Body confirmed as missing woman

Audrey Gibson disappeared four months ago. Photo / Hamilton This Week

Police have ruled out foul play after revealing the body found in the Waikato River at Meremere is that of missing Hamilton pensioner Audrey Gibson.

Mrs Gibson, 82, disappeared after visiting her local hairdresser last December.

Her skeletal remains were found about 60km down river from Hamilton on Saturday morning near Meremere Wharf when a barge master tying up at a pier noticed what appeared to be a body submerged in the water next to his vessel.
Police said Waikato coroner Gordon Matenga was satisfied there was sufficient evidence to identify the remains as those of Mrs Gibson.

Mrs Gibson's granddaughters Anjula Manga and Angelina Tahere, who fronted media at Hamilton police station earlier this afternoon, said while the discovery was traumatic it had provided closure for whanau.
Ms Manga said family members had been making the trip from Auckland every weekend since she disappeared to hand out thousands of flyers or search the Waikato River banks.

Their last search was on Saturday when Mrs Gibson's body was found.

"We searched as much as we could, we searched the riverbanks and couldn't do much more than that," said Ms Manga.
"We are just happy that we have our nan back....our focus now is to prepare for her funeral and burial."
Ms Manga said no decisions had been made about her funeral as family were waiting for an uncle to come back from Australia.

Detective senior sergeant Karl Thornton said there were no indications that Mrs Gibson had suffered any injury nor was there any suggestion of foul play.
He said the police investigation had been thorough but police would continue to follow any information that comes in.

"But as I have already said there's nothing suspicious that has come to light," he said.