How a spade and clothing are linked to the murder and kidnapping of missing Christchurch woman Yanfei Bao is something police will not be drawn on.
But police said they were important, as would be any locations in which they were found.
A 52-year-old man pleaded not guilty to Bao's murder when he appeared in the High Court at Christchurch on Tuesday afternoon.
It was alleged he killed her on 19 July, the last day 44-year-old Bao was seen alive.
A massive police search has focused on local rivers and the area near Lake Ellesmere, and the team was now back scouring farmland in Greenpark.
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Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves told Checkpoint investigators were seeking a grey tracksuit, a distinctive patterned sweater and a metre-long Xcel brand spade.
Reeves said they were discarded somewhere in the Christchurch area between midday Wednesday, 19 July, and 5pm Saturday, 22 July.
"Whether it's been discarded on the side of the road or hidden somewhere, and people happen to see it on their travels, then we would like to be contacted about that."
She would not be drawn on the significance of any of the items, except that the same person was wearing both the tracksuit and the sweater.
One of the photos appeared to show the wearer in a hardware store. Reeves would not confirm this, nor whether it was the man who has been charged, perhaps buying the spade after the alleged murder.
"I'm not going to get into a theory with you or an explanation of how the investigation is being pieced together," Reeves said..
She said the locations where the discarded items were found "be of importance to the investigation".
"I'm not going to talk about who was wearing [the tracksuit] or where it fits into the investigation, except to say that we think it's been discarded and we're seeking assistance from the public who may see it in their travels."
The accused had already been charged with Bao's kidnapping before the murder charge was added on Tuesday. He was granted interim name suppression after his lawyer said he had very limited English and there was difficulty communicating.
His next appearance was set down for 1 September, and he was remanded in custody.