Police rule out any link between Mikus and Kirsty Bentley

A police investigation has ruled out any link between Teresa Cormack's killer Jules Mikus and murdered Ashburton teenager Kirsty Bentley.

A possible link between the two developed last week, when a Lower Hutt woman and her former partner said they sold a green Commer van to Mikus in Masterton in 1998.

The van was described as similar to one which was seen in Ashburton and in the Rakaia Gorge where Kirsty's body was found in January 1999.

Wellington artist Simon Gunson also claimed he saw a green Commer van parked up north of Franz Josef on the West Coast in February 1999. He was approached by the apparent owner of the van, who he said resembled Mikus.

Mikus was convicted this month of the sexual violation and murder of Napier schoolgirl Teresa Cormack in 1987.

But today, head of Operation Kirsty, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Williams said police had ruled out a link to Mikus.

Through Motor Registration, police had found a van that was shown to be registered to a Masterton man.

"This van was first registered in 1968, which meant that it was not a Series 1 van, which was the specific model that we were seeking," Mr Williams said in a statement.

Inquiries showed Mikus had bought that vehicle around the beginning of 1997.

"Our inquiries have established that Mikus sold the van to a local Masterton man. He basically used the van as a bedroom as there were problems with the engine," Mr Williams said.

"He estimates that he owned the van for about a year before he sold it to the current owner."

The current owner had bought the van in November 1998 and was therefore in possession of it when Kirsty was killed.

Police had already photographed the vehicle during the original murder inquiry in October 1999.

"This van had windows all the way around and was not a Series 1 Commer van. It does not match the specific description of the van sighted in both Ashburton and at the Rakaia Gorge," he said.

The van was eliminated from the investigation and subsequently so was Mikus. There was no other evidence to link Mikus to the murder, Mr Williams said.

Mr Gunson's sighting of a van on the West Coast was also eliminated from the inquiry as his description of the vehicle, along with an LPG bottle on it, did not match the van police were looking for.

"We actually did identify an identical van with an LPG bottle attached that had been on the West Coast at the same time. The photographs of this van were sent to him to compare. This van was blue," Mr Williams said.

However, he said Mr Gunson's information was investigated as fully as possible.

"I am satisfied that this van was not the van we were looking for."

Meanwhile, Mr Williams said the inquiry into Kirsty's death was continuing and had "made some good progress".

Police had "a clearer picture of what occurred on December 31, 1998", but Mr Williams did not elaborate.

- NZPA