Police say they have a new suspect in the cold case of a Japanese student killed 20 years ago.
Kayo Matsuzawa's naked body was found by a fire safety worker inside a utility closet in a Queen St building in 1998. The 29-year-old's killer has never been found.
In a recent breakthrough, police have been handed the name of a new suspect. Lead investigator Scott Beard won't say who the suspect is, only that the tipoff came from another police district.
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"We believe it was someone who was quite confident, enough to talk to a Japanese tourist - somebody who is charming, who somehow gave her the confidence enough to certainly speak to them and maybe even go with them."
What makes this lead even stronger is that bank records show the person was on Queen St on September 11, 1998 - the last day and place Ms Matsuzawa was seen.
"It gives the investigation team a big boost in terms of 'Gosh, we have a chance at solving this,'" Det Insp Beard says.
Ms Matsuzawa had been studying English in Christchurch. She went missing just hours after arriving in Auckland on a sightseeing trip. Her body was found 11 days later.
During the initial investigation police focused on those who had access to the building where her body was found. That involved looking into the lives of hundreds of people.
A big problem was that in 1998, anyone could access the stairwell without a security card. There were access points from a food court, carpark and even a bar.
The breakthroughs in the case were revealed in the Cold Case TV series in which Ms Matsuzawa's family in Japan spoke about their heartache
DNA found under her fingernails has also been retested with new technology. Unknown male DNA was found, possibly providing a stronger case if charges are laid.
Detectives say they're looking at whether the killer approached the tourist and they went for a drink or meal.
"We have to look at what possibilities there are to have caused her death," Det Insp Beard says. "One possibility we've looked at is drink spiking because we know it's happened before."
Police say the killer may have approached other women and want to hear from anyone who may have useful information.
Do you know anything? Call the Police Cold Case line on 0800-2653-2273
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