Shane Edwards’ whānau ‘grateful’ Tokoroa man’s remains found 2.5 years after his disappearance

Timua Brennan ONZM and her son Shane Edwards.

The Christchurch mother of a Tokoroa man missing for 2.5 years says his whānau are grateful his remains have been found but she still hopes for answers about how her “kind-hearted” son ended up in a “remote place”.

Police today confirmed the human remains found in Tokoroa, South Waikato, earlier this month had been identified as Shane Edwards, who was 42 when he went missing in 2022.

The police said “unusual circumstances” surrounded his disappearance and appealed for public help.

A former Rotorua man, Edwards (Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Ngāi Tahu) vanished from his Tokoroa home on May 14, 2022.

He had been living with his partner Alvina Smith and three of their four children. Smith has previously said they were all at home when he was last seen, and he was the “best dad in the world”.

Police and Shane’s brother, Dr Michael Edwards, previously described the case as a “complete mystery”.

‘He’s not lost anymore’

Timua Brennan, ONZM, told the Rotorua Daily Post the whānau were “extremely grateful” that her son was no longer a missing person.

“We’ve got closure, and he’s not lost anymore.”

Brennan said even though he had been found and identified, “we know that there’s more to come”.

“He didn’t walk there. It’s quite a remote place [where he was found] and it’s obviously a farmyard place.”

Tokoroa father Shane Edwards went missing on May 14, 2022.

Brennan did not know who found him or “anything” other than “my son was discovered”.

“The investigation will continue no doubt … "

Brennan said Edwards was still with the coroner and the whānau had made plans to hold a tangi once he was released.

“We just want to get him home first … "

Brennan acknowledged the families who were waiting for loved ones who were still missing.

A ‘great fisherman’ and ‘kind-hearted’ son

Brennan said Edwards and his twin sister were the youngest of her four children.

She was born and raised in Christchurch, while Edwards’ father was from Rotorua, she said.

The whānau moved from Christchurch to Rotorua in 1994.

Brennan said Edwards joined kapa haka concerts in Rotorua and was “totally immersed” in te ao Māori.

She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to opera singing and Māori performing arts, which showed “how immersed we are in kapa haka te ao Māori”.

Timua Brennan, ONZM, and her son Shane Edwards.

Brennan said Edwards sometimes worked with her at her tourism business – she had the contract on the Lakeland Queen boat doing concerts.

She moved back to Christchurch in 2019, the same year she last saw Edwards.

Brennan said she “basically lost contact” with her son during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She said he was a “great fisherman” who loved fishing for trout in Rotorua’s lakes.

Brennan described Edwards as “kind-hearted” and “passionate about his taiaha”.

Police ‘determined to uncover what happened’

In a statement, Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley said there were some “unusual circumstances” surrounding Edwards’ disappearance and police inquiries were ongoing.

“We are determined to uncover what happened and to provide answers for his family and loved ones.

“This is a tragic situation, and we extend our deepest condolences to Shane’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” Yardley said.

Police were appealing to anyone with information about Edwards’ movements prior to his disappearance or how he came to be located near Mossop Rd in Tokoroa to come forward.

Yardley said “even the smallest detail could be crucial”.

“We urge anyone who may have seen Shane leading up to his disappearance in May 2022, or who has any information, to contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police online or via 105 quoting file reference number 220518/6338.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

A police spokesman confirmed Edwards’ remains were identified through DNA.

Asked if anyone had been arrested in connection to Edwards’ death, if police had been able to rule anything out about his death, or whether police suspected anyone else was involved, he said there was nothing further to add at this stage.

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.