Body found in 'bad state' of decomposition

Marice McGregor was last seen alive on Monday April 19. Photo / Supplied

The state of a body found during the hunt for missing Wanganui woman Marice McGregor is hampering identification.

The body was discovered in a ravine off State Highway 4, north of Wanganui, about 5pm on Wednesday.

"That body has been at that location for quite some time," Detective Senior Sergeant Gwynne Pennell said this afternoon.

"The identification...will require some effort...the body is in a bad state of decomposition."

Ms Pennell said extra staff, including police divers, would work through the weekend as the crime scene examination continued.

The body was found in bush in a steep ravine.

"It's quite a tricky scene to work in," Ms Pennell said.

"We've got weather factors to contend with here. Obviously we've had rain two nights in our scene.

"There is a creek at the bottom of the gut where the body was located so every time it rains you have changes in water height and the ground becomes wet and slippery which makes it very difficult for the staff who are working in that environment."

An autopsy was being carried out today, but it could be early next week before the body was formally identified.

Ms Pennell said Ms McGregor's family had been very heartened by the way that things had developed.

"They're hopeful they will have an answer early next week around whether or not it is Marice, but they're very patient and good to deal with."

A helicopter and a winch were used to recover the body yesterday afternoon.

Police found the body while searching for 45-year-old Ms McGregor, who had been missing for more than three weeks.

Ms Pennell has urged the public to come forward with any information, and said yesterday it was important that the discovery of a body did not "diminish help still needed from the public".

"We are extremely grateful for the assistance the public has given us and we still need to capture any information that is out there," Ms Pennell said.

"We still particularly need sightings of any vehicles along State Highway 4 on or around April 19 that may be relevant to the disappearance of Marice."

Police were still looking for her cellphone, which was last activated in Feilding the day after she vanished. They have also examined a house in Feilding.

Ms McGregor was last seen as she drove her red Suzuki Escudo on State Highway 4, the Parapara Highway, about 40km north of Wanganui, on April 19, although her disappearance was not reported for a week after that.

Police believe Ms McGregor got into a vehicle at some point on April 19 and were seeking sightings of a green and silver Mitsubishi people-mover on April 19 and 20.

After disappearance featured on television show Police Ten-7 police received 19 phone calls, mainly relating to possible sightings of the green vehicle.

- NZPA