Who killed Jane Furlong? Murder revisited in Herald’s A Moment In Crime podcast

The disappearance of Auckland teen mum Jane Furlong is one of New Zealand’s most enduring cold cases.

The 17-year-old was last seen alive on Karangahape Rd in May 1993 and there was no sign of her - at all - until her remains were found buried in sand dunes on a remote Auckland beach almost 20 years later.

Police are certain there are people out there who know exactly what happened to Furlong and can help them solve this case.

Although more than 30 years have passed since she was taken and killed, they are still appealing for those with the missing puzzle pieces to finally come forward.

“Investigations like this are never closed,” Detective Inspector Chris Barry said.

“Police will never give up on seeking justice against the person, or persons, who did Jane harm.

“It is our hope that we will be able to bring some closure for Jane and her loved ones after all this time.”

In the latest episode of Herald podcast A Moment In Crime, senior journalist Anna Leask goes back through the investigation into Furlong’s disappearance and death, dubbed Operation Darlia.

Furlong had been doing part-time sex work and was last seen at her usual spot on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd on the night of May 26 1993.

Her boyfriend Dani Norsworthy dropped her off and went to check on a car that had broken down.

When he returned later Furlong was not at her spot and he assumed she was with a client.

When she had not returned to K Rd by 1am he went straight to the central police station to report her missing.

Jane Furlong, in a photo released by NZ Police.

Police were immediately concerned as Furlong had been working with them on several criminal investigations - agreeing to give evidence against two men facing serious violent and sex charges at upcoming trials.

They worried she had become the victim of foul play given the fact she was going to testify against dangerous and gang-connected offenders.

An exhaustive and extensive investigation produced no leads.

No sightings. No crime scene. No body.

Furlong had vanished without a trace.

Who was Jane Furlong?

Jane Maree Furlong was born in Auckland on Tuesday September 23, 1975.

She was the third child - the first girl - for Judith and Michael.

Furlong was a beautiful baby with big brown eyes and a wide smile.

She grew into a mischievous child who was always on the lookout for adventure and seemed to be fearless.

When Furlong was 7 her parents split. Several years later her mother could not cope with the financial pressure of raising three children and paying multiple mortgages and put the girl and one of her brothers into care.

It was supposed to be a temporary measure but Furlong ended up in foster care, living with two different families.

Furlong was not happy and her mother agreed to send her to boarding school in Whangārei.

Shortly after, Furlong arrived back in Auckland - hitchhiking to a mate’s place with gang members.

Jane Furlong. Photo / Supplied by NZ Police

Judith Furlong agreed her daughter could live with a friend and the teen went back to school.

Furlong was bright and had hopes for the future; she wanted to train as a child psychologist.

She excelled at English, loved to write and was known for her poetry.

But school was not for her and she began to wag and get up to mischief.

At 15, a man offered her money to perform a sexual act and Furlong began to dabble in sex work to make money.

She met Norsworthy around the same time.

By the time Furlong was 17 the couple had a child, a baby boy they named Aidan.

When he was 1 month old he went to live with Nortsworthy’s parents and a month after that Furlong returned to K Rd to work.

Usually the couple would taxi to the city. As Furlong worked, Norsworthy would stay nearby, jotting down the licence plate numbers of clients and keeping an eye on his partner.

The night she vanished

The last official sighting of Furlong was at 8.30pm on May 26, 1993 outside Rendells department store on K Rd - her usual spot.

She and Norsworthy arrived on K Rd in a taxi from their Ōnehunga flat.

Furlong got out and Norsworthy carried on in the taxi to go and check on a vehicle that needed repairs.

When he returned to K Rd, Furlong was not there.

Assuming she was on a job, he went to see friends in Grey Lynn.

Dani Norsworthy and Jane Furlong. Photo / Judith Furlong Collection

An hour later Furlong was still not back.

By 1am Norsworthy was panicking - Furlong never took that long with clients and he was concerned something had happened to her.

He went to the nearby police station and reported her missing.

Police launched into action immediately when they realised who Furlong was and her connection to the upcoming trials.

Furlong had witnessed an assault by gang members and agreed to give evidence for the Crown at a trial.

She had also agreed to give evidence at the trial for a man named Stephen Collie who was facing a raft of charges relating to the sexual and physical assaults of sex workers.

And she was involved in a third police investigation after she and Norsworthy had been involved in an altercation where a crossbow was presented.

Within hours of Furlong being reported missing police were crawling over the flat she shared with Norsworthy, combing the place for any clues or evidence.

Orginal Missing person notice circulated among taxi drivers regarding the dissapearance of Jane Furlong in 1993.

Furlong’s name and face and details of the investigation were broadcast widely in the Herald and other newspapers, the television news and radio. Police exhausted all avenues they could to find any trace of the missing teenager.

But there were no leads, no sightings.

Days, weeks and months passed with no sign of Jane.

The time spiralled into years, then decades.

Operation Darlia became a cold case and Jane’s name became synonymous with one of the most baffling mysteries in New Zealand.

Whodunnit?

As time went on, police continued to investigate leads and worked with Furlong’s family and friends along the way.

But Norsworthy went cold on the Operation Darlia team.

For many years suspicion had fallen on him, many believing he was the main offender in whatever had happened to Furlong.

He eventually stopped talking to police and refused to engage with them about the investigation.

Others on the police radar included Stephen Collie, the man Furlong was set to testify against at a trial.

The businessman had been charged with a string of violent sexual attacks on eight women, most of them prostitutes.

Judith Furlong says her hope of finding daughter Jane alive faded long ago. Photo / Greg Bowker

Over the years police came out - to quell ongoing speculation - and said they did not consider Collie was connected to Furlong’s disappearance.

They made no arrests.

Furlong’s case stayed cold and despite the efforts by the police and Judith Furlong - who has dedicated most of her life to keeping her daughter’s name in the minds of the public - no one got any closer to finding out what happened to the teen mum.

Her story and reenactments featured on Crimewatch and on controversial psychic “investigation” show Sensing Murder.

Calls came into police, but nothing led them to Furlong.

Until one call in May 2012.

Finding Jane

In May 2012, Operation Darlia got the best piece of evidence to date.

Real evidence.

Jane Furlong was found.

On the morning of May 26, a woman walking her dog at a remote Auckland beach made a grisly discovery.

Sunset Beach is located at Port Waikato, on the southern side of the Waikato River where it meets the Tasman Sea.

It’s a small beach - just 3km long - an hour and 20 minutes’ drive from Auckland.

The area had never been highlighted by the Operation Darlia team until that morning in May.

The skeleton was buried deep in the sand dunes but years of erosion led to part of it becoming visible.

The woman called 111 and police converged on the area.

Initially police could say little about the remains but about a week later they confirmed they believed the victim was a woman aged 15 to 25 who had died more than 10 years ago.

Police whittled down a list of 100 missing persons fitting the particulars to about 30, Furlong among them.

Judith Furlong at the Port Waikato memorial site where her daughter Jane's remains were discovered. Photo / Michael Craig

It took a while for the bones to be formally identified - using extensive DNA testing - and a month after the discovery police confirmed it was the 17-year-old.

Operation Darlia was escalated from a missing person investigation to homicide and police again appealed for information.

“We’re in this for the long haul though, so we need people to stay interested in the long-term outcome of our investigation into who killed Jane Furlong,” the officer in charge at the time, Detective Inspector Mark Benefield, said.

“Tell us what we need to know so we can get justice for Jane.”

Judith Furlong also spoke about the sad discovery.

“I still can’t believe it really - after all of this time,” she said.

“It’s pretty amazing. There has been quite a bit of closure.

“It’s still a waiting game. I’m confident police will make an arrest. My hope for 2013? I’d like to see a breakthrough in the case, I’d still really love to see some justice ... before I leave this planet.”

Two months after her body was found, a funeral was finally held for Furlong.

About 100 family - including Norsworthy and Aidan - friends and police gathered at St George’s Anglican Church in Epsom.

Jane Furlong's coffin at her funeral. Photo / Natalie Slade

Mourners were shown a slideshow of Furlong - from her as an infant to the last photos ever taken of her with her own baby - with her favourite Guns N’ Roses song, Sweet Child of Mine, playing as a tribute.

Judith Furlong spoke, reminding everyone Jane was more than a murder victim and more than a sex worker.

She was chatty, bright, outgoing and loved.

“For as long as I can remember Jane had a daring and fearless spirit,” Judith said.

“She did not deserve this evil. And evil is what it was.

“There are still more questions than answers in this case. I hope to meet you Jane in heaven where the truth will be revealed.”

When Furlong’s coffin was carried from the church, pallbearers included Norsworthy and their son Aidan.

At that stage he was still refusing to engage with police on the investigation into his girlfriend’s murder.

Among the pallbearers of Jane Furlong's coffin, 19 years after her disappearance, were her boyfriend Dani Norsworthy (left) and their son Aidan (right). Photos / Natalie Slade, Supplied

The year after Furlong was found, police announced a $50,000 reward for anyone who provided information or evidence that would lead to the conviction of her killer.

While some leads were called in, there was still no arrest.

In 2019 Furlong’s story featured on true crime show Cold Case and detectives revealed they were hopeful new witnesses would come forward as a result of the renewed publicity.

By then, Detective Inspector Paul Newman was running Operation Darlia.

“We are revisiting and looking at the crucial time period when Jane was last seen, and the type of people that were around her … some of the evidence we gathered around the build-up in the previous months.”

Detective Inspector Mark Benefield announces a $50,000 reward for information on Jane Furlong's murder. Photo / Michael Craig

Newman said he wanted to dig deeper into the crowds Furlong was associated with and “what potential motive was there for people to kill her”.

“On the show we look at issues around conflict she had with other people, other groups in the lead-up - we’re focused on that,” he said.

“There are a couple of people that show up in several of those incidents and that’s the angle we’re taking.

“We’re trying to work on that and see what drops out.”

Newman hoped some of the people involved would either see the show or hear about it, and come forward.

“There is a timeline we still have to account for and we have questions around some people’s movements and people who could corroborate or refute alibis,” he said.

Those people were “a mix” of individuals yet to make themselves known to the Operation Darlia team and others who had so far refused to engage.

Newman would not name those people.

On the show he revealed a strong person of interest connected to the crossbow attack.

He said the person of interest was an “associate” of Furlong and Dani and it was thought she owed money to him.

On the night of her disappearance, an employee at a K Rd massage parlour said they saw Furlong being pursued into the establishment by two “heavies”, who said she owed them money for drugs.

The day after her disappearance, the person of interest missed a scheduled court appearance.

Dani Norsworthy was Jane Furlong's partner when she went missing. Photo / Doug Sherring

By the time Cold Case aired Judith Furlong had resigned herself to never finding out what happened to her daughter.

“I think it’s been too long; if these things are going to be solved they are usually solved much earlier,” she said.

“There are definitely people who know what happened to Jane, and the killer knows … they are pathetic really, they are obviously too weak to say anything.

“I don’t have much hope, I don’t think this will be solved in my lifetime.

“Just getting her back was the important thing. That was amazing, after 19 years. I never thought that would happen and whoever put her there probably didn’t either.

“That was excellent for me … now whatever happens, I don’t know … it will be interesting to see.”

Robbed - Furlong’s son speaks

When he was 19, Aidan spoke to the Herald on Sunday about his mother’s disappearance.

“I feel robbed I didn’t have the chance to get to know her. Even now I think of her pretty much every day - I always have, I always will,” he said.

“I have had to deal with not having a mum all my life and wondering what happened to her.

“I have a few photos of her that’s all I have. And now I am older than she was when she died, which is kind of a sad situation.”

Jane Furlong and Dani Norsworthy's son, Aidan Norsworthy. Photo / Facebook

Aiden was raised by Norsworthy’s parents, who told him from an early age that his mother was taken away and had been a sex worker at times.

“My mum was young when she had me and she had to do what she had to do to support me ... I don’t think any the less of her - she is my mum,” he said.

“I want to know what happened to my mother and find out who is responsible for doing this to her.

“It would really help me if I knew who did this to her.”

Norsworthy finally speaks

In 2019, Norsworthy finally agreed to speak to police again.

His father John told the Herald on Sunday the man had relented after years of police persistence.

He explained the pain of losing Furlong might explain why his son had refused to speak for so long.

“I would imagine 20 years ago it was a painful experience and he didn’t want to go through it all again,” he said.

“He can’t tell them anything new.

“He told them everything he knew back then.

“On occasions, he spoke to us about Jane but it’s all a mystery to him, as it is to everybody else.”

Detective Inspector Paul Newman.

Newman confirmed police had spoken to Norsworthy and hoped to spend more time with him in future.

“We would welcome further, more in-depth discussions to progress the investigation,” he said.

But police never got the answers they hoped for.

Norsworthy died in March 2022.

He had been battling serious health issues for some time.

He was in his 40s.

“Mr Norsworthy was one of the last people to see Jane before her disappearance,” Newman said.

“The information he provided police was important as it enabled the investigation to piece together Jane’s movements before she went missing.”

Newman has not shared what exactly Norsworthy told police because, should the case ever reach prosecution, his evidence could be entered by way of a statement to the court, under provisions made by the Evidence Act.

Still seeking answers

Furlong’s family and friends will never give up hope for answers but are realistic the case may never be solved.

Barry told the Herald police will not give up.

“Operation Darlia remains an active investigation more than 30 years after Jane’s death,” he said.

“There can be a variety of complex reasons why people hold onto information.

“However, people’s relationships and their allegiances change with the passing of time, and there will be a time when they need to share the information they have.

“I continue to encourage anyone with any information on Jane’s death or those who were involved to come forward and contact the police.”

Herald podcast A Moment In Crime has reached one million downloads.

A Moment In Crime - a Herald podcast

Episodes of A Moment In Crime are usually released monthly. So far, Leask has covered 44 cases including the murders of Grace Millane, Scott Guy, Austin Hemmings, Carmen Thomas, Karen Aim; the deaths of the Kahui Twins, the Edgeware Rd murders, the Christchurch House of Horrors and the massacres at Raurimu and Aramoana.

You can listen to the podcast on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Last this year a three-part special covered the case of rich lister and philanthropist James Wallace who was convicted of sexually assaulting three men and was jailed and had his knighthood stripped from him as a result.

A Moment In Crime has topped the overall and true crime charts on numerous occasions and has listeners across the globe from New Zealand to Vatican City.

The podcast won a silver award in the true crime category at the inaugural New Zealand Podcast Awards in 2021.

It was also nominated in 2022.

Leask has a number of intriguing and controversial cases lined up for the podcast in 2024 including whodunnits, mysteries of missing people and the most scandalous of Kiwi court cases.

If you have a crime or case you would like to hear more about, email anna.leask@nzme.co.nz

CAN YOU HELP?

If you know what happened to Jane Furlong or have information that could help the Operation Darlia police team - please come forward.

Contact police on 0800 2653 2273 (0800 COLD CASE) or click here to submit information online.

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or click here to offer information online.