Police check Carmen tip-off

Police question Whitford motorists. Photo / Greg Bowker

The police hunt for the killer of Carmen Thomas today moved to rural southeast Auckland, after a newly reported sighting of her car around the time she went missing.

Eight police officers and CIB investigators were early this morning on Sandstone Rd, in Whitford, asking motorists to fill out a questionnaire, taking their details and showing them photos of Ms Thomas' three-door Nissan Pulsar hatchback.

Police revealed last night that a person had seen the car parked in the area in late June or the first week of July.

"It's important we follow up on the information we've received and try to corroborate it or eliminate it as valid to our investigation as best we can and as soon as we can," said the head of the murder inquiry, Detective Inspector Mark Benefield.

The car, which has the registration ATS209, was discovered on Hamilton's Dyer St on July 13 and police believe it was abandoned there on July 7 or 8.

It is not known how it ended up in Hamilton, but detectives found blood inside and said they believed Ms Thomas had been murdered.

Her body has not been found.

Ms Thomas, 32, was last seen in Auckland on June 27 and was last heard from on July 3 when she texted her boss. She worked at a Pakuranga men's club.

Police spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said last night that police would be in the Whitford area from 6.30am today for "as long as it takes".

"We will be endeavouring to stop people, and have a quick chat with them and see if we can jog their memories and take their details and if they've got any information they might want to call us back at a later time or they might want to share it with us then.

"There's no reports of Carmen, just Carmen's car."

Meanwhile, a relative of Ms Thomas is vowing to seek revenge on her killer.

British resident Craig Lavagna wrote on Facebook yesterday that somebody "will pay".

"Whoever you are and suffer that is my promise," he said. "You will see pain hurts and that is not the half of what you will get ... Eye for an eye."

The comments were later removed.

Other family and friends urged people to keep their eyes open and talk about Ms Thomas as often as possible.

"Please talk about Carmen everyone ... just see reactions," said aunt Carolyn Lavagna.

Police have also been appealing for information on a blue-lidded wheelie bin - serial number 014172 - missing from Ms Thomas' Remuera home.

* Anyone with information should phone 0800 KEPPEL (0800-537-735), email whereiscarmen@police.govt.nz, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800-555-111.