A body believed to be British backpacker Grace Millane has been found near a beauty spot on the outskirts of Auckland.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard, of Auckland City Police, said formal identification was yet to take place, although “based on the evidence we have gathered over the past few days we expect that this is Grace”.
A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Auckland District Court on Monday.
Grace Millane was travelling in New Zealand when she went missing at the start of the month (Lucie Blackman Trust/PA)
Detectives said they had identified a “location of interest” after the investigation led them to a spot on Scenic Drive, a country road around 12 miles west of the city centre, on Saturday night.
Speaking at the scene on Sunday afternoon, Det Insp Beard said investigators had “located a body which we believe to be Grace” around 10m from the roadside.
“The formal identification process will now take place, however based on the evidence we have gathered over the past few days we expect that this is Grace,” he said.
“Obviously this brings the search for Grace to an end. It is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them.”
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