Police dismiss talk of arrest as slain tourist heads home to Scotland

Taupo people have been asked for help on clues to Karen Aim's killing. Photo / Alan Gibson

The body of murdered Scottish tourist Karen Aim leaves New Zealand today for her home in the Orkney Islands.

Her departure comes a day after police quelled speculation that her killer had been caught and made a renewed plea to the public in Taupo, where she died eight days ago, for clues to help solve the crime.

Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner called a press conference at noon after reports that a 14-year-old boy had been arrested over the death.

"There's been a lot of speculation in the community and in the press in the last 12 hours that we have made an arrest [but] this homicide remains unsolved."

But he said a 14-year-old had been arrested for an earlier attack on a teenage girl in the town.

"It's not at this stage in any way linked to Ms Aim's death," he said.

The Taupo boy was arrested in Palmerston North and has been charged in relation to a January 5 attack on a 17-year-old girl.

Like Ms Aim, 26, the girl was walking home alone in the early hours when she was attacked.

She was allegedly hit over the head with a jagged rock 12 times in what police described as a "particularly vicious assault". She staggered to a nearby house and was treated in hospital.

Police are still searching for the weapon used to kill Ms Aim, who was found semi-conscious in a pool of blood and died soon afterwards.

Both attacks happened on roads by high schools, the first near Tauhara College, and Ms Aim's near Taupo Nui A Tia College.

Mr Turner would not comment when asked if the boy had been questioned about Ms Aim's death, or if he was in Taupo that night.

The boy appeared in the Palmerston North Youth Court yesterday afternoon and was remanded in Child, Youth and Family care. He is due to reappear in the Rotorua Youth Court today.

Mr Turner said the public's help was crucial in solving Ms Aim's case, which police believe may be linked to vandalism at Taupo Nui A Tia College that night.

He said police were keen to speak to anyone out and about in Taupo on the night of January 17 and urged people to check their properties for items that could have been used as a weapon or to vandalise the school, and for clothing discarded by Ms Aim's killer.

Ms Aim's body will be accompanied home by her friend and fellow Orkney Islander, Alan Robertson, whose airfare has been paid for by the Taupo community.

"People have been awesome, absolutely awesome," said the 29-year-old, who had planned to go anyway. "She was a good friend and I needed to speak to her folks."