Sightings of a car speeding along the banks of the Waimakariri River on the morning of Marie Davis' disappearance were described at the trial of Dean Stewart Cameron who is accused of the teenager's rape and murder.
The Crown called evidence from people who were at the river --mainly walking their dogs -- on Sunday April 6, 2008.
They told of seeing a light coloured, or silver-grey, metallic, older style sedan heading west along the northern riverbank between about 7.40am and 8am.
They told the court the car was travelling fast or speeding. One woman said: "I thought it was probably a young hoon."
The court was told of the recovery of the Papanui 15-year-old's body from the river about 11 days later, Christchurch Court News website reported.
Her body was found west of where the car was seen.
In evidence at the trial last week, a detective read out a statement made by Cameron, a 39-year-old road worker, when he was interviewed by police as a witness a few days after Marie's disappearance.
He told the police he owned three cars but two of them were being repaired or restored and were not driveable.
He also owned a silver Mitsubishi Gallant which he used all the time.
Cameron denies the charges at the four-week trial in the High Court at Christchurch before Justice Lester Chisholm and a jury.
