Sightings of murdered teacher's car crucial

Lois Dear's daughter Jan Armstrong yesterday. Picture / Alan Gibson

The person who beat Lois Dear to death covered her body before fleeing the classroom on Sunday morning.

Police believe the killer, or killers, then fled in the 66-year-old schoolteacher's Toyota Corolla, driving it around Tokoroa before dumping it behind a church, several kilometres from Strathmore Primary.

Today, as new entrants return to school without their favourite teacher, police enter the fourth day of the homicide investigation with few clues about the person who killed Ms Dear.

"Because of the time of day and area it was in we believe it was a local. However, we are certainly keeping an open mind that it could have been a transient passing through Tokoroa," said Detective Inspector Garth Bryan, the officer heading the inquiry.

"We also cannot rule out the possibility that another person might have also been involved."

Mr Bryan said a post mortem examination confirmed Ms Dear died from multiple blows to her head, face and upper body but it was too early to say what, if any, weapon was used.

"We have no actual time of death but we know Lois was seen at around 8 o'clock in the morning."

Mr Bryan said Ms Dear's body was found just before midday with some items on it - but he would not say what they were.

"I can confirm some items were placed on Lois, probably by the offender. I won't comment any further than that."

Mr Bryan said the key to catching the killer lay with the public.

"The key to the investigation is somebody in Tokoroa that knows something about this inquiry and who is responsible. We want that person to contact us."

Police want to hear of further sightings of Ms Dear's car before it was dumped behind the church on the corner of Mossop Rd and SH1.

"The blue car is certainly at the forefront of the inquiry," Mr Bryan said. "It is the last place we can put the offender and we are working from there."

He said the car was taken from the school between 8.30am and 9am. It was seen in Mossop Rd at around midday but it was not found until after dark. It was also seen earlier in the day in a residential road that police were not prepared to name.

Police were working on building a description of the person who was driving the car and he appealed for any suggestions from the public. "If people out there have someone they suspect may have been involved in this, then give us their name."

The scene examination at the school has been completed but Mr Bryan said it was too early to say if anything significant had been found.

"The scientists have taken samples. They will have to go through those samples and conduct further analyses on them and some of those analyses will take up to two or three weeks."

Mr Bryan said there was no evidence of forced entry to the classroom, or of any sexual attack on Ms Dear.

Ms Dear's daughter, Jan Armstrong, said yesterday she was at a loss to understand why her mother was killed.

"Whoever's done this has treated Mum worse than an animal," Mrs Armstrong said. "She's the last person on Earth who deserves it."