CCTV captures cyclist in vicinity of Aim murder

Nui-a-Tia College filmed this person riding a bike between 2.06am and 2.10am on January 17.

Police believe a cyclist captured in grainy CCTV images could hold the key to solving the murder of Scottish tourist Karen Aim.

The investigation team yesterday released two security-camera images of a person on a retro-style cruiser bike in the grounds of Taupo Nui-a-Tia College early on January 17, minutes before Ms Aim was found lying nearby in a pool of blood.

She was found by police going to investigate vandalism at the school and died shortly afterwards.

An alarm had been triggered at the school when windows were smashed at 2.10am, and the security-camera images show a person riding a bike in front of the tuckshop at 2.06am and then across a quadrangle in the centre of the school at 2.10am.

The images are grainy and inquiry head Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner said police had not been able to accurately determine whether the person on the bike was male or female.

But he hoped the appearance of a large white bracelet, which the images showed was big enough to slip up and down the person's arm, and the bicycle's distinctive style would lead the public to identify the cyclist.

"Someone will know who owns that bike," Mr Turner said.

He said the person did not appear to have a weapon, but was "certainly of interest".

"He or she is clearly in the immediate vicinity of where Karen Aim would have been that morning," he said.

"We also know from our timing that Karen Aim would have been in the vicinity of this college from about 2.11am onwards."

Last week, Mr Turner announced that a 14-year-old boy had been arrested for allegedly attacking a 17-year-old girl on another Taupo street on January 5.

The boy allegedly knocked the girl to the ground as she was walking home at 2.40am and hit her over the head with a jagged rock 12 times.

Yesterday, Mr Turner said the 14-year-old had also been interviewed about Ms Aim's death, but said he did not know if he was the same person in the CCTV images.

He said police planned to seek overseas help to try to enhance the images.