Women call police investigating suitcase murder

The four women shown on this security camera footage have now come forward. Are you one of them? Contact the Herald using the link at the foot of the page.

Four women, who may have vital clues about the kidnapping and killing of Chinese student Wan Biao, have contacted police.

The four women called police today and were likely to be interviewed later about what they may have seen on Good Friday morning.

The body of Mr Wan was found later that day stuffed into a suitcase which had been thrown into Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.

It was found by yachties near the Westhaven Marina close to the harbour bridge.

The four women were caught on security camera on the corner of Elliott and Wellesley streets in downtown Auckland about 3.25am.

Inquiry head Detective Inspector Bernie Hollewand said the four women were not connected with the killing but may have seen something which could help.

"We have just finished talking to them on the phone," Mr Hollewand said this morning.

"We haven't sent the detectives out to talk to them yet."

Mr Hollewand would not say if what the women initially said to police was encouraging.

"I don't want to comment."

He said it was too early to say if anything the women might have to say would take the case any further.

Three men have already been charged over the death, including one man who was charged with another unnamed person with murdering Mr Wan. The three also face charges of kidnapping and being accessories after the fact of murder.

Mr Hollewand said the women, believed to be in their early 20s, were ending a night out in the city.

Mr Hollewand said there were still "a couple of people" they wanted to talk to about the killing.

One had earlier lived in Hamilton and yesterday detectives went to Hamilton to track down details of the man's address.

They had a search warrant and "were making inquiries into a former address of one of the people we still need to speak to. They came back yesterday afternoon and we haven't yet assessed what they brought back but it is nothing dramatic," he said.

"The trail is cold there and we were inquiring about one person."

Mr Hollewand said the Hamilton inquiry was not drug-related.

He would not give details about how many people police were still seeking or what charges they could face, although he confirmed earlier today border control authorities in New Zealand and China had been alerted and photographs had been circulated in case they tried to flee the country.

"It is an incomplete part of the inquiry."

- NZPA