More than a year after going silent publicly, the mother of missing Kāpiti Coast woman Breanna Muriwai has spoken out, saying she believes “in her heart” that her daughter was murdered.
Breanna Muriwai was 22 when she disappeared after being last seen near Te Horo Beach in the early hours of August 28, 2022.
Speaking on the Making A Statement podcast, her mother, Jasmin Gray said she had returned online with a renewed focus on following the process correctly and continuing the search for answers.
“My number one focus is finding my daughter,” Gray said. “Closure is my number one priority. Everything after that, I just believe the universe will do its thing,” as quoted by 1News.
Gray said that while she continues to push for clarity, she no longer believes her daughter is alive, pointing to comments made by investigators early in the case.
“You listen to what the detectives say, from the beginning they’ve said the chances of her coming home alive are slim to none,” she said.
“They wouldn’t say that for no reason,” 1News has quoted.
Muriwai was dropped at Paraparaumu Railway Station by family members on August 26, 2022. The next day, CCTV captured her at a bottle store in Palmerston North with a male acquaintance.
Her final confirmed sighting occurred at around 4am on August 28 at Te Horo Beach on the Kāpiti Coast, where she was seen with two men she had been travelling with. The following morning, a pink and purple suitcase was discovered on the beach close to where she was last seen, but it was removed later that day. Who took it remains unknown, as reported by 1News.
Several days later, Muriwai’s phone and handbag were found waterlogged in the same area.
Police have long maintained that her disappearance is suspicious and involves foul play. Despite national attention and repeated appeals for information, her body has not been recovered.
The case has drawn widespread public interest, with Gray using social media to rally support and organising multiple public actions, including a march to Parliament in 2023.
In September 2024, Gray coordinated a large-scale search convoy with support from locals across the Manawatū-Wanganui region.
That same day, a property on Rangwahia Rd in Manawatū, later confirmed by police to be linked to Muriwai’s disappearance, was deliberately set on fire. Police later said a “crude incendiary device” was recovered from the scene, but no charges were laid, 1News has quoted.
During the podcast, Gray alleged that a member of the search convoy had discovered a firearm at the property before the fire occurred.
“There was a handgun found [at the property],” Gray said. “It was buried about 6ft feet deep,” as quoted by 1News.
She further claimed that items such as clothing, rubbish, and nappies were scattered across the site.
NZ Police were asked to respond to those allegations. While they did not comment directly on the claims, a spokesperson said the investigation remains ongoing.
“There are no further updates at this time,” the police spokesperson said, 1News has quoted.
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