Hamilton Police are echoing earlier requests for nominations of missing persons as they work to identify a woman whose body was found in a stream in the City five days ago.
Head of Hamilton CIB, Detective Senior Sergeant Karl Thornton, said with no actionable missing person reports received of anyone remotely matching the woman's description investigators were at a loss to ascertain her identity.
"Yesterday we received a report of a Maori woman aged in her twenties who hadn't been seen for a few days however on following up the report it turned out she had been located.
"In my 22 years policing I can say this case is certainly not common, in most situations a body is found and identities established within 48-72 hours. Thus we're reiterating calls for anyone who believes they know who this woman may be to make contact with us."
Described as a Maori or Polynesian female aged in her 30s with short to medium length frizzy hair the woman was found on Sunday by two teenagers taking a break from a church service, lying in knee deep water in a stream running along Edgecumbe Park, Whitiora.
Skid marks found at the scene and a bike found close to her indicate she had been trying to ride down a steep footpath and failed to negotiate a bend ending in the water after striking a tree.
She was not wearing a cycle helmet. The woman's death is not considered suspicious.
Mr Thornton said Police hoped someone would recognise either the woman's blue mountain bike, her light green plastic Tiki worn around her neck or her distinctive dark T-shirt with light writing on the front and a gold coloured crown.
"Attempts to identify her forensically have been unsuccessful with fingerprint records being inconclusive thus ruling out an ability to identify her via the DNA database which is established from samples taken from people processed through the criminal justice system. There is no central dental registry of dental records we can access either, you need an identity to start from.
"So we're back to where we started from- appealing for information on missing persons so if you think you may know somebody matching this description please contact us, we need to establish her identity and someone- somewhere surely must have noticed she is missing."
Anyone with information on who the woman may be is asked to contact Mr Thornton at the Hamilton Central Police station on 07 8586200. Alternatively information can be left anonymously on the Crimestoppers crimeline, 0800 555111.
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