A 47-year-old man has been arrested and charged with the murder of Kathleen Kawana five years ago.

Kawana, 46, disappeared from her Titahi Bay home in June 2019. Five weeks later, her body was later recovered from an abandoned property in Ruatoria.

Detective Inspector Dave de Lange confirmed a 47-year-old Flaxmere man was arrested today and charged with the murder of Kathleen Kawana.

“We know Kathleen’s family have long hoped for answers and the investigation team has worked hard to get to this point.

“Holding to account the person responsible for her murder has been our focus, and we hope this brings some relief to Kathleen’s family.”

The man is due to appear in the Hastings District Court tomorrow.

“As the matter is before the courts, police are unable to comment further at this time,” de Lange said.

A person from Kanawa’s family took to social media tonight, thanking everyone who “unconditionally” supported the family since her disappearance and death.

“After a long and tiring five years of waiting for this moment that felt like a lifetime, I can finally close my eyes in peace,” the post read.

“My heart still aches for you every second of every day but from today onwards it’s only up from here.”

On the day of her tangi, Kawana’s uncle remembered her as a “happy-go-lucky, bubbly child” and a “typical” mother “bringing her kiddies up”.

Kawana’s body was found in a Ngarimu Hill property near Ruatoria on August 3, 2019, by the new owners of the property, police previously said.

“The property recently changed hands and the body was found by the new owners who had gone to have a look around there last Saturday,” Detective Senior Sergeant Ben Quinn said.

Kawana’s uncle said she was living at the house she was found in, but couldn’t say for how long.

“Police gave us the information. They were looking for the family and because of the name they found us easily”, he said.

“It’s still sinking in for the family.”

He said Kawana was born and brought up in Flaxmere, Hastings and moved to Porirua.

Kathleen Kawana holds a portrait of her daughter Iriaka, who died after being crushed by a tree back in 2005. Photo / Paul Taylor

Kanawa’s death was the second tragedy to hit the family - her 6-year-old daughter died in 2005.

Iriaka Te Rangi Maria Kawana was pinned beneath a 10cm thick outer branch of a 30cm-thick arm of a tree which snapped as children played on it.

The 35-year-old bluegum was in Flaxmere’s Lochain Park.

Investigations into the child’s death revealed a group of children playing on the branch of the gum tree, with two of them bouncing on it as Iriaka hung from it.

When the branch broke near where it joined the trunk the other children were thrown clear, but Iriaka was pinned for 15 minutes while adults were found to lift the branch off her.

No evidence of decay was found at the point where the branch broke off the tree, and the Hastings District Council had received no complaints about it.

However “summer branch drop”, a condition where branches dropped off healthy trees at the end of a dry summer, could not be ruled out.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.