Police reviewing critical period in Jane Furlong cold case

Jane Fulong, a young mother and part time sex worker, went missing 26 years ago. Her body was found but her killer has never been brought to justice. Photo: Supplied

Police are hoping a renewed focus on particular people connected to murdered Auckland teenager Jane Furlong will flush out crucial information that could help solve the 26-year mystery of her disappearance and death.

Detectives are revisiting a "critical" time in Furlong's life in a new true crime series starting on TVNZ 1 next weekend and hope new witnesses will come forward - or that some who have so far refused to speak to police will finally break their silence.

And they are hoping to identify people and corroborate alibis for individuals Furlong had "conflict" with that could have had a motive for harming her.

Furlong, a part-time sex worker, was just 17 when she went missing from Auckland's Karangahape Rd in May 1993.

Her son was just 6 months old.

Her partner Dani Norsworthy reported her missing two days after she was last seen.

It would be 19 years before Furlong was found - her remains discovered buried in the dunes at Sunset Beach, Port Waikato in May 2012.

The next year, police announced a $50,000 reward for anyone who provided information or evidence that would lead to the conviction of Furlong's killer.

Despite the cash offer and a major police investigation spanning more than 26 years - dubbed Operation Darlia - an arrest is yet to be made.

Detective Inspector Paul Newman said the media had "always been helpful" when it came to the Furlong case, which generated a lot of interest when it was publicised.

He agreed to work with TVNZ's Cold Case show in a bid to reach a "particular" audience.

"We are revisiting and looking at the crucial time period when Jane was last seen," he explained.

Judith Furlong visits the memorial site where her daughter Jane Furlong's remains were discovered, Port Waikato. Photo: NZ Herald

"And the type of people that were around her … some of the evidence we gathered around the build-up in the previous months."

At the time of her disappearance, Furlong was involved in three serious court cases.

She was a witness to a vicious assault in K Rd; a witness and a complainant in an incident where a cross-bow had been fired; and she was involved in the trial of an Auckland businessman, Stephen Collie, who was facing charges relating to a string of violent sexual attacks on eight women, most of them prostitutes.

Newman said he wanted to dig deeper into the crowds Furlong was associated with and "what potential motive was there for people to kill her".

Dani Norsworthy was Jane Furlong's partner when she went missing. Photo: NZ Herald

"What people were out there that had a beef with her?" he said.

"That's the theme of the show, that's what we'll canvas."

Newman said he did not believe the Collie case was connected to Furlong's death.

"We have investigated that and we don't believe there is a direct link," he said.

"On the show we look at issues around conflict she had with other people, other groups in the lead-up - we're focused on that.

"There are a couple of people that show up in several of those incidents and that's the angle we're taking.

"We're trying to work on that and see what drops out."

Newman hoped some of the people involved would either see the show or hear about it, and come forward.

"There is a timeline we still have to account for and we have questions around some people's movements and people who could corroborate or refute alibis," he said.

Those people were "a mix" of individuals yet to make themselves known to the Operation Darlia team and others who had so far refused to engage.

"There are particular individuals, but at this stage I'm not going to name or comment on them," Newman stated.

Furlong's mother Judith participated in filming for the show.

Norsworthy did not.

Judith Furlong said she was pleased the investigation was getting publicity, but held little hope for answers.

"I think it's been too long, if these things are going to be solved they are usually solved much earlier," she said.

"There are definitely people who know what happened to Jane, and the killer knows … they are pathetic really, they are obviously too weak to say anything."

For many years suspicion fell on Norsworthy, who in recent years has refused to speak to police about his partner's murder.

Judith Furlong no longer believes he has any knowledge of what happened to the 17-year-old.

But someone does.

"I don't have much hope, I don't think this will be solved in my lifetime," she said.

"Just getting her back was the important thing.

"That was amazing, after 19 years. I never thought that would happen and whoever put her there probably didn't either.

"That was excellent for me … now whatever happens, I don't know … it will be interesting to see."