No new leads in Tokoroa toddler cold case

Police dig in Tokoroa in relation to a 44 year old cold case New Zealand Herald. Photo / Christine Cornege.

A police-led excavation of a Tokoroa backyard has failed to find the remains of a toddler who went missing more than 40 years ago.

Two-year-old Jefferie Hill went missing from outside his Tokoroa home in 1968.

No trace of him was ever found despite an extensive search which included draining Matarawa Creek.

In 1969, a coroner concluded Jefferie had drowned in the creek.

Police said today's excavation was the result of a privately funded sonar search found an "anomaly" in the area where the toddler went missing.

They dug out a 1.5 square metre area to a depth of about 75 centimetres without finding anything of interest.

Detective Sergeant Kevan Verry said police still considered Jefferie a missing person and would continue to pursue leads to locate him.

"In this case, we have been supportive of the private efforts to search for Jefferie in and around the creek and have met with the family and others involved over the past six months to discuss the case."

Detective Sergeant Verry says the owners of the property excavated today did not own it when Jefferie went missing.

Permission was granted from the current owners to undertake the exploratory work.