Family of woman who went missing from Tolaga Bay over a year ago release new campaign to find answers

February 27, 2021

They've now launched a social media campaign to keep Jamie Kaiwai's movements in the public's mind.

The family of missing woman Jamie Kaiwai are continuing to search for answers more than a year after she disappeared.

The 27-year-old's car was found at Tolaga Bay in October 2019.

Bloodied clothing and bedding were found in the car and hotel where she was staying.

The young mother had been battling mental health issues, search and rescue and the police dive squad scoured the area, but she was never found.

Police say there are no suspicious circumstances, but her family disagree.

They are using social media videos to keep her disappearance on people's minds.

"I think she was murdered," Jamie’s cousin Jonique Oli-Alainu'uese told 1 NEWS.

There were reported sightings of her, but nothing concrete and police didn't check her car or room for fingerprints.

"I think because of her mental illness and the history of her mental illness swayed the investigations and assumptions to suicide,” Jonique says.

“To just decide not to do forensics still blows my mind till this day. I don't understand how these things could be there and from very early on in the investigation to immediately decide that ‘oh she must've committed suicide’ that's a very quick assumption."

Her laptop and phone were examined but couldn't be cracked by police.

However, Jonique managed to unlock the phone and found her cousin had made a number of long journeys up and down the coast.

"I believe she was involved in drug moving and that's not like her, we're not a family that are involved in drugs and gangs and that, but I can’t say that she didn't get caught up in that."

1 NEWS put the family’s concerns to police and again were told there is nothing to suggest Jamie's disappearance is suspicious and the investigation is ongoing.

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