Joseph Ahuriri: Psychic used to help find missing dad, police satisfied only one person in CCTV footage

The distraught family of Gisborne man Joseph Ahuriri are turning to a psychic in a bid to reunite them with their missing dad who disappeared more than a month ago.

The family also raised questions about the possible presence of a mystery person who may have been travelling with the missing father-of-eight. Ahuriri was last seen in security footage next to his white Toyota Hilux at the Bay View petrol station at 5.46am on February 14.

Inspector Martin James, however, said any such speculation about a second person was false.

“The investigation team has extensively reviewed the CCTV recording in question and is satisfied that the only person shown in the recording is Joseph Ahuriri,” James said. “The claims of a second person appear to relate to what is in fact an open door on Joseph’s vehicle.”

He said such speculation often comes from a place of people wanting to help, but can be a hindrance to a police investigation.

“The team investigating Joseph’s disappearance are working extremely hard to confirm his movements and provide answers for his whānau,” James said.

CCTV image of Joseph Ahuriri at the Waitomo Fuel Stop at Bay View 5.46am on February 14. This is the last known sighting of Ahuriri who has been missing since Cyclone Gabrielle struck Hawke's Bay. Photo / Supplied

Ahuriri’s daughter Jah Cameron told the Herald this morning: “We just want our dad home.

“We know our dad is still alive, we don’t feel that he is gone. He is still here with us, he is just somewhere else and needs to be found.”

Cameron said the whānau had tried every avenue to look for him.

“I feel numb, it’s like a real empty feeling for all my siblings as well.

“All we do every day when we are outside is call out to him, ‘dad...dad’ and we get no reply. All we hear is the echo.”

The whānau would also be speaking to a psychic on Monday, she said.

“We need answers. We have done everything in our power to get them so now we turn to the spirit realm. We will wait for answers from them.”

Police have appealed for information on missing man Joseph Ahuriri. Photo / Supplied

Cameron said the police had been helpful.

“They always contact us and discuss with us whenever there is a new lead or a new plan. We are getting help from them.”

The whole ordeal had made the whānau realise that asking for help was better than sitting at home dwelling in pain with no answers, she said.

“We are willing to spend every last dollar to find our father, just like he would have, he would have gone any length if it was any of us missing.

“We just want our dad home.”

Earlier police said Ahuriri was last seen on security footage on February 14 at 5.15am in Havelock North as Cyclone Gabrielle began to batter the region.

But last night they said the search for the 40-year-old had been extended to remote flood-ravaged areas after fresh CCTV images emerged showing Ahuriri travelled north of Napier and not south as previously believed.

Surveillance images from a Waitomo Fuel Stop, recorded on February 14 at 5.46am indicated he drove north towards Bay View village and the devastated Esk Valley, James confirmed last night.

His family, who have been critical of the police search at times, had earlier this week already revealed the existence of the security footage, which they said showed Ahuriri heading towards the northern Hawke’s Bay town of Wairoa along State Highway 2. The highway was devastated by the cyclone and completely impassable in parts.

This new fuel stop footage puts Ahuriri 30km in the opposite direction from where police said he was last spotted on CCTV.

Ahuriri left his home in Gisborne on February 13 at about 4pm, driving south to Napier, and intending to return at about 2am the next day.

Ahuriri’s family said he had been visiting whānau in Hawke’s Bay and planned to return home but decided to stay at a Napier hotel because of worsening weather. He checked out of his hotel at 4.28am and was driving a white Toyota Hilux, registration DZH116.

During the past month, police supported by the NZ Defence Force and Urban Search and Rescue teams have conducted sweeps for Ahuriri and his vehicle, James said.

Search areas have included around Whakatu, Clive, Esk Valley, along the Napier-Taupo Rd (State Highway 5), State Highway 2, and many of the rural roads off SH5 and SH2.

This new information was a massive part in the “phase” of the search for the 40-year-old, Martin said, which was complicated by the fact that a lot of CCTV in the Hawke’s Bay area was not working at the time due to power failures.

Eastern District Commander Superintendent Jeanette Park has previously said police believed Ahuriri’s disappearance was unlikely to be cyclone-related, “although this cannot be fully ruled out”.

James said another part of this new phase of the search was interviewing the family and friends of Ahuriri.

“Regular contact has been maintained with his family who have been kept up-to-date with the investigation,” James said.

“Police continue to work hard to locate Joseph and appreciate the assistance from people who have come forward with information and CCTV footage.”

Police urged anyone on Seafield Rd and Glengarry Rd who has CCTV and who has not already been approached by Police to please make contact with police immediately.

Anyone who has information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact the Police by calling 105, or going online to 105.police.govt.nz using ‘Update Report’ and referencing 230225/2804.