KEY POINTS:
Police hunting a vicious rapist who savagely attacked a Dunedin woman last weekend switched their focus to Christchurch today where a hitchhiker was dropped off within hours of the rape.
Dunedin police are seeking a bald Caucasian man in his 20s or early 30s after the attack on
the 21-year-old as she was walking home through the central city early on Saturday morning.
The man dragged her into a carpark and subjected her to a two-hour ordeal during which she was raped repeatedly and beaten about the face and body. Her attacker tried to subdue her by strangling her with a nylon rope and his bare hands.
Police identified a suspect yesterday and moved to reassure Dunedin residents he was no longer "walking our streets," prompting media speculation of a link between the rape and the disappearance and murder of Christchurch woman Emma Agnew.
The man accused of murdering 20-year-old Ms Agnew, Liam James Reid, 35, was arrested in Christchurch on Tuesday and appeared in Christchurch District Court yesterday where he was remanded in custody.
Reid, who has changed his name from Julian Heath Edgecombe, is a short, slightly built man with a shaven head.
After his arrest, police told NZPA Reid had no fixed address and was known to have "moved around" the South Island.
Police today refused to confirm Reid is a suspect in the Dunedin rape, but did reveal that a team of Dunedin detectives was in Christchurch liaising with local police.
Dunedin CIB head Detective Senior Sergeant Steve McGregor told NZPA today he was unable to comment on any possible connection between Reid "and the suspect we're looking for".
Neither would he say the rape suspect was in custody.
"We're liaising with a number of police outside Christchurch as well," he said.
Mr McGregor said a Dunedin resident came forward after publicity seeking anyone who had given a ride to a hitchhiker matching a description of the rapist.
He said police were no longer looking for people who had picked up hitchhikers and were satisfied that the hitchhiker driven to Christchurch was the rape suspect.
"The person who was hitchhiking was picked up from Dunedin and taken all the way to Christchurch in the early hours of Saturday the 24th.
"The rape was only a few hours prior to that," Mr McGregor said.
He said the victim was recovering from her horrific ordeal.
"She is a very very strong young lady and she's progressing very well, considering what she's been through."
Asked if she'd been able to identify her attacker, Mr McGregor said he was unable to comment.
Meanwhile, police investigating the Christchurch homicide are still awaiting the results of a post mortem on the body believed to be that of Ms Agnew, delaying her formal identification and the release of her body to family for burial.
Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald, who headed the investigation into Ms Agnew's disappearance and homicide, said the post mortem results were likely to be available tomorrow.
He confirmed police were continuing inquiries into whether Reid had been involved in committing other offences around the country.
- NZPA
