The unsolved murder of a cop

There are more unsolved murders in New Zealand than most know. We know big names and those from recent times but there are still some - even over 100 years later - that still have had no justice.
James Dorgan was born in Gortaleha Co. Kerry, Ireland on Jan 26, 1884, to John and Margaret where he grew up working as a labourer. He had 12 siblings and by 1912 he had come to New Zealand and joined the police force.
He married Agnes May - called Minnie - in December 1915 in Timaru. They went on to have three children.
James was known as a fearless police officer wading into fights and even shoot outs.
So he probably wasn’t phased to be left to watch a business premises because it was believed that a burglar or burglars were at work inside, but when police reinforcements arrived they found Dorgan fatally shot.
He was at Thomson’s Drapery in Stafford St in Timaru on August 27, 1921. He had started on his beat - walking the streets a few hours before. Also on the beat was Constable Thomas Christopher.
Outside the drapery Christopher could see lights inside and believed a burglary was in progress. He alerted James and they checked the entrances to the shop. James told Christopher to go alert the owner.
As Christopher was coming back he heard four shots - and saw James staggering.
Three of the shots had missed. But one had hit him in the chest.
James was still alive as other police arrived but was not able to say who had shot him.
Despite a doctor arriving very soon after, it was too late - James died in minutes.
A search of the shop showed rather than money, whoever it was had been after clothes. A bag filled with shirts and socks was found abandoned near the door.
Police descended on Timaru - determined to solve the murder of their own. Fingerprints were taken from many men - and a prime suspect became clear - Albert Lamb who had been fired from the drapery shop. But he had left town before the murder happened and was able to prove it.
As time dragged on, no other suspects were able to be pinned down.
More than a year later Christopher himself was investigated. He had left the police and then worked in a drapery store himself where his boss became suspicious, finding he was stealing goods from the shop. He was convicted and it prompted police to take another look at him.
Christopher was not quite who he portrayed. He was a World War One veteran who had been sent back to New Zealand and discharged after numerous discipline problems.
But that came to nothing despite lots of odd rumours.
James was buried in Timaru Cemetery.
He is the only police officer in the country whose murder remains unsolved.
Picture from the Christchurch Star.​