December 9, 2018 8.25 am This story is over 62 months old

NZ police find body in Grace Millane murder probe

“An unbearable time for the family”

Police investigating the suspected murder of missing University of Lincoln graduate Grace Millane have discovered a body.

The body was found in a forest on the outskirts of Auckland, about 10 metres from the edge of a country road known as Scenic Driven the Waitakere Ranges.

It’s around 15 miles from the CityLife Hotel, where Grace, 22, was last seen and heard from on Saturday, December 1.

New Zealand Police officers said they believe it to be the missing backpacker, originally from Essex.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard said the body is still to be formally identified, adding it was an “unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them.

“Any father, any parent in this situation will struggle. We’re putting a lot of support around him [Grace’s father]. It’s difficult because he’s here with a brother from England and the rest of the family are back home.”

Grace graduated from the University of Lincoln in September with a degree in Advertising and Marketing.

She was also the former Vice Chairman of the University of Lincoln Hockey Club. Friends and fellow club members have been desperately helping with the appeal over the last week.

The announcement on Saturday by police that Miss Millane was “no longer alive” followed a review of CCTV footage, the forensic examination of a hotel where she was last seen, and the discovery of a vehicle.
Police then announced on Sunday that a body had been found.