, you know that. Every day you must think about this; every day you will be looking over your shoulder.’’