The trial for the man accused of murdering British backpacker Grace Millane gets underway in the High Court in Auckland on Monday.
Her disappearance in December last year sparked international headlines and back here a nationwide outpouring of grief.
A fast-moving police investigation culminated in the discovery of her body in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges.
At the time a District Court judge expressed the hope for swift and fair justice for her family.
In October last year, an excited Grace Millane told her social media followers, "I’m going on an adventure".
After trekking in South America she arrived in New Zealand on November 20th, visiting a number of North Island tourist spots.
Just days later she was dead.
She'd been staying at a central city Auckland backpackers hostel when she went missing on the eve of her 22nd birthday.
Her family back in Britain were deeply worried, raising the alarm with authorities in New Zealand after not hearing from her.
It was widely reported she'd hooked up with a man through the dating app Tinder.
Police wouldn't confirm that but released a picture of her leaving Sky City's casino that Saturday night.
Their attention quickly turned to The CityLife hotel.
With focus turning to Auckland's Waitakere Ranges, it was clear police feared the worst, Detective Inspector Scott Baird soon after announcing the finding of Grace’s body.
Her death triggered a wave of grief, the despair felt not just on the streets, the Prime Minister making an apology to the Millane family.
“Your daughter should have been safe here and she wasn't and I'm sorry for that,” Jacinda Ardern said.
A 27-year-old Auckland man will stand in the dock on Monday charged with her murder.
1 NEWS can't reveal his identity.
It will now turn to a jury of 12 people to decide what actually happened to Grace Millane, what occurred inside a room in the hotel and how her body ended up kilometres away in dense bush.
The trial is expected to last five to six weeks, with some of the evidence likely to be harrowing.
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