The mother of missing Kāpiti Coast woman Breanna Muriwai has spoken out publicly for the first time in more than a year, saying she believes "in her heart" that her daughter was murdered.
The 22-year-old has been missing since she was last seen near Te Horo Beach in the early hours of August 28, 2022.
Returning online for the first time in more than a year, Muriwai's mother Jasmin Gray said she would be on "doing things properly".
"My number one focus is finding my daughter," Gray told the Making A Statement podcast. "Closure is my number one priority. Everything after that, I just believe the universe will do its thing."
Despite her push for answers, Gray said she believed "in her heart" that her daughter was no longer alive.
"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."
Final sightings
Muriwai was dropped off at Paraparaumu Railway Station by family on August 26, 2022. She was seen the following morning on CCTV with a male acquaintance at a bottle store in Palmerston North.
Her last confirmed sighting was at Te Horo Beach on the Kāpiti Coast at 4am on August 28, with two men she was travelling with.
The following morning, a pink and purple suitcase was located on Te Horo Beach near where Muriwai was last seen, but it was removed from the area mid-afternoon. It is not known who removed it.
Muriwai's waterlogged phone and handbag were discovered in the same location days later.
Police appealed to the public for information at the time, saying they believed her disappearance involved foul play, but her body was never found.
The circumstances surrounding Muriwai's disappearance gained the case widespread national attention, with Gray building a large Facebook following and organising numerous public actions, including a march to Parliament in 2023.
Search convoy
In September 2024, Gray organised a search convoy for her daughter supported by locals from the Manawatū-Wanganui region.
On the same day, a property at Rangwahia Rd, Manawatū, which police confirmed to be connected to Muriwai’s disappearance, was deliberately set alight.
Police later said it retrieved a "crude incendiary device" from the address. No one was charged over the incident.
During the podcast interview, Muriwai claimed a member of her search convoy had located a handgun at the Rangwahia Rd property before it was burnt down.
"There was a handgun found [at the property]," Gray said. "It was buried about 6ft feet deep."
Gray also alleged the search party to have found bits of clothing, rubbish and nappies scattered throughout the address.
1News approached NZ Police for comment on those claims. A spokesperson did not address them but said the case remained active and officers are continuing to investigate.
"There are no further updates at this time," the police spokesperson said.
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