Police return to Christchurch red zone searching for Rowena Walker
Wednesday 23 September 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story NZME, Newstalk ZB, Jo Carolan
Police have launched a search in the Christchurch red zone as part of a routine inquiry into missing woman Rowena Walker. Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan stated that the public may notice an increased police presence in the area on Wednesday.
Key facts
4 facts
- Rowena Walker went missing from a Burwood property in August 2025
- Police conducted a search in the Christchurch red zone on Wednesday, 23 September 2026
- The search is part of a routine inquiry
- Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan is the lead officer providing updates
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
Police have returned to an area of the Christchurch red zone to conduct a search for Rowena Walker. Detective Senior Sergeant Jo Carolan stated that the public may notice an increased police presence in the area on Wednesday.
The search is being described by police as a "routine inquiry". Detective Senior Sergeant Carolan noted that no further updates regarding the case are currently available.
Walker has been missing for more than a year after she disappeared from a Burwood property on August 15, 2025. One report notes she was last seen on CCTV in Christchurch on August 14 last year.
Police have encouraged anyone with information, regardless of how small it may seem, to contact them online or via 105. At the one-year mark of the disappearance, Carolan said police remain committed to "bringing Rowena home to her family, and establishing exactly what has happened to her".
Where reports differ
- Reports differ on the date Walker was last seen, with one citing August 14 and another citing her disappearance on August 15, 2025
Compiled from reports by NZ Herald and Stuff.