Carving knife clue in murder at toilet

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

Tauranga detectives are confident a large carving knife found near murder victim John Rogers will lead them to his killer.

"It is the key. Someone is going to recognise that knife," Detective Senior Sergeant Karl Wright-St Clair said yesterday.

The distinctive, old-style knife, 38cm long, has a brown wooden handle and a 25cm blade. Forensic tests are being done on the weapon and on the dead man's 1991 Subaru Legacy car.

Mr Rogers, 55, was stabbed in the lower back in public toilets at Tauranga's Wharepai Domain about 1am on Sunday and died later in hospital.

Mr Wright-St Clair said it was likely the homosexual factory cleaner and former teacher was ambushed in the dark.

His locked car was parked outside the toilet block in Hamilton St and the keys were found nearby.

Although Mr Rogers' gay lifestyle might have contributed to his death, "it could have been a completely random attack", Mr Wright-St Clair said.

Police were getting a good response from Tauranga's gay community and welcomed calls in confidence.

"In an inquiry like this we tend to turn up a lot of stones and knock on a lot of doors. It may be better for them to come forward rather than wait for the knock," he said.

Mr Wright-St Clair said homosexual activity revolved around four toilet blocks in the Tauranga area - all, like the Wharepai Domain, reasonably close to the central city.