It's hoped developments in DNA testing could finally help solve one of New Zealand's most high-profile cold cases - the 1998 murder of Ashburton teenager Kirsty Bentley.
The lead detective on the case says DNA samples taken from the crime scene are being re-tested to see if they can identify Kirsty's killer almost two decades after her violent death.
Jill Peachy, who has never given up hope her daughter's killer could be found, has welcomed the news that police are re-examining evidence.
"There's always hope. It's hard to imagine right now after this long, but justice should prevail for Kirsty anyway," Ms Peachy said.
A number of items, including the lead of the 15-year-old's dog Abby, who she was walking on New Year's Eve in 1998 when she disappeared, are under re-examination by the Crown Research Institute.
Crown Research Institute detective inspector Greg Murton, the lead investigator in the case, said, "There have been advances very recently in DNA testing, so we can use those. Whether we get a result or not is hard to say.
"There have been cases that have been solved through DNA 20 years later, so I'm confident if DNA technology is developed enough, we should be able to do that, so always hopeful."
The Kirsty Bentley file has amassed thousands of documents in the years since, and police have looked at over 300 possible suspects, including Kirsty's father and older brother, John, who was 19 years old at the time of her death.
Detective inspector Murton believes it's unlikely the pair were involved, but he maintains hope that her killer could still be alive.
"I hope they are, so we can bring them to justice. If we look at the potential age of the offender at the time, maybe between 20 and 50, they should still be alive so I'm hoping they are."
Ms Peachy is encouraging anyone with information to come forward and help solve the mystery behind her daughter's death.
"If it's bugging you that much, how about letting the police know? Get it off your conscience," she said.
Ms Peachy moved away from Ashburton and remarried after separating from Kirsty's father.
Her Invercargill home is filled with memories of her little girl, including childhood photographs and stuffed animals of Tigger and Winnie the Pooh.
"You can't pass by and not smile at that. It just makes my heart warm," she said of a photograph of Kirsty beaming at the camera.
"I can't bring her back, but I remember her with great love."
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