Police return to the scene of the body-in-car discovery in the Hawke's Bay homicide investigation. Video / Supplied
The family of slain Hawke's Bay teenager Ariki Rigby have vowed that "we are going to live for you" at a moving farewell to her in Hastings.
About 700 people packed the Ascend Global Church on Friday morning for Ariki's funeral, with those there to mourn her told the nation was grieving with them.
The ceremony was described as a "celebration of life" - just under two weeks after a car in which her body had been shoved in behind the driver's seat was torched in a carpark on the outskirts of Havelock North.
The family of Hawke's Bay teenager Ariki Rigby pay tribute to her at her public funeral in Hastings on Friday. Photo / Warren Buckland
The casket carrying Ariki, who would have turned 19 at the end of this month, sat at the front of the church, covered with flowers. A photo montage playing on the screen showed a young woman with a beautiful smile and zest for life.
Ariki was one of nine siblings and a handful of her siblings and her father gathered on stage to pay tribute to their beloved daughter and sister, with sister Anahera Rigby bravely speaking on their behalf.
She said this was a very difficult time for the family, but Ariki would want them to be strong.
"We are going to overcome this. We are going to live for you," Anahera said.
"We are going to live and smile and be happy because you will be telling us this.
Ariki's family pay tribute to their beloved sibling and daughter. Photo / Warren Buckland
"Every time I called you that is what you would say … you would pick me up every time I called you."
She recalled how Ariki would give her shirt off her back or necklace off her neck to help someone.
She also recalled, with a smile, how her sister would also cheekily ask for something in return.
"We loved her very much - it is a love-hate relationship with your sister aye.
"Everyone that knows her knows that my sister was hard. She was a hard woman but that was why we loved her.
Family of slain Hawke's Bay teen Ariki Rigby say she will be "forever loved and missed" - while her cousin says to those responsible "you reap what you sow". Photo / Supplied
"We loved her for who she was - every bad and every good.
"We have so many cherished memories that we could share about her.
"But it is so hard to talk about her life when we would just like to have her right here with us."
She said the entire family was staying strong for her.
"Our family is all together just like you would have wanted sister."
A ride called Aroha for Ariki begins in Napier on Friday morning. Photo / Warren Buckland
She was remembered as a "beautiful sister and daughter" as well as "spontaneous", during the service.
The funeral procession began earlier in the day when a gathering of about 30 people, including 20 riders, met at a service station in Napier about 9am.
They then rode to Ariki's family home and escorted her and her family to the funeral. The ride was dubbed "Aroha for Ariki".
Ariki's cousin Michael Ngahuka, who is a pastor in Hawke's Bay, helped open the funeral service stating "this is a tragedy".
He called for people to wrap Ariki's family with love, and spoke of the tributes which had flooded in from the community.
The service ended with a rousing haka. Photo / Warren Buckland
He also prayed that those that were suffering would know "the peace that surpasses all understanding" which comes from God, and for justice for Ariki.
"We the community want to say we love you, we the nation say we love you today, and want to embrace you."
He also called on anyone close to the perpetrators to speak up.
"I hate this. Hate is a strong word - but for this occasion, it is not strong enough. It is gross. It is inhumane. It is traumatic. This is pure evil. This is demonic."
A police representative was initially down to speak at the funeral, and included on the programme, but Ngahuka confirmed police would instead be speaking privately to the family.
Floral tributes lay at the spot Ariki Rigby's body was found in a burnt out car on the outskirts of Havelock North. Photo / Neil Reid
The service ended with a rousing haka.
Ngahuka on Thursday told whoever is responsible for the 18-year-old's death that "you reap what you sow".
Her family also released a statement this week saying the teen would be "forever loved and missed", while also urging anyone with information about "this very horrendous situation" to contact police.
They said Ariki was beautiful, energetic, bright-eyed and someone who lived life full-throttle.
The 18-year-old's body was found by a dog walker in a burnt-out car in rural Havelock North carpark on September 5 – two days after police had initially checked out the wreck.
At first the case was treated as an "unexplained death", before being upgraded to a homicide investigation late last week.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that the body found in the car in the Riverside Road Recreational Reserve's gravel carpark was that of teenaged Ariki.
A police officer talks to a dog walker at the River Road Recreational Reserve last weekend. Photo / Neil Reid
Officers were first alerted to the wreck on the morning of Saturday, September 3, but they did not realise that burned remains inside it were those of a human; instead believing they were of an animal.
Detective Inspector David De Lange said this week police had made "good progress" on the investigation, but still wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mid-90s dark grey Toyota Corona or people in the River Rd area between 10pm on September 2 and 7am on September 3.
Terry Longley & Son Funeral Services has shared a bank account on its Facebook page, for anyone who wants to contribute toward the costs of the funeral.
Ariki will be laid to rest with her great grandparents, whanau and tīpuna at Motuopae Island, Huria Tauranga Moana in Tauranga.
Anyone with information about Ariki's death is asked to contact police on 105 quoting file number 220905/1265. Information can be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
