Marton murder inquiry winds down

Police have reduced the number of staff investigating the killing of elderly Marton woman Mona Morriss.

At its height, 35 officers were involved in the investigation, but that number now stands at three, all of whom are Wanganui based.

Inquiry head Detective Sergeant Tim Smith said it was normal to start a homicide investigation with a lot of staff, but insisted the inquiry was still "progressing very well".

It has been more than nine months since the 83-year-old was found stabbed to death in her home on January 5. No one has yet been charged with the killing.

Mr Smith said he was confident the killer would be caught.

He said he was "very happy" with the investigation's progress.

The inquiry shifted from Marton to Wanganui in June.

"I am very mindful that there is concern within the community that an arrest has not been made," he said.

"I can say that this inquiry is not a simple matter and that there is some further work to do that is necessary to ensure that an arrest is made and a successful prosecution completed."

Mrs Morriss' son, Kevin Morriss, said yesterday he was aware of the looming 12-month anniversary of his mother's death.

"It's been a long time, waiting, but we always knew that, right from the first week. I thought we might have had some action by now, but we can't do much about it -- we just have to sit tight."

- nzpa