Family to help in police 'reconstruction' of brutal killing

An autopsy showed that 70-year-old Barbara Julian died as the result of a brutal attack. Photo / Supplied

Relatives of an elderly Northland woman who died in a brutal home invasion on Wednesday were due to help police reconstruct the crime today.

Last night as police held a 17-year-old suspect in custody on unrelated matters, Barbara Julian's children, John and Donna Julian, were taken through her Matthews Ave home in Kaitaia where her body was found on Wednesday afternoon.

They were looking for anything out of the ordinary or clues to her killer.

Mrs Julian, 70, had been preparing to host a regular social gathering of other elderly woman in Kaitaia but the alarm was raised when she did not open the door.

The 17-year-old was known to her family and had been charged with unlawfully being on a property.

Police released no details of how Mrs Julian died or if they were looking for a weapon after the post mortem on her body yesterday.

Nor would they say if she had been sexually attacked although a family member said they had been warned to prepare themselves for the possibility that a sexual assault had taken place.

Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Malthus said yesterday it was too early to say if the teenage suspect would be charged with killing Mrs Julian.

She also said the Kaitaia community "should have no concerns for their safety".

As the scene examination came to an end the police would go through a "reconstruction phase" with Mrs Julian's family today, Ms Malthus said.

She said the brutal death of a "lovely lady" had deeply shocked the tight Kaitaia community and victim support had been offered through the police.

Mrs Julian's niece Linda Lunjevich said the family suspected the killer entered though the back door and left by the front door.

Mrs Julian had a massage at a clinic near her home about 3pm and her body was discovered about 4.30pm.

Police said they wanted to hear of any unusual behaviour in the Matthews Avenue area on Wednesday.

- NZPA