Haunted by the death of Katrina

A photo of Katrina Jefferies' 20-month-old son peers down from a wall at the Avondale police station - a constant reminder to officers on the case as to why they are working so hard to find the solo-mum's killer.

The face of the boy, who was just getting to know his troubled mum, was put on the wall to inspire those involved in a case that has tested the minds of the best detectives and criminal psychologists.

"We are working for Katrina Jefferies, for her mum but also for her 20-month-old son," Detective Senior Sergeant Gerry Whitley says. "We have a pic of him on the wall and if we ever lose focus his face reminds us what we are doing here."

Whitley and his team have spoken to more than 100 of Katrina's friends and associates and havescraped DNA from the inner cheek of anyone willing to give a sample.

They have questioned everyone from the liquor store where she regularly bought bourbon and cola to the people she used to go drinking and partying with at the local park.

They have exhausted all avenues and are still far from completing the jigsaw puzzle case that was known as Operation Waikowai, but is so baffling it is called Operation Intrigue.

Just up the way from Katrina's Mt Roskill state home is Waikowhai Park - her playground.

It was where she went more than four nights a week to party, drink and meet with friends.

It was also on the way to the park - on a pretty, meandering road - that her half-naked body was found earlier this month.

Police want to know why Katrina was dumped on the side of the road: "The site where a body is dumped is usually chosen by the killer," Whitley says. "We want to know why thekiller dumped her there, so closeto home."

Science says Katrina's body should have rolled down the steep bank it was found on - but it didn't.

"We would have expected her to roll into the bush but she stopped," Whitley says.

"We don't know whether she has been placed there or if the killer wanted her to roll into the bush. Was she placed there to be found?"

There are things about the case Whitley refuses to talk about - including how Katrina was killed and why her death has been described as "highly unusual".

Everything about the case is a mystery, and Whitley hates nothing more than an unsolved case.

The other case that stands out in his mind is the murder, three years ago, of Marie Jamieson of Avondale.

He has not ruled out the possibility that he may be dealing with the same person.

"There is some very scary similarities to who Katrina Jefferies was and who Marie Jamieson was," Whitley says.

Both Katrina Jefferies and Jamieson were murdered somewhere, then moved and dumped somewhere else - something that is unusual in New Zealand murders.

"They are strikingly similar - it's scary," Whitley says. "I don't want a non-caught serial killer. But it's something we have been looking at.

"Put it this way. If we do link them, it's all on."

Another thing the two young women had in common was their love of alcohol. Jamieson was in a treatment centre for drugs and alcohol when she was murdered, and Katrina was known to drink to excess at least four times a week.

"She would go out in the evening, drink, get drunk and wander home in the morning," Whitley says.

She was also known to get a few cans and go and sit at the bus stop around the corner from the home she shared with her mother, younger brother and her son.

"She would sit in the bus stop, have a couple of cans and watch the world go by. That was part of her life," Whitley says.

Katrina's mother looked after her son, leaving the young mum to live her life to the full."

Whitley says the streets surrounding Katrina's state-owned house were filled with people who enjoyed doing much the same thing.

"She would wander out and see who was there, wander up and say 'have you got some booze, I've got some booze' and they would go to the park."

Vigendra Gupta from the local liquor store would see Katrina twice a day, at least three times a week, when she would come in for her Woodstock bourbon and cola.

"She would usually come in with her boyfriend and they would buy two or three cans and then come back later for another few.

"They came in about 6pm but sometimes they came in earlier at 2 or 3pm. She was very nice - sometimes when she came in she would be drunk."

Whitley says Katrina had "a few convictions" but nothing serious.

The Herald on Sunday understands these range from disorderly behaviour, resisting arrest to three charges of assaulting a police officer.

"There was nothing that wouldclassify her as a bad person,"Whitley says.

"A lot of people have done stupid things and have never been caught. She got caught."

Whitley says he was unable to sleep for the first few nights afterKatrina's death - until exhaustion kicked in.

He had to tell Katrina's mother, Nicola, that her eldest daughter had been brutally murdered, knowing she had already suffered the loss of Katrina's older brother, Benjamin, who drowned at Christmas 1999 at Mangawhai Heads.

"It is the second time the family has had to deal with terrible tragedy.

"Her mum is very fragile but she has been amazing with the help she has given us."

Mrs Jefferies sat up all night with police when she was told her daughter had been killed.

Katrina had not seen her father since she was born and the father of her child had little to do with her.

"The father of her child obviously used to be close to her but he hasn't had anything to do with her lately," Whitley says.

"We have spoken to him and he told us what she was like andwhat they used to do and toldus of the people she is friendswith now."

Whitley speaks to Jefferies mother often and his team were touched when they were invited to Katrina's very private, media-free, funeral.

Whitley comes back to Katrina's 20-month-old son - the reason he will not rest until her killer or killers are found.

"It was heart-wrenching at the funeral to watch Katrina's son say goodbye to his mum.

"We want to catch her killer so when her son gets a bit older - and he can understand - he can see that justice has been done."

- Herald on Sunday