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Carmen Thomas, missing Auckland woman - Source: ONE News -
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Police are investigating the whereabouts of a recycling wheelie bin, missing from the home of Auckland woman Carmen Thomas, who hasn't been seen for a month.
Yesterday police confirmed they believed Thomas had been killed and that her body had been disposed of.
Head of the police investigation, Detective Inspector Mark Benefield said the missing bin was one of the vital links in the search for her body.
"The serial number on the Auckland City Council blue-lidded 240 litre bin is 014 172 and if anyone knows where it is, they should contact us," he said.
Benefield said police did not know when it went missing, "but we'd very much like to locate it so that we can make our own determinations as to its importance or otherwise".
Police had the distressing task of informing Thomas' family of her slaying, Benefield said.
"But staff are firmly committed to finding her and bringing whoever is responsible for her death and disposal to account."
While a lot of information had been collated, there were still many areas where help from the public would greatly boost progress of the investigation, he said.
"Who drove Carmen's car to Hamilton? Our significant inquiries around dates and times of movements of her vehicle lead us to believe it arrived in Hamilton on the night of July 7 and was left abandoned in Dyer St."
Police also wanted to hear about anyone who had been behaving unusually at the mention of Carmen Thomas' name, and informations about her belongings that missing from her home and car.
They included a turquoise handbag, car keys for her dark Nissan Pulsar 3-door hatchback registration number ATS 209, her driver's licence, wallet and credit cards
Thomas, who worked as an escort at an east Auckland club, was reported missing on July 13 when she failed to collect her five-year-old son, Jack, who had been staying with friends.
Her bank accounts had not been touched, and she had not contacted family or friends.
Her mother, Teresa Scott, flew home to South Africa last week after spending time in Auckland helping police in their investigations.
Sightings of car
Police were also appealing for any sightings of Thomas' car
being driven on the night of July 7.
It's a dark Nissan Pulsar three-door hatchback with the
registration number ATS 209.
Any information regarding the circumstances of Thomas's disappearance and death should go to Operation Keppel - 0800 537 735 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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