FORENSIC examination of DNA samples extracted from a car police believe "crucial to the investigation" into the abduction of former Muswellbrook woman Janine Vaughan are under way, with results not expected to be known to police "for some time".
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The 31-year-old, who went to school at Scone, was last seen getting into a small red vehicle in Keppel Street, Bathurst, in the early hours of December 7, 2001, after a night out with friends.
She was walking just metres in front of her group of friends when the car did a U-turn and pulled up alongside her. She got in the car, and has not been seen since.
In March this year, police announced a $1-million reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Ms Vaughan's death.
At the same time the reward was announced, homicide police revealed that in the course of the initial investigation detectives had seized a small red vehicle, from which very weak DNA samples had been recovered.
Homicide Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Scott Cook said last week that those DNA samples "were still being tested, and the results are pending".
However due to the complex nature of the testing, it is expected the results will take some time to obtain.
Detective Superintendent Cook said back in March forensic experts were now able to delve deeper into partial DNA, familiar DNA and blood lines and investigators are hopeful that what they found will belong to Janine.
He said the car which the DNA was taken from "was crucial to the investigation".
"Ten minutes before Janine got into the car, there was a car of similar description, 750 metres to one kilometre away, seen stalking another woman," Detective Superintendent Cook said.
"We are confident it's the same car, and by extension the same driver."
He said police were "very focused on that car" and as such have gone back to the time of Janine's disappearance, and are trying to exhaust everything they can out of that.
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"If we get Janine's DNA in the car, if it matches it, that's a significant breakthrough," Detective Superintendent Cook said.
He said police know who the owner of the car was and will be talking to him again.
As police wait for the results of the new testing, they reminded the community of the $1-million reward for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of Janine's killer.
Detective Superintendent Cook said police investigating Janine's murder believe a local living in Bathurst at the time was involved.
Anyone with information relating to the murder is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Calls can be made anonymously.
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