Tip-off leads to search 36 years after murder
A MEMBER of the public, possibly with links to the killer of bank security guard Howard Percy 36 years ago, has tipped off police that the offender discarded the murder weapon in a nearby stream.
Police dive squad members and search and rescue volunteers yesterday scoured the bed and banks of the Mangakakahi Stream, which runs through an industrial area only about 500 metres from the Rotorua ANZ Bank branch where Mr Percy was shot during a robbery attempt in 1976.
Police reopened the murder investigation this week and say they have received nearly 30 calls from members of the public all over New Zealand, providing some strong leads.
Despite the passage of more than three decades, police are confident they will find the sawn-off .22 rifle used to shoot Mr Percy twice.
They believe the killer either ran through the area after shooting Mr Percy, discarding the gun, or used a vehicle and stopped there. The stream was not searched in 1976.
Detective Inspector Tim Anderson said the course of the stream had not changed much since then.
‘‘The research, and people who have assisted us from overseas, indicates that a firearm of that type wouldn’t have moved far at all,’’ he said.
Mr Anderson said the search would cover an area of stream about 1km long, and the searchers were using metal detectors and weed eaters to cut back vegetation.
‘‘It’s dirty work, but the teams we have working here are extremely professional, they do this every day.’’
He said it might be possible to extract forensic evidence from the weapon, even after such a long time in the water.
‘‘With the techniques available to us we can do that, it’s been proven and documented overseas that they’ve done that even 50 years later.’’
Asked if the person who tipped off police to the whereabouts of the gun was close to the offender, Mr Anderson said: ‘‘It’s a witness, I won’t expand on who, it’s not a [police] informant or anything.’’
He said the person was co-operating with police and had not called anonymously. The information provided was ‘‘credible’’, he said.
Mr Anderson said anyone who had found a firearm in the area over the past 30 years or so should call police.
Asked if he was confident of an arrest, Mr Anderson said: ‘‘I’m confident we’re closer than we were two days ago and that this is a case that can be resolved.’’
Police said they would continue to search the stream today, if need be.
Mr Percy was 65 when he got into a struggle with the robber during an attempted robbery of the satellite banking facility in Old Taupo Rd shortly after the bank closed on November 5, Guy Fawkes Day.
A staff member heard a noise at the rear of the building and when he went to investigate he was confronted by a man wearing a balaclava and carrying a sawn-off rifle.
When Mr Percy saw the offender they became involved in a struggle and Mr Percy was shot twice.
The offender fled empty-handed and Mr Percy died on the way to hospital.