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Following the formal identification of the body found in dense bush in Pukekohe last week as missing woman, Te Anihana Pomana, police say they are not treating her death as a homicide.
Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend, Auckland Central Area Investigations Manager, said Pomana’s whānau have now been notified.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with Te Anihana’s whānau and friends at this difficult time,” Friend said.
Police told the Franklin Times that Pomana’s death has been referred to the coroner. They confirmed they are not seeking anyone else in relation to her death and that it is not being treated as a homicide.
Pomana was found at around 7.43pm on Saturday, 22 November, when officers searching bushland on the outskirts of Pukekohe located a body strongly believed to be hers. Police had been examining the area as part of the ongoing search for the 25-year-old, whose disappearance prompted weeks of appeals, whānau-led searches and nationwide support.
Pomana was last seen on August 21 after leaving SkyCity in central Auckland shortly after 5am and walking west along Victoria Street West. Many of her belongings were later found left behind, and despite wide-ranging CCTV enquiries, police were unable to confirm any sightings after that point.
Her whānau, most of whom are based in the South Island, travelled to Auckland to assist with search efforts and maintain public attention on the case.
Police issued multiple appeals. On September 5, Friend said there had been “no sightings despite exhaustive efforts” and concern for her wellbeing was increasing. A further update on September 11 confirmed police held “grave concerns for her safety”.
Investigators also looked into suggestions Pomana may have travelled to Northland or the South Island, but no verified sightings were ever confirmed.
Pomana’s whānau established a Givealittle page to support travel and accommodation costs as they searched alongside police. They described her disappearance as “unbearable” and said her absence had left “a hole in our hearts”.
A dedicated Facebook page, Always Ani, gained more than 6,000 followers and became a central hub for updates, appeals and messages of support.
A post-mortem has been completed, and the coroner will now determine the cause and circumstances of Pomana’s death.
