Ex-cop launches Facebook page calling for reinvestigation of Lisa Blakie murder

Lisa Blakie was murdered while hitch-hiking from Christchurch to Greymouth in 2000. Photo /File.

A former police officer, who worked on the Lisa Blakie murder case, has launched a Facebook page in support of her long time campaign for police to reinvestigate the young Timaru woman's death.

Blakie was murdered while hitch-hiking from Christchurch to Greymouth in February 2000, with her body found under a 104kg boulder in the Porter River, beside State Highway 73.

Darfield man Timothy Taylor was found guilty of the 20-year-old's murder and remains behind bars after receiving a sentence of life imprisonment.

He has maintained his innocence, claiming he picked Blakie up but dropped her off at a layby before her death.

And doubts have been raised about his guilt, most prominently by ex-cop Bridget McMenamin, who worked on the case as an analyst.

That involved reading witness statements and charting the movements of people and vehicles.

The Christchurch woman has repeatedly called for police to look into the case again, and continued her campaign by launching the Justice for Lisa Facebook page this week.

She met Taylor in prison in 2014, along with Blakie's father, Doug, and Taylor's lawyer, and he told the trio he saw a white Bedford van travelling towards Arthurs Pass after he dropped Blakie off.

He recognised three people inside as being from a gang, McMenamin said.

He did not initially tell police because he feared retribution, she said.

Two of the alleged occupants underwent DNA testing and were cleared, but a third did not, McMenamin said.

McMenamin has previously called for the man to be tested, before police told Doug Blakie this month they could not make the man give a sample, McMenamin said.

That had prompted her to start the Facebook page, which had more than 330 members three days after its launch.

"I'm hoping to get enough support and maybe next year we can get this case reinvestigated."

Doug Blakie told the Herald he supported the page, but did not want to comment further.

Detective Inspector Gregory Murton said in a statement police were satisfied with the result of the investigation.

"There is no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in the abduction and murder of Lisa Blakie."