Police guard property linked to search for missing woman’s remains after ‘deliberately lit’ fire
Police are investigating a “suspicious fire” at a property linked to a search for missing woman Breanna Muriwai.
It is alleged “items of interest” were found during the private search, but police refused to confirm any new evidence.
Muriwai, aged 22 at the time, has been missing since August 2022.
Police have spent the day at a property at the centre of a private search for the remains of missing woman Breanna Muriwai, where a building was burned to the ground following a suspicious fire on Sunday night.
Neighbours say the Wellington-based officer in charge of the investigation visited the Manawatū property, which was cordoned off on Monday as officers sifted through singed wreckage and focused on a green house bus at the isolated and rural plot of land.
And while there is speculation online about what evidence may have been discovered as hundreds of people dug in a paddock for signs of the missing 22-year-old, police are refusing to be drawn on what was found or provide any further updates.
A Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) spokeswoman said they received calls to a house fire about 5.50pm. Upon arrival, fire crews found a single house and shed on fire. They were unoccupied.
Police confirmed the blaze was being treated as suspicious.
Nearby neighbour Colin Richards told the Herald police had been guarding the property since Sunday evening.
“Police have been sat there all day. They came up last night and guarded the area for the evening and there’s been police there on rotational shifts all day just guarding the site,” Richards said.
Breanna Muriwai was last seen at Te Horo Beach near the carparking area on Sea Rd about 4am on August 28. Photo / Supplied
Stuff reported the officer in charge of the investigation into Muriwai’s disappearance, Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson, also attended the scene on Monday.
Richards claimed the blaze broke out about 15 minutes after the search party left on Sunday.
“The building was well alight,” said Richards, who noted there were three separate fires – one in the barn, one behind the barn and one in the house.
“The house being, obviously, in the condition it was in, went up very quickly.”
Richards said the property had historically been “sort of a scrap yard” and described it as “one of those places you don’t tend to go”.
Another neighbour told Stuff he believed the house may have been used for drugs.
“I was also shown a big pit in the yard, it was quite a large hole ... it was covered with a roof,” he said.
“I also smelt this strong, sweet smell a couple of time ... I just thought it was fertiliser.
A detective at the scene reportedly said the fire “appears to have been deliberately lit”. Authorities were sifting through what remained of the home, focusing on a “green house bus” at the rear of the property.
Images from the scene showed fire investigators dampening down hotspots at the completely destroyed home.
“The property had been vacant for a number of weeks. Inquiries are ongoing,” police said.
‘Items of interest’ allegedly found in mass search
The fire came shortly after Gray took to Facebook, thanking everyone who assisted in the search and saying they had found “items of interest”.
She added that they were now waiting on authorities to do “their mahi”.
There has been speculation online regarding what items were located by Sunday’s search party, but police refused to confirm if any new evidence had been brought to light.
Sunday’s mass search followed a warning from police that such action could destroy or compromise crucial evidence.
A police spokesperson said while they understood people were genuinely intending to help, the best thing the public could do was “talk to us”.
“Police are still treating her disappearance as a missing persons investigation,” Thompson said.
Muriwai, who was 22 at the time of her disappearance, was last seen in August 2022 at Te Horo Beach. Searches were carried out to locate her, and her movements on the night she disappeared were examined by police.
“We know people want to help and the motivation behind today’s search is well-meaning, but our concern with private searches is the risk that crucial evidence is inadvertently destroyed or compromised, and that’s something we communicated with Breanna’s family ahead of today’s activity,” Thompson said.
“The most valuable thing you can do is talk to us if you have information that may help.”
Missing 22-year-old Breanna Muriwai was last seen on Te Horo Beach in August 2022.
Gray responded to the statement by saying; “This is the only search you’ve ever tried to stop! Why?”.
Police stressed they continue to investigate the disappearance.
“The fact Breanna remains missing after two years is an unbearable thought and something no family should ever go through. We want to assure the public that investigators continue to follow up leads from the public and the investigation is very much active,” Thompson said.
“We speak regularly with Breanna’s family, following up on information provided by them and members of the public.”
Any information that could assist inquiries should be reported to police online or via the 105 phone service, using the reference number 220829/5320.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Breanna Muriwai’s last known movements
Muriwai was picked up on the Friday before her disappearance by a male friend from Wellington. They travelled to Palmerston North, where they stayed until Saturday night.
The last CCTV images of Muriwai were captured at a liquor store in Palmerston North at about 11.15am on the Saturday.
Breanna Muriwai was captured with a male associate on the CCTV of a Palmerston North liquor store at 11.30am. Photo / NZ Police
They began to head back to Muriwai’s home that evening, picking up another man on the way and continuing south. They stopped along the way several times, with a friend withdrawing money from Muriwai’s bank account during one of the stops.
