KEY POINTS:
The body of a female believed to be missing Christchurch teenager Marie Davis has been removed from the Waimakariri River where police divers discovered her today.
Detective Senior Sergeant Virginia Le Bas said the body had been taken to Christchurch Mortuary and a post mortem examination would be carried out tomorrow.
Fifteen-year-old Marie disappeared from her house 12 days ago, sparking an intensive police investigation.
The number of police working on Marie's disappearance had increased since the discovery of the body this morning.
Ms Le Bas said police were continuing to search the Waimakariri upstream of the Main North Road bridge.
A number of items believed to belong to Marie had been discovered close to where the body was found.
The search of the river bed and surrounding banks was prompted by a number of disturbances in the area, including a scream, on the night Marie disappeared.
She has not been seen since being dropped off by a friend's mother at her suburban Papanui home about 6pm on April 5.
After failing to meet her elder sister, Amy, she was reported missing about 8am the following day.
Ms Le Bas appealed for people to report any suspicious activities or items seen in the area, the north bank of the Waimakariri, on April 6.
"We believe someone out there can assist in progressing the investigation," she said.
Ms Le Bas said the inquiry team continued to have an open mind.
"There are people of interest, as there have been throughout the inquiry."
There was still a steady stream of information coming from the public, and a good deal of it was useful.
She did not believe the area was a "hang-out" used by Marie and her friends.
- NZPA
