Police to revisit Furlan murder

By TONY WALL

A senior Auckland police detective has begun reinvestigating aspects of the Tania Furlan murder after a review of the case raised questions about the original inquiry.

Tania Furlan, a 27-year-old mother of three, was killed in her Howick home in 1996.

Police launched a six-month review of the investigation into the murder after their star witness was himself charged with a serious offence.

The trial of the witness - who was on the witness protection programme - was to have started this month but has now been adjourned until later in the year while detectives investigate his involvement in the Furlan case.

The secret witness remains in custody.

The Herald understands that the police are rechecking his alibi and whereabouts at the time of the murder.

They had previously thought he was 40km away, but it is understood that his alibi witnesses are now coming under close scrutiny.

Mrs Furlan was bashed to death in the foyer of her home on July 26, 1996. Her baby daughter, Tiffany, was abducted and dumped 18km away at the Royal Oak Baptist Church.

After a three-month investigation, police arrested notorious anti-royalist and bank robber Christopher John Lewis, who killed himself in Mt Eden Prison in 1997 before he could stand trial.

Lewis maintained that the real killer was the crown witness, a former prison friend who was to have testified that Lewis confessed the killing to him just days after it happened.

However, the review is understood to confirm a coroner's ruling that Lewis was responsible, while leaving open the possibility that the witness was also involved.

Detective Inspector Alan Collin, of Waitakere, has been appointed to reinvestigate aspects of the case.

The officer in charge of the review, Detective Superintendent Nick Perry, of Wellington, presented his draft report two weeks ago to the Queen's Counsel appointed to oversee the review, Kristy McDonald.

Mr Perry said she raised questions and wanted several witnesses spoken to again and "a few other inquiries made that she thought were appropriate."

"It may well be that something will turn up from the inquiries that [Mr Collin] is making on my behalf ... which will have a radical result on the direction the review was heading."

Mr Perry said further inquiries would be made at a West Auckland community centre where the secret witness was staying at the time of the murder.

He also confirmed that he had revisited a young woman who reported seeing a man fitting the informant's description outside the Royal Oak church where baby Tiffany was found after the murder.

Lewis' supporters have described the case as a travesty of justice, but his mother has told the Herald she suspects her son and another person carried out the killing together.