The mother of a young Kāpiti woman who went missing a year ago says police told her “she’s not coming home alive”.
Jasmin Gray has also shared new information about what may have happened with a purple suitcase police earlier called “significant” to the investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old Breanna Muriwai.
Today marks one year since Muriwai was reportedly last seen running off into the darkness at Te Horo Beach on the Kāpiti Coast. Despite an extensive investigation and tireless searches by Muriwai’s loved ones, she has not been seen since.
In a Facebook live post on the weekend, Muriwai’s mother, Gray, told more than 5000 viewers about her recent discussions with detectives, and shared a recording of a conversation with a man who claimed to have information about the suitcase.
“I did get to have a meeting with the detectives about three weeks ago,” Gray said.
“So I did ask them, I said to them I still hold on to a little bit of hope. You do as a parent, as a mum, you hold onto a glimmer of hope that Breanna’s still alive, that your baby’s still alive.
“I asked the detectives ‘is there still some hope Breanna’s gonna come back walking through the door?’ and they said ‘we’ve already told you, she’s not coming home alive’.”
Gray said she didn’t know what police knew that made them certain of this, but the answer from the detectives helped her “actually face reality.
“There’s no point holding on to that hope. I can face it a lot faster. I can eliminate some scenarios that have been going through my head,” she said.
“I felt in my heart from the beginning that she’s no longer earthside, but it’s just hard for me to process that. As a mother and a parent you hold on to hope. Hope is what gets you through. Now my hope and faith is in finding her so I can bring her home where she belongs.”
Muriwai disappeared from Te Horo Beach in the early hours of August 28, 2022. Police have interviewed two men she was with the night she died - but ended up with more questions than answers.
Muriwai was picked up on the Friday before her disappearance by a male friend from Wellington. They travelled to Palmerston North where they stayed until Saturday night.
The last CCTV images of Muriwai were captured at a liquor store in Palmerston North about 11.15am on the Saturday.
They began to head back to Muriwai’s home that evening, picking up another man on the way and continuing south. They stopped along the way several times, with a friend withdrawing money from Muriwai’s bank account during one of the stops.
Things became murky when Muriwai and others went to Te Horo Beach.
“Breanna is reported to have run off down the beach and has not been seen since,” Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson said.
Believed to be key to the investigation is the purple suitcase that was seen and photographed by a member of the public later on the morning of Muriwai’s disappearance. By the time police were told about the suitcase - found with Muriwai’s handbag - it had been removed from the beach.
In Gray’s video on Facebook, she played a recording of a conversation she had with a man who claimed to be the one who took the suitcase from the beach. The recording is said to have been taken about five months after Muriwai’s disappearance.
The man told Gray he received a phone call from one of the men believed to have been with Muriwai when she disappeared. He said the man asked him to head to the beach and pick up his “stuff”.
The man said he called the other person when he arrived at the beach. He found the suitcase with a handbag on top, which he said was wet and contained sand and a mask. Nearby he found what appeared to be a woman’s black shirt.
He said he peeked inside the suitcase and saw a pair of grey trackpants, and a white shirt, and that the other man asked him over the phone if his pants were in the area.
“I sort of walked around the area, couldn’t see anything. Then he said ‘is there anything else? Have a quick look, but get out of there,’” the man said in the recording.
He said he took the items, met up with the man, and believes the man took the suitcase away.
Gray said Muriwai’s phone was found on the shoreline at the beach about five weeks later. She said police have been able to charge and turn on the phone, leading her to believe it had not been on the beach for that whole time, but had been “placed there” by someone.
“All I want is my daughter home . . . anything else after that doesn’t matter to me at the moment, I’m only just dealing with that one process, the number one thing at the top of the list is bringing my girl home. There will never ever be justice so if they’re watching, that’s all I want, I just want my girl home,” Gray said.
“All you have to do is just help me to bring my daughter home, just give me the location. Just say where she is, that’s it. It will all be over and done with. They can do it anonymously as well.”
The Herald asked police about Gray’s claim detectives told her Muriwai would not be coming home alive. Police were also asked whether they had received Gray’s recording and if they had interviewed the man who said he picked up the suitcase.
The questions were sent to the officer in charge, who said they could not comment due to the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 105 phone service, referencing file number 220829/5320. Reports can also be made online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 and using ‘Update Report’.
Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
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