Operation Dallington in Canterbury District, 2:10pm

As the investigation continues we are increasingly tightening up on Mellory's movements on the evening of 18 December 2008.

We are confident that the last text sent from Mellory's cellphone at 10.43 pm was sent by Mellory, as it fits a series of texts that she had been sending that evening to another party.

We now know that that text has been made in the area north of Bealey Avenue that sort of borders Manchester Street, along Ranfurly Street, through to Clissold Street. This means that she had to be picked up from the corner of Peterborough/Manchester Streets no later than 10.41 pm.

This area includes the old Caledonian Hotel and carpark that we know Mellory had taken a client to early that night.

That area was first searched Saturday evening 20 December 2008 and extensively searched on Sunday 21 December 2008 without a specific scene being identified. Unfortunately there was a significant amount of rainfall on 19 and 20 December 2008.

We do not rule out of course that she has been taken somewhere else in that area.

We have re-interviewed the witness who saw the blue four-wheel drive, thought to be a Hilux, which was in the last release. This witness has been shown a number of vehicles and now is 90% certain that it was a blue Toyota Surf. She said that the vehicle was driving north on Manchester Street and did a u-turn in front of St Luke's Church. This would have been around 10.35 pm. She said that he had tools in the backseat and a blue tarpaulin in the rear. She did not get in the vehicle and she does not know where it went.

We are still getting people coming forward who were in that area with significant information which is great. Yesterday we spoke with a couple who have sighted a person believed to be Mellory standing at the Peterborough/Manchester Street intersection at 10.35 pm and this corroborates other sightings. Even though it is 29 days since the murder, do not think it is too late to contact us.