Source: Radio New Zealand
The family of a woman missing for eight months are “desperate to find her” and remain hopeful she is alive, police say.
Rowena Walker was reported missing by her mother on 22 October last year. Walker’s last confirmed sighting was on 14 August, when she was captured on CCTV in Christchurch on Bassett Street with an associate.
Police earlier said they had “grave concerns” for her and were considering the possibility she may have been the victim of foul play.
On Wednesday, Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan spoke to media at Christchurch’s Red Zone as police began to search the area which had been identified as an “area of interest”.
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
“We still don’t know what happened to Rowena or where she may be but we are committed to finding her,” Carolan said.
Walker lived nearby and the purpose of the search was to “be confident that we have left no stone unturned in looking for her”.
“To date, there’s no evidence that Rowena left Christchurch before going missing and we believe that she was in this area around the time that she disappeared.
“The investigation has conducted several inquiries in this area, and today’s search is a part of those inquiries.”
Carolan said a “massive amount of work” had been done since August to find any piece of evidence that could lead them to Walker.
Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan speaks to media about Rowena Walker. LOUIS DUNHAM / RNZ
“It’s nearly impossible for a person to live their life without leaving a footprint of some kind, which is why we have such grave fears for Rowena’s wellbeing.
“We are mindful that it isn’t just police looking for answers. Rowena’s family is understandably desperate to find her, and they remain hopeful that she is alive and will be found. At the heart of our efforts is a woman who was much loved and is sorely missed by her whānau.”
Police Search and Rescue alongside Specialist Search teams would be searching both land and water in the red zone.
“We’ll be searching here until we are satisfied that we have covered every base, and that may take a few days,” Carolan said.
“This search is just one part of the wider investigation. I can’t predict what it will turn up, but even small finds can be impactful to an investigation like this.”
Rowena Walker seen on CCTV. Supplied
Carolan said there was “nothing specific”, such as information from the public, that led police to search the area.
Carolan said she was in regular contact with Walker’s family, in particular her mother who was looking after her children.
“She’s desperate. She is making her way through life, very hopeful that Rowena will come home.”
She said there would be some grid searching of the area.
“Through the vegetated areas and along the waterways, probing into the ground, just in the hopes of finding anything that really is out of place and doesn’t belong.”
Asked if that included looking for a body, Carolan replied: “We can’t rule that possibility out. I hope that that’s not the case, but we have to consider that that might be the case.”
‘Hugely concerning’
In an earlier interview with RNZ, Carolan said the fact Walker had been missing without any trace was “hugely concerning”.
“Rowena is a vulnerable person in the community, and we have to consider the possibility that she’s been the victim of foul play. We are keeping an open mind and exhausting all lines of inquiry, including that possibility. Rowena’s mother is caring for some of her grandchildren, and it’s really important that those kids have an answer as to where mum has gone.”
Asked if police had any persons of interest, Carolan said police were “talking to a number of people” and following every lead available.
“I won’t go into specifics of that, but it is fair to say that we’re sticking to everybody who is made known to us.”
Carolan said Walker was “reasonably transient” and was known to have family and associates all over the country.
“We don’t want to rule out any region of New Zealand, if there’s, if there’s somebody who would like to talk to us, who knows something about what has happened to her, we will speak to anybody from anywhere in the country,” she said.
Carolan said there will be someone out there who knows what happened to Walker.
“We are looking for more information, and we’re interested in hearing from anybody in the community who has anything to provide, whether they think it might not be very significant. We’d rather hear about it and make that assessment for ourselves. So we appeal to everybody in the community to come forward with any information that they have.”
She said the “best case scenario” was that Walker was alive and well.
“And for whatever reason, keeping herself to herself, and I would say to her that she’s got family and friends who are extremely worried about her and kids who miss her very, very much. And if that is the case, we would appeal to her to please, reach out to somebody.”
Police wanted to thank all members of the public who had provided information so far or had assisted in the search for Rowena.
Anyone with information that can assist in locating her is asked to contact police online at 105.police.govt.nz or call 105, referencing file number 251022/9026.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
