Kirsty Bentley's murder is one of New Zealand's most enduring cold cases. Photo / Supplied
The 1998 murder of the Ashburton schoolgirl remains one of New Zealand's most high-profile cold cases.
Kirsty disappeared on December 31, 1998, while walking the family dog Abby on the banks of the Ashburton River.
The day after Kirsty went missing, the family's dog Abby was found tied to a tree near the river, and the teen's underwear was nearby.
Her body was found two weeks later, hidden in dense scrub almost 50km away.
Hundreds of local men have been spoken to since the 15-year-old disappeared while walking her dog on New Year's Eve 1998, including her ex-Royal Navy sailor father Sid and older brother John, who were once considered main suspects.
To date, no one has been arrested for her murder and police recently announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of her killer - or killers.
Senior crime and justice journalist Anna Leask looks back at the case in the latest episode of Herald podcast A Moment In Crime.
A Moment In Crime is written and hosted by Leask - who has been covering crime and justice for NZME since 2005.
Leask has also reported on most of the major incidents and events in New Zealand during that period including the Christchurch quakes, Pike River mine disaster, March 15 terror attack and the White Island eruption.
"Each month I'll take you inside some of our most infamous incidents, notorious offenders and behind the scenes of high-profile trials and events to show you what's really happening in your backyard," she said.
"Heroes and villains battle for justice to be done, and it seems no matter how horrifying the story, we always want to know more."
To subscribe to A Moment In Crime visit iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
The man is now in a critical but stable condition in hospital.