Jane Furlong murder: Possible new leads for police team working cold case

Jane Furlong's body was found buried in dunes at Sunset Beach, Port Waikato, 19 years after she vanished from central Auckland. Photograph supplied

Police say they have potential new leads in the 26-year-old cold case murder of Auckland teenager Jane Furlong.

A small team of officers is now working on the information, which came to police after Furlong's mysterious disappearance and death featured in a television documentary series on unsolved crimes.

Furlong, a part-time sex worker, was 17 when she went missing from Auckland's Karangahape Rd in May 1993.

Her partner Dani Norsworthy reported her missing two days after she was last seen.

It would be 19 years before Furlong was found - her remains discovered buried in the dunes at Sunset Beach, Port Waikato in May 2012.

The next year police announced a $50,000 reward for anyone who provided information or evidence that would lead to the conviction of Furlong's killer.

Despite the cash offer, and a major police investigation spanning more than 26 years - dubbed Operation Darlia - an arrest is yet to be made.

Furlong's was the first unsolved murder to feature on the new series of TVNZ's Cold Case, which aired earlier this month.

On the episode police revealed that they had identified a person of interest.

While they did not name the person, police said he was an "associate" of Furlong and Norsworthy who had strong connections to the Port Waikato area.

Detective Inspector Paul Newman said this week that a small team was currently working on Operation Darlia and since the show aired information had been coming through.

While it had slowed down now, officers were working through tips to see if they led to any answers.

"We have some leads which we are following up, said Newman.

"Fingers crossed."