Police around the banks of the Tukituki River Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
Police have launched a homicide investigation after a woman's body was found in a burnt out car in Havelock North last weekend.
They are already reviewing their response after officers checking on the car failed to realise there was a dead body inside it for two days.
In a statement, Detective Inspector David De Lange said post-mortem results had led police to launch a homicide investigation
"Post-mortem results have led to this decision and police are determined to establish what has happened to this victim and hold the person or persons responsible for her death to account," De Lange said.
The process of identifying the woman's body was taking longer than usual due to the circumstances the body was discovered in, he said.
"We still have not identified the woman found in the vehicle, but we are following lines of enquiry in relation to this," he said.
Police have established the vehicle that the woman's body was found in was a mid-90s dark grey Toyota Corona.
Police believe the vehicle was taken to River Road Recreational Reserve between 10pm Friday (2 September 2022) and 7am Saturday (3 September 2022), De Lange said.
Police are now appealing for information from anyone who may gone to the River Road carpark between those times and saw the vehicle or anybody in the area.
Police are also appealing for information from members of the public who may have picked up anyone walking on River Road or the Te Mata Road area during these times.
This weekend, police are planning to station a community bus at the River Road Recreational Reserve to speak with anyone who may have information that might be relevant to the investigation.
Police urged anyone with information to contact them on 105 quoting file number: 220905/1265.