Sister’s ‘beautiful’ mission: Hopes of ending sorrow at place where murdered teen was discovered | T-10 NEWS

When dusk falls on Hawke’s Bay, a series of solar lights placed around the spot teen murder victim Ariki Rigby’s body was found now shine brightly.

The solar lights have been installed at a memorial garden set up by loved ones of the 18-year-old at the site where her badly burned body was discovered in a torched car at River Road Recreational Reserve on the outskirts of Havelock North.

Individual letters have been placed around the exact spot the car was set alight – with the ground still displaying burn marks seven weeks on from the crime that shocked Hawke’s Bay – spelling out “Aroha” and “Ariki”.

The garden features an assortment of real and plastic flower tributes.

Handwritten and painted tributes included an assortment of cards, one of which says “I love you”.

Along the rusted metal railings on the edgings of the carpark where the car was torched and abandoned, “Ariki” is written in pink paint.

Helium balloons have also been placed over the past couple of weeks; including some on what would have been her 19th birthday this month. A bright yellow one – which has since deflated – featured the message: “Justice for Ariki”.

As police continue to hunt Ariki’s killers – they say they are making “good progress” – her heartbroken older sister Anaherā Rigby said while it was “nice” that grievers were visiting to pay their respects, she wanted the spot to eventually not be known as a place of tragedy.

“I would love for that place to be so beautiful,” Anaherā said.

“I have great plans for that place. Everyone goes there to mourn her . . . I know that. It is a hard place to go to.”

On what would have been Ariki’s 19th birthday, family members and kaumatua braved wind and rain to hold a service in her honour and bless the site.

Almost seven weeks have now passed since Ariki’s body was found in a burned-out car.

The 18-year-old was killed during an unplanned holiday in Hawke’s Bay to see her father and step-mother. Anaherā believes her life was brutally ended on the day that she was scheduled to return to Auckland.

Anaherā also said she believed her sister was beaten to death before being dumped in the car, which was then torched.

She also made an impassioned plea for those who know who did it stop “protecting” them.

“My baby sister didn’t deserve to die like that. Even if she wasn’t my sister, nobody deserves to die like that . . . beaten up, shoved in the back of a car and then torched and then left there.

“Maybe they love these people and they don’t want to turn them in. But they need to remember that those people are dangerous. They took a little girl’s life, she was only 18 years old. She had a whole life in front of her.

“Our community isn’t safe with them walking around, even if they are your family or your friends. They could do it again.”

Anaherā and Ariki had a strong bond.

Anaherā said the past seven weeks had been tough on the entire family, but she was trying to stay positive about the police investigation and also fill her thoughts with happy memories of her younger sister.

She remembered her as a vibrant young woman who had huge plans for the future.

“My sister wanted to do everything,” Anaherā said.

“She wanted to save up and travel around the world.

“She was coming back to Auckland, she had a job interview . . . she had everything going for her. I was so proud of her . . . my sister wanted to change the world and have everyone come together.

“She was such a free spirit. I was so proud of her and told her to, ‘Stay safe sister wherever you go’.”

Ariki – born and raised in Hawke’s Bay – had lived in Auckland for the past year.

“She was going to go and see our little brother in King Country, but he wasn’t home, ” Anaherā said of Ariki’s trip. “So she changed her mind and went to Hawke’s Bay instead.”

She had spent a month in Hawke’s Bay.

“That very day that they did this to her, she was supposed to come home,” she said.

“She even put a status on Facebook that she was coming home and whoever wanted to come and visit her to see her before she left [for Auckland].”

She said police had told the family they were making “good progress” with the homicide investigation.

Family members were also being pro-active in trying to uncover information that could lead to arrests, including putting up flyers around Hastings and Flaxmere.

The A4 sheets of paper feature two photos of Ariki, with the message: “Any information on Ariki Rigby’s death would be much appreciated”.

“Family want, and deserve closure. We won’t rest until we do. We’ll find out who did this to our girl. You didn’t deserve this!”

The flyers include Crime Stopper’s tip line where anonymous tips can be made.

Anaherā said any information the family received was also being reported straight to police.

“We are very hopeful and confident that with whatever information they have they will find them [those responsible] soon,” she said.

• Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 105 quoting file number 220905/1265. Information could also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.