‘I want to do things for Ariki’: Permanent memorial planned for teen murder victim

The family of a slain teen whose body was set alight in a dumped car are planning a permanent memorial for her at the scene of the horrendous crime.

And they will make an application to Hasting District Council (HDC) officials for financial help to make their memorial dream come to life.

It is now more than seven months since Ariki Rigby, 18, was killed in Hawke’s Bay; with police saying the investigation is at a “sensitive” stage and they were hopeful of making those responsible face justice.

Ariki’s body was belatedly discovered in the back of a torched car, two days after the presence of the car dumped at River Road Recreational Reserve was first reported to the police.

The site where the car was dumped has since been the scene of a temporary memorial since, with family members and friends placing letters, cards, trinkets, helium balloons and solar-powered lights around it.

Her sister Anaherā Rigby said she was determined that it would not always be such a place of sorrow, but one where happy memories could be shared.

Seats at the current temporary memorial for Ariki Rigby at River Road Recreational Reserve, Havelock North. Photo / Neil Reid

“I want to do things for Ariki. I want to get Ariki’s site renovated,” Anaherā told the Herald.

Anaherā recently launched a givelittle page with funds generated to go towards the cost of a headstone for Ariki’s unveiling, a memorial wake and a permanent memorial.

T-shirts – emblazoned with ‘Justice for Ariki – Aroha for Ariki’ - are also being sold online to raise further funds.

Anaherā said she was also going to HDC for a council grant which, if successful, would go towards the cost of a memorial at River Road Recreational Reserve.

She spoke to council officials in late 2022, but a hoped-for meeting earlier this year was curtailed due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

Auckland-based Anaherā now plans to visit the council in late May while travelling to Wellington for a June 1 march in Wellington which is aimed to raise awareness of missing persons and unresolved cases.

Police say the homicide investigation into Ariki Rigby's death has reached a sensitive stage. Photo / Supplied

The march has been organised with the family of Breanna Muriwai, who was last seen on the Kāpiti Coast on August 28.

“When you are applying for council grants, you also have to prove that you are using other ways of trying to afford your project,” she said of her hopes. “You can’t just expect to get a grant and that is the only income for it.”

A HDC spokesperson said they sent their condolences to the Rigby family for the loss of Ariki.

They confirmed a staff member had previously spoken to Anaherā but “circumstances have meant they haven’t had a formal meeting with her about the possibility of a permanent memorial, and what that may look like”.

“A temporary memorial has been left in place as a sign of respect, and if there was to be any thought of removing the tributes laid there, we would not do so without speaking to the whānau first,” the spokesperson said.

Anahera Rigby, pictured with cousin Michael Ngahuka, is on a mission to make sure her late sister has a permanent memorial. Photo / Supplied

HDC offers a range of permanent memorials on its website, including chairs (which feature plaques), trees and stand-alone plaques.

Of those options, seats cost about $3500, while plaques are up to $350.

Anaherā told the Herald last week that she believed “jealousy and drugs” were the likely motives for her sister’s brutal death.

She said she also believed Ariki was “either doing drugs or selling them”.

As well as suffering multiple bone breaks, Ariki’s hands and feet were chopped off and discarded, Anaherā said.

Anaherā said her sister was forthright in her opinions and backed herself, and believed that could have contributed to her death.

“She let people know that [what she thought of herself], but in a way, that probably hurt ... she was probably upping herself to them and downing them,” she said.

Anaherā said if her belief was true, then it showed those who were responsible were “truly messed up”. She has previously said she believed multiple gang-affiliated people were involved.

Ariki’s older sister has made repeated calls over the past seven months for those who know who killed her sister to come forward to the police or Crimestoppers.

The nature of her sister’s death had left Anaherā heartbroken.

But the work she has been doing recently to try and organise a permanent memorial – as well as Ariki’s headstone, unveiling, memorial wake and the June 1 Justice march in Wellington – had given her a renewed sense of purpose.

Shirts are set to be sold with funds raised to contribute towards teen homicide victim Ariki Rigby's headstone, unveiling and a permanent memorial. Photo / Supplied

“I am quite excited for all of this stuff to happen,” she said.

“I am learning quite a lot of things, which I love; being on the organising team for the march, organising an unveiling and things like that.

“I always find my cup is full doing all of this kind of stuff.

“I believe we will have a lot of people at the march [in Wellington]. The march is for the girls [Ariki and Breanna], and everyone else [who is missing or has been killed].

“I am actually having fun because I am doing this all for my sister. It is taking me out of dwelling; I guess I don’t cry now much these days because I am too busy to cry.

“Even when I get my ‘down’ time now, I just know my sister doesn’t want me to be like that.”