Coroner revisits 1961 missing girl case

Wellington coroner Garry Evans plans to revisit the mystery disappearance of an attractive teenager nearly half a century ago.

Mr Evans' office confirmed today an inquest into the baffling case of 16-year-old Wendy Mayes would be held in the next few months but no date has been set.

Wendy Mayes answered an advertisement in a Wellington newspaper on September 15, 1961 for a photographer's model and an interview was arranged for three days later on September 18.

At 7.30am that morning Ms Mayes left her home for work in the city - the last time her parents saw her alive.

At 5pm that day she met in a city coffee bar a man later identified as 30-year-old John Frederick Maltby.

After a brief interview she and Maltby drove off in his car.

When their daughter did not return home that night, her parents reported her disappearance to police.

Investigations led to Maltby but there was insufficient evidence to hold him and he was released.

However, he was kept under 24-hour observation.

Three days after Ms Mayes' disappearance Maltby was seen running into scrub near his home.

Police searched the area but could not find him.

On September 24 two fishermen found his body washed ashore at Island Bay.

Miss Mayes' body was never found.

- NZPA