Police failed to find boots that matched distinctive footprints found near Scott Guy's body, the jury in the murder trial heard today.
The Feilding farmer was shot twice in his driveway on July 8, 2010 at 4.43am. The Crown claims his brother-in-law Ewen Macdonald shot him over tensions over the future of the family farm.
Macdonald has pleaded not guilty. The Crown evidence is expected to finish this week.
The High Court in Wellington has previously heard distinctive ripple-soled footprints were found near Guy's body and around the property.
Macdonald is alleged to have owned a pair of size nine Proline-branded dive boots with the same sole.
Detective Laurie Stewart Howell, who was asked to review the footwear impressions left around the scene at 293 Aorangi Road, told the jury the wavy patterns formed a factor in their inquiry but police could not locate shoes that matched them.
Howell said police were forced to resort to buying a similar pair online.
Andy Tannock, from Hunting and Fishing New Zealand, told the court hunters often use the boots for sneaking up on animals.
Macdonald's wife and mother have both told the court they had not seen his diving boots since well before Guy's death.
Cigarette packet
Earlier, the jury heard more evidence about the extensive police searches of the scene following the shooting.
Detective Glen Jackson told the court he searched the roadside near Guy's home, finding a Winfield Gold cigarette packet, among other items.
This evidence was used to tie in a burglary two days before the murder, where cigarette packets the same as the one found near the crime scene were stolen. The packets were part of a small-run produced with a distinctive red label.
The defence said diving boots similar to those allegedly used by Macdonald would be "pretty good footwear" for a burglar.
Jackson said he could not rule out that the cigarette packet found near the Guy farm was not from the burglary.