Has psychic sketched killer?

A woman who claims to speak with dead people has identified a Rotorua woman's murderer. KRISTIN MACFARLANE reports.
A psychic's drawing of a murder suspect has opened new avenues for police investigating a Rotorua murder.

A description of the man who killed 18-year-old Olive Walker in 1970 has been given by an Australian medium as part of a television show, after the medium claimed she had spoken with Olive.

The show reiterated several times that police do not hire mediums to help solve murders.

However, Rotorua police Detective George Staunton, who appeared on the show, said the aim of the programme had been to generate more information.

A number of people have already come forward with names of who the identikit picture could be, including men police have already looked at.

"I've been getting quite a few calls ... no one in particular, there are some old names come up and one new name ... it's got to be sorted through," he said.

Mr Staunton welcomed any new information related to the case in the hope of helping put Olive's family to rest.

"We'll do our best to get as far as we can."

Olive's sister Mary Dillon said the psychic's identikit picture looked familiar but she does not know the man personally and doubts she could ever point him out.

"He does, but you've got to be 100 per cent sure," Mary said.

Olive Walker was snatched off a Rotorua street some time between 6.45pm and 9pm on May 15, 1970 as she walked to Mary's house to babysit.

That night, her badly beaten and fully clothed body was found in a rest area about 5km south of Rotorua by a group of teenagers.

Olive's case was highlighted on Tuesday night on TV2's Sensing Murder, a series that tells the stories of unsolved murders.

Psychics from New Zealand and Australia also reveal what they believe happened to the victims. The psychics, Bev and Deb, made a believer out of Mary.

She believes the description Deb gave of the man responsible for her sister's murder is accurate.

"I would say they know what they're saying."



Mary said she could not understand how a person could live with murdering her sister.

She was confident justice would prevail and hoped the show would help.

"He'd have to be nuts to be able to live for 35 years with no conscience, I don't know how he can live but it's happening.

"That's always been our drawback, the day when the person is caught will be the happiest day of our lives, more so for our Mum. "It will happen and I know it will."

Mary urged anyone who knew anything about Olive's death to come forward to police.

Former Detective Sergeant Bill Beck worked on the Olive Walker case and was interested that one of the psychics thought the offender had borrowed a car to commit the crime. "There's one thing that interests me, one of them said they thought the offender had borrowed a car ... there may have been two or more people involved."

He believes one person could have been driving the vehicle while another person was in the back of the car with Olive.

Mr Beck is open to new information no matter where it comes from.

"People rubbish clairvoyants or mediums, I've got an open mind about it."

However, former Rotorua policeman Jack Collins does not feel the same way.

The 80-year-old was asked to be part of this week's show but turned it down because he does not believe in mediums and remains sceptical.

"They really haven't come up with anything ... just a rough sketch," Mr Collins said.

Mr Collins does not think any of the men spoken to about the murder at the time are responsible but he does have "one or two" people on his mind and would love to see the case solved.

"You never give up hope ... he better make it quick because I'm getting old too," he said.