KEY POINTS:
Police have taken DNA samples from two new suspects as they step up investigations into the cold-case murder of Auckland hairdresser Marie Jamieson.
Seven detectives are working full-time to identify the killer of Ms Jamieson, last seen at a service station in Kingsland on February 10, 2001.
The 23-year-old's naked body was found nine days later behind factory buildings in Ranui.
The murder is believed to have been sexually motivated, and matching an unidentified male's DNA found on Ms Jamieson's clothing has always been a core part of police investigations.
It is understood detectives from the new inquiry team took a DNA sample from an Auckland man with a criminal past this month.
They have since questioned one of his associates and taken a sample from him.
Detective Inspector Steve Wood, who is leading the investigation, would not discuss individuals yesterday but confirmed police had taken samples from two men.
Mr Wood reviewed the case file in January, and started the new inquiry team with two detectives in April.
Mr Wood said the team had taken DNA and questioned "various people" other than the two latest men.
He declined to go into specifics of the inquiry.
"We have a team of detectives solely working on the Marie Jamieson homicide and I'm very pleased with the progress we are making," he said.
Ms Jamieson was socialising with friends at the Tonic bar in Newton shortly before she disappeared.
She then went to a liquor shop in New North Rd and bought a bottle of the vodka pre-mix KGB.
She was seen on security tape at the Gull petrol station further down the road where she would have caught a bus to her Avondale home.
It is not known if she did catch the bus.
Police have previously said Ms Jamieson may have been dumped behind the factory six or seven days before she was found - meaning she could have been with, or held by, her killers for some time.
Police have also said she is likely to have been killed elsewhere and taken there.
Her clothing - a red T-shirt with black trim, a straight skirt and sandals - was next to her body, but the light blue Hello Kitty shoulder bag she had with her has never been found.
The police investigation has never identified the killer despite the efforts of detectives, extensive publicity and a $50,000 reward.
In 2003 police made a bid to get DNA samples from 20 "people of interest" to match to the profile but no fresh leads came of it.
After his review of the file in January, Mr Wood referred to the male DNA profile as the key part of the inquiry.
He also said he had met Environmental Science and Research scientists and identified several new pieces of forensic work that would be undertaken, the results of which could lead to other investigations.
