The Almost Forgotten Unsolved Murder Of Diana Leafa, New Zealand, 2002.
The last point on Google Maps that shows the beach. This is in a settlement called
On Saturday 17th September 2002 a 23 year old woman disappeared from Whanganui, New Zealand’s North Island. The city and district has about 39,000 residents. It is a place of niche industries related to the sea and famous for growing pears.
Diana Leafa was a sex worker in this small place when she vanished. She was found on the beach near Waitotara Township on 9th October. The beach, Wainui, is about 40 km ( 25 miles ) from where she was last seen.
There are very few references to this poor woman’s murder on the internet. It is the least covered killing that I have seen. According to the New Zealand Herald the cops at first thought her death may have been as a result of an accident. The cause of death may have been confused by the 22 days she had been lying in the dunes.
They could not find anyone who had seen her in her last hours and no-one could explain how she got to the beach. After that they considered her a murder victim.
If you know different or have more information about this poor lady please let us know. I just looked at the NZ police website and she is not listed in among the cold cases. However, I cannot find any articles that have reviewed the unsolved murder and decided it was anything else. I could not even find a picture of this lady.
Take Care
Nina
Other NZ unsolved murders of lone women include:
