KEY POINTS:
Police are closing in on the killer of a Rotorua man in October.
Ruakawa Ben Newton, 38, was stabbed in the heart on October 12 at a house in Konene Street in Rotorua, and died almost instantly. Another man, aged 49, was found at the house bleeding heavily. He had surgery and was reported to have no memory of the incident.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said today that preliminary forensic results were positive and police had recently met with scientists to discuss them. Confirmation of some of the results would take until February.
"Police are slowly piecing together the events which surrounded the evening, and are confident of an arrest in the new year," Mr Loper said.
Police are still calling for witnesses to come forward. They have spoken to a large number of people and identified a man whose Toyota Hilux vehicle had been seen at the address earlier in the evening.
Police had previously signalled an interest in a Toyota Hilux 4WD seen in the driveway of the property and adjoining houses.
The house yielded 85 blood swabs which had to be forensically tested.
Police have said that drugs and alcohol were involved and that the two men were acquaintances "but something fired up on that night".
- NZPA
