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‘You lose confidence’: Family of murdered Ariki Rigby speak out

Author
Neil Reid, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Wed, 5 Apr 2023, 12:44pm

‘You lose confidence’: Family of murdered Ariki Rigby speak out

Author
Neil Reid, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Wed, 5 Apr 2023, 12:44pm

Seven months on from the grisly killing of teen Ariki Rigby 鈥� and her body being torched in a car in a rural carpark 鈥� her family have spoken of their anguish over the protracted investigation and a lack of 鈥渃onfidence鈥� in the police.

Police launched a homicide investigation into 18-year-old Ariki鈥檚 death last September, and shortly before Christmas said they believed gang affiliations of those thought to be responsible were preventing possible witnesses from passing on vital information.

And today police say the inquiry is at a 鈥渟ensitive stage鈥�.

But the launch of the hunt for those responsible was a belated one.

Police were first alerted to the burned-out car at River Road Recreational Reserve on September 3. The听贬别谤补濒诲听revealed officers who attended didn鈥檛 realise the charred remains inside 鈥� which featured shoulder-length hair and a necklace 鈥� were human, instead thinking it was a sheep.

It wasn鈥檛 until September 5 that dog walker, Kevin Monrad, realised the remains were human after walking around the burned-out car, then urged police to return to the scene.

Ariki Rigby was working in a bar in Auckland before going on an unplanned holiday to Hawke's Bay when she was killed.

Ariki Rigby was working in a bar in Auckland before going on an unplanned holiday to Hawke's Bay when she was killed.

By then, the crime scene had been traipsed through for 48 hours by scores of dog walkers, cyclists and others who visited the popular reserve.

Seven months on from Monrad鈥檚 call, Ariki鈥檚 cousin and initial Rigby family spokesman Michael Ngahuka said the slow progress had him questioning if those responsible would be found.

听鈥淵ou lose confidence in the police,鈥� the Hastings-based pastor said.

鈥淭here was no confidence in the police, to begin with. You are hoping they will do their job - they probably are, but what does it look like for us?鈥�

A memorial garden with written, floral and solar light tributes to murdered teen Ariki Rigby has been erected at the River Road Recreational Reserve carpark. Photo / Neil Reid

A memorial garden with written, floral and solar light tributes to murdered teen Ariki Rigby has been erected at the River Road Recreational Reserve carpark. Photo / Neil Reid

Police revealed last year that they were reviewing their initial response. The outcome has not yet been made public.

Police HQ has not responded to questions about any outcome of that review.

In a recent interview with the Felon Show on YouTube, Ariki鈥檚 sister Anaher膩 Rigby said those responsible for Ariki鈥檚 death had chopped off her hands and feet before they torched her body and the car she was stuffed in.

She previously told the听贬别谤补濒诲听that she believed Ariki was killed by multiple 鈥済ang-affiliated鈥� people.

鈥淔or them to get away with it, there must have been a lot of them. And still, to get away with it, they must have had a plan. If the police can鈥檛 find them now, obviously it [Ariki鈥檚 death] was not an accident.鈥�

Ngahuka has also previously described his cousin鈥檚 death to the听贬别谤补濒诲听as a 鈥渉einous crime鈥� which he believed 鈥渉as to weigh on the soul, it has to weigh on your heart鈥� of those responsible and those who know the truth鈥�.

The location where the car containing Ariki Rigby's body was torched is a popular destination for dog walkers. Photo / Neil Reid

The location where the car containing Ariki Rigby's body was torched is a popular destination for dog walkers. Photo / Neil Reid

Seven months on, he said the Rigby family were desperate for the truth to emerge and for those responsible to face justice.

鈥淚t is the same message, if you know anything come forward,鈥� he said.

鈥淔ront up if you know something. The family want the case closed, they want to see the other side of this.

鈥淪ome whanau members are finding it difficult and hard.鈥�

On December 22, Detective Senior Sergeant James Keene made a public appeal for those who knew who had murdered Ariki 鈥� and, in a completely unrelated case, who beat Flaxmere man Eddie Peters to death in November 2018 鈥� to come forward.

鈥淲e know there are people in our community who know what happened to Eddie and Ariki, and who was responsible,鈥� Keene said at the time.

鈥淲e also know there are a few reasons why people might not be talking 鈥� one of which is a belief that 鈥榥arking鈥� is not the done thing. My plea is that people set aside that belief and focus on what the right thing to do is.鈥�

Family of Ariki Rigby have placed flyers in shops around Hastings and Flaxmere appealing for information about the teen's murder. Photo / Neil Reid

Family of Ariki Rigby have placed flyers in shops around Hastings and Flaxmere appealing for information about the teen's murder. Photo / Neil Reid

Ngahuka said he had hoped police would share more on the potential gang involvement.

鈥淭here possibly is [gang involvement]. You just don鈥檛 know. Something like this [the nature of the crime], you have to say there is something wrong with you.鈥�

Ariki鈥檚 social media posts contained many references to the Mongrel Mob, including staunch support for the gang.

One of her final posts in August featured her with several of its members.

Ngahuka said in some cases the links to gang members were blood-based.

Ariki Rigby's sister,  Anaher膩 Rigby, along with their cousin Hastings-based pastor Michael Ngahuka.

Ariki Rigby's sister, Anaher膩 Rigby, along with their cousin Hastings-based pastor Michael Ngahuka.

鈥淎ll of our family are part of different gangs,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are cousins, uncles [in gangs] . . . and that is in more than the Mongrel Mob, other gangs.鈥�

The听贬别谤补濒诲听put Ngahuka鈥檚 comments to Police HQ for comment.

A spokesperson said that police remained committed 鈥渢o holding the person or persons responsible for Ariki鈥檚 death to account鈥�.

They were in touch with the Rigby family鈥檚 鈥渘ominated family spokesperson鈥� with any updates.

鈥淎t the moment our focus remains on the active investigation into Ariki鈥檚 death, this includes analysis of all evidence to date. We reiterate that the investigation remains at a sensitive stage and we are continuing to make progress.鈥�

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