Police look for evidence relating to the death of Karen Ristevski in the Mount Macedon area

POLICE remain confident they will find Avondale Heights mother Karen Ristevski’s killer as they conduct a new search in the area near where her body was found.

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POLICE remain confident they will find Avondale Heights mother Karen Ristevski’s killer as they conduct a new search in the area near where her body was found.

Searches are underway on a number of roads in the Mount Macedon area that detectives believe may have been taken to get to the location where her body was dumped.

She was found wedged between two logs in a shallow bush grave at Macedon Regional Park on February 20 this year.

Detective Inspector Tim Day from the Missing Persons Squad said they will find Ms Ristevski’s killer.

“I have every confidence we will solve this case,” he said from the search scene this morning.

UPDATE: KEY WITNESS RAISED CRUCIAL INFO MONTHS AGO

SES volunteers and police begin their search. AAP Image/Joe Castro

An SES volunteer searches a drain. AAP Image/Joe Castro

Police expect the search to continue for several hours. AAP Image/Joe Castro

Insp Day said the search was spurred by a new witness statement.

“Over the last week we’ve spoken with a witness who’s seen a black coloured Mercedes at this location on Childers Rd facing the wrong way,” he said.

“I understand the witness has seen the vehicle in the last week of June (2016), so we’re trying to narrow down what day it was.

“The witness has articulated this sighting prior to the discovery of Karen’s body in February. On that basis it’s of significant importance to us because the credibility is such that the person who called and witness could not have known the location of Karen’s body.”

Insp Day said the witness was only identified in the last week.

He said he could not confirm whether Ms Ristevski’s handbag had been found, or whether an earlier appeal for witnesses seen on CCTV in Diggers Rest was successful.

Insp Day also would not be drawn on how many suspects police had or who they were.

Dozens of SES crew and detectives are expected to search a number of streets for most of the day, but they will not venture into bushland.

“Today is about the appeal to public regarding anything suspicious in this area until the discovery of Karen’s body,” Insp Day said.

“There’s always going to be someone out there that knows more than we do.”

The search follows new information provided to police. Picture: AAP

Ms Ristevski’s badly decomposed body was found in the Macedon Regional Park. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Police want to speak with anyone who saw a Mercedes Benz SLK coupe, fitted with Mercedes Benz manufactured 5 spoke alloy wheels on June 29, 2016. Picture: Victoria Police

Police said earlier today there was a possible breakthrough in the investigation, with a number of people reporting they saw Ms Ristevski’s black Mercedes-Benz in the vicinity of Childers Road and Mount Macedon Road at about midday on the day she went missing.

Another witness said he saw a lone male near the car prior to the discovery of Karen’s body, which was eventually found just 1.5km away from where the sighting was made, police said.

Ms Ristevski, 47, was last seen on June 30, 2016, after a fight with her husband Borce Ristevski at their Avondale Heights home.

Last August, the Herald Sun reported police had obtained evidence from the phones of Karen and husband Borce ­that showed the phones had “pinged” off transmission towers on the Calder Freeway on the day she disappeared.

Karen Ristevski with her husband Borce Ristevski and daughter Sarah. Picture: Supplied

Mr Ristevski’s phone was last tracked near Diggers Rest and Ms Ristevski’s phone was tracked near Gisborne. His phone was also switched off for two hours on the day.

Mr Ristevski has denied having anything to do with his wife’s death.

Missing Persons Squad detectives, with assistance from the State Emergency Service (SES) and Victoria Police Search and Rescue Squad are searching Childers Road, Mount Macedon Road, Waterfalls Road and Salisbury Road, all in Mount Macedon.

The area police will search for clues. Picture: Victoria Police

Investigators are once again urging any person who was in the Mount Macedon area in the late morning or early afternoon of June 29, 2016 and who may have seen a black Mercedes Benz SLK coupe to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppers.com.au.