• Jared Sione-Lauaki denies involvement in the death of wife Jo Sione-Lauaki, found on Omamari Beach.
• Police believe Jo Sione-Lauaki was a victim of foul play and are seeking a man known to them.
• Over 200 people attended Jo Sione-Lauaki’s farewell in Auckland, including family and gang members.

The husband of a mum of eight found dead in “unexplained” circumstances on a Northland beach says he is not responsible for her death.

“I didn’t hurt my wife,” Jared Sione-Lauaki told the Herald after hundreds gathered in Auckland today to farewell Jo Sione-Lauaki five days after her body was found on remote Omamari Beach north of Dargaville.

“I was at home asleep with my babies … the police have ruled me out as a suspect, 100% from the start,” the Dargaville dairy farm worker said.

Police have described the 38-year-old mother and wife’s death as “unexplained”, and her family said police have told them they believe she was the victim of foul play.

Police are also understood to be looking for a man – known to them – who was seen with Sione-Lauaki before she died, 1News reported yesterday.

They weren’t able to comment further on the investigation “at this time”, a police spokesman said this afternoon.

“We are still awaiting the findings of a post-mortem from the pathologist,” Detective Senior Sergeant John Clayton said in his most recent statement.

“Police are in the process of collecting evidence, and a scene examination has been completed. We continue to encourage the public to contact us if you have information which might be relevant to our investigation.”

Jared Sione-Lauaki hoped people would continue to do this and “just cut the rumours out”, he said of speculation on and offline about what happened when Sione-Lauaki disappeared after telling her husband she was going to the beach late on Thursday.

A photo of Jo Sione-Lauaki at her funeral at Schnapper Rock Crematorium Chapel in Albany, Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton

The grieving husband of Jo Sione-Lauaki, Jared Sione-Lauaki, (centre) being hugged by mourners. Photo / Alex Burton

“Just let the truth come out when it needs to come out and let it be at that … it annoys me that people think – because I’m a Black Power member – they instantly think, ‘Oh, he’s done that’.

“The other rumours are that she was with someone, or there was someone involved that had facial tattoos. I’ve got a couple of facial tattoos but that doesn’t mean I done it.

“Yeah, it hurts when I hear that. How about taking my feelings into consideration? It just upsets me, you know, regardless of who I am, I have a big heart and like I said [we were together] 21 years, no one can ever replace that … [and] some selfish person went and stole that from us, from me.”

He realised she hadn’t come home after waking at 5.15am last Friday to go to work, taking his phone off flight mode to discover she’d sent him a one-word text message – “Help”, Jared Sione-Lauaki told the Herald on Saturday.

“I text, I rang, I text, I rang, I text, I rang.”

But there was no response.

Jared Sione-Lauaki went to work but about 9.20am told his boss he needed to leave, and he and his daughter unsuccessfully searched north of Baylys Beach, the family’s usual beach destination.

He wasn’t concerned before he went to bed at 8.30pm or 9pm the night before because his wife’s decision to go to the beach wasn’t unusual.

“That’s normal for her to do that sort of thing.”

The father and daughter reported Sione-Lauaki missing to police late on Friday morning, and her body was found by a member of the public between Omamari and Aranga beaches about 2pm that day.

They didn’t have any enemies, Jared Sione-Lauaki said, noting he gave those from other gangs “the same love and respect” he gave his own family or “brothers”.

“Not everyone’s bad … we’re all family men … when you’ve worked as hard as I have for my family, then [these rumours] are last thing I need to be hearing.

“I just need to focus on my kids and that’s all I wanna focus on at the moment.”

His six surviving kids – the couple’s daughter Jacinda Sione-Lauaki died aged 19 in a Christmas Eve 2022 car crash and Jodicye Alliyah Panapa Sione-Lauaki died aged 3 weeks in 2007 – are “surprisingly doing probably better than me”, Jared Sione-Lauaki said.

“It should be the other way around. But I’ll be all right ... my heart, it’s just sore.”

Jo Sione-Lauaki and Jared Sione-Lauaki. Jo was found dead on Omamari Beach in Northland on August 2 in circumstances police have described as "unexplained". Jared has spoken to the Herald about the death of his wife and the mother of their eight children. Photo / Supplied

Pallbearers at Jo Sione-Lauaki's funeral at Schnapper Rock Crematorium Chapel in Albany, Auckland this morning. Photo / Alex Burton

Despite his grief, he’d have to “put my gumboots on and go back to work”, probably in the next few days, he said.

“Your home and your security comes with the job … and [my employer’s] gonna need me back.”

This morning’s service was the farewell his wife deserved.

“That was one of the best send-offs I’ve seen for a while. Yeah, it was pretty moving.”

More than 200 people gathered at Schnapper Rock Crematorium Chapel in Auckland to share memories, offer prayer and sing waiata in Sione-Lauaki’s memory.

Later mourners performed a powerful haka outside, among those at a service that included a large number of people from the Black Power, Mongrel Mob and Head Hunters gangs.

“We love you Mum,” Josharney Panapa said, speaking for herself and her siblings after the cloak-covered coffin was carried inside and placed at the centre of the chapel, at least one member of the whānau never leaving its side.

Matilda Kahotea Panapa said her future sister-in-law had given her a testing start when they met after she began dating Sione-Lauaki’s brother while the younger sister was still in intermediate school.

“She asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘I’m your brother’s girlfriend’. She said, ‘We’ll see’,” Kahotea Panapa said to laughter from those gathered.

“She tested me … and then she stole my heart.”

A mourner performs a haka at the funeral for Joanna Mai Sione-Lauaki at Schnapper Rock in Albany, Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton

Sione-Lauaki was a “Red Band gumboots and Swanndri woman, but when you saw her going out, man she was beautiful - she looked like a queen”.

“To my brother Jared, nobody really knows the pain of losing two children, and not long after losing half your soul … I still don’t know what to say to you … [but] I’m there for you.”

She also praised the couple’s children, the youngest 12 and the eldest 22.

“These kids are strong, and it’s testament to their mother and the values she instilled in them.”

Even in their grief, family were taking comfort in their memories, Sione-Lauaki’s Scotland-based niece wrote in a tribute read out to mourners.

“The laughter, the tears, the adventures and also the quiet moments of introspection. You had a heart that was full of empathy … and a gift for helping everyone feel safe, feel heard and feel valued.”

* Police still want to hear from the public if they have information which might be relevant to their investigation. This can be done by calling police on 105 and quoting file number 240803/9062.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.