Murder suspect dies of overdose

A prime suspect in the rape and murder of former New Zealand hairdresser Paula Brown almost 10 years ago has died of a suspected drug overdose.

Ms Brown, 30, was from Auckland but had been in Sydney for 10 years before she was killed in May 1996.

She part-owned a hairdressing salon in The Rocks area of Sydney.

Ms Brown disappeared after a night out with friends on May 4 and her battered body was found eight days later in bush close to where a housepainter named Martin Trejbal lived. Trejbal was identified by police as a key suspect but refused to answer a number of questions during a coroner's inquest into the murder in 2002.

The coroner said there was a "strong suspicion" attached to Trejbal but found insufficient evidence to bring a murder charge and returned an open verdict.

New South Wales police yesterday confirmed a Sydney newspaper report that Trejbal died about two weeks ago.

A spokeswoman said the homicide was among 400 files being reviewed by a "cold case" police unit at Parramatta.

Police would determine the next step after completing a review of the files, she said.

David Rayner, who was engaged to marry Ms Brown, told the Daily Telegraph that he hoped the development would spark renewed public interest.

He said if people had been scared and now wanted to clear their conscience they could come forward.