Mona Blades case

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mona Elizabeth Blades is a woman from New Zealand who went missing in 1975, when hitchhiking. Since then her body has never been found, and no one has ever been charged with her murder. It has since gained media attention over the years as one of New Zealand's longest unsolved murder cases.

[edit] Disappearance

On May 31, 1975, Mona Blades was last seen on the road between Napier and Taupo in an orange Datsun station wagon.

A truck driver saw Miss Blades getting into the Datsun and witnesses reported seeing a matching vehicle veering off the highway and stopping on rural Matea Rd, on the way to Napier.

[edit] Investigation

One of at least five suspects investigated at the time has died. An elderly New Zealand man and another now living in Australia, Charlie Hughes, have remained "persons of interest" for police.

Mr. Hughes has gone public in newspapers and on television about his frustrations about being on the suspects list and has denied he had anything to do with the murder.

New Zealand police have used psychics and mediums to try to find Mona Blades's body. One even sent a map with directions of where to go to find where they believed Miss Blades' body was buried.

[edit] Today

In 2004, there was a glimmer of hope when police came across a shallow grave bearing Miss Blades' name in a Huntly garage. The name had been inscribed on concrete as a joke six years earlier and the former owner of the property apologised to her family.

Miss Blades' brother, Tony Blades, told the Daily Post his family had not talked to the media over the past 30 years about their feelings because it was too hard on them, especially their mother, who is now in her 80s [1]. Her father has since died not knowing his daughters' whereabouts.

While the case has baffled everyone for three decades, the officers tasked with getting to know the case better are determined to find new leads. The hotline number 0800 MONA BLADES is still running today. Since then the case has never been officially closed.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007)