Police remain confident of finding pensioner's killer

Mona Morriss

Police investigating the murder of 83-year-old Marton resident Mona Morriss are confident they will find her murderer.

In the wake of yesterday's conviction of David Konia for the murder of two Feilding pensioners, the Morriss inquiry head, Detective Sergeant Tim Smith, said three staff were still actively working on the case - whose operational base remains in Wanganui.

Mr Smith declined to say if any fresh leads had been received but said information was reviewed as it came in.

"But it's still being worked on and we are still positive an arrest will be made ..."

Mrs Morriss was found dead in her home in early January last year. Her death triggered a homicide investigation which Mr Smith at the time described as "a real whodunit".

Mr Smith said the family of Mrs Morriss were kept up to date with the case and continued to be supportive.

Leading up to the first anniversary of her murder, a report in the Sunday Star-Times said local residents "knew" who had killed Mrs Morriss and could not understand why there had been no arrest.

Mrs Morriss, who had 10 children, 25 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, was attacked in her pensioner flat on January 3, 2005, between 5.30pm and 9pm.

Her son, Kevin Morriss, told the paper he had actually "looked the murderer in the eye".

The tiny Rangitikei town of 5000 was said to be living in a state of fear over the possibility of a murderer in their midst.

One month after the murder, the police investigation was led astray by a 15-year-old Feilding youth, who told police he knew the killer.

He was later referred to Youth Aid for wasting 25 hours of police time.

Two weeks later, the local paper was contacted by a man who said he was a suspect but wanted to protest his innocence.

"I didn't do it," he was quoted as saying.

"People who know me know that I respect old people.

"But I have done things in the past, like assaulting police."

- NZPA