Police defend 22-day search for body

Police are satisfied they did everything right despite taking 22 days to eventually find the body of a missing woman about 325m from her home.

Cristel De Vetten, 30, was known to have been suffering from depression when she disappeared from her Matua Block home, north of Kerikeri, on February 10.

Her body was found on Saturday about 25m beyond a 300m radius search area around her home.

An extensive search had been mounted in the bush and scrub-covered area surrounding the home after Ms De Vetten disappeared, leaving her four-year- old son alone.

Police had announced two days before the body was found that an area of the Matua Block that had already been searched would be searched again and a fresh area would also be covered.

Detective Sergeant Rhys Johnston of Kaikohe police has defended the decision to have limited the earlier search to a 300m perimeter around the house.

The search area had been recommended by Far North Search and Rescue, in keeping with normal search procedures, he said.

"We are happy that the search was carried out very satisfactorily and professionally by Search and Rescue."

Extensive air, sea and land searches and a cadaver-searching dog had failed to find the body.

However, the dog had not been used in the area where the body was eventually located, Mr Johnston said.

Earlier plans to take four dogs into the search had fallen through because they were not available.

A search planned for last Wednesday had also been called off and rescheduled for Saturday, due to a resourcing problem, Mr Johnston said.

He declined to comment on whether the search was called off because, considering the length of time that had passed and the proximity to the property, it had become evident there was a body nearby. Ms De Vetten's body was recovered from dense bush that the recovery team had to cut its way through.

Open space

Mr Johnston said Ms Vetten had reached the area by another route through more open space.

At the time of her disappearance she was known to have been depressed, and had been embroiled in custody issues with her son's estranged father.

Ms De Vetten had left the house she shared with her partner John Craven a short time after Work and Income staff had visited the couple about benefits, on the morning of February 10.

The child was found two hours later by Mr Craven, who had himself left the house only minutes after the Work and Income staff had gone.

He had been burning gorse nearby until returning to the house at midday.

Family members and friends said it was uncharacteristic for Ms De Vetten to have left her child alone.

None of her personal effects were missing.

Police had "kept an open mind" throughout the search and there had been no evidence of foul play.

Ms De Vetten's funeral will be held tomorrow.

A post mortem was carried out on Saturday. Further forensic tests were to be carried out today.

The cause of death will be determined by a coroner.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)