Whangarei murder: Police search for phone

Police investigating the murder of a young mother in Whangarei are searching for the woman's mobile phone.

A 29-year-old man appeared in Whangarei District Court yesterday charged with murder after the 21-year-old woman's ' body was found face down on rocks in Waiarohia Stream near the city's main shopping area about 4am on Friday.

Both murder-accused and the deceased have interim name suppression.

The woman had two children aged 2, and 4 months.

Police said today they had completed a scene examination and a number of items of interest had been located.

However, a mobile phone they believed had been in the possession of the woman until the time her body was discovered was missing.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dene Begbie said police were still seeking public assistance and wanted to hear from anyone who was in the area about 2am on Friday.

"It may be that these people have not seen or heard anything but we still need to identify who they are and confirm the timing of their movement as we piece together the movements of the victim,'' he said in a statement.