Woman killed in her home identified as 74-year-old, police searching for her son

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Police are hunting for the son of a 74-year-old woman killed in her Pahīatua home last week, Stuff can reveal.

Karen Gilbert-Palmer was found dead at the property on Arthur St at around 4.40pm on Wednesday last week. The property is beside Tararua College.

A homicide investigation was launched, and police revealed they were looking for a red, late-model Mitsubishi ASX VRX station wagon - registration QGU91 - that was taken from the address.

It was found on Thursday in Rotorua, more than four hours’ drive from Paihīatua.

On Monday, Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson said it was believed that Jeremy Robertson was driving the vehicle, and that officers wanted to speak with him.

Jeremy Robertson is Gilbert-Palmer’s son.

“This vehicle was taken from the victim’s address in Pahīatua, and police located it unoccupied at the Blue and Green Lakes lookout on Tarawera Rd, Rotorua,” he said.

In releasing Gilbert-Palmer’s name on Wednesday night, Thompson confirmed police were still looking for Robertson, and continued to appeal for sightings of the Mitsubishi.

'We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen Jeremy in the Tarawera Road, Rotorua area from Wednesday 15 October.

“Should you see him, do not approach him but call 111 immediately and advise police.”

Non-urgent information could be provided via police on 105.

Search and Rescue teams have scoured the shoreline of the lakes and the island on the Green Lake in their search for Robertson.

Thompson said police were supporting Gilbert-Palmer’s family and keeping them updated on their investigation.

Friend Poppy Hemopo said Gilbert-Palmer was “notoriously private” and came from an established Pahīatua family.

“Karen was a very, very private person, but the week leading up to what’s happened, she went really, really quiet.”

Stuff understands Gilbert-Palmer’s daughter is travelling back to New Zealand from Australia.

Hemopo told Stuff that Gilbert-Palmer was protective of her son and did not discuss him much in her small circle of friends, but she knew that her friend had “struggled’ with the relationship.

“She was a fit, young 74-year-old… she just lived at home and just lived with her dogs. She loved her dogs.”

Hemopo said Gilbert-Palmer’s much-loved pitbull cross Razor was now at the pound.

Iain Anderson, the principal of Tararua College, told Stuff last week that the community was in shock at death which occurred just a stone’s throw from the school gates.

“It’s never nice to see something like that happening in a small community like Pahīatua, it doesn’t happen very often here,” he said.