A Northern Territory pie shop owner says police have seized a hacksaw and two hammers from her property, but maintains she had nothing to do with the disappearance of a missing man.
Fran Hodgetts was a neighbour of Irish-born stockman Paddy Moriarty, who vanished in December.
Police have no suspects but believe his disappearance may be suspicious.
He was last seen at his local pub, the Pink Panther Hotel, in Larrimah.
The tiny isolated outpost has about a dozen residents who have all been questioned. Many properties have been searched.
Pie shop freezer searched
On the weekend, officers with a warrant returned to the property where Mrs Hodgetts and her gardener Owen live.
The 74-year-old says police searched a meat freezer and took the hammers, saw and a pair of shoes.
"They found this hacksaw and they named it and put it in a bag," she told the ABC.
"They took his (Owen's) shoes, they wanted to leave him a pair of shoes but he said, 'no, I don't want your bloody shoes'. He'd had enough.
"I heard them lift the lid off the freezers and heard them lift the lid down.
"But they've found nothing, there's nothing there."
Mrs Hodgetts has written a letter to the editor of the local paper outlining her innocence.
"No, I did not have anything to do with the disappearance of Paddy Moriarty. No, I don't know where he is. Yes, I would like to have him found so I can sit back and say, 'Yes I told you so'," her letter said.
She said the gardener does not want to speak to reporters.
"I'm angry because it's a lot of bullshit," she said.
"He is an old man, he wouldn't hurt anybody.
"We know nothing."
Mrs Hodgetts has also criticised the police investigation because the search did not include officers on horseback.
"They probably would have found him, but he probably would not have been there very long because they've got a lot of wild pigs here and a lot of wild dingos," she said.
Possible family member found
Police have made a breakthrough in identifying possible next of kin, after a woman came forward with a possible familial link after the story was discussed on an Irish radio station.
Mae Screeney said she would be happy to provide a DNA sample to check if she is related, and if so Mr Moriarty has family in the UK and the United States.
Mr Moriarty's friends are hoping they can get permission to access his house and yard to mow the lawn and protect his belongings from scavengers.
