Police will examine the petrol cap of the car associated with a baffling Australian cold case for the first time in two decades, in a renewed bid to find the owner’s killer.

This masthead can reveal Rachelle Childs’ prized 1978 Holden Commodore – seen by four witnesses on the night she was murdered and set alight in the NSW town of Gerroa – will be examined for fingerprints.

The major case development comes just days after the launch of the Dear Rachelle cold case podcast, which explores the vivacious car enthusiast’s 2001 death.

It also follows the decision by NSW Police in January to quietly re-open the investigation into Rachelle’s murder.

Former homicide detectives, working with the True Crime Australia podcast team, believe Rachelle’s distinctive blue vehicle is critical to solving her case – for more reasons than it simply being sighted at the crime scene.

SEE VIDEO OF THE DEAR RACHELLE INVESTIGATION BELOW:

Rachelle’s Holden, which was later found at the Bargo Hotel carpark, was missing its expensive stereo, as well as a bedsheet in the boot.

And according to her sister Kristy Childs, the driver’s seat was positioned too far back for the 23-year-old to reach the foot pedals.

Kristy also said her Holden-fanatic sister, whose car was always in pristine condition, would not have left her vehicle in a public car park overnight.

Kristy described Rachelle as being “terrible with money”, which meant she never had a full tank of fuel and carried a jerry can in the boot for emergency refills.

If the killer took her car on a 200km round trip from Bargo to Gerroa and back, it’s highly likely he had to refuel along the way.

Furthermore, after killing her, he doused her body in unleaded petrol.

LISTEN TO THE DEAR RACHELLE PODCAST BONUS EPISODE HERE

Kris Illingsworth, an FBI-trained criminal profiler who also worked on Rachelle’s case, said the fuel and jerry can were key parts of the case.

“They’ve got hold of a jerry can of fuel and with this spout pourer and petrol, and gone back to the scene,” she said.

“We’re talking at least two hours, probably 2.5 hours … That would account for people seeing the car [in Gerroa] at around 10.30-11pm, and then the fire starts at 2am. So that fits with them leaving the scene and then coming back later with the petrol.”

Rachelle’s Holden was examined by police at the time of the crime, with swabs taken from the steering wheel, seat adjustment points, seatbelts, and mirrors.

It was also vacuumed for samples and items inside the car were fingerprinted.

However, there was no record of the petrol cap ever being tested for prints.

NSW Police’s commitment to new fingerprint testing comes after an examination of the vehicle by private investigative company Search Dogs Sydney last year, commissioned by the Childs’ family.

The search team asked whether the petrol cap had been tested and no one could answer the question.

LISTEN TO EPISODES 1-3 OF THE PODCAST BELOW:

In an email to Kristy, an officer said he “cannot find a direct notation to say the fuel cap was (finger)printed, though this does not mean it didn’t happen”.

“We are still going through a number of records. Despite the car being exposed to the elements for so long, I agree it’s worth [scanning for prints] and would still be willing to have the fuel cap examined,” they wrote.

The vehicle, which is kept on the Childs’ rural property, is now in a state of disrepair, having been left out in the elements for so many years in a police holding yard before it was returned to the family.

For more information about our investigation, visit dearachelle.com.au

If you have any tips or confidential information, please contact investigative journalist Ashlea Hansen at dearrachelle@news.com.au.

You can also join our Dear Rachelle podcast Facebook group.