Family of missing Marlborough woman reaches out to Scott Watson 'Elementary' author Ian Wishart

Thursday, 13 June 2019

Jessica Boyce was last seen on March 19.

The family of Jessica Boyce has reached out to Scott Watson author Ian Wishart for advice on searching for the missing Marlborough woman.

Boyce's cousin Aaron Goodwin said in a Facebook post he contacted Wishart to 'see what his feelings are on Jess's disappearance'.

'Elementary' author Ian Wishart has told Boyce family members to retrace her electronic footprint.

Goodwin described Wishart on the private 'Help Find Jess' page as a 'dedicated investigator'.

'Regardless of whether or not people agree with his conclusions in that particular case, nobody can deny the man is a dedicated investigator … ' Goodwin wrote.

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Two hikers found the red ute Boyce took to Lake Chalice, in the forest park, on March 22.

The family have ramped up efforts to find Boyce, almost three months since she disappeared, included fundraising for a $50,000 reward and contacting TVNZ's Police Ten 7.

Wishart, editor of Investigate Magazine, released his book Elementary in 2016, where he examined the disappearance of Ben Smart, 21, and Olivia Hope, 17, in 1998.

A missing person's poster of Boyce at Watery Mouth Cafe, in Blenheim.

Scott Watson was convicted of the double murder in 1999. He has served 20 years of his life sentence. His claims of innocence have continued to divide New Zealand.

Wishart said he was 'not familiar' with Boyce's case, but that people often left an 'electronic footprint', which could be retraced by family members to help uncover clues.

The family of Jess Boyce was bombarded with messages after it appeared she was active on Facebook last month.

'But it's important for them [the family] to note down anything that they find, as even the smallest detail might become relevant when something else emerges down the track,' he said.

'I think her online history leading up to her disappearance would be critical in showcasing who she communicated with, what her movements were and when she was active.

SUPPLIEDBoyce's cousin Aaron Goodwin, left, and Boyce's friend Sharmaine Aberhart-Thompson with a poster of the missing Renwick woman.

'The mystery at the moment is where has she gone and what has happened. It's hard to speculate as to what's gone on barring electronic footprints, which could tell a lot.'

Boyce was last seen on March 19, driving her mother's ute. Two hikers found the ute near Lake Chalice, in the Mount Richmond Forest Park, 90 minutes west of Blenheim, on March 22.

Inside the ute were Boyce's wallet, spiritual crystals and phone, with no sim card. The car was unlocked and the front windows were down.

Goodwin reached out to Wishart after an admin error caused Boyce's Facebook account to post a vehicle advertisement to a Nelson buy, sell and trade Facebook page. Wishart had since joined the 'Help Find Jess' page.

'It's just one of those things where the family needs people to care enough to keep an eye out,' Wishart said.

In a Facebook post earlier this month, Goodwin said the family was fundraising for a $50,000 reward, and had raised $915.

Goodwin said to claim the reward, people had to provide information which led to Boyce 'or, worst case scenario, her body'. The family would not split the reward among multiple people, he said.

Earlier this month, friends and family reached out to Police Ten 7, a television series used by police to help solve more serious crimes, and urged them to cover Boyce's case.

Police Ten 7 responded to a family friend saying the series only featured cases submitted by police officers. The friend posted a picture of the response to the 'Help Find Jess' page.

Police and LandSAR searched the forest park and its huts when Boyce's vehicle was found, but suspended efforts four days later.

A police spokeswoman said on Monday search and rescue teams revisited the area last week, but 'unfortunately, nothing [was] located'.

A helpfindjess.org website was set up by Boyce's family in April so people could write in anonymously.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Blenheim police on 03 578 5279. Alternatively, anonymous tips can be passed on to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

People could donate on the family's fundraising page by putting Boyce's name in Givealittle's search bar.