The man suspected by the mother of former Greytown woman Toni Easton of her murder in Sydney nine years ago has been found dead.
Neighbours found Martin Trejbal, suspected of dying of a drug overdose, at the back of his suburban Sydney property two weeks ago.
Sydney police regarded Mr Trejbal as a "person of interest" in the case of the rape and murder of another New Zealander in 1996, former Auckland resident Paula Brown.
But Ms Easton's mother Olga Easton maintains Mr Trejbal murdered both women, based on the fact both were found in the same area just months apart.
Originally from Greytown, Toni Easton moved to Australia when she was 14.
She was 26 when she went to a New Year's Eve party at the Maroubra Surf Club in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
She disappeared that night and her body was found four days later in beach scrub in the Maroubra area.
The body of Paula Brown was found in bush at Port Botany in May 1996 ? she was last seen alive on Sydney's Oxford Street with a man matching Mr Trejbal's description.
No one was charged in either woman's case and an inquest into the death of Paula Brown returned an open verdict after New South Wales deputy state coroner Jacquie Milledge found insufficient evidence to bring a murder charge.
It allows the case to be reopened by police in the future, which may happen now Mr Trejbal has died.
The officer in charge of Ms Easton's case in 1996, Detective Senior Sergeant Frank Giordano, retired from Maroubra police two years ago.
The Times Age was unable to contact the detective heading the Paula Brown case for comment.
Mrs Easton did not wish to make any comment about Mr Trejbal's death.
Suspected killer dies in Australia
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