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Two dozen police, including armed officers, were last night searching for a killer in Dunedin after a young woman was stabbed to death early yesterday morning.
Vicki Jane Telfer, 25, was killed in the house she shared with her 18-month-old daughter, just a few doors down from her parents' home in a quiet South Dunedin street.
Police have named a man they are seeking in connection with the death.
He is Shiloh Rickards, also known as Matthew Te Anini - last seen carrying a yellow-handled butcher's knife near the area where Telfer was killed in Caversham.
Detective Inspector Ross Pinkham from Dunedin police said Rickards and Telfer were known to each other, although he would not elaborate.
Rickards is described as Maori, aged 46, with tattoos on his forehead, lettering on his neck and a star on his cheek. He also has tattoos on his arms.
He was last seen in the Edwin, Surrey and Forbury Sts area of South Dunedin at 4am - two hours after the altercation in Edwin St.
At the time he was wearing a brown beanie, brown coat over a bare chest, blue jeans and black lace-up boots.
Armed police have been searching addresses in South Dunedin. They say Rickards is armed and dangerous and should not be approached.
The dead woman's daughter was uninjured in the altercation, although the woman's sister, Lisa Anne Telfer, received superficial cuts to her hands.
The girls' mother, who lives in the same street, had no comment to make to the Herald on Sunday.
Neighbours in the street spoke of seeing the young woman from No 13 pushing her daughter in a pram during the past couple of weeks.
Most neighbours said they thought Telfer had only recently moved into the street. "I recall seeing this young girl with a toddler in a pram," said one elderly woman.
"It's a dreadful thing to happen. I just think about that little child. Whoever the mother is, she is dead. It's a bit scary."
One horrified neighbour said he and his wife had been awake since 3am after being shocked when a police van pulled up in their driveway.
Frank Swete said he awoke yesterday morning to find the street cordoned off and full of police, including the Armed Offenders Squad.
"They were everywhere - police cars roaming around."
Detective Inspector Pinkham said forensic scientists were working at the scene of the crime. He said if anyone had information on Rickards they should contact police on 111.
