The parents of slain teenager Rebecca Middleton escorted her body back to Canada yesterday as Police continued to hunt for the 17-year-old Canadian's killers.

David and Cynthia Middleton flew back to Belleville, Ontario with their 17-year-old daughter's casket one day after appealing to her killers to turn themselves in.

Her funeral will take place in Belleville on Tuesday.

"We are taking Becky home,'' Mrs. Middleton said yesterday.

As much as she wanted to see the killer or killers brought to justice, she said there was little reason to stay in Bermuda.

"I know that no-one else can hurt Becky. I know that,'' she said. "I just want to let the Police do what they are doing.'' Police are understood to have interviewed one of the three men seen speaking to Ms Middleton and her friend Jasmine Meens in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The rider, who is believed to have given Ms Meens a ride to her father's home in Smith's Parish, is not considered to be a suspect and has been released, Police said.

Police are anxious to speak to anyone who was in the area of Mullet Bay Road between 2.30 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. who may have seen two blonde girls sitting on the northern side of the road speaking to three black youths on two motorcycles.

It is thought that Ms Meens was given a ride home with one of the youths while Ms Middleton got on the other between the driver and the passenger. While Ms Meens got home safely, Ms Middleton was never seen alive again.

Her naked and blood-stained body was found in the early hours of Wednesday morning by a passing motorist on Ferry Road, more than a mile away from Mullet Bay Road.

Police refused to comment yesterday on reports that the man they interviewed had refused to identify the other two men.

Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning also would not confirm or deny a report that an autopsy found that the semen from two different men was found in Ms Middleton's body.

Meanwhile, a man who lives close to the area where Ms Middleton was found dead said adequate lighting and regular Police patrols in Ferry Reach are absolutely essential in order to prevent visitors and locals from losing their lives.

The man, who did not want to be identified, has lived in Ferry Reach his entire life and has raised his family there.

"I've lived in Ferry Reach all my life and this is not the first time that I have seen someone killed in this area,'' he said. "I have children and my children have children and I have complained to Government to put up adequate signs.'' But Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness was quick to defend the Police Service.

"Whenever you have something as heinous and terrible as this occurring,'' he said, "the public's second reaction is to apportion blame.

"People will blame the Police for not being there but they can't do that. The Police can't be on the spot when a crime takes place.

"Neither should anyone try to blame those two girls for being out at that hour,'' he said. "I cannot say that this thing could have been prevented had there been two dozen Policemen on the street.'' The Royal Gazette understands there are normally eight Police officers on duty at St. George's Police Station between midnight and 8 a.m.

On Wednesday morning, there were only six or seven officers on the watch, including one detective.

Ms Middleton's funeral will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at Bridge Street United Church in Belleville.

She will be cremated afterwards.

In lieu of flowers, mourners are being asked to make donations to a scholarship fund being established in Ms Middleton's name.