One of the steel bars used to weigh down Michael Hutchings' body. Photo / NZ Police
Members of the public have provided the police with leads on two key pieces of evidence in the hunt for the killer or killers of 18-year-old Michael Hutchings.
Police investigating the death of Mr Hutchings, whose body was found in the Clutha River, have traced the steel bars
used to weight his body came from.
His body was found wrapped in a mattress cover tied to two 50kg metal bars on Saturday, dumped in the river near Balclutha.
Police said a post mortem examination found Mr Hutchings, 18, died from stab wounds to his neck and stomach.
Detective Inspector Ross Pinkham said the bars were traced to a Mosgiel industrial firm.
He said investigations were continuing to find out where the bars were made and where they had been since they were used by the Mosgiel firm.
Mr Pinkham said the information about the steel bars came from members of the public.
Members of the public had also contacted police in relation to the nylon string used to tie the body up.
Mr Pinkham said traces of blood where found in the Mitsubishi station wagon parked at Mr Hutchings' address but it was too early to say if it was Mr Hutchings' blood.
His landlord has been helping police but Mr Pinkham refused to comment on the recent media attention he had received.
The landlord, Wayne Paterson, told One News Mr Hutchings had received death threats and was afraid to be left alone.
"We were basically staying with him 24/7. The night in question is one of the few nights we actually did leave him alone.
"The police haven't been telling us anything. Like we don't know if we're witnesses or suspects ... there's blood in my house, there's blood in the car, yeah, so it doesn't look very good does it," Mr Paterson said.
The last sighting of Mr Hutchings was on the evening of January 7 in Kaitangata.
Interviews and the forensic examination of the Mr Hutchings' residence were likely to take a few more days, Mr Pinkham said.
- NZPA
