'Who could do such a thing to an old lady?' sons ask

The question hovers at the edge of all the Morriss family's conversations - who could do such a thing to an old lady?

It is more than a week since Mrs Morriss, 83, was stabbed to death in her pensioner unit at Marton, drawing a huge police presence to the town between Wanganui and Palmerston North.

Her son, Wayne, a fitter from Auckland, said that as much as he would love to carry out his own investigation, he had to leave it to the police.

"I am angry, but if we keep our composure and make sure we don't stuff up anything, the police are going to do things."

He said he would not like to meet his mother's killer in the street. He would probably lash out.

"People say you die when it is your time. But I actually believe when something happens, your life is taken ... That is not their time. That is somebody else's time and that is not right."

At the time of her murder, Mrs Morriss had been feeling vulnerable living alone in her pensioner flat and had told her children she felt scared.

But when her son Vernon flew from Melbourne to visit her in November, she was in good spirits.

Wayne said he visited his mother a few weeks ago and she was as she always was - in her chair crocheting.

She had been making her usual Saturday trips to her other son Kevin, who lives near her unit in Wellington Rd, Marton. She was happy and joking.

Mrs Morriss' grandson Andrew had been to see her before he went on holiday and he also said she was well.

Police have cordoned off the small unit and are examining it in minute detail. People have placed flowers on top of the letterbox.

Wayne Morriss said that when he heard of his mother's death, on Wednesday, January 5, he was told something about it was not quite right. He did not know what.

By the next day, the family had a little more information about what had happened, and by the Friday, they found out she had been murdered.

Vernon Morriss said it was the news they had all feared.

"You are just dealing with losing your mum and you think, 'How could she just be dead?' But for someone to then say it is suspicious, your mind goes boom and your guts churn."

Inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Arnerich told NZPA yesterday there had been no dramatic breakthroughs in the case, but police were continuing routine work that was yielding good information.

THE VICTIM

* Mona Morriss had lived in Marton for more than 20 years.

* She was found stabbed to death in her flat by family members on Wednesday, January 5.

* Mrs Morriss was last seen alive in a supermarket on the previous Monday.

* Police say she was "brutally and callously attacked".