Body recovered from Horowhenua beach is not Breanna Muriwai, police confirm

The woman's body was found in the water at Waitārere Beach. Photo / Google Maps

The body recovered from a Horowhenua beach is not missing woman Breanna Muriwai, police have confirmed.

Police confirmed they have opened an investigation after the woman’s body was found floating in the water of Waitārere Beach at 4.30pm, and they have started the process to identify the person, notify their next of kin and establish the circumstances surrounding their death.

A police spokesperson confirmed to the Herald on Tuesday that the body is that of a woman – but not that of 22-year-old Muriwai.

Muriwai disappeared in August 2022 after travelling from Wellington to Palmerston North, then through to Te Horo Beach.

The nursing student was last seen on Te Horo Beach in the early hours of August 28, but has not been seen or heard of since. Her whereabouts and the circumstances of her disappearance remain a mystery.

Breanna Muriwai. Photo / Police

Muriwai was picked up on Friday August 26 by a male friend from Wellington, and the pair drove to Palmerston North, where they stayed overnight. She was last captured on CCTV at 11.15am on Saturday at a local liquor store.

That evening, she told a friend she wanted to return home to Paraparaumu and he agreed to drive her home. As the night went on, the pair drove and picked up a second man before driving south to Kimberly Reserve near Levin.

They next stopped in Ōtaki where Muriwai’s friend withdrew money from her account.

They then met a third person at Hyde Park, on the corner of State Highway 1 and Te Horo Beach Rd before heading to Te Horo Beach Rd where they parked on the beach access.

Detective senior sergeant Dave Thompson told the Herald it’s reported the final sighting of Muriwai was her running off into the darkness of Te Horo beach.

Almost a year on, there has been no sign of her.

There have been no arrests, despite police stating in November 2022 they had “identified and spoken to” the men who were last seen with her.

“Police have identified and spoken with the men that were with Breanna a number of times, but this has only given us more questions than answers. We are keeping an open mind as to what has happened to Breanna and continue to treat her disappearance as unexplained.”

Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.