Name: Luana Williams
Date of birth: 27/07/1960
Date of disappearance: 05/06/1986
Ethnicity: European
Location: Tauranga
Build: Medium
Circumstances:
Luana was last seen at her home in Gate Pa, Tauranga on 5 June 1986 at about 6pm, by her partner. Her partner and his mate returned home from the pub at 4am to find she had gone. The house was open and the pets were inside, which was unusual.Williams was reported missing by her then partner..
There was no sign of struggle,but there was definitely an indication she was taken from there.
The door was unlocked, the lights were on, the fire guard was away from the fire and Luana’s half-finished drink and cigarettes were on the table.
She was declared legally dead in 1998, but the case remains unsolved and a body has never been found.
In 2006, human bones were found at McLaren Falls.
A week after a psychic investigation of the 20-year-old unsolved murder of Luana Williams was aired on television, police took two archaeologists to examine skeletal remains discovered at the reserve.
In TV2 show Sensing Murder, three psychics independently identified a spot at the falls as the burial site of Williams.
A man phoned police the day after the show screened, saying he knew of a skull at the falls.
But his discovery was kilometres away from the spot the pyschics were drawn to – at the top lake end of McLaren Falls.
Inquiry head Detective Sergeant Eddie Lyttle and the two archaeologists were staggered by what they found yesterday afternoon.
Three skeletons were found – but none of them was Williams’ remains.
In 2013, the case was reopened, and police offered $50,000 for information that will lead to her being found, or a conviction for her death or disappearance. Detective Inspector Mark Loper told reporters the situation may have changed.
“We know over time allegiances and associations change,” he said.
“There may be people in the fringe group … [who] may have information and may at this time be willing to part with this,” he said.
Police processes and technology had advanced, he said. They had a “number of persons of interest” and were keeping an open mind over suspects.
While the review of the case that sparked the reward started 18 months ago, new information had come to light.
He would not comment on what that information was.
“I am not prepared to be specific about the new information as I will not do anything that will be detrimental to the ongoing investigation,” he said.
“A number of inquiries fell out of the review and as we carried out those inquiries we received information from members of the public which we are now actively pursuing.”
It had taken the investigation in a different direction but “beyond that I cannot comment”, he said.
Complaints had been laid previously about the way police handled the case, but Loper said: “I can’t comment on what’s gone wrong before we got involved. Our focus is to take the inquiry forward.”
To this day no one has been charged in this case and Luana’s remains have never been found.
Anyone with information relevant to Operation Williams is asked to contact Tauranga police on 07 577 4300.
Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=10935403
https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/82810-new-leads-luana-williams-case.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9420929/Luana-Williams-cold-case-
New Zealand Mysteries 