'Something happened to her': Northland woman Theresa Urlich missing for more than a year

Thursday, 4 April 2019

Kaitaia woman Theresa Urlich has not been seen since February 4, 2018.

It's been over a year since Kaitaia woman Theresa Urlich left her cousin's house in Kaeo, saying she was headed south.

On February 4, 2018, she showered, changed her clothes, had something to eat and left.

She hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Urlich's 28-year-old son Clem Urlich, a chef in Kerikeri, said while there was an ongoing police investigation, it felt like they had hit a 'dead end'.

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Urlich was last seen at the home of her cousin in Kaeo. She told her she was 'heading south'.

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Clem Urlich was raised by family members and didn't live with his mother at the time of her disappearance.

For eight years, Urlich had been living in the far north town of Kaitaia (file photo).

He said in the past she had had issues with both physical and mental illness.

'We tackled it as a family and got her moved up to Kaitaia, as well as getting some help to get her back on track.'

For the past eight years, she had seemed happy, he said.

Before her disappearance, Urlich was receiving support from Te Mana Oranga Trust, a facility in Kaitaia which provides adult community support services for mental health and addiction.

She was 'doing really well', attended all her appointments and was saving money, her son said.

'But towards the end, she got it into her head she wanted to move away from Kaitaia to some land we owned further south. The trust didn't want her to leave but she liked to do her own thing and didn't like being told what to do.'

Clem Urlich believed when his mother left her cousin's house, she had been planning to head to the property.

'I think something happened to her on the way there. Someone's done something to her.'

Her bank accounts had not been touched since her disappearance, he said.

In the year leading up to her disappearance, Urlich had spoken about some friends that he didn't like the sound of.

'[It was] nothing gang-related I don't think, more just drugs, alcohol, she'd make comments about them and I'd always tell her she should steer clear of that stuff.'

Clem Urlich said as far as he knew, his mother did not have any addiction problems.

One of the hardest things he had done since her disappearance was cleaning out her rental property, he said.

'I had to go in and empty out her house and take all her possessions. I kept a few items but I had to throw bags and bags of her clothes away on that day.'

Urlich's friend Erina Atama said she also believed something bad had happened.

'Theresa deserves the justice and respect to have the right thing done for her – she was a lovely spirit and never harmed anyone at all, her disappearance is a real mystery.'

Urlich had been 'well-known' in Kaitaia, Atama said.

A police spokesperson said the case was still open.

'While police keep an open mind about what happened to her, police have grave concerns for her welfare given the length of time she has been missing.'