Police know identity of slain German hitchhiker

Police examine the area where the woman's body was discovered. David Fairey / Getty Images

Police know the identify of the murdered German hitchhiker found in a Taranaki park yesterday and are working with Interpol and the German Consulate to trace her family.

The body of the woman, believed to be in her mid-20s, was found by a jogger near Lucy's Gully in Egmont National Park, 17km south-west of New Plymouth about 5pm on Tuesday.

She had been stabbed but police have not confirmed what caused her death.

A team of about 30 police from New Plymouth and Wanganui are working on the case.

Head of New Plymouth CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward said today police had received many reports from people who had seen a woman hitchhiking the day of the killing.

"As a result of these sightings, it is clear to police that there was more than one hitchhiker on the road between Wanganui and New Plymouth on Tuesday, so we are appealing to female hitchhikers or hitchhikers of any nationality to come forward."

Police also wanted to hear from anyone who had picked up a hitchhiker.

The police specialist search group, assisted by Taranaki search and rescue staff, today conducted a detailed scene examination.

The last know sighting of the woman was in Waitotara, 34km north-west of Wanganui, and police still wanted to hear from people who had seen her, Mr Coward said.

"The most insignificant thing to a member of the public may be the most significant thing to the police inquiry team.

"If anyone has information in relation to this homicide, let us make the decision as to whether it is important or not."

A post mortem examination on the woman's body was being conducted today. It is not known if the victim had been sexually assaulted.

Police believe the woman stayed in Wanganui on Monday night then left to hitchhike to New Plymouth about 8.30am Tuesday. She was given a lift to Waitotara -- where she was last seen alive.

The woman is described as being of slight build, about 1.75m tall with shoulder length black hair that may have been tied back and she could have been wearing glasses.

She was wearing blue denim jeans, a green jersey or top and possibly a windbreaker jacket and tramping boots.

She had large and small, dark coloured, backpacks with her.

- NZPA