Teen’s death inquiry ongoing

Police are keeping tight-lipped about their investigation into Ariki Rigby’s homicide, almost a month after a car with the teenager’s body inside it was set alight in Havelock North. Detective Inspector Dave De Lange said yesterday that investigators were making “good progress”. They were still working through information and piecing together events leading up to the death. “We continue to encourage anyone with information to come forward and thank those that have already,” De Lange said. On September 5, police launched an “unexplained death” investigation when human remains were found in the burned-out car in a rural carpark near Havelock North. Days later the inquiry was upgraded to a homicide inquiry, and two-and-a-half weeks ago police revealed that the body was that of missing 18-year-old Rigby. Her last contact with her sister was via a text message on August 23. Police believe the car was driven to the carpark between 10pm on September 2 and 7am on September 3.