Neighbours ‘shocked and uneasy’ as body in Elisabeth Nicholls search found 300m from family home
Monday, 23 June 2025
Neighbours have spoken of feeling “shocked and uneasy” after a body found in the search for missing Christchurch woman Elisabeth Nicholls was discovered at an empty property, less than 300m from the home where she had lived with her husband.
Police made the discovery on Sunday while searching a property in Gracefield Ave, close to Hagley Park.
While formal identification is yet to take place, her family said they were “very saddened and relieved Lis has been found”, and police believe the body to be that of the missing 79-year-old. The death will be referred to the coroner.
Nicholls, who had dementia, disappeared from the Margaret Stoddart Retirement Village on the evening of June 4 — just hours after being admitted to the facility for a short stay — about 2km away, across Hagley Park.
She and her husband Gary Nicholls had lived together in Conference St, a block west of where the body was found, and closer to the retirement village.
Official records show the Gracefield Ave property is owned by Health NZ.
In a statement released through police on Sunday, Nicholls’ family said they were “very grateful” for the efforts police and the public had made to find her, and asked for privacy.
The retirement village is run by Ryman Healthcare.
Marsha Cadman, the company’s chief operating officer, said: “Ryman, along with our Margaret Stoddart Village team, are terribly saddened by the news that a body has been found in the search for Elisabeth Nicholls.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Elisabeth’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. We are supporting our residents and team members in the village and continue to liaise with police.”
Nicholls’ disappearance came during the two coldest weeks in Christchurch this year.
She was seen on CCTV footage on the evening of her disappearance at the Chateau on the Park hotel, 550m from the rest home and near the western fringe of Hagley Park.
Gary Nicholls told The Press last week he had to be “realistic” and the chances of finding her alive were small, and had been out searching for his wife alone.
Police and search teams have combed Hagley Park and the surrounding areas over the last 18 days in the hope of finding Nicholls.
Officers looked in waterways and the gardens of nearby properties, scouring undergrowth and river banks, and also used a drone.
On Saturday, police narrowed down the search area after a possible sighting at the eastern side of Hagley Park, around Park Tce and Salisbury/Montreal streets at about 8.25pm on the day she went missing.
They found a body at 1pm on Sunday while searching an abandoned property in Gracefield Ave, a quiet, leafy street off Salisbury St and about 700m from Park Tce.
Neighbours, who did not want to be named, said police knocked on their door on Sunday and asked if they could search around their property. They left a missing person’s poster.
Later on, the neighbours noticed activity next door and found out a body had been discovered.
“It’s left me feeling uneasy,” one neighbour said.
“It’s quite shocking that she was found next door,” another added.
The trio were now wondering if Nicholls had been there “right under our noses” the whole time she had been missing.
They said the property, an old cream weatherboard house surrounded by townhouses, was abandoned, and sometimes squatters were there.
About five police officers could be seen at the scene on Sunday afternoon, including some wearing white forensics suits.
It appeared they were working in the garden behind the house. A hearse later left the scene.
A spokesperson on Sunday said police hoped the discovery would “help provide some closure for her family and loved ones”.
“Our thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult time, and we thank the public and everyone who helped in the search for their efforts.”