Police have issued a renewed appeal for information and have re-launched their investigation into the decades-old disappearance of Andrew Maaka, a Headhunters gang prospect who vanished without a trace in 1991.
Maaka, who was 29 at the time, was last seen alive at the gang headquarters in Henderson and is presumed dead.
Speaking to media on Thursday, Detective Inspector Callum McNeill said police had re-launched their investigation as a result of new information they had received.
“Someone from 35 years ago will know where Andrew Maaka is, and they will know what happened to him,” McNeill said.
“We are appealing to those people to come forward. Now is the time to talk to us and tell us where he is.”
He confirmed that police were still treating Maaka’s investigation as a homicide.
"We need to seek some closure for Andrew's whānau and return Andrew to them."
Maaka's case was featured in a Crimewatch episode, which highlighted both his background and the circumstances leading up to his sudden disappearance.
At the time, he had been living in Henderson and was known to police. Investigators said he had convictions for burglary and assault and believed he was involved in drug related criminal activity.
His family said his life changed in the years before he vanished. Once described by family as a reliable worker who had been working as a security guard, he later came under increasing financial pressure and became more heavily involved in the criminal scene.
Maaka's disappearance came as a shock to those who knew him. The last confirmed sighting by police was on November 4, 1991, when he reported to Henderson Police Station as required. He was later seen at a Guy Fawkes gathering at the gang’s base the next day.
Family members became concerned after a series of unusual phone calls in the days that followed. One relative recalled Maaka sounding different, saying he would “always love” his partner and daughter. It was the last time they heard from him.
In the Crimewatch episode, his associates also appealed for information.
“I'm not here to tell you to give yourself up if you're watching this,” long time Headhunters president Dave Smith said. “You know you're the only one who can do that.”
“If your problem is us, I'll tell you, you've got nothing to worry about as far as we're concerned.”
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